Five years? A decade? Here’s how much of the MCU’s future is mapped out

MCU — Image credit: Disney/Marvel Studios

It can’t be easy shouldering the responsibility of what comes next the biggest movie franchise in history, but that’s what Marvel Studios head honcho Kevin Feige has to deal with in the MCU. But, of course, for something as wildly successful as Marvel’s output is, from Iron Man, all the way through to Avengers: Endgame and its 22-movie swansong, planning is key. Feige has confirmed as much during a recent Reddit AMA, slightly opening the door to Marvel’s creative process a crack by revealing just how far the MCU is mapped out ahead of time.

“How far in advance is the MCU planned?” came the question from Redditor Probity3. A fair question, to be sure, but perhaps one that would’ve been ignored as to not give too much away. Feige, though, was transparent (or as transparent as someone who works for Marvel can be) in his answer.

“We usually work with a specific 5 year plan at any given point,” Feige says, “But often [we] have a general plan that extends much, much further.”

That chimes with Feige’s previous comments that the Fox acquisition – and the potential for X-Men and Fantastic Four to enter the MCU – wouldn’t shake up Marvel’s immediate future at all. What’s more surprising, however, is that there’s a “much further” roadmap that could extend potentially decades down the line, which is pretty exciting.

Who knows what’s waiting for us there: Galactus? Doctor Doom, perhaps? Feige will tell us when he’s ready, but it’s reassuring to know that there’s always a five-year plan in place for the MCU’s future. No haphazardly throwing things at the wall to see what sticks, no awkward reboots, just one big, continuous story that’s going to go on forever and ever. With that in mind, I’ll see you in 2061 for Thor 27.

We don't know everything until 2024 just yet, but we have a fair idea of all of the new Marvel movies coming your way in the near-future.

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.