Even though it’s still over 3 years away from hitting theaters, there’s no shortage of rumors out there about the plot of Avengers: Secret Wars. With the script still under construction by Michael Waldron and no director officially on board at present, it’s best to consider any and every one of those rumors as nothing more than fun discussion points for the time being, including a new one from Heavy Spoilers that establishes an interesting parallel to the events of Avengers: Endgame.
According to the YouTuber (via Twitter), Avengers: Secret Wars will put its own spin on the time heist that was central to the plot of Avengers: Endgame. The rumor alleges that rather than traveling to “key points” in the timeline of the MCU, as in Endgame, Secret Wars will see the heroes “traveling to key universes” within the Multiverse. Should this end up being accurate, it would seem to indicate that the 2026 saga-ender will be heavily inspired by Jonathan Hickman‘s 2015 comic book event of the same name.
From what I’ve heard about #AvengersSecretWars they basically wanna do Endgame but with the multiverse instead of time travel. Instead of going to key points in the MCU like they did with AE they’ll be travelling to key universes across the wider Marvel universe. pic.twitter.com/8XgC7hFZvE
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness gave MCU fans a taste of a few alternate Earths, including Earth-838 which introduced John Krasinski‘s Reed Richards, Anson Mount‘s Black Bolt and Patrick Stewart‘s Charles Xavier as members of the Illuminati alongside Variants of Haley Atwell‘s Peggy Carter, Chiwetel Ejiofor‘s Mordo and Lahsana Lynch‘s Maria Rambeau. Dream walking Scarlet Witch made sure there wasn’t much there to go back to, so if the rumor pans out, it’s likely Waldron is busy populating some new Earths with some interesting new characters for 2026!
Of course, the Endgame time heist was all about collecting the Infinity Stones necessary to defeat Thanos, so could bopping around the Multiverse be about putting together the Multiversal Avengers that are rumored to be a key factor in Secret Wars? If so, who could be leading the Multiversal excursion!? Again, we’re in rumor territory here, which makes for some fun speculation as we wait for some sort of official word from Marvel Studios.
The MCU has gotten much larger since Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame wrapped up the Infinity Saga. Thanks in part to Disney Plus, new heroes and villains have quickly accumulated and with two years to go until the next Avengers double-feature kicks off with Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, those numbers will surely continue to grow. With so many new heroes joining those who survived Endgame, putting together a team of heroes to take on Kang the Conqueror shouldn’t be too hard. However, with Secret Wars set to follow up shortly after, are there too many heroes?
A new rumor from @MyTimeToShineH suggests that in order to keep the runtime of SecretWars a little more manageable, Earth-616’s Avengers will be the main focus of The Kang Dynasty but kept to the sidelines for most of Secret Wars, which will “focus on the heroes from other universes.” It sounds like the events of the 2026 film will involve a group of Multiversal Avengers!
This is how they plan to make Secret Wars work without making it a 4 hour movie.
Kang Dynasty will have the "New Avengers" as the leads. While Secret Wars will mostly be from the point of view and will focus on the heroes from the other universes.
Those other heroes could be from Fox’s Fantastic Four or X-Men films, the Sam Raimi or Marc Webb Spider-Man films or other universes populated with versions of heroes that haven’t been visited yet. It’s an interesting rumor that also happens to fit most peoples’ wishes for the film. Given the previous rumor about Hugh Jackman and Tobey Maguire fighting alongside each other, it would seem that they’d be leading the squad. What characters would you like to see on the team of Multiversal Avengers?
Avengers: Endgame brought together heroes from every corner of the Marvel Cinematic Universe for one of the most memorable action sequences of all time. How can Avengers: Secret Wars top that portal scene? By bringing together heroes from every corner of every Marvel movie universe. And a new rumor suggests that’s just what will happen.
@MyTimeToShineH has shared that Tobey Maguire and Hugh Jackman are rumored to team-up and fight “alongside” each other in Marvel Studios big saga-ending event in 2026.
Yes Tobey Maguire and Hugh Jackman will meet and fight alongside each other in Secret Wars
Maguire recently revisited the role of Peter Parker in Spider-Man: No Way Home, Jackman finalized a deal to return as Wolverine in Deadpool 3 and both actors have been rumored to make an appearance in Avengers: Secret Wars. Seeing their respective versions of these characters, who were the superheroes of the 2000s, come together on screen would certainly be the type of major crossover that would allow Secret Wars to feel “bigger” than Endgame. However, given that the script for the film is still being written and production is years away, don’t get too attached to any ideas about Secret Wars no matter how great they might sound.
