All Chris Evans wants is to be done with his Marvel roles…but he won’t quit coming back. While he’s yet to step back into to MCU as its First Avenger after 2019’s Avengers: Endgame, Evans reprised the role of Johnny Storm for a foul-mouthed appearance in 2024’s Deadpool & Wolverine. Beyond that, Evans has been true to his word, having yet to pick up the shield again despite regular rumors to the contrary.
Yeah, maybe. I’ll never say never, just because it was such a wonderful experience. But I’m also very precious with it. It’s something that I am very proud of. And like I said, sometimes I can’t believe it even happened. And I wouldn’t want the black eye if it felt like a cash grab or if it didn’t live up to expectations or if it just felt like it wasn’t connected to that original thing. So, no time soon. And ultimately I really hope to just maybe act a little bit less in my life. I have a lot of other interests.
First shared by social media’s busiest bee, My Time To Shine Hello, then given support by other similar online personalities, the latest rumor has Evans suiting up in an unknown role in The Fantastic Four: First Steps.
Treating it simply as nothing more than an interesting possibility, one can quickly wonder if Evans‘ return in that film might well be as the Sacred Timeline’s Steve Rogers. Much has been made of the retrofuturistic 1960s setting of The Fantastic Four: First Steps and that could tie neatly into Steve Rogers’ decision to leave the Sacred Timeline to live a life with Peggy Carter in 1949. While there are plenty of other options, such as Evans appearing as Hydra Supreme or even another Variant of Johnny Storm, reprising his original role would neatly dovetail Marvel’s two Sagas together. Given what’s been explained about Incursions so far, it would seem Captain America’s presence in another timeline would be somewhat problematic.
While it was nothing more than a line of empty chairs, Marvel Studios’ Avengers: Doomsday cast reveal left fans with a whole lot of questions about what might be going on in the 2026 flick. We certainly have no idea but there seems to have been a few key cast reveals that might give some clues…
Wakanda Forever…and Ever
With the announcements of Letitia Wright, Winston Duke and, most surprisingly, Tenoch Huerta Mejia, it became clear that, once again, Wakanda will play a major role in an Avengers film. While Wakanda is likely still recovering from the devastating attack by Namor, the uneasy alliance with the Talokanil King does mean that not one but two Vibranium-powered armies stand ready to fight. However, if you don’t think Namor will stab Shuri in the back the minute it serves his best interests, which may actually align with Doom’s, you don’t know the man’s true nature.
Without a clear understanding of precisely what’s going to be going on in Avengers: Doomsday, it’s hard to say exactly what might be going on in Wakanda; however, it is worth remembering that Julia Louis-Dreyfus‘ Val made her ambitions to take over the country clear in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and she now has her own group of Avengers Thunderbolts* to help her reach her goals. Other intriguing options for the location exist as well, including–but certainly not limited to–a loose adaptation of Doomwar that would see Robert Downey Jr.’s villain on Earth-616 and after the precious metal and the delicious opportunity to see Ian McKellen‘s Master of Magnetism turned loose over the Vibranium Mounds of Wakanda. While Vibranbium is not magnetic in the comics, that has not been the case in the MCU.
The Thunderbolts Are Here to Stay…At Least Some of Them
(L-R) Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan), Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen), Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), John Walker (Wyatt Russell), and Red Guardian/Alexei Shostakov (David Harbour) in Marvel Studios’ THUNDERBOLTS*. Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. ?? 2024 MARVEL.
Thunderbolts* doesn’t hit theaters for another five weeks but it now seems pretty clear that none of the members of the team will face any serious threat…other than poor Tasky. Whether or not Taskmaster makes it out of Thunderbolts* alive hardly seems like a major game-changer for the future of the MCU; to the contrary, however, the inclusion of Lewis Pullman‘s Sentry in Avengers: Doomsday does. Having a powerhouse like Sentry at her disposal puts Val in an enviable place, but are the Thunderbolts at her disposal? Is it Bucky’s team? Are they the U.S. Avengers now? Whatever the case, it seems as though The Watchtower will likely be visited in the film.
