It will be six years since the last Avengers film when the superheroes of the Marvel Cinematic Universe once again gather to save the world. Avengers 5: The Kang Dynasty opens in theaters in May 2025, closely followed by Avengers 6: Secret Wars, which arrives six months later. That’s never happened in the MCU. And nevertheless the announcement feels unimaginative.
New Avengers double: The multiverse saga looks like a clone of the Infinity saga
When Marvel boss Kevin Feige unveiled the upcoming MCU phases at Comic-Con in San Diego last week, he had fan excitement on his side. Phase 5 works towards the Thunderbolts crossover before the Fantastic Four reboot opens Phase 6. In addition, there are the Avengers films mentioned as lighthouses around which second major MCU saga to end what is now the Official Multiverse Saga.
After the chaos of Phase 4, this sounds like a solid plan to steadily grow the franchise over the next few years. On closer inspection, however, there is disillusionment: Marvel repeats itself. Everything points to the same big event as the double Avengers 3: Infinity War and Avengers 4: Endgame awaits us, complete with a big cliffhanger in between.
You can watch the trailer for Endgame here:
Avengers 4: Endgame – Trailer (German) HD
After more than a decade of fulfilling fan wishes, the MCU is desperate for more Stories with an event character. Feige drew almost every joker possible. We’ve even seen the merging of three Spider-Man generations in the cinema. What remains is the MCU introduction of Deadpool and the reinvention of the X-Men and Fantastic Four. And who knows how long Hugh Jackman can resist the idea of a Wolverine comeback.
After Endgame and No Way Home: The desperate search for the next mega event
Avengers 5 and 6, as a massive double whammy, are supposed to hide the fact that Marvel goes increasingly in circles. Based on the reactions that the unveiling of the new logos entailed, Feige’s tactics worked, at least in the short term: two Avengers films in one year – that’s an announcement that no other studio in Hollywood can currently afford.
©Disney
Avengers 5: The Kang Dynasty and Avengers 6: Secret Wars
A splurge that assures all fans and investors of the longevity of the franchise. Hopefully there’s more behind the swaggering announcement. If Avengers 5 and 6 do in fact repeat the concept of their predecessors, they will end up having a make a consistent decisioninstead of undoing all events via time travel or multiverse jump.
The Avengers 6 title is cautiously optimistic: the MCU adapts the seminal Secret Wars storyline from the comics that collapsed the multiverse and when handy reboot tool acted to allow a reboot. Numerous Marvel characters have been rethought, screened and varied. Secret Wars thus represents what the MCU fears most: change.
Secret Wars: For Avengers 5 and 6, the MCU needs to grow beyond itself
The last time the franchise was at a crossroads like this, it decided to bring back almost all figures unchanged. Major cuts like Iron Man’s sacrifice can be counted on one hand. Even Black Widow’s death was short-lived: the very first films from Phase 4 brought the superheroine back in the form of a prequel. Secret Wars requires significantly more courage.
©Disney
Avengers 3: Infinity War
Everything we’ve learned about the MCU contradicts that requirement. Most creative decisions in recent years only scratch the status quo cautiously. The only boundaries that are transcended are the direction of the past: with the return of ex-Marvel stars like Tobey Maguire, Andrew Garfield and Patrick Stewart, nostalgia is appealed to instead of looking to the future.
As uninspired as the forthcoming Avengers double might seem at first glance. It’s also an interesting test for the MCU. In the best-case scenario, after 2025 we can expect a completely new Marvel universe that will freed from all burdens. Skip Peter Parker and go straight to Miles Morales, let Pepper Potts as Iron Man become the Avengers villain, and turn our entire Marvel knowledge on its head.
In the worst case, Feige uses the multiverse collision to bring Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Evans back into the franchise in a minimally modified form. But for now, let’s consider Secret Wars one time chance understand and hope that the title choice of the Avengers finale is not mere assertion. Many fans know the importance of the storyline. With the reinvention of the biggest franchise, Feige could not only make Marvel history, but Hollywood history as well.
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What are your thoughts on Marvel’s plans for the Multiverse saga?