As Phase 5 prepares to kick off soon with Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania, fans are just starting to get a sense of what Marvel Studios Multiverse Saga is going to truly all about. After the revelation that the new saga will conclude in 2026 with Avengers: Secret Wars, fans have been sure that someone other than JonathanMajors‘ Kang would be the villain of the piece. It turns out they may have been right…sort of.
A new rumor from Twitter user MyTimeToShineHello has revealed that Secret Wars is set to introduce a classic Marvel Comics character and the entity behind the original 1984 Secret Wars event: the Beyonder. The rumor comes with a twist, however, in that the MCU’s version of the Beyonder will be yet another Variant of Majors’ character.
The Beyonder will be the main villain of Secret Wars and a Kang variant.
While a lot of online conversation about a potential villain centered on Doctor Doom, who was the primary antagonist of the 2015 version of Secret Wars, it seems, if the rumor is true, that Marvel Studios has chosen to make their big saga-ender a mashup of the 1984 and 2015 events with both incursions and the Beyonder playing roles.
With Phase 4 behind us and the start of Phase 5 right around the corner, fans are just starting to see the big picture of the Multiverse Saga. As of now, a dozen known films stand between fans and the end of the ongoing saga. Here’s the scoop on all 12.
Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania February 17, 2023
Written by Jeff Loveness Directred by Peyton Reed
A big-budget, universe-altering Ant-Man movie is probably a thing a lot of fans thought they’d never see, but that’s exactly what the third film in the franchise will be, according to executive producer Stephen Broussard who says Quantumania will “be big and feel central to the future of the MCU.” After being transported to the Quantum Realm through a device built by Kathryn Newton‘s Cassie, the Ant-Family will find themselves navigating their way through the strange land which Broussard warns is “full of people and characters and worlds and politics and history.” The first trailer for the film introduces a few of those characters including Jonathan Majors‘ Kang the Conqueror, Bill Murray‘s Krylar and some other key inhabitants of the Quantum Realm but held back on revealing one of the film’s most over-the-top choices: the classic comic villain M.O.D.O.K.!
As Broussard says, Quantumania’s plot is central to the ongoing Multiverse Saga. Writer Jeff Loveness put together an incredible script and then moved on to write Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, so you can be sure there’s significant connectivity between the two films. For a film that was once thought to be in danger of not being made or of being turned into a streaming series, Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania certainly has an awful lot going for it.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 May 5, 2023
Written and directed by James Gunn
James Gunn‘s last project for Marvel Studios will undoubtedly leave fans in tears next Summer. It’s the last go-round for this group of characters and the film will see the death of at least one of the team’s original crew and a significantly different-looking future for the rest. The film’s plot will revolve around the unspooling of Rocket’s origins which seems to dictate a trip to Counter-Earth where the team runs into the High Evolutionary. That trip is rumored to be the result of a run-in with Will Poulter‘s Adam Warlock, who was seen throwing a beating on Nebula in the film’s first trailer.
While the film marks the end of the road for this group of heroes and for Gunn’s time with them, there’s certainly going to be room for Cosmic heroes beyond this movie. Who will be on the team and who will put it together? And what will the future hold for those who stay?
The Marvels July 28, 2023
Written by Megan McDonnell Directed by Nia DaCosta
While ostensibly a sequel to Captain Marvel, it could also be a sequel to Ms. Marvel and WandaVision as well. The Marvels looks to be as tonally different from Captain Marvel as Captain America: The Winter Soldier was from Captain America: The First Avenger. Director Nia DaCosta has said she had a great time working with stars Brie Larson, Iman Vellani and Teyonah Parris and the footage screened at D23 would certainly seem to support that claim.
The film will include some wild body-swapping as Carol, Kamala and Monica switch places with one another as seen in the post-credit scene to Ms. Marvel. That’s all tied to the Kree villain played by Zawe Ashton, who finds herself in possession of an artifact that looks strikingly similar to Kamala Khan’s bangle. A good portion of the film will also take place in space and see Carol revisit Hala as well as introduce a few new locations. There are also some pretty interesting theories out there about how these artifacts might be either Nega or Quantum bands and how they might just play into the Avengers’ battle against Kang, so this film won’t be without its Multiverse Saga tie-ins.
