Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and the Guardian’s of the Galaxy holiday special closed out phase 4 with a B A N G. Disney shows zero signs of superhero fatigue as it continues to pump out excellent cinemagic.

In 2023 we’ve got a lot to look forward to: 4 movies and 7 shows. Three are animated and the rest are IRL.

Let’s dive into this year’s lineup. 

Ant-man and The Wasp: Quantumania

Phase 5 is opened with the 3rd Ant-man movie, Quantumania. Starring Ant-man, The Wasp, Cassie Lang, Hank Pym, Janet van Dyne, Krylar, and Kang the Conqueror. Ant-man and those who are closest to him are accidentally sent to the Quantum realm and will have to overcome many obstacles to get back. I am on the edge of my seat to find out how Ant-man and the Wasp will fight a man that can rewrite existence and eliminate timelines. The movie will be in theaters on February 17, 2023.

Film fun facts:

  • This movie was filmed in Turkey, California, Georgia, London, and Buckinghamshire.
  • Ant-man’s daughter Cassie was initially cast by Emma Fuhrmann in Avenger’s Endgame. But her role was recast by Kathryn Newton for Quantumania.

Guardians of the Galaxy vol 3

During the holiday special it was apparent that Peter was still heartbroken by the loss of Gamora. But in the Volume 3 trailer she appears to be back…how did this happen?! Check my suspicions and thoughts here. 

Either way, Guardians are back and are ready to face the music. And this time, with a space dog. 

With this movie being the 32nd Marvel film (wow!) we couldn’t be more excited about meeting Cosmo, listening to Quill’s fantastic playlists, and protecting the galaxy.

Fun facts:

  • This movie was filmed in Georgia, London, and outerspace – duhh.
  • The voice of Groot is Vin Diesel, which I guess makes sense because have you seen how jacked up Groot has gotten?!

Secret Invasion

Releasing sometime in spring 2023, Secret Invasion will pick up the storylines of both Captain Marvel and Spider-Man: Far From Home. Nick Fury returns to planet Earth in hopes to explain and solve the decade long Skrull invasion. Will he and his crew be able to distinguish friend from foe? Will the invasion be stopped?

Although we don’t know the official release date of Secret Invasion we can expect to see it on Disney+ this spring.

Fun facts:

  • Emilia Clark is the 11th Game of Thrones actor to appear in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

What if…?

Disney+ will release season 2 of What if…? during spring of 2023. This show takes an alternate reality approach to some of the characters in the MCU. The animated series will consist of 9 episodes and will definitely pack a punch. They will continue to explore strange new worlds and meet other characters in the ever-expanding multiverse.

Fun fact:

  • Season 1 featured the voice of Chadwick Boseman as T’Challa just before he died. It was his final Marvel project. Someone grab me the tissues.

The Marvels

Premiering on July 28, 2023, The Marvels will star Captain Marvel (Brie Larson), Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris), and Ms. Marvel (Iman Vellani). 

Be sure to check out Disney+ original series Ms. Marvel to see how this young superhero came to be. Although we don’t know a lot about the plot of this film, fans have speculated based on the post-credits scene in WandaVision. Regardless, in July be sure to buckle your seatbelt for this cosmic adventure.

Fun facts:

  • Marvels is Samuel L Jackson’s 15th MCU project. I hope he has gotten used to using an eye patch by now!
  • Nia DeCosta is the first black woman to direct a Marvel studios movie
  • The Marvels, Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania, and Thor: Love and Thunder were filmed at the same time.

Loki

Loki is back with a second season this spring on Disney+, but this time as a part of phase 5. The trailer gives an ominous vibe while peaking our interest, big time. 

And it looks like the God of Mischief may have to pick up after himself in this series. The multiverse is expanding and appears to be more dangerous. Keep on the lookout for the release date of Loki season 2, but for now, check out the trailer above.

Echo

Echo is a Hawkeye spin off, starring Alaqua Cox as Echo and Vincent D’Onofrio as Kingpin, aka the King of Crime. Echo is an athlete and martial artist that can mirror another person’s movement perfectly. In this series we hope to learn a deeper backstory that leads up to her seeking revenge for her father’s death. This will be the 24th television series under the Marvel Cinematic Universe and will be a 6 part series.

Fun fact:

  • Echo is a deaf character who is played by a deaf actress. 
  • During an interview with IMDB, the interviewer asked, “Does Echo feel like a step forward for representation within MCU?” Cox replied, “Oh yes, for sure, it has been a long time coming. And I’m really glad that the changes are starting to come up. I don’t know that it’s quite enough change, but hopefully there will be a lot more. Maybe this will open the door for more people with disabilities and people of color, so that they could see that any person with a disability could become a superhero.”

Ironheart

Riri Williams (played by Dominique Thorne) made her first appearance in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. She is a certified super genius that drives a self-created super suit inspired by Ironman’s creations. In the trailer of Ironheart we hear Nick Fury say, “He [Tony Stark] said that you were the only person with the means and knowledge to finish what he started”. 

After Dominique’s brilliant performance in Wakanda Forever, I can’t wait to see what she has in store for us in this 6 part series! Will she finish what Tony Stark started?

Agatha: Coven of Chaos

After Marvel’s massive success with Wanda Vision, a spin off series has been announced called, Agatha: Coven of Chaos starring Kathyrn Hahn. Fans anticipate dark comedy from this show and are hoping that Disney+ releases it during the Halloween season. For now its release is scheduled  during winter 2023/24. Unfortunately, there isn’t much about this show on the world wide web, so I’m hoping that we hear more soon.

X-Men ‘97

2023 will wrap up with a sequel series to the beloved 1990’s cartoon, X-Men.

Marvel confirmed that most of the cast will be returning from the original X-Men animated series. Some voice actors play the same role whereas others take on new characters. 

We are hoping for some insight as to what Disney envisions for these mutant characters. But for now, the only thing we know about the plot is that a life altering event will happen to bring the X-Men back together.

MCU 2023 Calendar

  • Ant-man and The Wasp: Quantumania – February 17, 2023
  • Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 – May 5, 2023 
  • What if…? (season 2) – Spring 2023
  • Secret Invasion – Spring 2023
  • The Marvels – July 28, 2023
  • Loki (season 2) – Summer 2023
  • Echo (season 1) – Summer 2023
  • Ironheart (season 1) – Fall 2023
  • Agatha: Coven of Chaos (season 1) – Winter 2023
  • X-Men ‘97 (season 1) – Winter 2023

What are you most excited for this year? Leave a comment below