The fallout from Captain America: Brave New World is almost certain to ripple into both Thunderbolts* and Avengers: Doomsday. Without Ross in office, it’s worth wondering just how much pull Val might have in the government now and how she intends to use it. How might Sam react to Bucky leading a team of less-than-good guys? And what about that Adamantium? The inclusion of the Thunderbolts generates more questions than just about anyone on the cast list other than…
With the Multiverse likely at stake in Avengers: Doomsday, a trip to the Citadel at the End of Time and a visit to the man who sits on the throne there seemed inevitable. Within hours of the announcement that Tom Hiddleston had joined the cast of the film, theories had already begun to fly that Loki would fill the role played by Molecule Man in the different iterations of Marvel Comics’ Secret Wars events. Whether it’s to steal his powers for himself or use them to destroy the current iteration of the MCU, it seems as though Victor Von Doom will come face to face with Loki, God of Stories.
Avengers vs. X-Men
The inclusion of several of Fox’s original, early 2000s X-Men would seem to set up an incursion event that would see the heroes of Earth-616 take on a unified front of X-Men and members of the Brotherhood from whatever Earth these versions of Charles, Magneto, Cyclops et al are from. It seems relevant that while it’s clear members of the cast were left off the list, Marvel made sure to include Mystique actress Rebecca Romijn to make it clear that it would be all hands on deck when the two worlds collide. Call it Avengers vs. X-Men if you want but it seems like it will riff on Jonathan Hickman‘s Earth-616 vs. Earth-1610 Time Runs Out battle, forcing each world to fight until the end.
They’re Holding Back
Just as interesting as who was announced was, of course, who was not announced. By now, it’s been made clear by the studio that more stars will be joining the cast but that was already obvious. Very new rumors suggest that Tom Holland won’t be joining the film as Spider-Man 4 will be set concurrently with Avengers: Doomsday. Chris Evans is another notable omission, as is Lizzie Olsen, who recently claimed she will not be in either of the next two Avengers films. One name missing from the list that seems like a must (unless the studio has cooked up another project to deal with her character’s situation) is Teyonah Paris. The Multiverse Saga has been a mess but Monica’s presence in another reality is one of the only loose ends from the Saga that actually ties directly into what’s about to go down in Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars.
Beyond that, several characters have entered the MCU since the Russo brothers’ last go-around that seem like the type of characters they’d like to have some fun with. Tatiana Maslany‘s She-Hulk seems like a perfect match for the Russos’ sensibilities and might pair perfectly with Chris Hemsworth‘s Thor. Leaving Charlie Cox on the sidelines would seem like a severely missed opportunity to take advantage of his popularity. Finally, it would stand to reason that if the original X-Men are back, more members of that cast, potentially including Hugh Jackman, will join the fray eventually.
Piecing It Together
While the cast reveal didn’t give away any plot points, it did point to some plot-related points: key settings. If one imagines a story structure similar to that of Avengers: Infinity War, it’s possible that Avengers: Doomsday might have 10-12 different settings. From the castings, it’s possible to deduce quite a few of them, though there’s always the chance one of two of these won’t be visited.
Possible Key Settings
Wakanda
Talokan
The Watchtower in New York City
The “Binary” X-Men Universe
The Citadel at the End of Time
Ta Lo
Latveria
The Fantastic Four Universe
Does Paul Rudd‘s presence mean another trip to the Quantum Realm? Possibly but we sure hope not, so leave it at 8 potential settings deduced from the casting. Allow for another 2 dozen or so characters to join the film and assume 2-4 more settings, depending on who joins the cast, and you’ve got yourself an event film…and maybe toss in Battleworld at the end to set up the next event film!
For nearly five hours, Marvel Studios had as many as 10 million fans on the edges of their seats by showing them…empty seats. In a barely-teased-but-definitely-not announced social media live stream, the cast of Avengers: Doomsday–or at least a good chunk of it–was revealed one at a time. By the time Robert Downey Jr. took a seat in his chair, the cast had grown to 27 members, many of whom were not part of any of the incredible amount of rumors about the 2026 project.
While it’s unlikely the entire cast, or even the entire main cast, has been revealed, let’s take a look at the biggest surprises from the event.
