According to reports, it would seem Marvel’s Avengers: Secret Wars is gonna keep fans anticipating a little longer than expected as Marvel Studios has reportedly entered initial discussions considering splitting the upcoming superhero epic into two features, thrusting the latter half of the saga into Phase 7.
Inside the Magic reports reliable insiders stating that Marvel Studios is reevaluating its decision concerning the best route to release Secret Wars.
Splitting the upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe installment into two parts is one of the plans being considered. Considering Marvel chooses to go down this path, Secret Wars Part II, including the end of the entire Multiverse Saga, would naturally be extended by “a few years.”
Rumors about Marvel Studios discussing splitting the upcoming blockbuster into two parts first surfaced online in February 2023.
Currently, neither Marvel Studios nor Disney has made any official comment regarding the reports, so it’s safe to say fans can take these claims lightly for now. Currently, Avengers: Secret Wars is set to hit theaters on May 1, 2026.
San Diego Comic-Con 2022 was where Avengers: Secret Wars was initially announced and expected to be an immediate sequel to Avengers: The Kang Dynasty. While the studio has kept plot details for the upcoming Avengers sequels under lock and key, The Kang Dynasty has reportedly been said to see Benedict Cumberbatch’s Doctor Strange play an antagonistic role in the feature film sequel.
The Multiverse Saga sees Strange becoming a key player, considering the character’s recent film (Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness) quite seemingly positioning the Secret Wars arc.
The 2022 film’s end-credits scene directly hints at an imminent “incursion,” a term used to describe the forthcoming collision of two worlds, taken directly from the 2015 Secret Wars comic book storyline. The Avengers: Secret Wars screenplay is reportedly in the care of Michael Waldron, who has also been credited for writing MCU’s Loki and Multiverse of Madness.
Marvel Is Focusing on Quality Over Quantity
Known collectively as The Infinity Saga, or to fans as MCU’s first three phases, it received mostly positive reviews from critics and fan followers. However, the recent conclusion of the Phase 4 movies saga was met with mixed reviews.
After getting “internal negative feedback” concerning the distribution and quality, Marvel Studios has reportedly been re-evaluating its current stance moving forward, keeping its main focus on quality rather than quantity.
While there’s no official confirmation, the idea of giving Avengers: Secret Wars two parts and even extending The Multiverse Saga through an additional phase could be the possible reason for this reinvigorated effort. This decision has already been seen affecting certain upcoming MCU projects, which include Echo, Ironheart, and Agatha: Coven of Chaos, among others.
Who Will Direct Secret Wars?
Currently, there is no word on who will be directing Avengers: Secret Wars. While Destin Daniel Cretton, the director of Shang-Chi, is currently attached to the upcoming superhero film The Kang Dynasty, there are no expectations from him to direct Secret Wars as yet.
Sources conclude Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame directors, Anthony and Joe Russo are also not up for directing the sixth Avengers movie.
Rumors going back to late 2022 were that Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’s Ryan Coogler had been hired, but he swiftly shot down the rumors, calling them “crazy.” With a yet unannounced and unknown director for the Marvel Studios superhero epic, Avengers: Secret Wars is currently slated to hit the Box office on May 1, 2026.
