With the release of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, the menu of MCU movies and TV shows in 2023 is well underway. The threequel launched Phase 5, and despite mixed critical reviews, the film was an opening weekend box office success. There’s more to look forward to for a fanbase that can’t get enough of the ever-expanding universe.
In 2023, Marvel Studios will build on its multimedium storytelling but expect less output than last year. After a busy 2022, which saw the studio release three Disney+ shows, and two Special Presentations, fewer projects will premiere this year. While release dates are as flexible as Mister Fantastic, here’s a rundown of every MCU movie and TV show confirmed for 2023.
1. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 – May 5, 2023
James Gunn works for a rival studio now, but on May 5, 2023, he will be promoting an MCU movie. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.3 was supposed to launch Phase 4 before Disney fired him. Eventually, he was rehired to complete the story he started in 2014, but he had already paved a path to DC’s top job. Watching Gunn frustratingly answer endless DC vs. Marvel questions is not the only reason to look forward to GOTG Vol.3. The threequel will also explore Rocket Raccoon’s tragic backstory as Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) leads his cosmic misfits in search of a version of a 2014 version of Gamora (Zoe Saldana) that doesn’t remember him.
All that is to say, this MCU movie will be a real tearjerker, and Vol.3 is the last time fans will see the current line-up of the Guardians. One confirmed exit is Drax the Destroyer (Dave Bautista), who has announced he’s done playing the Kylosian criminal. Other character exits are anyone’s guess, but audiences will also be introduced to new ones. Adam Warlock (Will Poulter) and the High Evolutionary (Chukwudi Iwuji) are two major additions to the third installment of this space opera.
2. The Marvels – Nov 10, 2023
When The Marvels hits the theaters, it will be the first female-only superhero team-up film on the big screen. Carol Danvers (Brie Larson), Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris), and Ms. Marvel (Iman Vellani) will be uniting to fight the movie’s villain. The film will also see the heroes swap places every time they use their powers leading to expected complications. While much of the story is still being kept under wraps, we know the third MCU movie in 2023 will pick up the plot threads from Ms. Marvel and WandaVision.
A trailer has yet to be released, and there haven’t been a lot of leaks. However, we know the story is written by WandaVision writer Megan McDonnell, along with Zeb Wells, Elissa Karasik, and Nia DaCosta, who is also the director. Based on the official synopsis, The Marvels looks set to be a story of three women learning to work with each other on top of saving the universe. The Marvels will also see the return of other beloved characters like Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), Goose the Flerken, and plenty of Skrull action.
3. Secret Invasion – Spring 2023
“Who is a Skrull?” is a game MCU fans have played ever since Captain Marvel established their existence and shape-shifting abilities. In Secret Invasion, that game will be dialed up to 11 as Samuel L Jackson’s Nick Fury and Ben Mendolsohn’s Talos play the men at the center of a secret society of Skrulls on earth.
The first trailer of the MCU TV show released in September 2022 paints the picture of an espionage thriller like The Winter Soldier. It also gave us the first look at beloved performers like Olivia Colman, Emilia Clarke, and Kingsley Ben-Adir, all making their MCU debuts. Familiar characters like Everett K. Ross (Martin Freeman), James Rhodes (Don Cheadle), and Maria Hill (Cobie Smulders) round up this stellar cast.
Secret Invasion is expected to have a darker tone, and an exciting team behind the series aims to bring that vision to life. Kyle Bradstreet, who wrote and produced Mr. Robot, is the lead writer and showrunner, while Thomas Bezucha (Let Him Go) and Ali Selim (Condor) are co-directors. So far, no specific date has been announced for this MCU TV show in 2023, but the release is scheduled for sometime in spring.
4. Loki Season 2 – Summer 2023
The first season of Loki was one of the better-received MCU TV shows, and the studio will look to expand on that success in 2023. Not only was it a better, more cohesive story, but it also introduced audiences to new favorites like Sylvie (Sophia Di Martino) and Mobius (Owen Wilson). And with a jaw-dropping ending that saw Kang the Conqueror (Jonathan Majors) take over the TVA, the second season can’t arrive soon enough.
So far, there hasn’t been a trailer or much in the way of an official plot other than the fact that it will connect to the Multiverse Saga and plenty of Loki hijinks to look forward to. As for the cast, Loki season 2 will include a new face – Ke Huy Quan, star of the breakout multiverse movie, Everything Everywhere All at Once, has officially joined the main cast. He will play a tech official named Oroborus at the TVA. Season 1 supporting cast members Gugu Mbatha-Raw (Ravonna Renslayer), Wunmi Mosaku (Hunter B-15), and Tara Strong (Miss Minutes) will also return.
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