Marvel has a talent for unleashing news about its upcoming projects at just the right moment. Whether it be in a simple press release or before a room full of screaming fans at San Diego Comic Con, everything is planned out months in advance. But this time is a bit different. While I'm sure things were well thought out, it wasn't at a big convention and Marvel didn't publicize it for weeks. Instead, the studio opted to do a rather impromptu show on a Tuesday morning at the El Capitan theater in Hollywood. What would they reveal? Well that was anyones guess.
But the studio did not disappoint, laying out the groundwork for its highly anticiapted Phase III of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. From Captain America: Civil War (after a short tease of Serpent Society) and Thor: Ragnarok to Captain Marvel (the first Marvel film to be lead by a female superhero) and Dr. Strange (still no talk on Benedict Cumberbatch's involvement), Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige was a guy with all the answers (and release dates).
But nothing was as big as seeing Chris Evans and Robert Downey Jr. walk out, from opposite sides, and position themselves at center stage, fists raised.
It was then RDJ who said that it was time to choose sides, which lead to him introducing a character who will face that very question in Civil Wars: 42 star Chadwick Boseman as the Black Panther. That film is set for a 2017 release date, a full year after Civil Wars hits theaters.
Other titles in discussion were a Guardians of the Galaxy sequel which saw its release date move up a bit and Inhumans. There was also a bit of talk concerning the third installment of The Avengers. The film will be split into two parts with Infinity War: Part I hitting theaters in 2018 and Part II arriving a year later.
Feige also touched on Mark Ruffalo and Hulk, saying that the character will appear in all of the Avenger films but a stand alone film is not planned. He also handled the question regarding Marvel and Sony teaming up to bring Spider-Man into the Avenger formal by stating, "Anything that wasn't specifically revealed today is either not true at all or still rumor."
Phase III Release Dates
Captain America: Civil War - May 6, 2016Dr. Strange - November 4, 2016Guardians of the Galaxy II - May 5, 2017Thor: Ragnarok - July 28, 2017Black Panther: November 3, 2017Captain Marvel - July 6, 2018Infinity War: Part I - May 4, 2018Inhumans - November 2, 2018Infintiy War: Part II - May 3, 2019
