( CNN ) -- Very few people outside of comic book store regulars knew what `` Guardians of the Galaxy '' was before this past summer , and yet it 's now the biggest movie of 2014 so far . Marvel hopes to continue that astounding success for years to come . So when the studio announced its movie slate through 2019 , there were character names and terms used that might be unfamiliar to a lot of moviegoers . But never fear -- we 're here to explain . 'Captain Marvel ' Set for July 6 , 2018 , the movie about Carol Danvers ' cosmic alter ego caused a lot of excitement on social media , especially among fans who feel that female comic book characters have gotten short shrift on the big screen ( something which rival DC Comics recently addressed by announcing a `` Wonder Woman '' movie ) . Captain Marvel first appeared in the comics in 1968 , sharing the name of a once wildly popular character from the 1940s ( which was the subject of a lawsuit with DC in 1952 for his similarities to Superman ) . Marvel 's version of Captain Marvel was originally an alien officer , and the name has been transferred to multiple characters over the years . However , Captain Marvel achieved new popularity when Carol ( previously Ms. Marvel ) assumed the Captain 's mantle . The character has been something of Marvel 's answer to Wonder Woman , so in some ways , it makes sense that she would be the star of its first female-led movie . ( The long-rumored `` Black Widow '' movie appears to be on hold , at least for now . ) 'Black Panther ' The first black superhero in mainstream comics appeared in 1966 , and will make his big screen debut on November 3 , 2017 . Chadwick Boseman will portray the character ( though he will be seen in the next `` Captain America '' movie first ) , who hails from the fictional African nation of Wakanda and is chief of the tribes there . In the comics , he has been an on-again , off-again member of the Avengers , and even replaced Daredevil for a brief time . In 2006 , he married the X-Men character Storm . 'Doctor Strange ' Up until now , this is the character we 've heard the most about , especially when it comes to plentiful casting rumors ( most recently , Benedict Cumberbatch ) . What we know is that the movie is out on November 4 , 2016 ( delayed from July ) , directed by Scott Derrickson . And the doctor title is for real -- he was a neurosurgeon before becoming a sorcerer . Since 1963 , anything involving the occult would eventually lead in the direction of the good doctor . ( And check out that incredible cape ! ) 'The Inhumans ' November 2 , 2018 will see another Marvel movie , not necessarily based on a household name . The Inhumans are actually a race of superhumans ( not to be confused with the X-Men ) that has a royal family . They 're a society in and of themselves . And it does n't hurt that they can live about 150 years . There 's more than enough material here for what Marvel surely hopes will be a franchise of `` Inhumans '' movies . 'Thor : Ragnarok ' Ever wanted to see Chris Hemsworth face off against himself ? Looks like you 'll get your chance in the third `` Thor '' movie ( which co-stars fan favorite Tom Hiddleston ) on July 28 , 2017 . Ragnarok is a cyborg clone of Thor who is up to no good . This will almost certainly put the Superman vs. Clark Kent fight from `` Superman III '' to shame . 'Captain America : Civil War ' As long rumored , Robert Downey Jr. will once again reprise his Iron Man role in this `` Captain America '' three-quel . 2006 's `` Civil War '' is one of the most memorable recent story arcs in Marvel Comics , with Cap and Iron Man coming to blows over the Superhero Registration Act , which requires anyone with powers to register themselves with the government . Tony Stark is all for it , but Steve Rogers , not so much . 'Avengers : Infinity War ' This is the big kahuna , which will take place over two movies , releasing on May 4 , 2018 , and May 3 , 2019 . Marvel promises these two films will bring everything that preceded them to a head . The 1992 comic book story involved many characters of the Marvel Universe , and followed up on a previous story arc setting up Thanos ( most recently seen in the `` Guardians of the Galaxy '' movie ) as one of the big bads of Marvel Comics . This promises to be the big showdown between the Avengers and one of the most powerful villains of all . The next five years will be huge for Marvel fans , no doubt about it .
Marvel has announced its slate of movies through 2019 . They include a film featuring the first black superhero . One story arc will be spread out over two films .