Marvel Cinematic Universe: Phase Five
The fifth story phase of Marvel Studios’ interconnected Marvel Cinematic Universe, spanning films and Disney+ television productions released from 2023 through 2025.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Marvel Cinematic Universe: Phase Five is a defined release and storytelling grouping within the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), the shared fictional continuity produced by Marvel Studios from characters and concepts published by Marvel Comics. It follows Phase Four and precedes Phase Six. Together, Phases Four, Five, and Six form the Multiverse Saga, an overarching storyline concerned with alternate realities, temporal branching, and threats connected to the multiverse. Phase Five began with Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania in February 2023 and concluded with the Disney+ series Ironheart in July 2025. Its screen output combined theatrical feature films with live-action and animated streaming series. The film slate included Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, The Marvels, Deadpool & Wolverine, Captain America: Brave New World, and Thunderbolts*. The television and short-form slate included Secret Invasion, the second season of Loki, the second season of What If...?, Echo, Agatha All Along, Daredevil: Born Again, Ironheart, the second season of I Am Groot, and Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man. The first season of X-Men ’97 was released during the same broader saga period, while its precise phase classification has been treated separately in some Marvel listings. Kevin Feige produced every film in the phase. Other credited producers included Lauren Shuler Donner, Ryan Reynolds, and Shawn Levy on Deadpool & Wolverine, as well as Marvel Studios executives such as Stephen Broussard and Nate Moore on selected productions. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures distributed the theatrical films, while Disney+ served as the principal streaming platform. The films collectively earned more than US$3.6 billion worldwide according to the cited phase reference, although individual titles varied significantly in reception and commercial performance. The Marvels was described in the reference material as the first MCU box-office bomb. The phase also marked an organizational and programming adjustment for Marvel Studios. After the unusually dense output of Phase Four, Disney and Marvel executives said they intended to reduce the quantity and increase the spacing of releases, allowing individual films and series more opportunity to attract attention. The studio introduced or emphasized separate presentation labels: Marvel Television for live-action series, Marvel Animation for animated series, and Marvel Spotlight for more self-contained projects such as Echo. This did not create separate fictional universes; it primarily communicated differences in format, continuity expectations, and viewing requirements. Production and scheduling were affected by the 2023 Writers Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Several projects were delayed, retitled, rescheduled, or removed temporarily from announced calendars. Blade, initially associated with Phase Five, was ultimately moved into Phase Six. The phase therefore represents not only a fixed set of releases but also a period in which Marvel Studios revised its production pipeline, release cadence, television strategy, and quality-control priorities. As a brand grouping, it is positioned as a premium entertainment franchise spanning theatrical superhero films, streaming series, animation, character spin-offs, and serialized multiverse storytelling.
History
Marvel Studios developed the projects later grouped into Phase Five over several years rather than announcing them as a single slate from the outset. By the mid-2010s, the studio had publicly indicated that MCU stories were planned well into the future. At San Diego Comic-Con in 2019, Marvel announced a substantial Phase Four program, while other projects—including later sequels and new characters—remained in development. During 2020 and 2021, Disney dated or announced projects such as Captain Marvel 2, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, Secret Invasion, Ironheart, Loki season 2, Echo, and a fourth Captain America film. The Deadpool continuation was also developed after Marvel Studios gained access to the character through Disney’s acquisition of 21st Century Fox. Marvel formally defined Phase Five at its July 2022 San Diego Comic-Con presentation. The studio stated that Black Panther: Wakanda Forever would close Phase Four and that Quantumania, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, The Marvels, Secret Invasion, Ironheart, Loki season 2, Echo, Agatha All Along, Daredevil: Born Again, Captain America: New World Order, and Thunderbolts* belonged to Phase Five. The phase’s planned narrative function was to continue the Multiverse Saga, with Quantumania presented as a direct connection toward the planned Avengers: The Kang Dynasty. Deadpool & Wolverine was subsequently scheduled within the phase, while Blade