The MCU is in a тιԍнт spot after Thunderbolts*, despite its critical acclaim, has been subject to a disappointing box office result, and it could give a clue as to how the next 4 MCU movies will fare financially. Thunderbolts* has grossed $375 million worldwide at the time of writing, currently making it the MCU’s fourth-lowest-grossing movie. The result is somewhat confusing to many, as the MCU’s latest movie has earned widespread acclaim from both audiences and critics alike. It now follows Captain America in grossing a less-than-expected amount at the worldwide box office.

This now casts a shadow of uncertainty about future MCU installments. There seems to be less enthusiasm for lesser-known characters like the New Avengers and the Marvels, which places a lot of pressure on more bankable characters like Spider-Man or ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool. With that in mind, it is possible to predict how the MCU’s next four movies – all of which promise to be profitable installments – might fare compared to one another.

4

The Fantastic Four: First Steps

Releasing On July 25, 2025

The Fantastic Four: First Steps will be the final MCU movie of 2025, and will no doubt be expected to change Marvel Studios’ fortunes following two movies that have collectively grossed less than $1 billion. Marvel boss Kevin Feige has stated that this is his most anticipated MCU movie, which is a sentiment shared by many Marvel Comics fans. The high status of Marvel’s First Family should play in Marvel’s favor, while the star-studded cast, headed up by Pedro Pascal, will help to broaden the movie’s appeal.

Nevertheless, working against The Fantastic Four: First Steps is the substandard quality of previous Fantastic Four adaptations. 2015’s Fantastic Four was widely lambasted, with fans taking aim at its corruption of the source material, particularly with its depiction of Doctor Doom and the тιтular team’s workplace dynamic. From promotional material and trailers for The Fantastic Four: First Steps, it appears that Marvel Studios is poised to rectify this with a largely comics-accurate depiction of the family.

3

Avengers: Doomsday

Releasing On December 18, 2026

Avengers: Doomsday replaced Avengers: The Kang Dynasty as the penultimate Avengers movie of the Multiverse Saga. It caused a significant stir after being announced at San Diego Comic-Con, where Robert Downey Jr. was also revealed to be returning as the MCU’s Doctor Doom. The move to bring RDJ back into the MCU fold has stoked some controversy, with a cynical reading of the situation suggesting that Marvel Studios has brought its most bankable character back to help change its fortunes in the wake of some disappointing box office results.

Still, even if this is the case, this move may yet yield results. Robert Downey Jr. has starred in five of the MCU’s ten highest-grossing movies, including Iron Man 3. His star power has only increased in the intervening years, after he earned an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in Oppenheimer​​​​​​. Robert Downey Jr. has additionally been heavily marketing Avengers: Doomsday, with his recent post about his on-set work essentials and comic book inspiration causing a stir.

All the MCU’s Avengers movies have consistently banked $1 billion worldwide. This sets Avengers: Doomsday in good stead to follow suit, though it is decidedly uncertain whether it can achieve the same heights as Avengers: Infinity War. This is largely thanks to the Multiverse Saga failing to land as well as the Infinity Saga, which could negatively impact the movie that is ostensibly poised to tie recent narrative threads together. Nevertheless, the combined might of the MCU’s foremost superheroes should still carry significant appeal.

2

Spider-Man: Brand New Day

Releasing July 31, 2026

Spider-Man’s fourth solo movie will be the first MCU movie of 2026, releasing one year after The Fantastic Four: First Steps​​​​​. Spider-Man boasts one of the most successful franchises in the MCU, which sets him in good standing to score another win with Spider-Man: Brand New Day​​​​​. Furthermore, each of Spider-Man’s solo movies has earned more at the global box office than the last, culminating in the $1.9 billion-grossing Spider-Man: No Way Home. The combined star power of Tobey Maguire, Andrew Garfield, and Tom Holland would have played a significant role in this success.

Without further story details or casting decisions for Spider-Man: Brand New Day being revealed, it is unclear whether it will have the same allure as its predecessor. Nevertheless, with Spider-Man being so widely appealing, and Spider-Man: No Way Home being the highest-grossing movie of the Multiverse Saga, it is possible that Spider-Man: Brand New Day will be a more reliable movie than Avengers: Doomsday​​​​​​. This is mostly thanks to the fact that Spider-Man’s standalone franchise is not as hampered by negative sentiments surrounding certain Multiverse Saga installments.

Furthermore, Spider-Man: No Way Home is fresher in the collective minds of audiences than Avengers: Endgame. This could help Spider-Man: Brand New Day gross even more than Avengers: Doomsday, the first Avengers movie in nearly eight years. Spider-Man additionally has a broader appeal than the slightly more obscure stars of Avengers: Doomsday, like the New Avengers and Sam Wilson.

1

Avengers: Secret Wars

Releasing On December 17, 2027

Avengers: Secret Wars sits in a similar place in the MCU’s release slate as Avengers: Endgame, the MCU’s highest-grossing movie and the second-highest-grossing movie of all time. While it is unclear whether Avengers: Secret Wars could gross as much as the $2.7 billion grossed by Avengers: Endgame​​​​​​, it will nonetheless benefit greatly from the status of Avengers movies generally, which are among the MCU’s highest-grossing movies. Like Avengers: Doomsday, it will also benefit from the combined star power of its тιтular heroes, likely including the Fantastic Four, the Avengers, the New Avengers, and possibly many variants.

Provided Avengers: Doomsday fares well critically, this will additionally supercharge Avengers: Secret Wars‘ chances. Avengers: Secret Wars is expected to herald a new era for the MCU, offering spectacles on par, or even greater than, Avengers: Endgame as the MCU‘s strongest superheroes battle God Emperor Doom on Battleworld. With that in mind, Avengers: Secret Wars stands the best chance at being the highest-grossing movie of the Multiverse Saga, benefiting from the fact that Avengers: Doomsday will have been released just one year prior.

Upcoming MCU Movies

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  Thunderbolts*

  Release Date

  
  May 2, 2025
  

  
  
  
  

  
  

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  The Fantastic Four: First Steps

  Release Date

  
  July 25, 2025
  

  
  
  
  

  
  

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  Avengers: Doomsday

  Release Date

  
  December 18, 2026
  

  
  
  
  

  
  

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  Spider-Man: Brand New Day

  Release Date

  
  July 31, 2026
  

  
  
  
  

  
  

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  Avengers: Secret Wars

  Release Date

  
  December 17, 2027
  

  
  
  
  

  
  

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Source: The Numbers