Kevin Feige has served as the President of Marvel Studios for an extended period. In this role, he has overseen the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), which operates under the ownership of The Walt Disney Company. This cinematic universe, inspired by the iconic Marvel Comics superhero franchise (formerly known as Marvel Entertainment), has wielded a substantial and enduring impact on both the superhero movie genre and the entire film industry. Icons such as the Avengers have unquestionably left behind a lasting legacy, regardless of differing opinions on the subject.
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The expansive narrative known as the Infinity Saga reached its grand finale with the impressive releases of Avengers: Infinity War (2018) and Avengers: Endgame (2019), signifying the conclusion of the MCU’s Phase Three. Endgame itself left no ambiguity regarding the departure of two of Marvel Studios’ most iconic heroes. This included Robert Downey Jr.’s portrayal of Iron Man/Tony Stark, who made the ultimate sacrifice for the greater good, and Chris Evans’ portrayal of Captain America/Steve Rogers, who retired after passing on his iconic Vibranium shield.
Presently, the Multiverse Saga presents a distinct opportunity for entirely new superhero teams like the Fantastic Four and X-Men to step into the limelight. If Kevin Feige’s crazy new plan for Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars pans out though — it could very well be more than just these superhero icons coming to the party.
Who Will Feature in Avengers: Secret Wars?
With the Multiverse expanding the known world of Marvel heroes, nearly every former Marvel property from past film franchises has been “up for grabs”, ever since Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021) exploded the crossover possibilities wide open. The most recent Spider-Man flick brought former Spider-Men/Peter Parker variants from Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy (Tobey Maguire) and The Amazing Spider-Man (Andrew Garfield) to send off Tom Holland’s version from the MCU, before the actor’s hiatus from the Marvel universe.
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Marvel Studios also recently surprised fans with a major announcement about Deadpool 3, the eagerly awaited third installment in the series. The exciting announcement came directly from Ryan Reynolds, the actor known for his portrayal of the beloved character Deadpool/Wade Wilson in the Fox X-Men Universe. He shared this revelation together with his longtime frenemy, Hugh Jackman, renowned for his iconic role as Wolverine/Logan/James Howlett also in the X-Men Universe.
Directed by Shawn Levy, what makes this upcoming Deadpool film unique is its integration into the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), shifting from its previous association with the X-Men Universe under 20th Century Fox. This change stems from Disney’s acquisition of 20th Century Fox, now rebranded as 20th Century Studios.
Deadpool 3 is more-or-less confirmed to bring in a myriad of “Fox Universe” stars, as well as the X-Men into the MCU proper.
But what does this have to do with the sixth Avengers, Secret Wars? Well, because it’s more than likely that Deadpool 3 director Shawn Levy will direct the biggest Avengers movie since Endgame — just like Anthony and Joe Russo did once upon a time. And all of this preamble with Sony’s Spider-Man and 20th Century’s X-Men indicates a fascinating Avengers future.
Avengers 6, and What We Know So Far
According to recent reports, Marvel Studios allegedly won’t be recasting Hugh Jackman as Wolverine until after Secret Wars — but the caveat is that unfortunately, that’s probably where (at least one variant of) Logan meets their end somehow.
Before that, however, it seems like the MCU is going to go out with a massive bang — with Secret Wars bringing back beloved heroes for past franchises like Maguire’s Peter Parker and Jackman’s Wolverine for one final showdown.
Fans began freaking out when known Hollywood and Marvel insider MyTimeToShineHello shared this (likely speculative) poster for Avengers: Secret Wars on Twitter (now X), showing off the fan-favorites front and center:
This is what Secret Wars is gonna be like
This is what Secret Wars is gonna be like pic.twitter.com/2QYLcggTCh
— MyTimeToShineHello (@MyTimeToShineH) September 25, 2023
Interestingly, it wasn’t just this one Marvel insider who corroborated this Avengers 6 plan — in fact, fellow scooper CanWeGetSomeToast agreed that this was accurate. However, they did mention that instead of Maguire being the lead here, Holland’s Spider-Man would likely take pride of place on the Avengers poster.
Naturally, this poster featuring so many past franchise stars immediately gained traction with Marvel fans, with many voicing their love (or hatred) of this proposed plan. Quite a few seemed stoked for this MCU future, with users like @NeoGodGoku exclaiming:
I hope the originals lead this. This could be the perfect swan song for the original heroes.
BIG fan of this!!
I hope the originals lead this. This could be the perfect swan song for the original heroes.
BIG fan of this!!
— NeoGodGoku (@NeoGodGoku) September 26, 2023
Meanwhile, others like @MisterFud seem less enthused:
I really hope not.
I really hope not.
— pro.🟧 (@MisterFud) September 25, 2023
Others also seem to be holding out for Tom Cruise to show up as the (rumored, fan-favorite) Superior Iron Man from the Marvel Comics:
give me Superior Iron Man or this is a no-go
give me Superior Iron Man or this is a no-go pic.twitter.com/VkdzmfNDa1
— BREAKING 24/7 (@Breaking57) September 26, 2023
Overall, the responses seem generally positive for a nostalgia-heavy movie, like the poster showcases. If Marvel Studios really do go forward with this, it’s possible however that responses to the next Phase’s Endgame-equivalent will remain mixed.
Do you think having previous Marvel heroes like Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man and Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine will be good for Avengers: Secret Wars? Share your thoughts in the comments below!