Following the departure of Robert Downey Jr.’s Iron Man/Tony Stark and the retirement of Chris Evans’ Captain America/Steve Rogers, the MCU has entered a new phase known as the Multiverse Saga.
Presently navigating through challenges amid concerns of “superhero fatigue” and the dismissal of Kang the Conqueror actor Jonathan Majors (Creed III, Lovecraft Country, The Last Black Man in San Francisco), Marvel Studios is poised for a major Marvel movies restructuring.
Related: Report: Disney Plans for Marvel To Explore Different Time Periods
The MCU’s Original Multiverse Plan
After the Infinity Saga ended with Marvel Phase Three, the MCU wrapped up Phase Four with Black Panther: Wakanda Forever in 2022. Disney’s Marvel Studios delved into the expansive Multiverse Saga with the current Phase Five of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). This phase marked the official introduction of Jonathan Majors’ formidable baddie, Kang the Conqueror — the equivalent to Infinity Stone-wearing Thanos (Josh Brolin) — known as Nathaniel Richards in the Marvel comic realm, onto the big screen.
The powerful time-traveling genius Kang in the Marvel Comics is originally from the future, utilizing advanced tech and his genius intellect to establish his rule across multiple timelines and dimensions. In this narrative, Kang could manipulate events throughout history, assembling armies and allies from different eras to solidify his dominion over the known Marvel Multiverse.
The MCU’s Avengers, along with other heroes, would have been forced to unite across time and space to thwart the Council of Kangs, teased in the Quantum Realm-diving Marvel movie, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023).
Why Is Disney Changing Marvel’s Multiverse Saga?
Related: 11 Actors Who Could Replace Jonathan Majors as Kang in the MCU
With Majors’ place in the broader Marvel universe gone following the actor being found guilty of physical assault, recent reports indicate that The Walt Disney Company and Marvel Studios are considering the option of replacing the actor in the role of Kang within the MCU.
Currently, the MCU is reportedly adding a new villain who will be bigger than Kang. Additionally, the MCU’s Avengers 5, the direct sequel to Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame, will no longer no longer be titled Avengers: The Kang Dynasty. The upcoming Avengers 6 movie however, is still titled Avengers: Secret Wars — for now.
A Guide to MCU’s Multiverse: the New Approach
According to insider Daniel Richtman (@DanielRPK), the much anticipated Deadpool & Wolverine AKA Deadpool 3, will reportedly be the jumping-off point for a brand new approach to how the Multiverse works in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Being the MCU’s only 2024 movie, Deadpool & Wolverine is meant to be the vehicle for, according to Ryan Reynolds’ Deadpool/Wade Wilson, where the MCU will find its “Marvel Jesus” — where the ever-popular Deadpool franchise from the former 20th Century Fox (now 20th Century Studios under Disney) X-Men franchise will join the MCU’s “Sacred Timeline”.
The MCU is currently attempting a longer rest period to combat oversaturation during former Disney CEO Bob Chapek’s Disney+ (Disney Plus) establishment era, and the oft-cited “superhero fatigue” that has been plaguing movie-going audiences for several years.
Richtman shares via Spider-Man Universe, that this new “Multiverse concept” will be called “Anchor”. This new concept will be similar to the Marvel Comics’ “Nexus Beings” concept — except that this new “Chosen One” will be tied to their home universe in an intrinsic way. These “Anchors”, should they die, will cause their universe to decay until it vanishes:
According to @DanielRPK
, Deadpool 3 rumoured Multiverse concept will be called “Anchor”, meaning that when the “Chosen One” from an universe dies, his universe decay until it vanishes. However, this process takes time, “it’s not happening right after the person dies.”This concept may have repercussions on MCU #SpiderMan!
#Deadpoo3l #Marvel
According to @DanielRPK, Deadpool 3 rumoured Multiverse concept will be called “Anchor”, meaning that when the “Chosen One” from an universe dies, his universe decay until it vanishes. However, this process takes time, “it's not happening right after the person dies."
This… pic.twitter.com/nABQXrY9ix
— Spider-Man Universe (@SonyMarvelVerse) March 23, 2024
As the Multiverse expands the MCU’s scope, characters from alternate universes, like the Sony Spider-Man Universe (SSU) and the Fox X-Men Universe, are now becoming integrated.
With the official confirmation of the X-Men joining the core MCU narrative, it’s clear that Marvel Studios is keen on reintegrating the X-Men franchise into their Disney-associated portfolio. This involves a tighter integration of Marvel television offerings, including the revival of the cherished X-Men: The Animated Series (1992–1997) storyline through this year’s uber-popular X-Men ’97, and beyond.
New heroes, including the MCU’s new potential leaders, The Fantastic Four, will join the fray.
During San Diego Comic-Con 2022, Kevin Feige unveiled the MCU’s plans to introduce specialized teams geared towards addressing a wide range of threats, including cosmic-level, supernatural-level, and street-level challenges.
Kevin Feige’s current plan is to detach audiences from the rather confusing Multiversal aspects of the MCU, by focusing on a team of street-level heroes. He revealed the team would find its leaders in Charlie Cox’s Daredevil/Matt Murdock, returning from his Netflix, Defenders-era hiatus (alongside Luke Cage (Mike Colter) and Jessica Jones (Kristen Ritter)) in Daredevil: Born Again, alongside Holland’s iconic web-slinger, Spider-Man.
Additionally, fans can anticipate the inclusion of a live-action Miles Morales in the mix.
The storyline revolving around Wilson Fisk/Kingpin (portrayed by Vincent D’Onofrio), as established in Hawkeye (2021) and Echo (2023), will culminate in one of the street-level story threads with the formidable Kingpin’s bid for Mayor of New York City. This will put the street-level superheroes up against an anti-vigilante Mayor Fisk.
There’s even speculation among fans that Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson/Captain America might intersect with these plotlines in Captain America: Brave New World, which will tackle characters from 2008’s Incredible Hulk and reintroduce them to President Thaddeus Ross AKA Thunderbolt Ross instead, and Bruce Banner/the Hulk’s former lover, Betsy Ross. Rumor has it that potential fight over Adamantium, leads to World War Hulk.
On the supernatural-level, new Marvel TV show Agatha All Along (formerly Agatha: House of Harkness, Agatha: Coven of Chaos, Agatha: Darkhold Diaries) will seemingly explore how Scarlet Witch/Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) could have possibly survived, leading the story up and into Avengers 5 and Avengers: Secret Wars.
Loki Laufeyson/Loki Odinson (Tom Hiddleston) is now seated, holding all the time branches together as the MCU’s God of Stories, in order to prevent time and multiple universes from collapsing, following the end of 2023’s Loki season 2.
Right now, the plan is to bring Spider-Man/Peter Parker variant Tobey Maguire back to lead the new Avengers, alongside current Avengers like Brie Larsen’s Captain Marvel/Carol Danvers, new ones like Iman Vellani’s Ms. Marvel/Kamala Khan from Marvel television’s Ms. Marvel, and even veterans like Samuel L. Jackson’s Nick Fury (Secret Invasion).
Feige’s Secret Wars plan is truly crazy, but there is every indication that this “Secret Wars” event will reset the Marvel world as we know it.
Before that, though, it appears that Marvel fans and audience-goers alike will be treated to a fight of epic proportions.
Are you confused about the Multiverse? Are you excited for the MCU to come? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!