MARVEL & DC : FIVE YEAR MOVIE PLANS

Marvel and DC lay out their five year plans. Buzz takes a glimpse at the futures of our favourite comic-book characters..

MARVEL MOVIES

Proving that Marvel knows how to put on a good show, studio CEO Kevin Feige hosted a Phase Three event in October 2014 to unveil its roster of nine Phase Three films. Titles were revealed, storylines hinted at and big changes guaranteed. Not only that, but Marvel will also release its first solo female superhero movie, though it’s not the one you might be expecting...

CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR

ETA 29 APRIL 2016

Taking its subtitle from Mark Millar’s 2007 crossover comic series, Captain America’s third solo outing looks set to launch Marvel Phase Three with a thunderous bang. Robert Downey Jr. will be integral to a plot in which global superhuman registration divides all superheroes, resulting in all-out war. Yes, this is where Iron Man becomes a baddie. Sort of... Also featuring the first appearance of Chadwick Boseman’s Black Panther.

DOCTOR STRANGE

ETA 28 OCTOBER 2016

Scott Derrickson (Sinister) signed on to direct this distinctly magical entry in the Marvel canon earlier this year, but who’s actually going to play the good doctor? There have been plenty of rumours kicking around, but at press time Benedict Cumberbatch was reportedly close to signing a deal that’d unite his considerable fanbase with the MCU’s. “This film [will] open up a whole new corner of the cinematic universe,” Feige promises.

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY 2

ETA 28 APRIL 2017

Originally set for July 2017, James Gunn’s space opera sequel has been moved up two months, no doubt to meet the demands of those desperate for more Rocket Raccoon. Gunn is already hard at work on the script, hinting that the team will expand in GOTG2, while key players Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista et al are expected to return.

THOR: RAGNAROK

ETA 28 JULY 2017

Set directly after the events of Avengers: Age Of Ultron, Thor’s third adventure is all about change, with Feige promising the threequel will “reinvent and upend the world of Thor”. Tom Hiddleston is expected to return as Loki for a story that’s so huge it will have massive repercussions for the rest of the MCU. Well, ‘ragnarok’ is the Scando name for ‘apocalypse’...

BLACK PANTHER ETA 27 OCTOBER 2017

The second new superhero to debut with a standalone movie in Phase Three, Black Panther has long been mooted for the big screen. He’s finally been cast, with Boseman (Get On Up) donning the claws for what’s described by Feige as a family drama. “I look forward to making magic together,” Boseman said after taking to the stage with Downey Jr. and Chris Evans.

CAPTAIN MARVEL

ETA 6 JULY 2018

Though Black Widow is still waiting in the wings for her own movie, Marvel’s giving another of its female superheroes a big screen boost in the form of Carol Danvers aka Captain Marvel. A character from the Marvel Cosmic Universe, she’ll have ties to Guardians Of The Galaxy and is a heroine whose genes are a mixture of human and alien. Exotic...

AVENGERS: INFINITY WARS

PART 1 & 2 ETA 27 APRIL 2018/26 APRIL 2019

If you thought Avengers Assemble was big, get a load of Avengers 3, which is apparently so big it’s being split into two parts. According to Feige, the two films are “the culmination of everything that has come before”, hinting that the infinity plot threads running through Thor, Avengers Assemble and GOTG will all come to a crashing climax.

INHUMANS

ETA 26 OCTOBER 2018

“It seemed time to open the floodgates a little bit wider,” Feige said of Marvel’s 20th featurefilm, which introduces a whole new team of superheroes. The Inhumans are a royal family of super-beings whose king, Black Bolt, is able to destroy cities with just the power of his voice. Time to take cover...

DC MOVIES

And here’s what’ll be following Batman V. Superman: Dawn Of Justice over at Warner Bros...

WONDER WOMAN

ETA 23 JUNE 2017

She’ll be making her whip-cracking debut in BVS, but Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman will finally get her own movie in 2017, beating Marvel in the ‘female-led superhero flick’ race by an entire year.

JUSTICE LEAGUE PART 1 & 2

ETA 10 NOVEMBER 2017 & 4 JUNE 2019

Clearly, BVS: Dawn Of Justice will set up Justice League, with two films scheduled within 18 months of one another. With Zack Snyder (Man Of Steel, 300, Watchmen) confirmed to direct Part 1, expect epic scraps aplenty.

THE FLASH

ETA 23 MARCH 2018

The character just got his own TV series (an Arrow spin-off), but we’ll be seeing a different Flash on the big screen, with Ezra Miller (We Need To Talk About Kevin) cast as the movie version of DC’s speedster.

AQUAMAN

ETA 27 JULY 2018

Information is light on the ground when it comes to this sea-dwelling god, but we do know that Jason Momoa (Game Of Thrones) has signed on to play the trident-wielding, fishcontrolling hero.

SHAZAM!

ETA 5 APRIL 2019

“Kneel at his feet or get crushed by his boot,” tweeted Dwayne Johnson in September. After months of speculation, he finally confirmed he was set to play Black Adam, the antagonist in magic-word spouting superhero movie.

CYBORG

ETA 3 APRIL 2020

Stage actor Ray Fisher will play the live-action version of the insanelyhigh-IQed part-robot superhuman and, on top of his solo movie, he’s set to make appearances in BVS and both Justice League films.

GREEN LANTERN

ETA 19 JUNE 2020

The last time the Green Lantern swept onto screens, his CGI suit failed to impress. It seems Warner Bros is ready to give him a second chance, though, with this new solo outing confirmed.