Fox’s OG X-Men
While Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen had previously been rumored to be working with Marvel Studios on something, nobody had the returns of Alan Cumming, James Marsden and Rebecca Romijn on their bingo cards. Kelsey Grammer‘s Dr. Hank McCoy is set to return as well but it’s unclear if he’ll be the Earth-10005 Beast, the “Binary” universe Beast or if those two universes are the same, as has been theorized by many. Just what these heroes will be up to in the film remains to be discovered but it sure looks like the pieces could be in place for some Avengers vs. X-Men shenanigans.
Ch’ah Toh Almehen Is Back
It’s not too surprising to see Wakanda play some role in another MCU event film. It is, however, somewhat surprising to see Ch’ah Toh Almehen, aka K’uk’ulkan, aka El Niño sin Amor, aka Fish Man, aka Namor back in action for Avengers: Doomsday. Tenoch Huerta Mejia‘s name was the first real surprise of the day and fans are already dreaming of the potential interactions between Namor and Vanessa Kirby‘s Sue Storm and wondering just how much rizz the King of Talokan will lay on the Invisible Woman.
Cap’s Wingman…
(L-R) The Falcon/Joaquin Torres (Danny Ramirez) and Captain America/Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) in Marvel Studios’ CAPTAIN AMERICA: BRAVE NEW WORLD. Photo by Eli Ad??. ?? 2024 MARVEL.
Incredibly, despite potentially being the most annoying character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Danny Ramirez‘s Joaquin Torres is tagging along with Anthony Mackie‘s Captain America to… take on Doctor Doom? Worst case scenario: He does a few Fortnite dances and acts like an overgrown high schooler; best case scenario: Magneto strips him of his Falcon gear in mid-flight, and we never see the character again.
Shang-Chi Stays in the Lineup
When the film was originally being developed as Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, word was that it was essentially a sequel to Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. When Marvel scrapped the original idea and pivoted to Doomsday, Destin Daniel Cretton, who directed Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and was on board for The Kang Dynasty, left. At that point, it seemed as though Simu Liu‘s character would have to wait a while before making his way back to the big screen. Obviously the size and importance of his role in Doomsday remains to be discovered but Shang-Chi does possess some of the most powerful weapons in the MCU and does have access to the realm of Ta Lo and a pretty cool dragon.
A Pair of Powerhouses
With both Chris Hemsworth and Lewis Pullman, Avengers: Doomsday will feature two characters who are purt near indefatigable, invincible or otherwise really hard to kill. The real question here, though, is…whose side will Sentry be on? And if he’s not on Thor’s side, can Thor survive a tussle with him?
The orchestrated reveal was drawn out with each actor being revealed as their “director’s chairs” were placed on what appearee to be a sound stage at Pinewood Studios in the UK where the film is now in production. While many of the cast members were previously known or expected, the event did reveal a few surprises. The reveal also served as the rollout for a slightly updated new logo.
Letitia Wright‘s Shuri, now the MCU’s Black Panther, will return for the first time since 2022 and, shockingly, will be joined by Tenoch Huerta Mejia, who will return as Namor. The pair will be joined by fellow Black Panther franchise star Winston Duke.
Paul Rudd‘s Scott Lang, who would have played a major role in the previous iteration of the film, Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, was one of the surprise additions to the ensemble cast. Simu Liu, who would have also played a major part in the same project was another surprise addition as well as Kelsey Grammer’s Beast, last seen in The Marvels. However, no surprise will please fans more than that of Tom Hiddleston‘s Loki returning to the Multiverse Saga…
and no surprise will be bigger than the revelation that Ian McKellen will reprise the role of Magneto! McKellen will be joined by original Fox X-Men trilogy stars Patrick Stewart and Alan Cumming, who will return as Charles Xavier and Nightcrawler, respectively. They’re joined by original X-trilogy baddie, Rebecca Romijn‘s Mystique and James Marsden who played a criminally underused Cyclops.
It turns out the OG X-Men (plus alt universe Beast) aren’t the only ones playing a role as Channing Tatum, who made a name for himself as Gambit in Deadpool & Wolverine, will return for the fifth Avengers film.
