This year, especially, Marvel Studios has enjoyed rip-roaring success. First came Black Panther, which blazed new trails when it opened in theaters. It was both a critical success -- note the film's 96% score at Rotten Tomatoes -- and a popular sensation, earning more than $1.3 billion at the box office worldwide.
Now Avengers: Infinity War has broken new ground. Though its critical score at Rotten Tomatoes is a bit lower (84%), far more positive reviews than negative have been recorded. Meanwhile, it's already breaking records at the box office.
Where does Marvel Studios go from here, especially in view of the conclusion of Avengers: Infinity War? Here are their next three planned releases.
'Ant-Man and the Wasp'
After events in Captain America: Civil War, Scott Lang, a.k.a. Ant-Man (Paul Rudd), is placed under house arrest. He then struggles to balance his responsibilities as a father with his role as shrinkable superhero Ant-Man, which becomes even more challenging when a new mission arises regarding secrets from the past.
Hope van Dyne, aka the Wasp (Evangeline Lilly) and Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) also return. The big new addition to the cast is Janet van Dyne, Hope's mother and the original Wasp; she'll be portrayed by Michelle Pfeiffer. Peyton Reed returns to direct. Note that the film is set before Avengers: Infinity War, so this sounds very much like a stand-alone production. Ant-Man and the Wasp will buzz into theaters on July 6, 2018.
'Captain Marvel'
Set in the 1990s, the film follows U.S. Air Force pilot Carol Danvers (Brie Larson) after her DNA is fused with that of an alien creature during an accident, giving her superhuman powers. During this time, Earth is caught in the middle of a war between two alien worlds and will definitely need to be saved, somehow.
Reportedly, the film also serves as an origin story for Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) as he first learns about superheroes. He will also be seen without his signature eye patch, since the film is set before he loses his sight in one eye. We've also heard that S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Phil Coulson (Clark Gregg) will make an appearance. Other key cast members include Jude Law (as Carol Danvers' mentor), Djimon Hounsou, Gemma Chan and Ben Mendelsohn. Captain Marvel will open in theaters on March 8, 2019.
'Avengers 4'
We expect the film to pick up where Avengers: Civil War leaves off, but plot details have been closely guarded by Marvel. The official title hasn't even been announced yet, much less any confirmation on specific cast members, though we're expecting many, many superheroes to appear. What we know for a certainty is that Anthony and Joe Russo have returned as directors, working from a script by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely.
The untitled Avengers movie will be theatrically released on May 3, 2019.