Captain America: New World Order May 3, 2024
Written by Dalan Musson and Malcolm Spellman Directed by Julius Onah
At this point, this sounds like the craziest film on Marvel Studios 2024 slate and maybe one of the crazier films they’ve ever put together. The return on Tim Blake Nelson‘s Samuel Sterns/The Leader is just the tip of the iceberg. Harrison Ford is joining the MCU as Thaddeus Ross and rumors point to the long-awaited Red Hulk transformation finally happening. There are also rumors that Adamantium will be central to the film’s plot, which may also include Super Soldier-research again which makes one wonder if Weapons Plus will reemerge from the shadows. The project is also set to introduce a “Marvel mainstay” to the MCU and is rumored to be another key project along the way to the rumored World War Hulk film making Sam Wilson’s first big screen adventure as Captain America an incredibly important Phase 5 film.
Thunderbolts July 26, 2024
Written by Eric Pearson Directed by Jake Schreier
The latest rumors about this film indicate that it’s getting a rewrite and that an “evil Superman” plays a key role. If the aforementioned reemergence of Weapons Plus happens in Captain America: New World Order, that “evil Superman” might just turn out to be Sentry and that would make for either one wild ride or one ultra-nerfed character. The team that was rolled out at D23 was very Super Soldier and spy-heavy and would be shredded by a comic book-accurate Sentry. Fan theories continue to swirl that Zemo and Abomination are “secret” members of the team or that that, like in The Suicide Squad, there’s a second team of Tbolts in the mix. It doesn’t seem like any of those things were true in the early drafts for the project, but who knows what a rewrite might fix?!
Blade September 6, 2024
Written by Michael Starrbury Directed by Yann Demange
Obviously this one has had some issues, but Marvel Studios feels good about the new direction in which it’s headed. Earlier versions of the project didn’t have quite enough action for a vampire-hunting film and the hope is that the new version of the project will feel a bit more like those great, old Tomb of Dracula comics than anything.
Untitled Deadpool and Wolverine Film November 8, 2024
Written by Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick Directed by Shawn Levy
This project went from one nobody could quite figure out to one that is starting to sound like it may be the most “Multiversal” project of the Multiverse Saga. Theories continue to center on the film being an adaptation of Deadpool Kills the Marvel Universe and rumors about the inclusion of Owen Wilson‘s Mobius and the rest of the TVA playing a role make it sound like this will be the Incursion-heavy movie fans thought Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness would be. At this rate, it seems like the film will be trimming all kinds of branches ahead of Avengers: Secret Wars.
Fantastic Four February 14, 2025
Written by Jeff Kaplan and Ian Springer Directed by Matt Shakman
Fantastic Four has been gestating way too long at Marvel Studios, but it looks like it’s back on track and it sounds as though it’s going to make a splash. Rumors of the Silver Surfer appearing and of a Multiversal Council of Reeds persist, making this one a pretty big mover and shaker for the future of the Multiverse Saga. It’s also just the beginning of what should shape up to be a decade of stories about Marvel’s First Family, so taking their time on this one is essential.
Avengers: The Kang Dynasty May 2, 2025
Written by Jeff Loveness Directed by Destin Daniel Cretton
Is the rumored title of Shang-Chi and The Wreckage of Time legit? If so, it would seem to indicate that Jonathan Majors might play a role in this sequel as well as another Variant of Nathaniel Richards? Introducing Immortus into the mix would make Avengers: Secret Wars even more interesting…
But truly, nothing is known about this movie at the moment, not even if that title is correct or if it’ll land before or after Avengers: The Kang Dynasty.
Armor Wars TBD
Written by Yassir Lester
Originally intended to be a streaming series, Armor Wars will now turn out to be Don Cheadle’s debut as a leading man in the MCU after having been around forever! This one has ties to Secret Invasion but could it also have ties to the events of Captain America: New World Order? Given that it’s coming pretty late in the Multiverse Saga, it may have lasting implications beyond it and if those Adamantium rumors are true, that precious metal might play into this film. Remember that the MCU doesn’t do one-for-one adaptations of comics, so while this is called Armor Wars, don’t expect it to follow the template from the 1980s arc.
Avengers: Secret Wars May 1, 2026
Written by Michael Waldron
The capstone of the Multiverse Saga and what will undoubtedly be the most epic event of Marvel Studios long history, Avengers: Secret Wars is sure to work, in part, as a reunion of sorts for some of great icons of Marvel’s cinematic history. Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr. Scarlett Johansson, Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield have all been rumored to appear already and more names will be added to the list in the next 3+ years. It’s also very likely that this film will set the table for whatever the next great Saga will be in the MCU and that one will come bearing mutants.