The reveal, which certainly did not contain the entire cast, ended with Robert Downey Jr. taking the stage.
It would seem the rumors of Wanda Maximoff’s imminent return to the MCU have been greatly exaggerated. Wanda stans were devastated when the character was seemingly killed in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness; however, that tide of grief was soon stemmed when Marvel Studios head honcho Kevin Feige made it clear that the final chapter in Wanda’s story had not yet been told.
There really is so much more to explore. We still haven’t touched on many of her core storylines from the comics. I don’t know that we saw her under rubble? I saw a tower coming down, and a little red flash. I don’t know what that means.
In an interview with THR, Olsen confirmed that she will not be part of Avengers: Doomsday or Avengers: Secret Wars.
“No, I’m back [in the States]. I just finished [Panic Carefully],” said Olsen when asked if the Russo brothers were going to extend her stay in the UK. “I’m moving on to filming a pilot for FX,” she then said, explaining why she’ll be absent from the cast list for Avengers: Doomsday.
Interestingly, while Olsen’s absence from the next two Avengers films will certainly be disappointing–and likely the final nail in the coffins of quite a few social media scoopers who have been hyping her character’s major role in the films–it may make the long-rumored Scarlet Witch solo film even more likely. Late last year, rumors began to swirl that WandaVision and Agatha All Along creator Jac Schaeffer was working on a script for such a project. When asked if she could talk about the rumors, Schaeffer replied “not right now” which only fueled speculation that she had moved off of the studio’s Vision project to begin work on the Wanda-centric film. Of course, with everything at the studio continuing to be in flux, it may be some time before we find out exactly what the plans are to bring Wanda back to the MCU.
Outside of the Avengers films, Marvel Studios’ next film, Thunderbolts*, will demand more from audiences than any other MCU film to date. Thanks to its ensemble cast, the Jake Schreier-helmed film looks to serve as a sequel or follow-up to more projects than any other non-Avengers film in the MCU’s 17-year history.
Originally developed as a sequel to 2021’s Black Widow, Thunderbolts* has evolved significantly–perhaps more than any MCU project ever–over the past few years. While it will still feature Florence Pugh‘s Yelena Belova as the lead and introduce Lewis Pullman‘s not-so-mysterious Bob, it will also feature a heavier-than-originally-expected dose of Sebastian Stan‘s Bucky Barnes. Wyatt Russell, David Harbour, Hannah John-Kamen and Olga Kurylenko will all also reprise their MCU roles and team up with Yelana and Bucky to take on Julia Louis-Dreyfus‘ baddie, Val, and her enigmatic OXE group.
You’re talking about a group of characters that have done a lot of bad things, and maybe are struggling with feeling good about themselves. There’s an element that does speak to mental health, and loneliness, and how some of the darkness that we experience in our lives can’t be necessarily fixed, but can only really be made lighter through connection and finding others.
-Jake Schreier
With so many characters and their stories intersecting in Thunderbolts*, the upcoming film might require a bit more prep time than some of Marvel Studios’ recent projects. If you’re still reading, you’re probably ready to get started and so, as is our way, we present The Ultimate List of What to Watch Before… Thunderbolts*.
Tier One
If you’ve never seen a single second of any of Marvel Studios’ films or streaming series, these Tier One projects should be considered the bare minimum to get yourself ready for Thunderbolts*. These four projects will introduce you to the film’s main characters and set the stage for you to follow the next steps on their journeys.
Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)
🍅 80%
Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)
🍅 90%
Truthfully, Captain America: The First Avenger is tough to slot on a list like this until you realize it’s a fictional universe and nothing actually matters. That said, while a fair argument can be made for its inclusion in Tier One, a counterargument can be made that, for all intensts and purposes, the James Buchanan Barnes introduced in TFA died in the fall from the train. While he’s no longer the Winter Soldier, Bucky is not–and never has been–the character from this film. Pairing Captain America: The Winter Soldier with The Falcon and The Winter Soldier does enough to prepare a first-timer for Bucky’s role in Thunderbolts*; however, TFA does provide additional context for Bucky’s tortured persona and why he’s striving so hard to change the world around him.
