Everything in the MCU right now is leading towards the Avengers Secret Wars release date, so here’s all you need to know about when the big movie is coming, who’ll be in it, and what the story might entail.
It’s fair to say the Marvel Cinematic Universe has stuttered since Avengers Endgame. From the big screen to the small screen, Phase 4 and the early stages of Phase 5 have failed to deliver the same consistency, entertainment, and structure of the MCU’s prime days.
With a whole host of upcoming Marvel movies on the way, there is a lot of pressure on Kevin Feige and co. to lead us into a glorious new age of heroes. And the weight of that expectation falls largely on the shoulders of Avengers Secret Wars.
Avengers Secret Wars, the second of two Avengers movies on the horizon, is in development, so here’s what we know so far, from the release date to whether there’s a trailer, which heroes and villains will show up in the cast, and what fate awaits them all.
Avengers Secret Wars release date: When is it coming out?
Avengers Secret Wars is due for release on May 7, 2027.
Its release date was originally set for May 1, 2026, but this was pushed back a year by Disney in June 2023 amid a slew of major changes to its movie schedule.
It will be the second of two Avengers movies in Phase Six, coming after Avengers 5. It’s also the fifth movie confirmed for the MCU’s Phase Six, alongside Blade, Thunderbolts, and The Fantastic Four.
However, this could change if the ripple effect of Jonathan Majors’ firing from Marvel affects Secret Wars. With the main villain of the Multiverse Saga now potentially missing, a new nemesis will need to be found and incorporated into the interweaving stories, which could take some time.
Speculation that Doctor Doom will replace Majors’ titular villain and the news that Marvel has dropped a number of trademarks but kept Avengers Eternity Wars has left some fans wondering whether Secret Wars will be bumped up in the schedule and followed by Eternity Wars.
Could Eternity Wars be a backup title for The Kang Dynasty in case they need to throw out Majors?
— জিৎ লাহা (he/him 🇮🇳 🪷) (@laha_jeet) November 12, 2023
We’ll be sure to keep this space updated with any new details.
Is there an Avengers Secret Wars trailer?
No, there isn’t a trailer for Avengers Secret Wars at the time of writing.
As the movie has yet to enter production, nor has its preceding film, we’ll be waiting a while for any footage – but we’ll update this space upon a trailer being shared online.
Avengers Secret Wars cast: Who’s in it?
Official cast details have yet to be shared, but there are some sensible predictions to be made. As it’s an Avengers movie, it’s safe to expect any of the following characters:
- Anthony Mackie as Captain America
- Sebastian Stan as The Winter Soldier/White Wolf
- Tom Holland as Spider-Man
- Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner/The Hulk
- Chris Hemsworth as Thor
- Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye
- Don Cheadle as War Machine
- Brie Larson as Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel
- Paul Rudd as Ant-Man
- Benedict Cumberbatch as Doctor Strange
- Benedict Wong as Wong
- Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda Maximoff
- Tom Hiddleston as Loki
- Letitia Wright as Shuri/Black Panther
- Danai Gurira as Okoye
- Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury
- Evangeline Lilly as Hope Van Dyne/The Wasp
- Tessa Thompson as Valkyrie
- Florence Pugh as Yelena Belova
- Tatiana Maslany as Jennifer Walters/She-Hulk
- Iman Vellani as Kamala Khan/Ms. Marvel
- Teyonah Parris as Monica Rambeau
- Oscar Isaac as Marc Spector/Steven Grant/Jake Lockley/Moon Knight
- Hailee Steinfeld as Kate Bishop
- Gael García Bernal as Jack Russell/Werewolf by Night
- Ryan Reynolds as Wade Wilson/Deadpool
- Patrick Stewart as Charles Xavier
- Simu Liu as Shang-Chi
- Owen Wilson as Mobius M. Mobius
There’s a few question marks. Mainly, we don’t know who’ll be playing Doctor Doom in the MCU. We can expect it to be a big name, as he’s one of the most significant villains in Marvel history.