Long before Marvel Studios regained the live-action rights to Fantastic Four, director Peyton Reed pitched a version of the film to the execs at Fox. That film obviously was never made and Reed has since gone on to become the driving force behind Marvel Studios’ Ant-Man franchise. With the third film in the franchise, Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania, next up on Marvel Studios’ theatrical slate, it seems that the first round of press has begun and Reed found himself asked about his never-was Fantastic Four.
In an interview with Somos Geeks, Reed quickly dismissed his take on Marvel Studios’ First Family in favor of hyping the upcoming film which is due to hit theaters on February 14th, 2025. Marvel Studios Fantastic Four was originally set to be directed by Jon Watts, who directed Marvel Studios and Sony’s Spider-Man trilogy; however, Watts had to depart the project and after a long search, Marvel Studios brought WandaVision director Matt Shakman on board. Though Shakman has only been on the project for a little less than four months, development on Fantastic Four has been ongoing for years, including an ongoing cycle of concept art. That art, it turns out, is something Reed has been fortunate enough to catch a glimpse of while hanging out at Marvel Studios. “Matt Shakman is gonna do great,” said Reed, continuing on to say. “and I’ve seen initial artwork for the Fantastic Four…stuff around the Marvel offices…it’s gonna be great.”
Concept art does not a movie make, of course, but Reed’s vote of confidence, which he volunteered on his own, should not be taken lightly. While there are some parts of the internet who don’t appreciate the Ant-Man films or believe Reed should be helming Marvel Studios projects, the perception of the director by those in charge of Marvel Studios couldn’t be any more different than that. Reed’s voice and passion for Marvel are valued and respected at the studio and he may even be a contender to direct the capstone of the Multiverse Saga, 2026’s Avengers: Secret Wars. Concept art isn’t just lying around everywhere at the studio, so Reed’s ability to take a peek could hint as his involvement in Secret Wars. Of course, it could also mean absolutely nothing. But as every day goes by without a director for the sixth Avengers film and the release of Quantumania (which is going to really surprise MCU fans) draws nearer, one does have to consider the very real possibility that Reed might be on the shortlist to helm the big saga-ending project.
Time travel! As Tony Stark warned in Avengers: Endgame, when you mess with time, it tends to mess back. Thanks to Sylvie’s actions at the end of the Season 1 finale of Loki, the heroes of the MCU are about to find out what happens when you come face-to-face with the Master of Time as Jonathan Majors‘ Kang the Conqueror is set to wreak havoc across the Multiverse. Rumors have Kang wiping the floor with the Avengers in Avengers: The KangDynasty before facing off against a multiversal team of heroes in Avengers: Secret Wars. While everyone ultimately expects a big win for the good guys, a crazy theory puts forth the idea that fans may have already seen the aftermath of the big battle against Kang!
The theory comes courtesy of Heavy Spoilers and it packs a pretty meta punch. Rumors of the plot of Avengers: The Kang Dynasty have the Avengers teaming with a version of He Who Remains, a Nathaniel Richards Variant first met in Loki. This Variant, who hasn’t become He Who Remains yet, goes by Nathaniel and eventually helps put together a multiversal team of heroes that take on Kang in Avengers: Secret Wars. According to the theory, once Kang is defeated, Nathaniel will go on to become He Who Remains and create the TVA in order to oversee the Sacred Timeline, just as seen in Season 1 of Loki!
If that theory were to play out in Avengers: Secret Wars, it would mean that the aftermath of that film will already have been shared with fans years in advance of it occurring on screen! This would mean that the story He Who Remains tells Loki and Sylvie about the peace between realities erupting into an all-out war was only in the past from his perspective and that he was actually describing the events of Avengers: Secret Wars to fans years before they would ever see the film. To quote Marty McFly, “this is heavy.”
The moment the announcement dropped that Avengers: Secret Wars was on the horizon, many were excited on who may make an appearance. Anyone is possible in the wide multiverse that the Marvel Cinematic Universe has opened, especially after seeing former Spider-Men Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield once again reprise their iconic roles in Spider-Man: No Way Home.