So when he hears about my formula and what it can do, he cannot resist. Schmidt must become that superior man.” “Did it make him stronger?” “Yes. But there were other… effects. The serum was not ready. But more important, the man.
-Abraham Erskine, Captain America: The First Avenger
And after you logic your way through all of that, the simple fact remains that even though it’s not the first film in which it’s mentioned, Captain America: The First Avenger is chronologically the first time the Super Soldier Serum is a factor in the MCU. It’s continued to play a role in several projects and will do so again I Thunderbolts*.
While it’s not the first appearance of Bucky Barnes–that came in Captain America: The First Avenger—Captain America: The Winter Soldier is THE definitive Bucky film. Over a decade later, the 2014 film remains unparalleled as an action-packed thriller and helped set Sebastian Stan on the path to MCU royalty.
Ant-Man and The Wasp (2018)
🍅 87%
While the last film in the Ant-Man franchise may well be remembered as one of Marvel Studios’ worst films, Ant-Man and The Wasp, the franchise’s second installment, is a fun ride worth taking. It served a surprisingly major role in The Infinity Saga but if you’re prepping for Thunderbolts*, you’re watching it to get to know Hannah John-Kamen‘s Ava Starr, aka Ghost. Thunderbolts* is Ava’s first MCU appearance since Ant-Man and The Wasp, so there’s a lot to catch up on, including how her powers have evolved since we last saw her.
Valentina Allegra de Fontaine. Actually, it’s Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine. I know it’s hard, but I don’t like to repeat myself, so you can just call me Val. But don’t call me Val, just keep it in your head.
-Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier
The Falcon and The Winter Soldier (2021)
🍅 85%
Marvel’s second streaming series, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier might do the heaviest lifting of any project on the list. Not only does the 6-episode introduce Wyatt Russell‘s John Walker, who looks to play a pretty major role in Thunderbolts*, it also tells a key chapter in Bucky’s story and introduces Julia Louis-Dreyfus‘ Val, who is responsible for assembling the Thunderbolts. The project also adds to the Super Soldier Serum narrative by introducing Isaiah Bradley, the Flag Smashers and by creating a new Super Soldier when Walker injects himself with the newest version.
They had blood samples from an American test subject with semi-stable traces of serum in his system. After much labor, I was able to isolate the necessary compounds in his blood. I was a god. I did what no other scientist since Erskine was able to do. But mine was going to be different.
Dr. Wilfred Nagel, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier
Black Widow (2021)
🍅 79%
Released simultaneously in theaters and via Disney Premier Access on D+, Black Widow not only finally gave Scarlett Johansson the lead after spending a decade in the MCU but it also introduced her messy family of Russian spies. Popping back Nat’s life after decades away, Florence Pugh‘s beautifully flawed Yelena Belova, David Harbour‘s bellicose and bombastic Alexi Shostakovich, Russia’s very own Super Soldier, and Rachel Weisz‘s shifty Melina Vostokoff helped show a more vulnerable side of the character. The chemistry between Pugh and Harbour was a highlight of the film and something to look forward to again in Thunderbolts*. And if you’re watching, stick around for the PCS which leads directly into the next project on the list…
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022)
🍅 84%
Given how little screentime Julia Louis-Dreyfus‘ Val has had in the MCU, it stands to reason that the project in which she’s on screen the most is a must watch heading into Thunderbolts*. While it still isn’t a truly heavy dose of the character, it does provide plenty in the way of exposing the kind of person she is whilenalso revealing her lust for power and what she’s willing to do to acquire it.
Tier Two
Tier Two projects occupy an interesting place on The Ultimate Lists. While they’re never required viewing, they always offer something that can add to the viewing experience of the upcoming project.
The Incredible Hulk (2008)
🍅 68%
After being forgotten for a decade and a half, The Incredible Hulk is cool again…or at least relevant. Bruce Banner’s work on Project Gamma Pulse was meant to recreate Dr. Erskine’s Super Soldier Serum. Obviously that didn’t go as planned…TIH includes not one but two Super Soldiers gone wrong in Banner and Emily Blonsky. When will these people learn?!?!
