Marvel Studios Delays Blade, Dates Three 2028 Films
Marvel added a bunch of dates and has removed Blade from its slate entirely. Let's speculate about what these movies could be.
In a move that should surprise no one, Marvel Studios has officially vacated Blade from the release slate and added three movies to the 2028 calendar. Marvel's upcoming release slate now looks like the following:
Captain America: Brave New World: February 14th, 2025
Thunderbolts*: May 2nd, 2025
The Fantastic Four: First Steps: July 25th, 2025
Untitled Film: February 13th, 2026
Avengers: Doomsday: May 1st, 2026
Untitled Film: November 6th, 2026
Avengers: Secret Wars: May 7th, 2027
Untitled Film: July 23rd, 2027
Untitled Film: November 5th, 2027
Untitled Film: February 18th, 2028
Untitled Film: May 5th, 2028
Untitled Film: November 10th, 2028
You know what? I haven't made a fool of myself lately, let me predict what movies are coming out on each of these days and we can keep looking back at how wrong I was. Considering these are Disney dates, we will omit the impending Spider-Man 4 from the discussion.
February 13th, 2026: Doctor Strange 3
Based on the post-credit scene of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and the fact that this is the only movie coming out before Secret Wars without a title attached, this is the most likely the third Doctor Strange movie, especially if Strange himself has a reduced role in Doomsday compared to Secret Wars.
November 6th, 2026: Blade
Marvel really wants Blade to happen, especially since it was announced in 2019 and we haven't seen anything from this movie since. They definitely do not want to end phase six without releasing this so placing this between Avengers movies puts them in a place where they can either set it in Battleworld or make it a period piece like Captain America: The First Avenger or Captain Marvel. Either way, they have a ton of leeway without strictly binding someone to existing canon. Also, this movie has enough setting itself apart from The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping so they don't have to worry about getting crushed by the competition.
July 23rd, 2027: Armor Wars
I think Armor Wars will happen and this date is tentative on how Marvel handles the fact that Doctor Doom and Tony Stark look identical. I think there's a chance that forcing Rhodes and Riri to deal with the repercussions of Tony's legacy in the wake of this variant is interesting storytelling. Plus, considering this is the first film after Secret Wars, there could be a certain poetry to launching the new MCU status-quo with an Iron Man-adjacent movie.
November 5th, 2027: Shang-Chi 2
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is not a perfect movie, but it is clearly one of Marvel's best in the post-Endgame era. We've been hearing about Shang-Chi 2 for a while and if Destin Daniel Cretton is returning, this date gives the film space to breathe and develop after Spider-Man 4 which is likely coming in 2026.
February 18th, 2028: Black Panther 3
The people yearn to return to Wakanda and the world of Black Panther has a ton of potential going forward. If The Eyes of Wakanda is introducing Kun'lun and the mythology of the other hidden societies of Marvel, perhaps this could come sooner rather than later to live action. Plus, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever made a lot of money for Marvel so they'll want a sequel.
May 5th, 2028: Something X-Men
Whatever form the first MCU X-Men movie takes, it will come out in the May release slot. Marvel Studios loves this slot and has released a major movie. Obviously the X-Men's arrival to the MCU proper with a new cast will be a major event for Marvel so its a fair assumption.
November 10th, 2028: Strange Academy
I'm going out on a limb here but I think there will be interest in doing a Strange Academy movie. The mystic side of Marvel has a solid following, plus this gives Marvel Studios (and by extension, Disney) the opportunity to try and build their answer to Harry Potter.
Now there is more that is probably coming like Young Avengers and further cosmic exploration, however, I think that after the Multiverse Saga, there will be a desire to bring the MCU back to a more grounded state. Still, let's see how wrong I am over the next few months or years.
