Disney has dated a new MCU film for release in 2024 that will alter its Phase 5 to Phase 6 transition point. After a year of speculation, Marvel Studios laid out its overall plan for Phases 4 through 6, which have been officially titled the Multiverse Saga. The Multiverse Saga will culminate in the release of two Avengers films in 2025: The Kang Dynasty and Secret Wars.
Marvel set a number of release dates for previously announced films including Blade, Fantastic Four, Captain America: New World Order, and Thunderbolts. However, during the announcements at San Diego Comic-Con and the D23 Expo, Marvel did not reveal a title for the film on their schedule slated for release on February 16, 2024, which would come between Blade and Captain America: New World Order. It appears now that the release date has changed and may have altered some of Phase 5 and 6 plans.
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As part of new release date announcements, Disney confirmed Marvel Studios has set a new release for an untitled film from February 16, 2024, to a new date of September 6, 2024. The new release date now sets it between Thunderbolts and Fantastic Four. Thunderbolts is currently scheduled to release in theaters on July 26, 2024, while Fantastic Four opens in theaters just four months later on November 8, 2024.
At San Diego Comic-Con 2022 Kevin Feige confirmed that Thunderbolts would mark the end of Phase 5 while Fantastic Four would be the beginning of Phase 6. This new film placement however between the two movies now makes it either the end of Phase 5 or the beginning of Phase 6. With the pedigree of the Fantastic Four, it is likely that will remain the start of Phase 6 and the new film will be the end of Phase 5 and a small palette cleanser similar to Ant-Man concluding Phase 2 or Spider-Man: Far From Home being the true end of Phase 3.
What the untitled film remains to be seen. A natural assumption is a sequel to Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings but with that film's director, Destin Daniel Cretton signed on to direct Avengers: The Kang Dynasty which opens in theaters on May 2, 2025, it seems unlikely unless Marvel Studios chose a different director to take over the Shang-Chi franchise. Marvel Studios has officially signed Shawn Levy to direct Deadpool 3, while Patton Oswalt has indicated Eternals 2 is in development so the release date could go to either film. Whichever film does get the release date, it will need to work as a good transition for the MCU between Phases 5 and 6.