Marvel Movies 2017: The MCU Has Big Plans After ‘Doctor Strange’

“Doctor Strange” is the final Marvel Cinematic Universe project that will debut in 2016, but your life will not be lacking epic action movies for long. Marvel has jam-packed 2017 with superhero movies and TV shows.

First, let’s look at the movies. “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” will be the first of three MCU flicks released. The space adventure is set to follow Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) and his group of misfit heroes as they search for Quill’s father. Kurt Russell joins the cast as the highly-anticipated character, Ego the Living Planet. “Vol. 2” hits the big screen on May 5.

Just a few months later, your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man (Tom Holland) will swing into theaters on July 7. “Spider-Man: Homecoming” will follow up with the teen hero that was introduced in “Captain America: Civil War,” and this time, he’ll be in high school. Though Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) will make an appearance, this is not about Peter Parker fitting into the Avengers. He’ll be more concerned with balancing crime fighting and homework. Expect comic book villains like Vulture, likely played by Michael Keaton, and The Tinkerer (Michael Chernus) to fight Spidey.

Finally, “Thor: Ragnarok” will hit theaters on Nov. 5. The action movie does not have a synopsis yet, but fans know that the Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) will team up with Thor (Chris Hemsworth). How the green guy and the god of thunder end up in the same place is still a question, but they’ll have some formidable foes to fight. Loki (Tom Hiddleston) will return, but they’ll have to worry about new villains too. Hela (Cate Blanchett) and Grandmaster (Jeff Goldblum) will also be creating evil plans.

Of course, the MCU isn’t just on the big screen. Over on TV, we have “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” on ABC. As “Doctor Strange” opens the door for more magic, they’ve been able to play with more mystical heroes like Ghost Rider (Gabriel Reyes). Season 4 will continue to air on Tuesdays at 10 p.m. EDT through the spring.

Then, there are the Netflix shows. “Marvel’s Iron Fist” completes the Netflix quartet on March 17. The 13-episode first season will introduce Danny Rand (Finn Jones), a man who returns to New York after spending years missing. His knowledge of kung-fu and his ability to summon the power of Iron Fist will allow him to help protect his city.

Iron Fist will join Jessica Jones (Krysten Ritter), Daredevil (Charlie Cox) and Luke Cage (Mike Colter) for the 8-episode miniseries “The Defenders” later in the year. The four will team up to save New York City, and they’ll have help from a large cast of supporting characters like Claire Temple (Rosario Dawson), Stick (Scott Glenn) and more.

That’s not the end for Marvel’s Netflix shows. Though the streaming platform has typically released two new shows each year, “The Punisher” is also set to debut in 2017. Jon Bernthal will reprise his role as the antihero.

That’s just the Marvel schedule for 2017. Expect even more in 2018 with the highly anticipated “Black Panther,” “Avengers: Infinity War” and “Ant-Man and the Wasp.”