James Gunn also said Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 will be “the last time people will see this team of Guardians” , so it’s unclear if they will return.
Then there’s the huge question of whether Jonathan Majors will be replaced in his role as Kang the Conqueror/He Who Remains. Marvel may decide to abandon the character altogether, but there has been talk of a new actor stepping in instead.
Industry insider Jeff Sneider suggested in a newsletter, “At this point, with Season 2 of Loki serving as a potential endpoint for Kang’s storyline, it’s fair to question whether The Kang Dynasty is even happening at all,” although he did add: “There’s plenty of time to figure it out.”
Finally, there’s also the worrying anticipation of Marvel finding a way to resurrect Chris Evans and Robert Downey Jr. as Steve Rogers and Tony Stark. But considering that the multi-verse arc has been taking over the MCU, it’s possible that any actor who’s ever played a Marvel hero could appear.
Before the strikes began, Kevin Feige reportedly reached out to Andrew Garfield about appearing in ‘Avengers: Secret Wars’ via @CanWeGetToast pic.twitter.com/X5tzSr0Il2
— ScreenTime (@screentime) August 17, 2023
Ian McKellen looks to return in ‘Avengers: Secret Wars’via @MyTimeToShineH pic.twitter.com/w3VPGPlngh
— ScreenTime (@screentime) September 18, 2023
Avengers Secret Wars has yet to find a director, but Loki and Doctor Strange 2 scribe Michael Waldron has been tapped to write the script. Some have speculated that Ryan Coogler could step in, while there’s still a chance the Russo Brothers could return.
Michael Waldron is now the writer of both ‘AVENGERS: THE KANG DYNASTY’ & ‘AVENGERS: SECRET WARS’.He previously wrote ‘MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS’ & created ‘LOKI’ for Marvel Studios. pic.twitter.com/LMo1I0U5pJ
— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) November 27, 2023
Avengers Secret Wars plot: What is it about?
To put it simply, the MCU has five different comic book storylines they could lean on for this big screen adaptation: the original crossover that ran between 1984 and 1985; the sequel, Secret Wars II; 2004’s Secret War, which isn’t connected to the first story whatsoever; there’s Beyond, a successor to the original series; and there’s also the 2015 Secret Wars event.
We’re not going to go into a lot of detail, but we’ll explain the original Secret Wars, as elements of that will likely make it into the movie adaptation.
In Secret Wars, a cosmic entity known as the Beyonder transports Earth’s mightiest heroes and villains to Battleworld, a planet created for one purpose: to let them fight. “I am from beyond! Slay your enemies and all that you desire shall be yours! Nothing you dream of is impossible for me to accomplish,” the Beyonder tells all those he kidnapped.
In terms of the heroes, the following characters take part: Spider-Man, Captain America, Captain Marvel, Hawkeye, Iron Man, She-Hulk, Thor, the Wasp, the Hulk, the Fantastic Four, and the X-Men.
There’s a wide assortment of villains too, but two are the most notable for the film: Kang the Conqueror and Doctor Doom.
Given Secret Wars follows on from The Kang Dynasty in the comics, it’s reasonable to suspect Avengers 5 will end on the cliffhanger of everyone being transported to Battleworld just as all hope seems lost for the heroes. But this could all change if Marvel decides to scrap Kang altogether.
If Marvel decide to go solely down the route of Doctor Doom, the 2015 story feels better suited for an adaptation here. In that storyline, after various incursions bring the multiverse crashing in on itself (just like we saw beginning to happen in Doctor Strange 2), only one timeline remains and it is ruled by Doom.
Long story short, the surviving heroes from different dimensions, led by Reed Richards of the Fantastic Four, come to their senses and destroy Doom’s kingdom. It’s an epic story, and one which would allow MCU characters new and old to shine.
We’ll be sure to keep this post updated as and when new details roll in.