• Avengers: Infinity War’s post-credits scene explained
• Avengers: Infinity War directors say that missing characters could play a bigger part in the sequel

So let’s get started with the big one.

Phase Three

Avengers: Infinity War: OUT NOW!

Who’s in it?

Er, pretty much everyone, but some of the biggest names involved include Robert Downey Jr’s Tony Stark/Iron Man, Chris Evans’ Captain America, Scarlett Johansson’s Black Widow, Benedict Cumberbatch’s Doctor Strange and Josh Brolin’s big baddie Thanos.

What’s it about?

The Avengers and other superheroic allies team up to take down Thanos, an evil megalomaniac determined to assemble the six Infinity stones (which have cropped up in previous Marvel movies) and kill half the universe.

Anything else?

The release date for the film was moved up a week, suggesting Marvel was pretty confident about its performance which may have been wise following the positive reviews for the film. Infinity War will be followed by another Avengers film in May 2019, originally titled Infinity War: Part 2 but now set to be known by another, secretive name.

Ant-Man and the Wasp: July 6th, 2018 /August 2018 (UK)

Who’s in it?

Paul Rudd stars as the titular Ant-Man/Scott Lang, alongside Evangeline Lilly’s Hope van Dyne/Wasp and Michael Douglas’ Hank Pym. Bobby Cannavale, Michael Pena and Judy Greer also return from the original Ant-Man, while newcomers include Laurence Fishburne and Hannah John-Kamen.

What’s it about?

Fresh from his imprisonment at the end of Captain America: Civil War, Scott must team up with newly-powered partner Hope to take down a mysterious new villain called Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen).

Anything else?

Given that this film takes place in between two closely linked Avengers films, it seems likely to be set at a time slightly before Infinity War, despite it being released a few months later. That, or Ant-Man is taking time out from the massive battle against Thanos for a mini-adventure of his own.

The release date for the UK also seems to be a little later than that for America and the rest of the world, but it may be that difference is shaved down closer to release.

Captain Marvel: March 8^th, 2019

Who’s in it?

Brie Larson stars as Carol Danvers/ Captain Marvel, with Rogue One’s Ben Mendelsohn and Humans’ Gemma Chan also among the cast. Samuel L Jackson will be reprising his role as SHIELD director Nick Fury in the movie, while Jude Law will play Danvers’ mentor Mar-Vell.

What’s it about?

Set in the 1990s, the film will follow the adventures of human pilot Carol Danvers as she’s granted strange alien powers and forced to battle deadly new threats, while introducing a younger Nick Fury to the world of superheroes he will one day gather.

Anything else?

Captain Marvel will mark the MCU’s first female-led superhero movie, two years after DC and Warner Brothers managed it with Wonder Woman (we’re not counting Ant-Man and the Wasp as she’s sharing the top spot). The film is also the first in Marvel’s stable to be helmed by a female director, albeit one co-directing with someone else – Anna Boden will helm with Ryan Fleck, from a script by Nicole Perlman and Meg LeFauve.

Avengers 4: May 3^rd, 2019

Who’s in it?

See above – given that this is a direct sequel to Infinity War, we should probably expect much of the same cast.

What’s it about?

The film will follow the events of Avengers: Infinity War, but given that we don’t actually know what those events are – Thanos could literally kill half the universe, as is apparently his plan – it’s hard to predict with any more specificity what we’ll be getting.

Anything else?

As noted earlier, this film was originally just called Avengers: Infinity War part 2, but dropped that title later into production with its replacement not yet revealed (apparently it’s a bit of a spoiler).

The change might also have come from the fact that historically, films broken into two parts (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay etc) have performed less well at the box office than other standalone movies in their franchises. Perhaps audiences just don’t like getting half a product?

Phase Four

Spider-Man: Homecoming sequel

Who’s in it?

Tom Holland returns to the role of Peter Parker/Spider-Man, and we’d be surprised if cast members Zendaya, Jacob Batalon and Marisa Tomei didn’t also make a comeback for the sequel.

What’s it about?

Well, Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige has said we can expect to see the ramifications of Avengers 4 unfold through Peter’s eyes, and we’re sure to see Peter’s Aunt May (Marisa Tomei) react to her discovery at the end of the last film that her nephew IS the wall-crawler.

Apart from that, little is known about the plot other than that it’s likely to continue to heavily involve Peter’s school life in the action, and it may see the webbed wonder travel to different countries around the world including England.

Anything else?

The title of the sequel is currently unknown, and almost certainly won’t be Spider-Man: Homecoming 2. It may still relate to the traditional US high school calendar, though, as director Jon Watts is keen to keep following Peter through his formative teenage years.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3: 2020

Who’s in it?

Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Karen Gillan, Dave Bautista, Pom Klementieff, Bradley Cooper, Vin Diesel and Sean Gunn are all expected to reprise their roles for the new film, which writer/director James Gunn is reportedly working on for an unknown 2020 release date.

What’s it about?

