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Daredevil, Punisher, Spider-Man, Marvel Zombies, and all-new Avengers: The future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe looks like this [Marvel Matters]

There's more Marvel coming your way in the next couple of years than you might have thought, and it's all leading up to the return of Robert Downey Jr. to the MCU

Features by Graeme McMillan, Editor

Published on Tue Sep 22 2026

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For the second time in Marvel Studios’ history, we’re in an endgame era — although, unlike the 2018-2019 period where fans were eagerly anticipating the wrap-up of the decade-long Infinity Saga, at this particular point of the MCU, fans are almost more excited about what new characters might be introduced for the future after the Avengers two-parter that’ll dominate the next couple of years.

Part of that could be attributed to the fact that, by anyone’s admission, the Multiverse Saga has been a little rocky for Marvel, with a last-minute swapping out of Big Bads (welcome back, Robert Downey Jr.) offering a little light at the end of a tunnel that’s surprisingly found itself struggling at the box office. Perhaps more of an influence might be that Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars are expected to set up the next phase of the MCU, which includes something fans have literally been hoping for for more than a decade by this point: the X-Men in the Marvel Cinematic Universe… and, of course, a chance for the MCU as a whole to hit a refresh button that some fans bored (or alternately, overwhelmed) by the past few years might feel that it needs.

But what, exactly, should fans be looking for from the next couple of years of the Marvel Cinematic Universe? We’re glad you asked.

Marvel Zombies (September 24, 2025)

A spin-off from the What If…? episode 'What If… Zombies?!', the four-part Marvel Zombies series will see the few survivors of a zombie infestation try to survive in a world where everyone else wants to kill them and eat their flesh… and they have the superpowers to do it. Written by Zeb Wells (who’s written both Marvel’s Amazing Spider-Man comic and Marvel Studios’ The Marvels), the voice cast for this show set in an alternate timeline is wild: Elizabeth Olsen, Simu Liu, David Harbour, Florence Pugh, Paul Rudd, Awkwafina, and more are all set to make appearances… and, yes, it’ll be rated appropriately for a zombie project: it’s Marvel Animation’s first TV-MA rating.

Wonder Man (December TBD 2025)

This project is a real oddity: an eight-episode miniseries that’s been in the can since April 2024, and waiting for its place in the release schedule, co-created by Shang-Chi director Destin Daniel Cretton and Hawkeye producer Andrew Guest, and centering around Simon Williams (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II), a super-powered actor who gets mixed up with everyone’s failed MCU acting guru, Trevor Slattery (Ben Kingsley). Its precise release date has yet to be announced, but it’s a December 2025 launch on Disney+. Could this be a sleeper hit for the House of Ideas?

Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 (March TBD 2026)

The second season of the revival of the Netflix series leans heavily into its past mythology with the promise of Jessica Jones (Krysten Ritter) showing up this time around to help Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox) deal with an increasingly dangerous Kingpin (Vincent D’Onofrio). Is the ‘Marvel Street’ universe being set back up as an ongoing concern? We’ll likely know by the end of this season — and, who knows? It might also set up this next project, too…

The Punisher (TBD 2026)

An image of The Punisher in Daredevil: Born Again — Image credit: Marvel Television

Very little is known about the one-off Punisher special that’s in the works for Disney+ at some point in 2026, beyond the fact that it stars Jon Bernthal in the title role, and he’s co-writing it with director Reinaldo Marcus Green. It’s officially a spin-off of Daredevil: Born Again, but it’s unclear if it will continue plot threads from that show, or act as a stand-alone story, especially considering that the Punisher is also set to appear in the next project on our list.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day (July 31, 2026)

The next Marvel Studios project in theaters might be some distance away, but it promises to be worth the wait with a stacked guest list — Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk! Jon Bernthal’s Punisher! — appearing as Tom Holland’s Peter Parker returns to the screen for the first time since the downbeat ending of 2021’s Spider-Man: No Way Home. Destin Daniel Cretton (him again!) directs what is one of the most eagerly anticipated movies of the next few years… which is almost more surprising considering so much about this movie remains under wraps. For example, who is Sadie Sink playing? What is Trammel Tillman playing? And should fans really prepare for Charlie Cox’s Daredevil to make a cameo appearance, as has been rumored…?

Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man Season 2 (TBD 2026)

Sticking with Spider-Man for a second, the second season of the alternate timeline Spidey’s animated adventures is due to debut on Disney+ at some unspecified point in 2026.

Vision Quest (TBD 2026)

The WandaVision spin-off is currently in the works from Star Trek: Picard showrunner Terry Matalas. Officially, the plot is under wraps, but we know that the eight-episode miniseries will also feature appearances from Ultron (James Spader) and EDITH, the AI from Iron Man’s armor, played by Emily Hampshire. Oh, and there's also the MCU debut of Jocasta to deal with, as well. Is there an AI reckoning coming for the MCU…? And if so, will whatever the end result is free up the Vision to return to the Avengers in time for what comes next?

Avengers: Doomsday (December 18, 2026)

This is it… or, at least, the start of it. The first half of the wrap-up to the Multiverse Saga has a massive cast (and that’s rumored to just be the start of it) and will introduce Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom to the MCU. What is he up to? What is his plan? All of that is a mystery for now, but we can expect something appropriately apocalyptic for the first Marvel movie since 2019’s Avengers: Endgame from the Russo Brothers.

Avengers: Secret Wars (December 17, 2027)

No matter how bad things get in Avengers: Doomsday, they can always get worse in Secret Wars, the second half of the Russo’s Avengers return and the true finale of the Multiverse Saga. What will happen to reality as Marvel fans know it? Who will live? Who will die? And what will the MCU look like at the end of it all? At this point, we really have no idea how things are going to turn out, beyond the fact that we know for a fact that an X-Men movie is definitely in the works for some point afterwards…

As if all of the above isn’t enough, there’s also a wild card in the form of an as-yet-untitled, unannounced Marvel movie that is on Disney’s release calendar for July 23, 2027… between Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars. Is that placement significant, and a reason the movie still hasn’t been announced, or will Disney reschedule the mystery movie for a different time altogether…? A lot can happen in the next 18 months, after all.

Keep your eyes on Popverse for the latest on the MCU’s future, in whatever shape it takes.

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Graeme McMillan: Popverse Editor Graeme McMillan (he/him) has been writing about comics, culture, and comics culture on the internet for more than two decades at this point, which is terrifying to admit. He completely understands if you have problems understanding his accent.