Tag: Avengers 5

As the final countdown for Marvel Studios one and only theatrical release of 2024 begins, preparations for the studio’s next Avengers movie continue. Word recently came down that Kevin Feige and crew have begun the search for a director and that Deadpool & Wolverine‘s Shawn Levy may be in contention for the job. Typically Marvel prefers to begin working with directors a year or so before the start of production which would indicate that filming should be on track to get underway in mid-2025. And it turns out that may just be the case, according to one of the film’s expected stars.

While reflecting on his time as Doctor Strange, Benedict Cumberbatch indicated that he’s expecting to suit back up for production on Avengers 5 next year.

Originally known as Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, Avengers 5 remains on track for its May 2026 release despite a complete overhaul behind the scenes which included a new writer and director and, reportedly, a new main character.

The road to Avengers 5 has been bumpy but it seems as though things are smoothing out as Marvel Studios begins the march toward production. First introduced as Avengers: The Kang Dynasty at SDCC ’22, the project quickly gained momentum with Jonathan Majors set to lead the way as the titular villain, Destin Daniel Cretton signing on to direct and Jeff Loveness set to draft the screenplay. Originally slated for a May 2nd, 2025 release as part of the studio’s Phase Six plans, there were rumblings that the production on the project would kick off in late 2023. However, rather than see the project come together, late 2023 saw it fall apart entirely.

As part of a complete overhaul of the theatrical slate due in part to the WGA strike, the release date for Avengers: The Kang Dynasty was bumped down the road into May 2026. In order to focus on a pair of other projects at Marvel (Wonder Man and the Shang-Chi sequel), Cretton stepped down as director in November 2023. Just a couple of weeks later, Loveness–whose work on Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania was the target of intense scrutiny–was replaced by Loki and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness writer Michael Waldron. Finally, just ahead of Christmas, Marvel cut ties with Majors after the actor was found guilty of reckless assault and harassment. With Majors gone and Waldron on the script, the studio dropped the subtitle The Kang Dynasty and went back to the drawing board, leaving the project draped in uncertainty. However, with the studio aiming to move into production on the project early next year, things are starting to come together quickly.

According to Deadline, Marvel Studios has offered Deadpool & Wolverine‘s Shawn Levy the opportunity to direct Avengers 5.

With Levy’s first collaboration with the studio looking to be a sure hit, Deadline reports that Marvel has given Levy first crack at taking the job and provided him with Waldron’s latest draft of the script. While Levy ponders where the project could or could not fit in his very busy schedule and the studio waits for his decision, they are reportedly scheduling meetings with other talent to helm the project should Levy decline the gig.

Despite a rough couple of months at the end of 2023, recent reports indicate that Marvel Studios fully intends to have cameras roll on the project early next year and have the film in theaters on May 1, 2026. To that end, Marvel reportedly started reaching out to talent earlier this year in the hopes that they’d clear their schedule to star in Avengers 5. Should everything come together, it would not be surprising to see the newly-retitled film be at the center of the studio’s convention circuit this summer, whether that be at July’s SDCC ’24 or August’s D23.

Source: Deadline

2023 was a tough year for Marvel Studios. Between the poor performance of a poor movie (Ant-Man and The Wasp:  Quantumania), the poor performance of a better movie (The Marvels) and an abomination of a streaming series that doesn’t seem to have any redeeming qualities (Secret Invasion), the studio’s once sterling reputation for churning out quality projects took a hit. With the ground beneath their Multiverse Saga already a bit shaky, news broke that Jonathan Majors, who had signed on as the saga’s big bad, was accused of assault and harassment of his girlfriend. Majors was later convicted of those charges and fired by the studio. Publicly, 2023 was an all-around bad look for the studio.

Things weren’t much better behind the scenes either. Several projects in development came under intense scrutiny as the aforementioned projects didn’t land with the usual fanfare. Notably, Avengers: The Kang Dynasty lost its writer, Jeff Loveness, its director, Destin Daniel Cretton, and its subtitle. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness writer Michael Waldron, who was already working on Avengers: Secret Wars, took over writing duties on Avengers 5 but as nonword emerged on a mew director, fama began to wonder just how big of a mess there was to clean up and if the film would make its 2026 release date. 2023 was a rough year but as the spring of 2024 arrives, so does some hope for the project.

According to reliable scoopers Jeff “The In” Sneider and Daniel RPK, Marvel Studios is currently searching for a director for Avengers 5. More promising is that the studio is reportedly planning to start principal photography on the project in early 2025 with an eye on making the May 1, 2026 release date.

While no names were shared by either insider, Sneider’s report came with the addendum that he’s heard the studio is seeking a director with whom they haven’t worked before. If accurate, that means names like Ryan Coogler, Justin Benson and Aaron Moorehead, or even Sam Raimi, aren’t going to land the gig. It also means Joe and Anthony Russo, who sheparded the studio through the back half of the Infinity Saga, probably aren’t coming back to save the day.

Even without a solid idea of who might be helming the film, moving ahead with the search likely means Waldron’s work on the script for Avengers 5 has been progressing well. If so, names of potential directors will certainly begin to emerge over the weeks and months ahead as the studio will look to pair Waldron with someone with a similar creative vision, allowing them to get to work on revising the script and preparing for production.