was later pushed into Phase Six. The release plan changed repeatedly. Marvel retitled Captain America: New World Order as Captain America: Brave New World. Dates for Deadpool & Wolverine, Brave New World, Thunderbolts*, and Blade moved several times. The 2023 WGA strike interrupted writing and production on a number of projects, and the SAG-AFTRA strike further affected filming and release timing. Daredevil: Born Again and Thunderbolts* experienced production interruptions, while Blade was substantially delayed. Disney and Marvel also reassessed the number of films and streaming series released annually, responding to concerns about cost, audience attention, and uneven reception. The television strategy evolved during this period. Rather than treating every series as a short, one-season event, Marvel explored projects with potential for multiple seasons and used presentation labels to distinguish formats. Echo became the first Marvel Studios series released simultaneously on Disney+ and Hulu for a limited period and the first project promoted under the Marvel Spotlight banner. Agatha All Along became the first live-action series released under the renewed Marvel Television label, while animated programming was associated with Marvel Animation. Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, initially announced under a different working title, joined the animated portion of the phase. The phase’s films mixed established characters, successor heroes, team concepts, and characters newly integrated into the MCU. Quantumania expanded the Ant-Man family’s relationship with the Quantum Realm; Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 concluded the team’s principal trilogy; The Marvels joined Captain Marvel, Monica Rambeau, and Ms. Marvel; Deadpool & Wolverine connected Marvel Studios’ MCU production with characters from the earlier Fox-era films; Brave New World continued Sam Wilson’s Captain America story; and Thunderbolts* assembled morally complicated characters. Streaming projects broadened the universe through espionage, supernatural stories, street-level drama, animation, and legacy characters. Phase Five ended with Ironheart in July 2025, though the continuing MCU narrative extends beyond the phase.
- 2025
Phase Five concludes with Ironheart
[1]Ironheart completes the phase’s release sequence in July 2025.
- 2024
Marvel adopts differentiated television labels
[1]Marvel Television, Marvel Animation, and Marvel Spotlight are used to frame different categories of series.
- 2023
Phase Five begins with Quantumania
[1]Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania opens the phase in February.
- 2023
Hollywood labor disputes disrupt production
[1]The WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes contribute to pauses and schedule changes across the slate.
- 2022
Phase Five is formally announced
[1]Marvel Studios identifies the Phase Five slate at San Diego Comic-Con and places it within the Multiverse Saga.
Products and positioning
A globally distributed, interconnected superhero entertainment slate combining theatrical event films with Disney+ series and animation within the MCU’s Multiverse Saga.
Theatrical film · 2023
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania
The phase-opening feature follows Scott Lang and Hope van Dyne into the Quantum Realm, where their family encounters a major multiversal antagonist. Marvel positioned the film as an important narrative bridge into the Multiverse Saga.
Theatrical film · 2023
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
James Gunn’s third Guardians feature continues the cosmic team’s story and serves as a major closing chapter for the group’s original iteration. Its emotional and character-focused approach distinguished it within the phase’s space-fantasy output.
Theatrical film · 2023
The Marvels
The film brings together Carol Danvers, Monica Rambeau, and Kamala Khan after their powers become linked. It extends stories from Captain Marvel, WandaVision, and Ms. Marvel while presenting a team-oriented cosmic adventure.
Theatrical film · 2024
Deadpool & Wolverine
The film pairs Ryan Reynolds’s Deadpool with Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine and incorporates characters associated with the earlier 20th Century Fox Marvel film cycle. It is a multiverse-oriented entry produced by Marvel Studios with Reynolds and other producers.
Theatrical film · 2025
Captain America: Brave New World
Formerly announced as Captain America: New World Order, the film continues Sam Wilson’s role as Captain America after The Falcon and the Winter Soldier and expands the political and superhero dimensions of the MCU.
Theatrical film · 2025
Thunderbolts*
The film assembles a group of antiheroes and conflicted operatives drawn from earlier MCU stories. It represents Marvel’s use of a team format centered on characters who do not fit the traditional heroic model.
Live-action streaming series · 2023
Loki season 2
The second season continues Loki’s time and multiverse narrative, expanding the consequences of the events introduced in the first season and contributing to the saga’s temporal mythology.
