Marvel pulling its mystery 2027 movie means Phase 6 could break a surprising MCU record

 Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards in The Fantastic Four: First Steps
(Image credit: Marvel Studios)

Marvel's mystery 2027 spot on the theatrical release schedule has been taken by The Simpsons Movie sequel – and it could mean Phase 6 is even shorter than expected.

Marvel Studios has long held a placeholder spot on July 23, 2027. Rumors and fan whispers were abound: could it be a Scarlet Witch standalone movie? X-Men? Instead, Springfield's finest have rocked up, with Disney opting to put the animated movie in the summer window instead.

That now means, as of writing, Marvel Phase 6 consists of only four movies: Fantastic Four: First Steps, Spider-Man: Brand New Day, Avengers: Doomsday, and Avengers: Secret Wars.

If that sticks, it means the current Phase will hold the record for the fewest MCU movies, lagging well behind Marvel Phase 1 (six), Marvel Phase 2 (six), Marvel Phase 3 (11), Marvel Phase 4 (six), and Marvel Phase 5 (six).

Another untitled Marvel movie is also slated for 2028, but – given it arrives post-Secret Wars amid an expected MCU soft reboot or shake-up – isn't expected to be part of Marvel Phase 6, which marks the official end of what has been dubbed the Multiverse Saga.

The rest of Phase 6 is looking a little light in the television space as well, with Wonder Man releasing this December on Disney Plus and Vision Quest arriving in the near future. A Ryan Coogler-directed Black Panther 3 has also been talked about, with Denzel Washington confirming and then pulling back on talk he's appearing in the threequel.

The announcement of the Simpsons Movie sequel, meanwhile, has received plenty of positive feedback from long-time fans.

Executive producer Al Jean even took to Twitter to thank those who gave such an overwhelming response to the news. He wrote, "As someone who has heard, more than once, why don’t you end the show, it is extremely gratifying to see the huge positive response to the news of @TheSimpsons Movie 2."

Catch up on the MCU with our guide on how to watch the Marvel movies in order and the full Marvel timeline.

Bradley Russell

I'm the Senior Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, focusing on news, features, and interviews with some of the biggest names in film and TV. On-site, you'll find me marveling at Marvel and providing analysis and room temperature takes on the newest films, Star Wars and, of course, anime. Outside of GR, I love getting lost in a good 100-hour JRPG, Warzone, and kicking back on the (virtual) field with Football Manager. My work has also been featured in OPM, FourFourTwo, and Game Revolution.

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