MCU Phase 4: Guardians Holiday Special and every other movie and show release date
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MCU Phase 4 is now just a faint star shining on the horizon. With just one more project to come out – The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special, which will be released on Disney Plus on November 25 – it’s also time to say goodbye to the latest and somewhat divisive phase in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).
Still, there’s plenty to look forward to (and fondly look back on) as Marvel’s Phase 4 slate comes to a close. Below you’ll find loads of information about the upcoming Guardians Holiday Special, plus full reviews for every Marvel movie and Disney Plus series that’s been part of the Disney subsidiary’s latest wave of projects.
You can also read the release dates for every Marvel Phase 5 and Phase 6 movie and Disney Plus show announced so far. So while MCU Phase 4 is about to ride off into the sunset, this guide’s work isn’t done yet.
Here then is everything we know about the final moments of MCU Phase 4.
MCU Phase 4 release dates
There’s only one MCU Phase 4 project left before Marvel’s current slate ends. That’s The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special, which wraps up Phase 4 on Friday, November 25.
As for all the previous MCU Phase 4 movies and shows that have been released, check out our spoiler-free reviews of each below:
Upcoming MCU Phase 4 Movies and TV Shows
The Guardians of the Galaxy holiday special
Publication date: Friday Nov 25
A holiday special that lasts less than 40 minutes (according to director James Gunn (opens in new tab)), this MCU Phase 4 project will likely evoke the notoriously bad 1978 Star Wars Holiday Special, which Gunn is a fan of.
The first teaser arrived on October 25 and revealed what the story is. Basically, Star-Lord is sad because the Gamora he knew is dead and the one who is now alive in the MCU (thanks to the events of Endgame) doesn’t know who he is. So Drax and Mantis decide to kidnap his favorite actor – Kevin Bacon – to cheer him up. Expect plenty of slapstick moments and other comedy-infused events. The TV special also comes with a soundtrack (as always expertly curated by Gunn), which you can already listen to at Spotify (opens in new tab).
The main Guardians cast all feature, it’s going to be canon in the MCU – it’s set before the third Guardians movie and after Thor 4 – and Gunn called it the “best thing i’ve ever done (opens in new tab). More recently, Gunn revealed he wrote the special in a few hours (opens in new tab) and Kevin Bacon didn’t even ask to appear before he was written into the script (opens in new tab).
Wild cameos are rumored including Mark Hamill appears as Santa Claus (opens in new tab). Cosmo the Dog, a sentient dog, will also make their MCU debut before starring in Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3. Finally, there is a post-credits scene (opens in new tab)but don’t expect it to contain major character revelations, according to Gunn (opens in new tab).
Gunn confirmed it will be the epilogue of MCU Phase 4 (opens in new tab)so don’t expect the Guardians Holiday Special to kickstart Phase 5. And about…
Marvel Phase 5 and beyond
Marvel revealed its entire lineup of Phase 5 movies and TV shows at Comic-Con 2022, as well as confirming the first three (or four, depending on where Deadpool 3 fits in) projects that will be part of Marvel’s Phase 6 slate.
See each confirmed Phase 5 and Phase 6 project below:
- Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (February 17, 2023)
- What if…? season 2 (TV show, early 2023)
- Secret invasion (TV show, Spring 2023)
- Guardians of the Galaxy Part 3 (May 5, 2023)
- Echo (TV show, mid 2023)
- Loki season 2 (TV show, Summer 2023)
- The miracles (July 28, 2023)
- Iron heart (TV show, late 2023)
- XMen ’97 (animated TV show, late 2023)
- Agatha: Covenant of Chaos (TV show, late 2023/early 2024)
- Daredevil: Born Again (TV show, early 2024)
- Captain America: New World Order (May 3, 2024)
- Lightning strikes (July 26, 2024)
- Sheet (September 6, 2024)
- Deadpool3 (Phase 5 or Phase 6 movie, November 8, 2024)
- Spider-Man: Freshman Year (animated TV show, 2024)
- Marvel zombies (animated TV show, 2024)
- Fantastic four (Phase 6 movie, February 14, 2025)
- Avengers: The Kang Dynasty (Phase 6 movie, May 2, 2025)
- Avengers: Secret Wars (Phase 6 movie, May 1, 2026)
For more Marvel-based content, read our guide to Marvel movies in order. Or see where we’ve ranked every MCU movie so far and which Marvel villains we think are the best (and worst) in the MCU yet.