Hawkeye (2022), Episodes 4-6
🍅 92%
One of the studio’s strongest beginning-to-end streaming series, Hawkeye features a three-episode appearance by Pugh‘s Yelena that while not necessary to enjoy Thunderbolts* will add to your enjoyment of it. Yelena’s time in Hawkeye–most of which is spent enjoyably with Hailee Steinfeld‘s Kate Bishop–is fascinating and allows for further excavation of the deeply rooted issues the former Red Roomer deals with.
Tier Three
For completists only…
Tier three projects may offer nothing more than cameos, passing references or relevant background information for upcoming projects but nothing in them will ever make or break a fan’s viewing experience.
The Avengers (2012)
🍅 91%
The best example of what type of information can be expected from Tier Three projects comes right off the bat: you’re watching this one just to visit Stark Tower for the first time. The building is a central location in The Avengers and, 13 years later, is again in Thunderbolts*, though now under new ownership.
Iron Man 3 (2013), Post-credit Scene
🍅 79%
Following Stark Tower becoming Avengers Tower in the final moments of The Avengers, the next visit to the facility can be found in the PCS to Iron Man 3 where the science bros are talking some things out.
Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
🍅 76%
The last project in which Avengers Tower serves as a key location in the Sacred Timeline, AoU sees the facility fully realized as a true home base for Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. Following the events of the film, the Avengers moved out of the tower and into the Avengers Compound in upstate New York.
Captain America: Civil War (2016)
🍅 90%
While Cap and Iron Man throwing down is the main attraction, Bucky’s very naughty past is what incites the Civil War. A great watch and full of plenty of interesting details about Bucky’s past and post-TWS present, skipping Captain America: Civil War won’t impact your viewing of Thunderbolts* but a watch/rewatch will help you better understand the new Bucky Barnes.
Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
🍅 92%
A brief trip to Avengers Tower reveals that the Happy is in charge of moving out the team’s things so that the new owner can take possession…that new owner is, of course, Julia Louis-Dreyfus‘ Val!
Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
🍅 85%
Avengers: Infinity War is always worth a watch though it really doesn’t have much to offer in the way of preparing for Thunderbolts*. A little bit of Bucky’s story is told here, including revealing what he’d been up to In Wakanda, but beyond that, just enjoy it for the action!
Avengers: Endgame (2019)
🍅 94%
Like Infinity War, Endgame offers a bit of Bucky but the real interest here, if there is any, is the ripple effect Nat’s death will eventually have on Yelena…but Yelena isn’t in the film, so just knowing Nat died will suffice. You could also argue that the Time Heist adds some additional context to what was going on inside Avengers Tower during the Battle of New York but how important will that be?
Captain America: Brave New World (2025)
🍅 48%
Because Bucky is in it…for a minute.
About Thunderbolts*
The film stars Florence Pugh, Sebastian Stan, Wyatt Russell, Olga Kurylenko, Lewis Pullman, Geraldine Viswanathan, Chris Bauer, Wendell Edward Pierce, with David Harbour, with Hannah John-Kamen, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus.
In Thunderbolts* Marvel Studios assembles an unconventional team of antiheroes—Yelena Belova, Bucky Barnes, Red Guardian, Ghost, Taskmaster and John Walker. After finding themselves ensnared in a death trap set by Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, these disillusioned castoffs must embark on a dangerous mission that will force them to confront the darkest corners of their pasts. Will this dysfunctional group tear themselves apart, or find redemption and unite as something much more before it’s too late?
-Official Synopsis for Marvel Studios Thunderbolts*
Jake Schreier directs Thunderbolts* and Kevin Feige is the producer. Louis D’Esposito, Brian Chapek and Jason Tamez serve as executive producers. The screenplay was written by Joanna Calo and Eric Pearson and Lee Sung Jin.
When Anthony and Joe Russo completed their work on Avengers: Endgame and turned their attention toward getting their studio, AGBO, up and running, there was always a belief that they’d return to Marvel Studios. Over the years, the brothers talked about what it would take to get them back in the directors’ chairs, indicating that their work with their own studio would keep them busy “until the end of the decade.” Things change, of course, and ultimately the story that drew them back to the MCU is the same one they’ve said would all along in Secret Wars.
