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Credit: Marvel StudiosMarvel Studios is officially setting the stage for multiple restarts in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, a franchise that has spanned nearly two decades.
As the MCU gears up to conclude Phase Five, it’s clear that change is on the horizon. With Captain America: Brave New World (2025) only just crossing the $400 million mark at the global box office and Thunderbolts* (2025) preparing to round out the current slate, Marvel is shifting gears for the future.
Recent years have been tumultuous for the once-unshakable franchise. Phase Four, which launched during the pandemic, introduced major highlights, including the $1.953 billion box office phenomenon Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021) and the debut of Disney+ original series like WandaVision.
But with an overwhelming wave of content, audiences became increasingly disengaged, yearning for the tighter storytelling of the pre-Avengers: Endgame era.
Phase Five didn’t fare much better. While Deadpool & Wolverine (2024) emerged as one of the highest-grossing MCU films of all time, thanks to the star power of Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman, other releases faltered. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023) and The Marvels (2023) saw some of the lowest returns in franchise history.
Captain America: Brave New World also faced an uphill battle following a rocky production and casting controversies, leaving its box office returns below what Marvel likely needed to turn a profit.
Meanwhile, Thunderbolts* generated only moderate interest—until Marvel Studios shocked fans with an A24-inspired trailer that reignited excitement. But the real anticipation lies ahead in Phase Six, which will not only introduce Marvel’s First Family in The Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025) but also mark the return of Robert Downey Jr. in a major role as Victor Von Doom/Doctor Doom.
Directed by Matt Shakman, The Fantastic Four: First Steps will introduce Pedro Pascal (Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic), Vanessa Kirby (Sue Storm/Invisible Woman), Ebon Moss-Bachrach (Ben Grimm/The Thing), and Joseph Quinn (Johnny Storm/Human Torch) when it hits theaters in July 2025.
The team’s introduction will lead into Avengers: Doomsday (2026), bringing Earth’s Mightiest Heroes together to face a new and formidable threat.
Downey Jr.’s return was confirmed at last year’s San Diego Comic-Con, where Marvel also announced the involvement of the Russo Brothers. Having previously helmed Avengers: Infinity War (2018) and Avengers: Endgame (2019), Anthony and Joe Russo are back to usher in what they describe as a fresh start for the MCU.
“What’s compelling about these two new Avengers movies is they’re a beginning. It’s a new beginning,” the directors told Omelete.
“So we told an ending story, now we’re going to tell a beginning story, and then who knows where we’ll go from there. Maybe there’ll be another five years, but I think we just needed that time and perspective to figure out where it needed to go next, and the only thing that brought us back was the right story.”
As The Direct points out, this shift in direction is particularly notable given the lack of a clearly defined build-up to Avengers: Doomsday and its sequel, Avengers: Secret Wars (2027). Rather than concluding a saga, Phase Six appears to be serving as a reset for the MCU’s overarching narrative.
While more names are expected to be confirmed for the highly anticipated movie, the cast currently includes: Robert Downey Jr. as Victor Von Doom/Doctor Doom, Paul Rudd as Scott Lang/Ant-Man, Simu Liu as Shang-Chi, Kelsey Grammer as Hank McCoy/Beast, Tom Hiddleston as Loki, James Marsden as Scott Summers/Cyclops, and Chris Hemsworth as Thor.
Also cast are Channing Tatum as Remy LeBeau/Gambit, Danny Ramirez as Joaquin Torres/Falcon, Ian McKellen as Erik Lehnsherr/Magneto, Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm/Invisible Woman, Rebecca Romijn as Raven Darkhölme/Mystique, Patrick Stewart as Charles Xavier/Professor X, Alan Cumming as Kurt Wagner/Nightcrawler, Letitia Wright as Shuri/Black Panther, Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson/Captain America, Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm/Human Torch, Tenoch Huerta Mejia as Namor, Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm/Thing.
And rounding it out will be the upcoming ragtag squad of Jake Schreier’s Thunderbolts*: Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier, Florence Pugh as Yelena Belova, David Harbour as Alexei Shostakov/Red Guardian, Hannah John-Kamen as Ava Starr/Ghost, Wyatt Russell as John Walker/U.S. Agent, and Lewis Pullman ad “Bob”/Sentry.
Further cementing this idea is the next Spider-Man installment, which follows Avengers: Doomsday. Tom Holland is set to reprise his role as Peter Parker in Spider-Man 4, which was recently titled Spider-Man: Brand New Day at this year’s CinemaCon.
Directed by Destin Daniel Cretton (Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings), the film will explore Parker’s next chapter after the world has forgotten his identity, a shift that aligns with what Spider-Man trilogy director Jon Watts previously described as an extended origin story.
Holland–who is currently filming Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey (2026)–seemed to echo the Russo Brothers’ sentiment about Avengers in relation to his own upcoming movie. He told audience members at CinemaCon via video chat that Spider-Man: Brand New Day is a “fresh start” for Peter Parker.
“I am so sorry I can’t be with you. I am halfway around the world shooting a movie,” said Holland, via Variety. “I know we left you with a massive clip hanger at the end of No Way Home, so Spider Man: Brand New Day is a fresh start. It is exactly that. That’s all I can say.”
Additionally, rumors suggest that the recently cast Sadie Sink (Stranger Things) will co-star as a Multiversal version of Mary Jane Watson, further reinforcing the franchise’s move toward fresh storytelling directions. When looking at the “The Amazing Spider-Man: Brand New Day” (2008) run by Marvel Comics, MJ was a prominent player in that storyline so it makes sense that Sink would take on the role.
With the pieces falling into place for Phase Six, it’s evident that Marvel isn’t just wrapping up an era—it’s rebuilding the MCU from the ground up and using two of its biggest franchises–the Avengers and Spider-Man–to launch the new chapter of history-making cinematic initiative.
How do you feel about these fresh starts for the Marvel Cinematic Universe? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments below!