Currently unknown, though Elizabeth Debicki’s villain Ayesha is set to return after making a new plan to destroy the Guardians in 2017’s Vol. 2. Presumably we’ll also see some fallout from the Guardians’ involvement in the two Avengers films.

“It will conclude the story of this iteration of the Guardians of the Galaxy, and help catapult both old and new Marvel characters into the next ten years and beyond,” Gunn said in a Facebook post.

“I will be working side-by-side with Kevin Feige and the gang to help design where these stories go, and make sure the future of the Marvel Cosmic Universe is as special and authentic and magical as what we have created so far.”

Anything else?

Seeing as Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 was set four years before Avengers: Infinity War (so that Groot would still be a baby, the action only takes place a few months after the original 2014 Guardians of the Galaxy), this new sequel will be a big jump for the Guardians.

Black Panther 2

Who’s in it?

While nothing has yet been confirmed, it would be a bit of a surprise not to see the return of Chadwick Boseman to the titular role, alongside cast members like Letitia Wright, Angela Bassett, Danai Gurira, Lupita Nyong’o, Martin Freeman and Winston Duke.

What’s it about?

No idea – the first one’s only just come out, and this hasn’t been officially greenlit yet – but Kevin Feige says they have some ideas.

"Nothing specific to reveal [about the sequel], other than to say we absolutely will do that," Feige told Entertainment Weekly.

"One of the favourite pastimes at Marvel Studios is sitting around on a Part One and talking and dreaming about what we would do in a Part Two. There have been plenty of those conversations as we were putting together the first Black Panther. We have ideas and a pretty solid direction on where we want to head with the second one."

Considering the first film ends with King T’Challa (Boseman) unveiling his secretive nation to the world, we may expect some intriguing international consequences.

Anything else?

Fans of the record-breaking first movie will be hoping to see director Ryan Coogler return to the hotseat, but if he did it would mark a first for him in not working with actor Michael B Jordan. Jordan, who has worked on all of Coogler’s films so far and played Killmonger in Black Panther, saw his character defeated at the end of the first film.

Doctor Strange 2

Who’s in it?

One would expect Benedict Cumberbatch to return as the titular sorcerer, with Benedict Wong's fellow magic-weaver Wong, Rachel McAdams’ Doctor Clea and Chiwetel Ejiofor’s unhinged Mordo also likely to make a comeback.

What’s it about?

Again, this is unclear at such an early stage, but it’s likely to concern Strange taking down his former colleague Mordo after the latter started removing magic from other sorcerers.

“The alternate dimensions and possibilities of the multiverse that we set up with the first film already give limitless possibilities,” director Scott Derrickson, who has hinted he will be returning to the series, said in January.

“What I will say is that the goal would not be to underutilise that, or to create something that was less innovative than the first Doctor Strange.

“The comics, especially the Lee/Ditko comics, were always pushing into unexpectedly weird places and storylines.

“That has continued on into the current Doctor Strange comics, which are really great. So anything's possible with Doctor Strange, I wouldn't rule anything out.”

Anything else?

It could be that we don’t see the next Doctor Strange film for a while, as hinted by Feige last year.

"Certainly, we would love to tell more about the Strange story [in a sequel],” he said. “Yes. It won't be for a while.

"Our focus is on the next six movies. Finishing the first three phases, getting Untitled Avengers out into the world [in 2019] before publicly focusing on anything else."

And given the huge success of Black Panther, it might be that they want to get that sequel out into the world more quickly.

Untitled Black Widow movie

Who’s in it?

Scarlett Johansson will almost certainly reprise her role as superspy Natasha Romanoff, aka Black Widow.

What’s it about?

Much too early to know those sort of details, as the film has only just found itself a writer after a long time in development, and hasn’t formally been greenlit. Jac Schaeffer is tipped to write the script.

Anything else?

Considering she made her debut in 2010’s Iron Man 2, this movie will be a long time coming for the character if it does finally get off the ground.

Future projects

Here are all the release dates Disney has released for upcoming marvel projects, many of which have yet to be announced and some of which will certainly include some of the as-yet-unscheduled films we’ve mentioned above.

• May 1, 2020: Untitled Marvel
• July 21, 2020: Untitled Marvel (Previously August 7, 2020)
• November 6, 2020: Untitled Marvel
• May 7, 2021: Untitled Marvel
• July 30, 2021: Untitled Marvel
• November 5, 2021: Untitled Marvel
• February 18, 2022: Untitled Marvel
• May 6, 2022: Untitled Marvel
• July 29, 2022: Untitled Marvel

For example, one of the two earlier 2020 dates seems likely for the debut of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 and the Spider-Man sequel, while Black Panther could theoretically slot in to November 2020 (though May 2021 might be more realistic). There may also be another Ant-Man sequel in there somewhere, given that Marvel seems to like doing trilogies for their characters.

Some of these films may be future Avengers team-up movies beyond the first four instalments, though nothing like this has been announced yet.

Anyway, there we have it – enough Marvel superhero films to while away the lonely hours of the rest of our lives, and that’s not even including all the Fox X-Men films, DC’s upcoming slate or the Incredibles 2. Looks like capes are here to stay.