Part 5: The Complete Marvel Cinematic Universe Explained! (Multiverse Saga Peaks)

Marvel Cinematic Universe: Phase Five (Multiverse Saga Peaks)

Marvel Cinematic Universe: Phase Five continues the Multiverse Saga with high-stakes crossovers, franchise conclusions, and bold R-rated experiments. This phase features six films totaling over $3.6 billion in worldwide box office, including record-breaking hits and challenging releases that tested MCU audience fatigue.

Marvel Cinematic Universe: Phase 5

31. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023)

It is a 2023 American superhero film based on Marvel Comics.

It is the sequel to Ant-Man (2015) and Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018) and the 31st film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), directed by Peyton Reed written by Jeff Loveness.

In the film, Scott, Hope and their family are accidentally transported to the Quantum Realm and face off against Kang the Conqueror (by Jonathan Majors).

The film received mixed reviews from critics. It was a box-office disappointment, grossing $476.1 million worldwide against a gross production budget of $388.4 million and becoming one of the few MCU films not to break-even in its theatrical run.

32. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023)

It is a 2023 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics superhero team Guardians of the Galaxy.

It is the sequel to Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017) and the 32nd film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), written and directed by James Gunn.

In the film, the other Guardians race to save the life of Rocket (Cooper) from his creator, the High Evolutionary (Iwuji), who is an alien scientist trying to perfect the universe.

Gunn had initial ideas for a third and final Guardians of the Galaxy film by November 2014 and announced his return to write and direct in April 2017 ahead of Vol. 2's release. Vol. 3 explores the origin story of Rocket, with whom Gunn personally identifies.

Disney fired Gunn from Vol. 3 in July 2018 after controversial jokes he made on Twitter resurfaced. Gunn received support from several cast members and the studio reversed course by that October.

His return was publicly revealed in March 2019 and he restarted work on the film after completing his film The Suicide Squad (2021) and the first season of its spin-off series Peacemaker (2022) for DC Films.

Like its predecessors, it was a critical and commercial success, with many deeming it to be a satisfactory conclusion to the trilogy.

It grossed over $845.6 million worldwide, becoming the fourth-highest-grossing film of 2023.

At the 96th Academy Awards, the film was nominated for Best Visual Effects.

33. The Marvels (2023)

It is a 2023 American superhero film based on Marvel Comics.

It is the sequel to the film Captain Marvel (2019), a continuation of the television miniseries Ms. Marvel (2022) and the 33rd film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), directed by Nia DaCosta, who co-wrote the screenplay with Megan McDonnell and Elissa Karasik.

In the film, Danvers, Rambeau and Kamala team up as "the Marvels" after they begin swapping places with each other every time they use their powers. It received mixed reviews from critics, with praise for its performances but criticism for its script and tonal inconsistencies.

The film was a box-office bomb, grossing $206 million worldwide against a gross production budget of $374 million, making it the lowest-grossing film in the MCU and one of the few MCU films not to break-even in its theatrical run.

34. Deadpool & Wolverine (2024)

It is a 2024 American superhero film based on Marvel Comics featuring the characters Deadpool and Wolverine.

It is the 34th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) and the sequel to Deadpool (2016) and Deadpool 2 (2018), directed by Shawn Levy from a screenplay.

In the film, Deadpool works with a reluctant Wolverine from another universe to stop the Time Variance Authority (TVA) from destroying his own universe.

The film's soundtrack features an original score by Rob Simonsen and numerous existing songs, including Madonna's "Like a Prayer" for key sequences. It is the first R-rated MCU film, retaining that rating from the prior Deadpool films.

Critics praised the performances of Reynolds and Jackman as well as the humour, but were less positive about the film overall.

It grossed $1.338 billion worldwide, becoming the second-highest-grossing film of 2024, the highest-grossing R-rated film ever and the 20th-highest-grossing film ever at the time of its release.

35. Captain America: Brave New World (2025)

It is a 2025 American superhero film based on Marvel Comics featuring the character Sam Wilson Captain America.

It is the fourth instalment in the Captain America film series, a continuation of the television miniseries The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (2021) and the 35th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).

The film was directed by Julius Onah from a screenplay by Rob Edwards and the writing teams of Malcolm Spellman & Dalan Musson and Onah & Peter Glanz.

In the film, Wilson investigates a conspiracy involving U.S. president Thaddeus Ross (by Harrison Ford).

It has grossed $415 million worldwide, becoming the sixth-highest-grossing film of 2025.

The film received mixed reviews from critics for its story, connections to other MCU projects and visual effects.

The performances, particularly those of Mackie and Ford, received praise.

36. Thunderbolts (2025)

It is a 2025 American superhero film based on Marvel Comics featuring the team Thunderbolts.

It is the 36th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), directed by Jake Schreier from a screenplay by Eric Pearson and Joanna Calo.

In the film, a group of antiheroes are caught in a deadly trap and forced to work together on a dangerous mission.

The film's ending reveals that the Thunderbolts team is rebranded as the "New Avengers", with the end credits revealing the asterisk in the film's title stands for The New Avengers; following the film's opening weekend, Marvel Studios began marketing it with that title.

It received positive reviews from critics and has grossed $378 million, one of the lowest box office grosses for an MCU film.

It became the seventh-highest-grossing film of 2025.

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Explore more Marvel Cinematic Universe movie franchises

Looking for more other part of cinematic universes, long-running sagas, and connected movie timelines? Dive into these in‑depth franchise guides:

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