Marvel's “Quality Over Quantity” Strategy May Not Last Much Longer
A new movie makes for a crowded year on the Marvel schedule, despite a recent strategy change.
Marvel has been going through some things. After a post-Endgame slump, it seemed like the franchise would never find its footing again, especially after flops like Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania and fallout from real-life scandals. The light at the end of the tunnel, it seemed, was a new strategy adopted by the MCU on both the movie and TV side of the franchise: quality over quantity.
After years of churning out multiple series and movies to keep viewers interested, output was dialed back with the promise of only one or two movies a year, something reflected in the fact that there are only two Marvel movies releasing this year: Thunderbolts and The Fantastic Four: First Steps. However, a new addition to the Marvel release schedule suggest this strategy may fly out the window in only a few years.
Anticipation for The Fantastic Four: First Steps may have inspired a sequel years from now.
According to Variety, Marvel has added an unidentified Marvel film to its release schedule for December 15, 2028. 2028 is planning way far ahead, even for Marvel standards, but there are actually already three other Marvel movies planned for release in 2028. Currently, movies are scheduled for February 18, May 5, and November 10. This new movie will be only a month after the November release, meaning we could hypothetically see two MCU movies in theaters at the same time. It would make 2028 the year with the most MCU releases, tied with 2021, when Black Widow, Shang-Chi, Eternals, and Spider-Man: No Way Home hit theaters.
That said, this is the MCU, and movies get delayed, switched around, and removed altogether all the time — just look at Blade. It’s possible, even likely, that this won’t be what the release schedule looks like by the time 2028 rolls around. As for what this mysterious fourth movie could be, literally anything is possible, but with this announcement timed just before the much-hyped release of The Fantastic Four: First Steps, there is some speculation saying it could be a sequel.
Marvel may be betting its upcoming Avengers movies will usher in a new golden age.
The “quality over quantity” mantra has resulted in a streamlined roster recently, but that could all change with one event: Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars, the event movies that are looking to recapture the magic of Endgame, down to bringing back the Russo brothers to direct and Robert Downey, Jr. to star.
With Secret Wars scheduled for December 17, 2027, it looks like Marvel is betting big that it will spark a new era — and a new interest — for the MCU. Either that, or we’ll soon see another crop of delays for movies that don’t even have titles yet.
