Welcome to the gossip factory! As part of a Q&A session on the website Cosmic Circus, Hollywood insider Alex Perez was busy spilling the beans on what is currently in the pipeline for the next Marvel projects. In advance - it should be emphasized that his information is by no means officially confirmed - nevertheless the hints about the future of the MCU are certainly exciting!

Shang-Chi 2, Spider-Man 4 and Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse

Production on "Spider-Man 4" is scheduled to start at the end of this year so that the film can be released in July 2026 - a short time after "Doomsday". However, Peter Parker's union with the symbiote will not be addressed until "Avengers: Secret Wars" at the earliest. According to Perez, this would have a huge impact on Peter's psyche and character - as we all remember Sam Raimi's "Spider-Man 3".

The finalization of "Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse" will probably take quite a while - the insider expects another 2 to 3 years of waiting time. However, there are already plans for a small appearance by Miles Morales in the multiverse saga.

There are also initial details about the sequel "Shang-Chi 2": apparently, a conflict between the Mandarin and Genghis Khan is to be thematized, which extends over several generations until present day.

Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars

Sam Wilson follows in the footsteps of his predecessor as Captain America and becomes the leader of the Avengers in "Doomsday" and "Secret Wars". Deadpool could also be involved in the films - after all, Ryan Reynolds as Wade Wilson is a real box office hit.

The announcement that Robert Downey Jr. would be returning to the MCU as Doctor Doom is something many fans are looking forward to. According to insider Perez, it is to be a variant of Doom that does not originate from Earth-616. Doom is apparently trying to create the so-called Battleworld. At the end of the Multiverse saga, there will be a huge event in which the Avengers will have to face off against the X-Men. This is also said to involve an epic battle between Wolverine and Hulk.

Old acquaintances

As we all know, anything is possible in the multiverse. Marvel is apparently considering bringing back a number of unexpected characters. So there is a distinct possibility that we will get to see Steve Rogers again. According to Perez, Baron Zeemo will definitely return. And even Nicolas Cage as "Ghost Rider" could make an appearance in "Avengers: Secret Wars" after his planned cameo in "Deadpool & Wolverine" didn't work out in the end.

There is also news regarding Loki: according to Perez, he is set to take on a central role in the multiverse saga. Sylvie is also still involved, but her role is said to be more comparable to that of Black Widow in "Infinity War" and "Endgame". Ravonna Renslayer is set to return with the rest of the TVA for the "Avengers" films as well.

As previously announced, the "X-Men" are set to play a bigger role in the MCU's upcoming projects. They will apparently also make an appearance in the upcoming "Avengers" films. According to initial information, we can expect an independant "X-Men" adventure in 2027.

Blade and Horror in the MCU

Marvel's vampire hunter "Blade" is still struggling with problems. The production is apparently in a state of limbo, although the story is as good as finished. Blade is therefore being set up as a kind of Nick Fury for the supernatural part of the MCU. In general, Marvel seems to have some exciting horror projects up its sleeve, mainly revolving around Mephisto and Lilith. Demons, vampires and witches will therefore not be a rarity in the future.

Marvel animation

Animation projects are also set to play a much bigger role in the MCU in the near future: An animated "X-Men '97" film, that is going to be released in cinemas, is apparently in the works. There are also initial plans for an "Eternals" anime series. "Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man", on the other hand, has not even started yet, but a second season is already in the works.

There seems to be a lot going on behind the scenes at Marvel. We are curious to see how much of the insider's report will become true in the end. Because even if the current information is true: As we all know, plans can be thrown overboard again - it wouldn't be the first time in the MCU.