Naturally, it also opened up a recurring question for anyone that got a chance to interview a Marvel legacy actor, such as what GQ did when they got a chance to sit down with former Professor X, James McAvoy. The actor had already been asked many times if he might appear in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
I’m very quick to say, ‘No, I’m done.’ Or ‘I’m not that bothered about coming back.’ Because you move forward. I’ve definitely not got the call. And if I did I would definitely not be telling you.
James McAvoy
The last part of the statement is quite funny, especially with how McAvoy has always been rather direct in his response, especially when the Doctor Strange rumors were making the rounds. Of course, it does seem quite early for them to cast anyone for Secret Wars, as the script has yet to be finalized. So, they may not reach out until they know who exactly they want to include, especially with an Avengers film that’ll likely include a wide amount of characters. So, not trying to bind anyone too early, especially if production might get postponed (you never know). It might still be some time until we get a firm grasp of what their plans are for this film.
Following SDCC ’22, Secret Wars is no longer a secret. Kevin Feige unveiled Marvel Studios incredibly ambitious Multiverse Saga in July and even though some dates have shifted around a bit since then, it still all ends with Avengers: Secret Wars on May 1st, 2026. Michael Waldron, who introduced the rules of the Multiverse in Loki and then took Doctor Strange on a brief tour of it in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, has been tasked with writing the film, but as of now, the project is without a director. Marvel Studios doesn’t need to be in a rush given the film doesn’t release for over three and a half years, but with a project this big, it’s likely they’ve narrowed down their list and will be choosing someone soon. With that in mind, here’s a look at some in-house candidates that aren’t Joe and Anthony Russo who might be up for the big job…
Ryan Coogler
Among the in-house candidates to take on Avengers: Secret Wars, Ryan Coogler is inarguably the most talented and arguably the safest choice. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is about to blow up the box office, likely giving Coogler two of the highest-grossing non-Avengers films. All logic would dictate that Feige and Coogler had to have at least talked about the possibility of him directing Avengers: Secret Wars. The only real question might be: does he want to do it? Coogler is a deeply passionate creator and I’ve often heard his approach to the worlds of Wakanda and now Talocan compared with the depth of George Lucas’ creation of the Star Wars universe. It’s possible, maybe even likely, that Coogler would prefer to continue to develop more projects (Ironheart, for example, is led by Coogler’s production team) within and connected to these worlds. Whether he chooses to stick to what he’s doing or tackle Avengers: Secret Wars, fans of the MCU still win.
Nia DaCosta
Marvel Studios has had some troubled productions since 2020. Whether due to COVID, changing directors, clashing visions, starting productions with 2/3 of a script or reshooting third acts, some of the roads on the way to what have all been fine finsihed products have been bumpy. One production that by all accounts seems to have been fairly smooth sailing, however, was The Marvels. The films three leads, Brie Larson, Iman Vellani and Teyonah Parris have all gone on record gushing about working with diretor Nia DaCosta, who took on a heavy project in her first MCU gig. DaCosta also reportedly established a great rapport with Feige, who was very pleased with The Marvels, a film which I’ve heard nothing but great things about. Having handled a team-up film in her first go around gives DaCosta some sense of what Avengers: Secret Wars will be like, even if it’s not quite the same scale. DaCosta checks a lot of the boxes the studio is likely using to choose the director for that project.
Peyton Reed
Reed may not be a popular choice amongst fans, but his first two Ant-Man films were solid, if not underrated, entries that were done the disservice of being released near major event films. By all accounts (and the trailer allows fans their first look at it), Reed absolutely slayed it with Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania which had what I’ve heard called one of Marvel’s best-ever scripts by Jeff Loveness. The teaser should make it clear that Quantumania will be a major step up in terms of the impact the film will have on the ongoing saga when compared to the previous two Ant-Man films and it should also be clear that this Variant of Jonathan Majors’ Kang is one of the ones to be worried about. Reed had a huge job to do and he nailed it. He’s proven he can run a clean production, he’s worked extensively with the Volume (which will be needed on something like Secret Wars) and has a great relationship with Marvel Studios and Feige. Don’t sleep on Reed connecting with Waldron on Avengers: Secret Wars.
Marvel Studios made sweeping changes to their upcoming theatrical slate recently, shuffling the release dates of several projects in what looks to have been a game of dominoes. Upon closer look, however, it seems possible that the last domino hasn’t fallen yet.
