Hours before Marvel Studios' Hall H panel at the San Diego Comic-Con, eagle-eyed fans spotted a whole host of trademark filings for upcoming movies. Among them were Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, Avengers: Secret Wars, Captain America: New World Order, and Thunderbolts, all of which were later announced at the event.
Those weren't the only projects to be trademarked, however.
While Phase 5 took shape this year, Phase 6 remains something of a mystery to us beyond the two aforementioned Avengers movies and Fantastic Four. Even amid reports of Marvel Studios returning to a quality-over-quantity approach to storytelling, you know Kevin Feige and company will have some huge movies planned for The Multiverse Saga's final act.
We've tracked those trademark filings down from this past summer to take a closer look at what announcements might be on the way in 2023 and where the MCU could take us in Phase 6...and beyond!
So, to find out what may or may not be on the way, simply click on the "Next" button below.
Honourable Mention: The (Potentially) Unused Titles
Before delving into the movies we're confident will become a reality in Phase 6, we have to take a look at the trademarks filed either to give Marvel Studios multiple options or to throw fans off the scent.
"The Multiverse Saga" was included in these listings, but so were "The Timeless Saga," "The Eternity Saga" and movies like Avengers: Timeless, Avengers: Eternity War, and Avengers: Excursion. Those all sound like alternate options for the two blockbusters we know are on the way rather than projects being planned post-Multiverse Saga.
Then there are the likes of The Black Knight: Origins, Hercules: Rise of the Gods, Runaways: New Era, and Red Guardian: Generations. Those were part of a separate batch of trademarks, and could well be for comic books or other media. Still, don't discount them possibly being future movies or TV shows.
Now, with them out of the way, let's get into it...
6. Shang-Chi and the Wreckage of Time
It's recently been reported that Marvel Studios hopes to release the Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings sequel before Avengers: The Kang Dynasty. If so, then Shang-Chi and the Wreckage of Time would be a great title for a movie we're sure will address the mystery surrounding the Ten Rings and how those are linked to Kang the Conqueror.
After all, it's been strongly hinted that both they and Kamala Khan's bangle are connected somehow, while the glimpse of Chronopolis in the Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania trailer was surrounded by a lot of ring-like objects. With that in mind, we're betting this movie sets the stage for Shang-Chi to be a key player in taking on the time-travelling villain.
5. Midnight Suns
With Blade hit by another significant delay, we're not sure there will be time for a Midnight Suns movie to head our way before The Multiverse Saga ends. It's a project Marvel Studios is definitely laying the groundwork for, however, and that's evident from the recent introductions of characters like Moon Knight, Man-Thing, Werewolf by Night, and Elsa Bloodstone.
Mahershala Ali could easily jump straight from the Daywalker's MCU debut into this ensemble, and a continued exploration of the MCU's supernatural side would be a welcome distraction from all that Multiversal madness. We'd say this movie will happen eventually, but couldn't guarantee it's one that will eventually be part of the current storytelling Saga.
4. Nomad
There have been rumblings about a Nomad movie for years now, but it got one step closer to becoming a reality with this trademark filing. In the comic books, "Nomad" is a mantle Steve Rogers created when he gave up being Captain America, and it's a moniker fans frequently use to refer to the Secret Avengers version of Cap from Avengers: Infinity War.
While it's possible the MCU's Nomad could be U.S. Agent, Bucky Barnes, or even one of the other characters to have gone by this name on the page, we'd bet it has something to do with Chris Evans' long-rumoured MCU return. Would it be naive to hope we may finally get to see what happened when he travelled back in time before returning to the present as an old man?
3. Celestials: End of Time
Eternals was Marvel Studios' first (and currently only) "Rotten" movie, and while we believe that's far too harsh, it's clear the team's MCU debut didn't resonate with fans the way it should have. The story ended on a major cliffhanger, though, and there's been a lot of chatter online in recent weeks about a sequel being in development (albeit minus Chloé Zhao).
A change in title would be a good way to shift focus from that poorly received first instalment, and that's why we're convinced the sequel will be called Celestials: End of Time. Possibly exploring the origins of these ancient beings, the movie can pick up with those Eternals characters, setting the stage for the likes of Sersi and Kingo to be key in the impending war with Kang.
2. Captain America: Red, White and Black
Similar to some of the movies we mentioned at the start of this feature, we can't discount the possibility that Captain America: Red, White and Black was a title once considered for Captain America: New World Order. However, both subtitles have very different meanings, and there's a very good chance this actually refers to the MCU's original Super Soldier, Isaiah Bradley.
The Falcon and The Winter Soldier offered some insights into his past, but this movie could fully explore that and the rise of Eli Bradley as Patriot. If we're being totally honest, something tells us those are subplots New World Order will address; still, with so much going on in that movie - including The Leader's return - we're not going to discount this being a separate project.
1. Avengers Academy
Marvel Studios has rapidly added the characters who make up the Young Avengers to the MCU. Despite that, with such a gap between many of those projects and a long way to go until some of them are superheroes in their own right, it feels like the ship has sailed on a Young Avengers movie. Why? Well, by the time they assemble, these teens won't be all that young!
Instead, we'd put money on the plan being for them to serve as the next generation of Earth's Mightiest Heroes, and Avengers Academy would be a great way of passing the torch. Some old fan favourites could return to train these newcomers, with the New Avengers then ready to take the fight to Kang the Conqueror at the end of Phase 6...