The MCU’s sparse 2024 is over, and with a new year comes the promise of a number of exciting things that won’t be able to be ignored. The MCU timeline will get a big shake-up in 2025, with brand-new characters joining the ever-expanding universe, alongside the triumphant return of some long-awaited fan favorites. 2025 will see the end of Phase 5 and the beginnings of Phase 6 as the MCU begins to prepare for the upcoming conclusion of the Multiverse Saga with the Avengers: Secret Wars movie in 2027.
Despite being a financially successful year with Deadpool & Wolverine, 2024 only saw the release of one film and a handful of television shows. As such, Marvel’s upcoming release slate looks to be significant for the overall universe, with a massive output in terms of projects set to be released in 2025. The MCU has three movies and six shows coming out in 2025 – and here are the ten most exciting things set to happen in the universe.
10
Red Hulk Is Finally In The MCU
Harrison Ford Takes On The Role
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One of the biggest new characters set to debut in 2025 is Red Hulk, who will first appear in Captain America: Brave New World. President Thaddeus Ross will finally turn into the Hulk 17 years after his first appearance in The Incredible Hulk. Harrison Ford will be taking over the role of Ross in Captain America: Brave New World following the passing of William Hurt in 2022.
Red Hulk has been one of the most highly anticipated characters in the MCU since Thaddeus Ross began to play a bigger role in the universe, starting with Captain America: Civil War. Although he seemingly won’t come face-to-face with Hulk in Captain America: Brave New World, it is exciting that he will appear in such a significant project for the MCU. His appearance also adds to the overall excitement for the film and marks a powerful challenge that Sam Wilson will have to overcome as Captain America.
9
Matt Murdock Gets The Spotlight Once More In Daredevil: Born Again
Daredevil Is Back As A Main Character In The MCU
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After Daredevil ended its three-season run on Netflix in 2018, it was unclear when Matt Murdock would finally join the MCU, and if Charlie Cox would reprise his role as the character. Thankfully, it wasn’t too long, as Charlie Cox did indeed return as the hero in a handful of projects, including Spider-Man: No Way Home, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, and Echo. Still, fans wanted to see him as the lead once more, which will finally happen with Daredevil: Born Again.
Daredevil: Born Again is a continuation of the three Daredevil seasons that came before, which is arguably the most exciting aspect of it.
Charlie Cox has essentially become synonymous with Daredevil in live-action, and Daredevil: Born Again is a continuation of the three Daredevil seasons that came before, which is arguably the most exciting aspect of it, considering it was originally intended to be a reboot for the character. Alongside Matt Murdock, the series will feature a number of returning characters, including Wilson Fisk, Karen Page, Foggy Nelson, and The Punisher.
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The Fantastic Four Make Their MCU Debut
Marvel’s First Family Finally Arrives
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The Fantastic Four have struggled to get a good adaptation for three decades, but that looks to change in 2025, as the team will officially be introduced into the MCU 10 years after the latest failed adaptation. The Fantastic Four: First Steps is set in a 1960s retro-futuristic universe, and the events of the film could have massive implications for the MCU, which will eventually need to bring The Fantastic Four into the main universe.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps is the first adaptation from Marvel Studios after the rights initially belonged to Fox.
Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach will take on the roles of Mr. Fantastic, Sue Storm, Johnny Storm, and The Thing in The Fantastic Four: First Steps. They will have to overcome Galactus, who attempts to devour Earth with help from his herald, the Silver Surfer. There is also the possibility that Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom could make his first appearance, setting up his role in Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars.
7
The MCU Goes Dark With Marvel Zombies
A Violent Story About Marvel’s Undead
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Deadpool & Wolverine was Marvel’s first true foray into R-rated content, although Echo was rated TV-MA. Now, Marvel Zombies is the next step towards Marvel Studios continuing to embrace a variety of ratings and violence in their projects. The four-part miniseries will be released in October 2025, just in time for the Halloween season, with the promise of a lot of brutal zombie action.
