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The Avengers' Final MCU Movie May Be Coming Sooner Than You Think
Avengers: Secret Wars is set to act as the epic conclusion to the second era of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, known as the Multiverse Saga. Coming on the heels of Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, the sixth Avengers film is set to release in May 2026. It will likely see Earth's Mightiest Heroes engage in their final battle against Kang the Conqueror in a desperate bid to save their reality from utter destruction. But, unfortunately, in protecting their universe from being destroyed, the Avengers themselves may not be able to prevent their own destruction during the epic events of Secret Wars.
Coupled with The Kang Dynasty, Secret Wars aims to outdo Avengers: Endgame, which remains the biggest film in the MCU today. To accomplish this, the finale to the Multiverse Saga is heavily rumored to reintroduce long-dead characters from throughout the MCU, including Tony Stark and Natasha Romanoff, in addition to several non-MCU characters like Fox's X-Men and the alternate Spider-Man variants seen in Spider-Man: No Way Home. However, if Secret Wars manages to outshine the already iconic thrills of Endgame, the film's perfect ending would bear witness to the sudden and unexpected end of the Avengers' reign over the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Secret Wars Could End The Avengers
Secret Wars will likely bring back every Avenger, past and present, for a major battle to save their reality. However, with this overstuffed cast of characters, the film is almost sure to thin the herd as the fight unfolds. Longstanding characters who have been with the MCU for years, like Don Cheadle's War Machine or Jeremy Renner's Hawkeye, may find themselves among the many casualties during the events of Secret Wars, fulfilling Tony Stark's vision in the opening scene of Avengers: Age of Ultron. It may be the case that enough of the Avengers will die to cause the surviving members to disband the team, at least temporarily.
Additionally, if theories prove true of Kang replacing the Beyonder for Secret Wars, it seems likely that the Avengers are to blame for the Multiversal incursions that occur in the film. Upcoming projects like Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania already shows how the Avengers have caused Kang's attention to shift to their reality, placing everyone in their universe in jeopardy. Kang's conquest may resurrect Captain America: Civil War's debate questioning whether the Avengers' existence is more dangerous than the threats they aim to defeat. If so, then disbanding the team to defend the world better is the responsible course of action in the aftermath of the Secret Wars.
The MCU Already Has Several Replacements For The Avengers Set Up
The Multiverse Saga has set up multiple superhero teams for the MCU's future, each of which can act as the Avengers' replacement if Earth's Mightiest Heroes do disband following the events of Secret Wars. While not all of these teams have officially formed yet, it appears as though Marvel intends to replace the massive Avengers crossovers with multiple smaller gatherings of heroes (and antiheroes) who can unite on a more regular basis. With this method, the world will never be undefended, even if the Avengers choose to end their reign as the dominant superhero team in the MCU after their battle with Kang.
Phase 5 will debut the Thunderbolts, a stark contrast to the Avengers in that it is a team primarily comprised of former villains and antiheroes. Led by the Winter Soldier, this team will already be fully formed and active when Secret Wars hits theaters. Similarly, two smaller units, the Fantastic Four and the Marvels, have been confirmed for the near future of the MCU, each in their own respective film. Each of these teams is certain to play a major role in the ongoing events of Earth-616 and the galaxy itself, making it easier for the Avengers to disband, knowing that the world will still be protected.
Additionally, the MCU continues to set up the Young Avengers despite no official announcement to confirm such indications. However, with characters like Kate Bishop, Stature, and Ms. Marvel taking prominence in the MCU, this team's formation in the near future is inevitable. The Young Avengers aren't the only team rumored to be getting its start soon, with Marvel dropping heavy hints that the Midnight Sons, the Defenders, and even the West Coast Avengers might form before or shortly after the events of Secret Wars. While none of these teams has been officially confirmed by Marvel, the likelihood of their debut only increases with each new character introduction to the franchise.
The Multiverse Saga has also been dropping hints about the debut of the MCU's X-Men, which is undoubtedly the most exciting team set to debut in the franchise. While only a handful of mutants have been introduced on Earth-616 so far, the formation of the iconic group of uncanny superheroes is sure to heat up as the end of the Multiverse Saga gets closer. With an expansive catalog of characters and storylines for Marvel Studios to draw from, the X-Men's arrival is the most significant indicator of the Avengers' end, taking over the role of Earth's defenders, at least in the period immediately following Secret Wars.
The MCU's New Structure Makes Avengers Movie More Difficult
The MCU has already begun setting up Phase 7 and beyond in certain installments of the Multiverse Saga, and though little about this franchise era is known, the Avengers may not have as big of a role. The Infinity Saga saw a new Avengers film at the end of each Phase, acting as a finale to that specific series of films. The Multiverse Saga has changed this approach, however, including no Avengers films until the end of Phase 6, acting as the saga's finale rather than each phase of movies. The MCU's changing structure indicates that this may become the norm.
The timeline of the MCU's Multiverse Saga is starkly different from that of the Infinity Saga, occurring far more rapidly by comparison. Phases are each over within two or three years, making a habit of releasing an Avengers movie at the end of each phase challenging to uphold. Additionally, with far more crossovers occurring in "regular" films like The Marvels and No Way Home, the need for Avengers movies becomes less. Therefore, it makes sense for Marvel to allow the space between Avengers films to grow wider with time, dropping new releases at the end of each saga rather than every two or three years.
Will The Avengers Ever Return After Secret Wars?
There is still little confirmed about the MCU's Phase 6, and even less regarding what comes after the Multiverse Saga. If the Avengers do end their operations as a team after Secret Wars, it isn't impossible that the group would return at a later time. However, with the many teams being established to replace Earth's Mightiest Heroes, it is more likely that the Avengers will remain out of the picture for a while, allowing groups like the X-Men to take precedence in the MCU moving forward. In fact, given the nature of Marvel's characters, no hero or team ever stays dead forever.
The Avengers can return for certain upcoming storylines, like the heavily rumored World War Hulk movie, but their storyline as a team cannot be allowed to overshadow those of the X-Men or the Fantastic Four, who are now arriving at their turn to reign dominant over the MCU. So at least for the upcoming saga, beginning with Phase 7 and beyond, it may be in the franchise's best interest if the Avengers take a break. While it may not be forever, the franchise has reached a point where it can leave its signature team behind after the events of Avengers: Secret Wars.
