Marvel announces eight new movies, including its first female superhero

NOT to be outdone by DC Comics and Warner Bros., Marvel Studios has set release dates for eight upcoming films, including its first female-led superhero movie.

JUST two weeks after Warner Bros. and DC Comics revealed their slate of superhero movies for the rest of the decade, Marvel has announced its own equally big-name roster of films for the next five years.

The films, according to a press conference, will include:

• May 6, 2016: Captain America: Civil War

• Nov. 4, 2016: Doctor Strange

• May 5, 2017: Guardians of the Galaxy 2

• July 28, 2017: Thor: Ragnarok

• Nov. 3, 2017: Black Panther

• May 4, 2018: Avengers: Infinity War — Part I

• July 6, 2018: Captain Marvel

• Nov. 2, 2018: Inhumans

• May 3, 2019: Avengers: Infinity War — Part II

Marvel’s phase three plans most notably include the studio’s first ever female-led superhero movie as well as its first ever stand-alone film for an African-American superhero.

Chadwick Boseman, who might have a shot at an Oscar nomination for his portrayal of James Brown in this year’s Get On Up, will play Black Panther in a stand-alone film scheduled for 2017.

The studio also confirmed that his character will play a “big part” in Captain America: Civil War, now officially confirmed to co-star Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man and involve the previously rumoured Civil War plot line.

And while it appears Avengers favourite Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) won’t be getting her own franchise anytime soon, another of Marvel’s female superheroes will. Captain Marvel, also known as Carol Danvers, will get her own film in 2018. Though no casting news was mentioned at the conference, her character is already rumoured to make an appearance in next year’s Avengers: Age of Ultron.

Rounding out the day’s big news for comic fans, Marvel also revealed it will split the third chapter of the Avengers movies into two parts, subtitled Infinity War — Part I and Infinity War — Part II, to be released in 2018 and 2019.

The studio also announced what most already suspected, that Doctor Strange will also get his own stand-alone film — though studio chief Kevin Feige did not confirm reports that Benedict Cumberbatch is in negotiations to star.

In addition to these films, Marvel will also release its previously announced Edgar Wright-less Ant-Man, starring Paul Rudd and tentatively planned for 2015 — which means the time to start preparing for a very long and overcrowded superhero movie schedule is now.

This article was written by Dee Lockett from Slate and was legally licensed through the NewsCred publisher network.