In an interview with IGN, Marvel Studios’ Head of Animation, Brad Winderbaum, spoke about Marvel Zombies and the level of violence that would be present in the show. He confirmed that it would definitely be rated TV-MA with pretty intense violence and gore present throughout its entirety. Winderbaum explained that they wanted to do the source material justice, which warrants a more mature, graphic adaptation than is typically associated with Marvel Studios.
6
Sentry Joins The MCU
An Extremely Powerful Character Is Set To Debut
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The MCU’s roster of powerful characters gets an even bigger upgrade with Sentry joining the universe. He will first appear in Thunderbolts*, though the extent of his role in that movie is currently unclear, since Marvel Studios haven’t officially shown the character as Sentry, going by the name Bob in the various trailers shown so far. When he does finally become Sentry, though, he will definitely change the scale of power in the MCU.
Related
Thunderbolts* Cast & Marvel Character Guide
Several MCU characters return for Phase 5’s Thunderbolts, a team of antiheroes and reformed villains attempting to follow in the Avengers’ footsteps.
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In Marvel Comics, Robert Reynolds becomes Sentry after ingesting super soldier serum to get high, triggering the various other powers he possesses, and making him essentially Marvel’s Superman. Sentry’s inclusion in the MCU makes him one of the most powerful characters to ever be introduced in the universe, and one who could make a massive impact when he returns in Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars.
5
Bucky Barnes’ Story Continues In Thunderbolts*
One Of The Longest-Running MCU Characters Returns
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Bucky Barnes has been a staple of the MCU since he first appeared in Captain America: The First Avenger. Bucky’s journey is monumental, starting out as Steve Rogers’ best friend, then being kept alive and brainwashed into The Winter Soldier. With Rogers’ help, Bucky is able to regain an understanding of who he is and helps break free from his programming to attempt to live a life away from his past. In The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Bucky works to make amends to those he hurt as The Winter Soldier.
In 2025, Bucky Barnes’ story continues with his appearance in Thunderbolts*. Like the rest of the members of the team, they all have pasts and stories they aren’t proud of, but look to come together to take on something greater than them all. It will be exciting to see where Bucky progresses next and if there is still a lot to glean from his journey in the MCU.
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Way More Marvel Shows Release In 2025
There Is Going To Be Alot To Watch
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2025 sees Marvel Studios releasing six different television series; three live-action, and three animated. Alongside Daredevil: Born Again, Ironheart and Wonder Man fill out the live-action slate, while Marvel Zombies, Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, and Eyes of Wakanda make up the animation side of things. There will be a lot to watch from Marvel Studios in 2025, which could work out in the MCU’s favor.
2025 will have the most television shows that Marvel Studios has released in a single year.
One thing to consider, though, is whether Marvel Studios can deliver quality projects with so many coming out. If they can successfully make all their shows as good as possible without sacrificing the quality of them, it could be a really great year for Marvel on the television side of things. With a diverse slate of series coming out, anyone should be able to find something they love, and Marvel’s hero-focused stories should hopefully help flesh out more iconic figures for the audience.
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A New Animated Spider-Man Series Kicks Off The Year
A New Look At Spider-Man Origins
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Marvel’s 2025 will get started right away, as Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man will be released on January 29, 2025. This animated series was originally titled Spider-Man: Freshman Year, and was going to be tied to the Tom Holland movies, but things changed over time and Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man will be its own thing now, taking place in a separate universe than anything else so far.
The series will still explore Peter Parker’s origins and his early days as Spider-Man, but the biggest change from Holland’s iteration of the character is that Peter Parker will be mentored by Norman Osborn rather than Tony Stark. With a unique artsyle, it’s easy to be excited about Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man. More content about Marvel’s most iconic hero is always welcome, and if it is good, could help set the stage for the rest of Marvel’s 2025 releases.
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Galactus Is Coming
The World Eater Joins The MCU
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One of the most exciting things happening in 2025 is the inclusion of Galactus in The Fantastic Four: First Steps. He had a brief scene in Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, but his appearance left a lot to be desired, depicting him as a cloud-like entity rather than something closer to his human-like form in the comics. The MCU has typically had most of their heroes and villains in comic-accurate costumes, so it will be exciting to see how Marvel translates Galactus’ look in the new film.
