The Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Multiverse Saga has been bumpy in certain places, but its conclusion is set to be a grand sight to behold. Collectively, the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars will serve as the conclusion to this chapter of the MCU. Few specific plot details are known about the movies, though it’s been said that they’ll have multiversal ramifications. Producer Kevin Feige recently teased the upcoming Secret Wars, saying that it won’t be about “endings” like Endgame was.
Avengers: Endgame marked the end of an era in the MCU, with certain characters taking their final bows and others moving towards greater prominence. While the Marvel movie’s ending may be somewhat divisive in some circles, a number of Endgame reviews were quite positive. Many hailed it as a satisfying conclusion to the massive story arc that began with 2008’s Iron Man. When it comes to the sixth Avengers movie, Kevin Feige, discussed how Jonathan Hickman and Esad Ribić’s 2015 Secret Wars run will inform the story:
We’re utilizing that [story] not just to round out the stories we’ve been telling post-Endgame, just as importantly — and you can look at the Secret Wars comics for where that takes you — it very, very much sets us up for the future.
2015’s Secret Wars is a massive story that marks the destruction of various universes across the multiverse. At the center of the story is Doctor Doom, who steals power from the Beyonders and creates a Battleworld (a place made up of a collection of Earths) of his own. He’s eventually overthrown, however, by Reed Richards and more. Surely, as with every MCU production, the 2027 movie of the same name will differ from the source material. Yet, as Kevin Feige told members of the press (via Variety), one element will remain the same:
Endgame, literally, was about endings. Secret Wars is about beginnings.
It’s true that SW did mark the beginning of a new era in Marvel Comics. While some universes were destroyed, others were changed. Most notably, even Miles Morales (Spider-Man) and his allies were integrated into the main Earth-616 universe continuity. (Don’t expect Miles to join the MCU soon, though, per Kevin Feige). So, if anything, the film version will more so reset the board in the cinematic universe, so to speak, than it will usher in the end of long-running storylines and characters.
Of course, fans still have plenty of time before Secret Wars arrives in theaters. There is, after all, the matter of Doomsday, which will see Earth’s Mightiest Heroes and their allies taking on Doctor Doom. Robert Downey Jr. is set to play the iconic comic book villain and, based on all accounts, Downey is really committing to crafting the role. At this point, I’m eager to get a few more small plot details on the film, though I wouldn’t expect specifics on how young Franklin Richards will figure into the story.
What I’m ultimately hoping for with both Avengers films, though, is that they provide cohesive narratives that enhance the MCU, genuine catharsis and of course, some excellent spectacle. Fans will be able to see the scope of Kevin Feige and co.’s plans when Doomsday opens in theaters on December 18, 2026, and Secret Wars arrives on December 17, 2027. In the meantime, stream Marvel movies using a Disney+ subscription.