The MCU has proven to be a box office and critical success by any and all means, and it likely represents the height of popularity in the careers of many of the actors involved. But no matter how many dollars they earned because of the MCU or how much their popularity soared, it is not the end of their respective roads by any means.
While some are prepping to star in even further blockbusters, some are keeping it smaller and humble for the near future. Here are 10 upcoming movies by actors associated with the MCU (in order of release date).
The Banker - Samuel L. Jackson & Anthony Mackie
Fans of the historical drama genre should be looking forward to The Adjustment Bureau director George Nolfi’s upcoming film, The Banker, starring Samuel L. Jackson and Anthony Mackie. Releasing to a limited audience on March 6, 2020, the film will be available to viewers around the globe through Apple TV+ starting from March 20.
The story follows Joe Morris and Bernard Garrett, two of the earliest African-American entrepreneurs in the United States. They hire a white man to act as the front of their banking empire while they themselves stay in disguise as a janitor and a chauffeur, running the business from the backstage.
Extraction - Chris Hemsworth
The cinema world’s favorite god of thunder is headed back to an action thriller role in Netflix’s upcoming Extraction, where the audience will see him play the character of Tyler Rake, a dauntless black market mercenary tasked with the mission to rescue the kidnapped son of an international crime lord.
The film will mark the directorial debut of stunt coordinator Sam Hargraves and is written by Joe Russo, with Hemsworth playing a military role akin to his previous film 12 Strong. Joining him will be fan-favorite Stranger Things actor David Harbour, who will be playing the part of a fellow mercenary
The Devil All The Time - Tom Holland & Sebastian Stan
Releasing May 15th, 2020, on Netflix, The Devil All the Time features a star-studded cast of Tom Holland, Sebastian Stan, and Robert Pattinson. The film is also produced by Jake Gyllenhaal. The film, based on the novel of the same name by author Donald Ray Pollock, takes place in a post-World War II America, set in the state of Ohio.
The story revolves around a group of bizarre people, all unrelated yet damaged by the same war, an orphan, an unholy priest, and a murderous couple. Chris Evans was initially cast in the film, only to be later replaced by Sebastian Stan.
Spiral - Samuel L. Jackson
Despite satisfactory box office results, the Saw franchise has been having a rough patch with critics for years now, with 2017’s Jigsaw being a respectable but substandard attempt at a reboot. But fans might be getting their due in the upcoming installment in the franchise, Spiral, starring Chris Rock and Samuel L. Jackson as police detectives who find themselves wrapped up in the sadistic game of a mastermind murderer.
Despite still being “From the Book of Saw,” the movie seems to diverge from its predecessors. With director Darren Lynn Bousman back on the helm, the film is set to be released on May 15, 2020.
Ghostbusters: Afterlife - Paul Rudd
2016’s Ghostbusters was a divisive attempt to reboot the franchise and was met with a mixed reception from critics and audiences alike. The upcoming Ghostbusters: Afterlife seems to be trying to correct that by going back to its roots.
Starring Paul Rudd and a fellow fan-favorite Stranger Things actor Finn Wolfhard, the plot takes place 30 years after the events of Ghostbusters II. Fans can look forward to seeing previous actors such as Bill Murray reprise their roles from the original movies.
Releasing 10 July 2020, it is being directed by Up in the Air director Jason Reitman.
Chaos Walking - Tom Holland
Tom Holland perhaps has the busiest schedule of all the MCU actors, with multiple blockbusters planned for 2020 and 2021. Understandably, his capabilities as an actor mixed with the insane amount of fame he garnered through the MCU have naturally attracted studios.
Chaos Walking, set to be released on January 22, 2021, and directed by Edge of Tomorrow director Doug Liman, will see Holland cast alongside Daisy Ridley in a sci-fi adaptation of a 2008 young adult novel by Patrick Ness. The story revolves around two teenagers trying to find their way in a dystopian world where all living creatures can hear each other’s thoughts through a special ability called “Noise.”
Uncharted - Tom Holland
Another adaptation featuring Tom Holland, albeit this time of a video game, Uncharted is based on the popular action-adventure game series of the same name. The film has changed directors six times already, but at the moment, Zombieland/Venom director Ruben Fleischer is reported to be in charge.
Tom Holland has been cast in the lead role as Nathan Drake and the film will be a prequel, working as sort of an origin story to the swashbuckling hero of the games. Alongside Holland, Mark Wahlberg has been cast in the role of Sully, Nathan’s mentor.
Jurassic World: Dominion - Chris Pratt
The Jurassic World films may not live up to the charm of the original ones but they are still an enjoyable watch. More importantly, they are a gateway into the Jurassic Universe for a younger generation. The first two films of the new trilogy combined have grossed over $2.5 billion at the global box office.
In 2021, Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard are set to return with their merry band of ginormous CGI reptiles. At the moment, not much has been revealed about the movie, other than what can be guessed from the title, Dominion. There are several possible storylines Dominion could follow.
Sherlock Holmes 3 - Robert Downey Jr.
It has now almost been a decade since Robert Downey Jr. was last seen on the big screen portraying one of the smartest (and most adapted) literary characters of all time, Sherlock Holmes. Together, the first two films in the franchise grossed more than $1 billion at the global box office, so it was a no-brainer that a sequel would be in the works. But due to the extremely busy routine of RDJ with the MCU, the sequel has been getting delayed for quite some time.
As of right now, very little is known about the movie, except it is supposed to debut on December 22, 2021.
The Division - Jake Gyllenhaal
Also upcoming on Netflix is The Division starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Jessica Chastain, a movie adaptation of the widely popular multiplayer game of the same name by Ubisoft. The story takes place in a post-apocalyptic New York City that has collapsed at the hands of bio-terrorists.
The film is still in very early stages of production, so much so, a release date hasn’t even been confirmed yet. From what little has been revealed by Netflix, it is known that Deadpool director David Leitch is at the helm, and the screenplay is being written by Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. writer Rafe Judkins.