On top of that, Galactus has so much potential to be a recurring big bad in the Marvel Cinematic Universe once The Fantastic Four make their way into the main timeline. Seeing him devour worlds to sustain himself could be a sight to behold, and being a cosmic entity makes him an extremely powerful villain to fight against. There is ample opportunity for Galactus in the MCU, and his initial appearance in The Fantastic Four: First Steps could be the start of something great.
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Wakanda’s History Will Be Explored
Wakanda Has A Rich History
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Eyes of Wakanda is another animated series by Marvel Studios set to be released in 2025. The show is exciting because it will explore the rich history of Wakanda, focusing on several Wakandan warriors who set out to retrieve vibranium artifacts at various points in history. Eyes of Wakanda will be a four-episode animated miniseries that is within the MCU’s sacred timeline, making it a key piece of the universe’s history.
More Wakanda is always welcome, and the series can help expand on director Ryan Coogler’s exploration of the country’s culture throughout Black Panther and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. There is still a lot of ground that the MCU can cover when it comes to Wakanda, and it is possible that Eyes of Wakanda could even help to set up plot points for Black Panther 3. Different animated projects exploring parts of the MCU that might not be able to be explored otherwise make the universe feel all the more massive and lived in.
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Marvel Cinematic Universe
The Marvel Cinematic Universe is a multimedia superhero franchise that began in 2008 with Paramount’s Iron Man starring Robert Downey Jr. The franchise quickly grew in popularity, with Disney eventually buying out Marvel Entertainment in 2009. The MCU consists of dozens of movies and TV shows, most notably Avengers: Endgame, WandaVision, and Loki.
Created by
Kevin Feige
First Film
Iron Man
Upcoming Films
Deadpool & Wolverine
, Captain America: Brave New World
, Thunderbolts*
, Blade (2025)
, The Fantastic Four: First Steps
, Avengers: Doomsday (2026)
, Avengers: Secret Wars
First TV Show
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Upcoming TV Shows
Agatha: Coven of Chaos
, Ironheart
, Daredevil: Born Again
, Wakanda
, Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man
, Marvel Zombies
, Wonder Man
, Vision Quest
Cast
Robert Downey Jr.
, Chris Evans
, Scarlett Johansson
, Samuel L. Jackson
, Jeremy Renner
, Chris Hemsworth
, Mark Ruffalo
, Edward Norton
, Paul Rudd
, Tom Holland
, Tom Hiddleston
, Anthony Mackie
, Cobie Smulders
, Brie Larson
, Chadwick Boseman
, Sebastian Stan
, Chris Pratt
, Dave Bautista
, Zoe Saldana
, Bradley Cooper
, Vin Diesel
, Pom Klementieff
, Josh Brolin
, Karen Gillan
, Clark Gregg
, Paul Bettany
, Don Cheadle
, Benedict Cumberbatch
, Evangeline Lilly
, Simu Liu
, Aaron Taylor-Johnson
, Angelina Jolie
, Kit Harington
, Salma Hayek
, Richard Madden
, Barry Keoghan
, Gemma Chan
, Ma Dong-seok
, Brian Tyree Henry
, Kumail Nanjiani
, Lauren Ridloff
, Lia McHugh
, Jonathan Majors
TV Show(s)
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
, Agent Carter
, Inhumans
, WandaVision
, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier
, Loki
, What If…?
, Hawkeye
, Moon Knight
, Ms. Marvel
, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law
, Secret Invasion
, Marvel’s Echo
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See at Target
See at Walmart
Upcoming MCU Movies
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Captain America: Brave New World
Release Date
February 14, 2025
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Thunderbolts*
Release Date
May 2, 2025
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The Fantastic Four: First Steps
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July 25, 2025
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Avengers: Doomsday (2026)
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Spider-Man Homecoming 4
Release Date
July 24, 2026
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Avengers: Secret Wars
Release Date
May 7, 2027