2023
Phase 5 begins! Outside of Blade being removed from the 2023 slate, the slate remains unchanged. Two projects (Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania and Loki Season 2) look to connect directly with the overarching plot of the Multiverse Saga, but The Marvels might connect to it a bit more than one might think at first glance.
2024
The changes to the 2024 slate are where things really start to fall apart and where one has to question whether or not there will be another round of changes ahead. It seems like a big factor in whether or not there are more changes will depend on how connected the Disney Plus series/special projects are to the order of things.
Originally, Phase 5 was supposed to end with Thunderbolts in July of 2024, now it looks like it will likely end with Deadpool 3 in November of 2024. Blade and Deadpool 3 (even though it wasn’t officially given a date until recently) were always a part of Phase 5, so where they land within it doesn’t seem to matter. However, as of SDCC, the first Phase 6 project was intended to be a Disney Plus series/special presentation scheduled for Fall 2024, before Fantastic Four. Then, another two Phase 6 Disney Plus projects were set to stream before the end of 2024.
With all the changes, the end date for Phase 5 has now been extended by 4 months, meaning two streaming projects that were meant to be a part of Phase 6 are now TENTATIVELY set to stream before Phase 5 concludes. Can these projects just be moved into Phase 5? It’s hard to determine without knowing the identity of the projects. Do audiences need to see the content delivered in Blade or Deadpool 3 before they can view these series? Again, hard to determine without knowing what the projects are. If they need to be included in Phase 6, Marvel Studios would have to push them into November of 2024 or later, potentially creating a content void that they seem to be trying to avoid. A lot of questions that can’t be answered, but 2024 and Phase 5 are clearly being impacted the most by the changes and potentially impacting everything else the most as a result.
Summary: Phase 5 ends later and with a different project and would currently experience an increase in the number of projects with some Phase 6 projects set to stream before Phase 6 begins.
2025
While the update on Monday revealed two pretty major changes, it also implies that more might be coming. With Fantastic Four being bumped into 2025, Avengers: Secret Wars was bumped out. However, it also means the February slot before Avengers: The Kang Dynasty is now occupied by Fantastic Four when it was clearly meant for another film up until these changes took place. The best bet as to what was intended to be there is the sequel to Shang-Chi. Both films are set to be directed by Destin Daniel Cretton and there’s been enough said to me to indicate that Shang-Chi 2 was meant to lead up to Avengers: The Kang Dynasty. With all that in mind, the slate is what it is at this point, but don’t be surprised to see further changes. One possibility is for one Avengers: The Kang Dynasty to move to the vacated November slot, opening up one of two summer spots for Shang-Chi 2. And while Disney doesn’t date Spidey films, that 4th movie is looming out there, so perhaps one of these 2025 films might come off the schedule entirely to make room for Spidey 4.
Summary: Phase 6 starts later than expected, but with the same project (Fantastic Four). It also ends later, but with the same project (Avengers: Secret Wars).
2026
As announced at SDCC ’22, Avengers: Secret Wars was intended to close out Phase 6 and the Multiverse Saga in November of 2025. The next day, Disney slated 4 Untitled Marvel Studios films for 2026, all meant to kick off Phase 7. But as the delay of Blade led to the delay of another project and another project and so on, Avengers: Secret Wars found itself bumped 5 months to May of 2026. But being the capstone project of the entire Multiverse Saga, moving Secret Wars ultimately means delaying the end of Phase 6 and the start of Phase 7.
Additionally, in shifting from November 7, 2025 to May 1, 2026, Avengers: Secret Wars actually jumped 2 dates. On the surface and without further changes, this adds a 6th film to the Phase 6 slate. We don’t know what the untitled films are, but when the slate for Phase 6 was revealed, it was comprised of 5 films. With things the way they are now, it’s 6 and this seems like a pretty major change to a slate that one would assume is pretty well planned out and only holds the requisite number of projects to tell the story. The scenario described in the 2025 section above provides some relief to that by removing one of those films to make way for Spidey 4. The best guess here is that Marvel Studios is NOT done shuffling and that these dates should be viewed as placeholders and nothing more.
Summary: Phase 6 not only ends later but with Avengers: Secret Wars jumping 2 release dates, it currently includes one additional film that was previously slated for Phase 7.
Realistically, any analysis is probably a waste of time because the only constant with Marvel Studios’ slate of projects is change. So for now, tracking the changes and thinking about how they might lead to more is both the best we can do and the worst thing we can do because it sends us down a path with no clarity just past the horizon.
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