Credit: Inside the MagicMarvel is reportedly set to change as much as 25% of the Marvel Cinematic Universe with its upcoming “reset.”
With Avengers: Doomsday (2026) and Avengers: Secret Wars (2027) on the horizon, the MCU is preparing for what many expect to be its next Endgame-level event. Since 2008’s Iron Man, the franchise has spanned more than 30 films and numerous Disney+ series, shaping one of the most expansive interconnected universes in modern cinema. The Infinity Saga culminated in Avengers: Endgame (2019), which grossed nearly $2.8 billion worldwide and set the standard for blockbuster finales.
The Multiverse Saga, however, has struggled to replicate that momentum. Phases Four and Five introduced new heroes such as Shang-Chi, the Eternals, and Ms. Marvel while exploring multiversal chaos through Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022) and Loki. Yet critics and fans alike have argued that the overarching story feels disjointed compared to the tightly woven build-up to Thanos. Even Marvel’s Disney+ shows — designed to deepen character arcs — have been faulted for spreading the narrative too thin.
That’s why many are looking at Doomsday and Secret Wars as a chance for Marvel Studios to recalibrate. Rumors suggest the ensemble cast will rival or even surpass Infinity War and Endgame, with returning favorites, Multiverse variants, and surprising recasts. Perhaps most headline-grabbing is the return of Robert Downey Jr., who is reportedly playing Doctor Doom rather than reprising his iconic role as Tony Stark. If true, it marks one of Marvel’s boldest creative swings yet.
Details of Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Reset, Revealed
Much has been made of Kevin Feige’s insistence that this is a “reset” rather than a “reboot.” In an interview earlier this year, the Marvel Studios president stressed that the goal is to streamline continuity while paving the way for future stories, particularly the long-awaited introduction of the X-Men. “Reboot is a scary word,” Feige told Variety. “Reboot can mean a lot of things to a lot of people. Reset, singular timeline — we’re thinking along those lines. ‘X-Men’ is where that will happen next.”
A new report from industry insider Alex Perez (via Cosmic Circus) suggests this “reset” will be selective rather than absolute. “It’ll just be a quick scrub of details the MCU wants to sort of forget and redo,” Perez explained. “This will involve the resurrection of some heroes and villains as well as the erasure of some minor events that bother fans (and Kevin Feige), but all in all, it will be like 75-80% the original timeline, with some minor changes.”
That could mean unpopular creative choices — such as the sudden deaths of certain characters or controversial film arcs — may be quietly undone. It could also open the door for previously sidelined heroes to return, whether through resurrection, variant replacements, or full recasts. This may give Marvel a way to reintroduce legacy characters like Iron Man or Black Widow without undermining their earlier sacrifices. Entire films could also be minimized or erased from canon. (Eternals, we’re worried about you.)
If Marvel follows through, the “reset” may function less as a hard break and more like a narrative polish that preserves the emotional weight of the Infinity Saga while creating space for bold new directions.
What changes would you like to see in the Marvel Cinematic Universe?