The Ultimate Marvel Film Guide: 2025 - 2027
Created | Updated Last Week
1944-1990 | 1998-2004 | 2005-2009 | 2010-2014 | 2015-2016 | 2017-2019 | 2020-2022 | 2023-2024 | 2025-2026
By 2025 Marvel's dominance of the cinema landscape was increasingly challenged, with an increase in viewer apathy caused by films starring characters that audiences care little for, and no apparent overall direction
In 2023 Phase Five of the Marvel Cinematic Universe began. The first three phases had been classed as the Infinity Saga, with phases Four to Six named the 'Multiverse Saga'. This would involve the characters encountering parallel dimensions filled with alternate copies of established characters and where historical events had played out differently. The Multiverse Saga consists not only of an ever-increasing number of films, but also series shown on streaming service Disney+, intended to boost subscribers to that digital streaming subscription service.
In the 1990s Marvel comics had sold off the film-rights to many of their titles. While most had reverted over the years to Marvel Studios, now owned by Disney, Columbia Pictures still has the rights to Spider-Man and associated characters. The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014) had shown them struggling to turn their lucrative rights into standalone money-making films, leading them to collaborate with Marvel Studios.
Marvel Films
Marvel also conceived their films as having over-reaching story arcs and grouped their films into 'phases'. All the films made by Marvel in this period were part of Phase 5 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which had failed to capture the excitement of earlier phases and was largely considered anticlimactic following the Infinity Saga. The Marvel Cinematic Universe consisted of the following films to date - films shown underlined were made by Columbia Pictures:
| Phase 1: | Phase 2: | Phase 3: | Phase 4: |
|---|---|---|---|
1. Iron Man (2008) 2. The Incredible Hulk (2008) 3. Iron Man 2 (2010) 4. Thor (2011) 5. Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) 6. Avengers Assemble (2012) | 7. Iron Man 3 (2013) 8. Thor: The Dark World (2013) 9. Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014) 10. Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) 11. Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015) 12. Ant-Man (2015) | 13. Captain America: Civil War (2016) 14. Doctor Strange (2016) 15. Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol 2 (2017) 16. Spider-Man Homecoming (2017) 17. Thor: Ragnarok (2017) 18. Black Panther (2018) 19. Avengers: Infinity War (2018) 20. Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018) 21. Captain Marvel (2019) 22. Avengers: Endgame (2019) 23. Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019) | 24. Black Widow (2021) 25. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021) 26. Eternals (2021) 27. Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021) 28. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022) 29. Thor: Love and Thunder (2022) 30. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022) |
Phase One Complete | Phase Two Complete | Phase Three Complete | Phase Four Complete |
Listed below are all the Marvel film adaptations made in this period, with recurring actors and characters who appear in other films shown in Bold. Also mentioned is whether the films pass the Bechdel Test. This can be summarised as whether the film involves two or more female characters who have a conversation together that does not focus on men in general or specific male characters.
Captain America: Brave New World (2025)
| Director | Julius Onah |
|---|---|
| Studio | Marvel Studios |
| Plot | The American President is a monster! Newly elected to this office is former general Thaddeus 'Thunderbolt' Ross1, who plans to exploit wonder-material Adamantium, which is now found in the Indian Ocean following the events of film Eternals. He seems intent on having America declare war on his allies, particularly Japan. Meanwhile new Captain America and former Falcon Sam Wilson has recruited a new Falcon, Joaquin Torres, and is close friends with Isaiah Bradley, a former super-soldier, all of whom are invited to the White House. There, Bradley seemingly attempts to assassinate the American President. With Bradley protesting his innocence, can Wilson find out who is really behind the murder attempt? Will the President prove he is a changed man and reconnect with his estranged daughter, will his inner demon be unleashed? |
| Length | 118 minutes |
| Setting | United States and Indian Ocean |
| Characters |
|
| Related Films | All Marvel Cinematic Universe, especially:
|
| Bechdel Test | Fail |
| Cameos |
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| Post-Credits Scene | One single post-credits sequence |
After the success of The Falcon and the Winter Solider on Disney+ this film picks up after that story ended, and finally resolves the cliffhanger from The Incredible Hulk by showing what happened to Stern. As William Hurt had passed away in 2022 his role of Ross was recast with Harrison Ford, the first time a Marvel character had been recast due to the death of the original actor. This is reflected in several lines of dialogue in which it is said that Ross has a 'new look' and is trying to be a new man. There was some controversy in Arab nations that Israeli actress, Shira Haas, played an Israeli character.
Television Spin-offs
Spin offs shown on Disney+ are:
