Marvel Studios is already sketching the next phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and a Thunderbolts* sequel is on the list. Alex Perez said the studio’s movie focus after Avengers: Secret Wars includes Black Panther 3, Shang-Chi 2, Spider-Man 5, the X-Men, Blade, Midnight Sons and the next Avengers title.
That matters now because the franchise is moving toward Spider-Man: Brand New Day, Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars, and the question of what comes after those films is starting to take shape. For viewers tracking the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s long game, the list is the clearest sign yet that Marvel Studios is not planning to shrink the board after the current saga ends.
Florence Pugh’s Yelena Belova sits at the center of that possibility. Since Black Widow, Yelena has grown into one of Marvel’s most popular heroes, and Thunderbolts fed that momentum with an 88% critics score and a 93% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. Even so, the film earned $382.4 million worldwide against a reported $180 million production budget, a result that did not exactly set the box office on fire but still left enough goodwill for Marvel Studios to keep talking about another outing.
The reported slate also hints at how crowded the studio’s next stretch could be. Marvel reportedly tapped Jake Schreier to direct its X-Men reboot after being impressed with his collaborative style on Thunderbolts, which suggests the company sees that film as more than a one-off team-up. At the same time, Shang-Chi remains absent after his debut, Moon Knight has yet to return, and the Multiverse Saga has introduced so many new heroes that any post-Secret Wars plan will have to decide which characters are promoted to the front of the line.
That is the real read here: a Thunderbolts* sequel is being discussed, not confirmed, but it is being discussed because Marvel Studios appears to want a roster that can stretch beyond the current saga without losing the characters audiences already know. If that list holds, Yelena Belova could remain one of the faces of the MCU while the studio tries to make room for Black Panther 3, Shang-Chi 2 and the next Avengers title all at once.