To get there, however, there’s some work to do, primarily in Avengers: Doomsday which is set to kick off production soon ahead of a May 1, 2026 release. Before work begins on the first Avengers films this decade, the brothers are making the rounds promoting their latest AGBO project, The Electric State. In a wide-ranging interview with The Sunday Times, the directing duo explained what brought them back to the MCU while addressing a few things that have changed since they left and one thing they would like to bring back in Doomsday and Secret Wars.
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA – JULY 27: (L-R) Joe Russo, Anthony Russo and Kevin Feige, President, Marvel Studios speak onstage during the Marvel Studios Panel in Hall H at SDCC in San Diego, California on July 27, 2024. (Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Disney)
“Well, we love the genre,” said Anthony of why they’ve returned ahead of schedule. “Some people wrote it off as a less comprehensive form of storytelling that’s more for children. But we think of it as relevant for adults, if it is treated with maturity and complexity. That’s really all it is — a commitment to storytelling.” And despite some missteps with their recent projects, the Russos have yet to tell a poor story in the MCU. However, things have changed quite a bit since Avengers: Endgame wrapped up the Infinity Saga, including an overwhelming expansion of characters, stories and settings. However, the brothers didn’t come back without a plan to address the changes.
“Yes, the MCU has got quite large, that’s for sure. I mean, frankly, we struggle with that same issue,” Anthony explained. “But part of the reason Joe and I decided to go back is exactly what you’re talking about. There needs to be more of a central narrative.” The director’s comments harken back to all time when it was easy to trace the MCU’s main plot thread from 2014 straight through 2019, something that’s been possible in the Multiverse Saga and was actually complicated by the Russos‘ return and the pivot away from Kang the Conquerer to Doctor Doom as the main villains of the finale.
That lack of continuity is something about which the Russos are keenly aware. Furthermore, it sounds as though they have sat with it for some time and have a plan to return the MCU to its former storytelling glory. “That was something we were very specific about when we worked with Marvel [before],” said Anthony of a central MCU narrative. “We would like to bring the focused narrative back.” And from the sounds of things on social media and message boards, fans would like it brought back, too.
Despite having directed four of Marvel Studios’ best Infinity Saga films, Anthony and Joe Russo are still dividing the MCU fan base by returning to direct the studio’s next two Avengers films. While there’s no doubt that the brothers delivered a compelling two-pary finale in Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, one faction of the fan base sees their return for Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars as desperation on the part of Kevin Feige as he tries to save the Multiverse Saga through gimmicks, such as casting Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom and then using him to help lure the Russos back.
The brothers are no stranger to the derision of Marvel’s fans, however. When it was announced that the directing duo were taking over the Captain America franchise for 2014’s Captain America: The Winter Soldier, the Internet was sure there was no way that the brothers, who were known for their comedy chops, could handle the big action necessary for such a film. The result, of course, was an MCU action film that remains the standard for the ever-growing franchise. And so as the Russos prepare for production on Avengers: Doomsday, perhaps it’s best to wait to see the finish project before judging it.
Convincing an increasingly divided fan base to be patient is a losing battle, of course, especially in an increasingly volatile social media ecosystem where some are convinced the brothers are going to attempt to cut and paste and sprinkle in some AI magic, making Doomsday and Secret Wars nothing more than pale imitations of Infinity War and Endgame. However, in a recent interview with Omlete, the brothers disputed that notion, revealing one major difference between their last pair of Avengers films and their upcoming pair.