Live-action streaming series · 2023
Secret Invasion
This espionage thriller centers on Nick Fury and a covert Skrull threat, using a darker political tone and emphasizing infiltration, mistrust, and the consequences of long-running alien activity on Earth.
Live-action streaming series · 2024
Echo
The series follows Maya Lopez after the events of Hawkeye and explores her family, heritage, and connection to the criminal underworld. It was promoted as the first Marvel Spotlight project and received a simultaneous Disney+ and limited Hulu release.
Live-action streaming series · 2024
Agatha All Along
A supernatural spin-off from WandaVision, the series follows Agatha Harkness and a group of witches. It was initially developed under the title Agatha: House of Harkness and became the first live-action series released under Marvel Studios’ renewed Marvel Television banner.
Live-action streaming series · 2025
Daredevil: Born Again
The series continues Marvel’s screen interpretation of Matt Murdock and Daredevil, bringing Charlie Cox back to the role in a Disney+ production. Its development and production were affected by creative restructuring and the 2023 labor disputes.
Live-action streaming series · 2025
Ironheart
The series follows Riri Williams, an inventor introduced in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, as she develops her own identity and technology within the MCU. Its July 2025 release concluded Phase Five.
Animated streaming series · 2023
What If...? seasons 2 and 3
The anthology explores alternate outcomes across MCU events through the Watcher’s perspective. Its later seasons continue the phase’s emphasis on branching realities and animated multiverse storytelling.
Animated streaming series · 2025
Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man
Initially developed as Spider-Man: Freshman Year, the series presents an animated prequel-style version of Peter Parker’s early superhero life and broadens Marvel Studios’ animated television offering.
Animated short series · 2023
I Am Groot season 2
The second collection of short episodes continues the small-scale adventures of Baby Groot and forms part of the phase’s short-form animated content.
Brand decisions
2024
Marvel introduces separate presentation bannersStrategyBackground
Marvel Studios wanted viewers to understand whether a project was live-action, animated, or relatively standalone without treating every series as equally continuity-intensive.
Action taken
The studio used Marvel Television for live-action series, Marvel Animation for animated series, and Marvel Spotlight for projects such as Echo.
Aftermath
The labels became part of Marvel’s effort to clarify its television portfolio and moderate audience expectations.
2023
Marvel reduces and spaces streaming outputStrategyBackground
Disney and Marvel reassessed the high volume of Phase Four content, while strikes and production pressures made the existing schedule difficult to maintain.
Action taken
Executives said releases would be spaced out and that fewer series might be issued each year so individual titles could receive more attention.
Aftermath
Several Phase Five series were delayed, removed from near-term calendars, or repositioned as event releases.
2022
Phase Five is incorporated into the Multiverse SagaStrategyBackground
Marvel Studios sought to give audiences a broader roadmap after the interconnected clues and alternate-reality stories of Phase Four.
Action taken
The studio grouped Phases Four, Five, and Six under the Multiverse Saga and announced a slate of connected films and series.
Aftermath
Phase Five became the principal middle chapter between the opening and concluding phases of the saga.
Recent events
- 2024
Marvel introduces Marvel Television, Marvel Animation, and Marvel Spotlight presentation labels[1]
Other
Marvel Studios announced a more differentiated labeling approach for live-action, animated, and relatively standalone streaming projects.
- 2023
Disney and Marvel revise release plans after labor disputes and production delays[1]
Other
The WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, together with Marvel’s effort to slow its release cadence, caused multiple film and television schedule changes.
- 2023
The Marvels underperforms at the global box office[1]
Other
The Marvels became the first MCU film characterized in the reference material as a box-office bomb, contributing to wider discussion of Marvel’s release volume and audience fatigue.
- 2022
Marvel Studios announces Phase Five as part of the Multiverse Saga[1]
Other
At San Diego Comic-Con, Marvel Studios identified the Phase Five films and series and placed the phase between Phases Four and Six within the Multiverse Saga.
Sources1 sources
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