“What’s compelling about these two new Avengers movies is they’re a beginning,” explained Joe Russo. “It’s a new beginning. We told an ending story, now we’re going to tell a beginning story.“
Obviously there’s a little to unpack there as Avengers: Secret Wars has been earmarked as the end of the Multiverse Saga for years. While that’s likely still the case, Joe Russo‘s comments almost certainly stem from the idea that the Multiverse Saga will conclude with the birth of a new iteration of the Marvel Cinematic Universe which combines characters from realities across the Multiverse. The brothers recently revealed that Avengers: Secret Wars will take inspiration from both Jim Shooter’s 1984 Secret Wars and Jonathan Hickman‘s 2015 very different book of the same name. As for what to expect after this new “beginning” teased by the Russos, Kevin Feige has already let that cat out of the bag…
I have this opportunity to write a vast, American epic–I’ll use American in a general term–but a big, American movie. I don’t take it lightly and I want to make it this big, sweeping and exciting, funny movie and I think we have the best actor in the world as the most complicated villain in comic books. So I can’t say too much, but we’re really swinging for the fences and I can’t wait for you to see what Jonathan does.
-Jeff Loveness
Loveness became a bit of a fall guy for the unfortunate bomb that Quantumania became and even if his entire story for The Kang Dynasty was scrapped, it doesn’t mean there may not have been some fun ideas in store. One early rumor about the film indicated that it would include multiple teams of heroes and now some leaked concept art for the film may have revealed the makeup of one such team.
One particular piece of concept art from Marvel Studios Senior Concept/Visual Development Mushk Rizvi’s now removed Art Station folder provides a look at designs for a bar scene that feature an incredibly diverse cast of characters.
— Movies Talk Official (@moviestalkhindi) March 1, 2025
The concept art, which is dated March 20, 2024, shows Benedict Wong‘s Wong and Chris Pratt‘s Star-Lord hanging out with Iman Vellani‘s Kamala Khan, Hailee Steinfeld‘s Kate Bishop, Kathryn Newton‘s Cassie Lang, Joe Locke‘s Wiccan and an unknown actor as Speed. It looks as though the plan was–and may still be–to introduce the MCU’s Champions/Young Avengers in Avengers 5, now known as Avengers: Doomsday.
As exciting as concept art is, it’s important to remember it’s not always indicative of what will be seen in the final cut of a film. Even if the scene made its way into the final draft of the script and was filmed, there’s no guarantee it wouldn’t end up on the cutting room floor. Furthermore, in this particular instance, this concept art was from nearly a year ago and there’s no telling whose script it was from but it’s definitely not from McFeely’s draft, so counting on it still being part of the plan for the new film is probably a bad move. Nonetheless, the conceptualized scene, which also features Doop, has fans excited online and is creating more positive buzz than most Marvel projects.
Avengers: Doomsday is currently slated to hit theaters on May 1, 2026.
Despite a rough couple of years, heading into Year 16 it’s safe to say that Marvel Studios still has plenty left in the tank. Even after an uneven Phase 5, the Multiverse Saga promises to introduce The Fantastic Four and Doctor Doom, characters whose presence in the MCU was once nothing but a pipe dream. According to Kevin Feige, Avengers: Secret Wars will open the door to the X-Men, finally bringing the mutant heroes to the MCU after being mismanaged by Fox. And those headliners are just the tip of the iceberg in terms of what fans have to look forward in 2027 and beyond.
Marvel’s greatest Cosmic hero, Richard Rider, will finally make his long-awaited debut in the as-yet-undated D+ streaming series, Nova; a new generation of young heroes will come together to form the Champions; and a group of young mages and mystics from across all dimensions are rumored to set foot in Strange Academy. As bumpy as the ride through the Multiverse Saga has been, there’s plenty to look forward to once it comes to an end; however, it’s not quite there yet…and a new report indicates that one long-awaited character has some major work to do before it’s all said and done.
It seems as though Marvel Studios has finally found the right vehicle to introduce the Spirit of Vengeance into the MCU. According to social media scooper @ApocHorseman, a Ghost Rider will play a “major role” in 2026’s Avengers: Doomsday.
I see a lot of talk about Ghost Rider and yeah it’s actually happening. No idea about a solo project or Midnight Sons or which Ghost Rider it is but the plan is to introduce him in a big role in Doomsday pic.twitter.com/DTDkAsnPBt
While it’s unclear and a little confusing as to what role a Spirit of Vengeance might have in Avengers: Doomsday, it’s likely fans will concern themselves very little if one shows up…especially if the studio manages to land Ryan Gosling in the role.
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