Coming off the highs of Avengers: Endgame, Avengers: The Kang Dynasty has some big shoes to fill for MCU fans.
Avengers 5 was first announced as a part of Marvel Studios' now-famous San Diego Comic-Con 2022 panel, where the studio revealed its plans for the next more than half-decade on the big screen.
The Kang Dynasty gets its name from the comic book storyline of the same name, being a part of the Avengers double-bill of this movie and Avengers: Secret Wars.
So here is everything we know about the super-powered team-up.
Avengers 5 Release: When Will It Come Out?
Avengers: The Kang Dynasty is currently slated to hit theaters on May 1, 2026.
This comes after the movie was originally given a release date of May 2, 2025 but was ultimately delayed alongside a series of changes for Marvel's overall slate.
Development on the project has come to a halt as the writers of Hollywood have had to put their pens down and close their laptops due to the ongoing Writers Guild of America strike.
Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania scribe Jeff Loveness is currently writing Avengers 5 with Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings director Destin Daniel Cretton set to direct.
Marvel's faith in Loveness has reportedly been questioned as of late, however, with some insiders claiming they have heard the writer was pulled off the project.
That has not been confirmed by Marvel Studios, but given the mixed reception to Loveness' last MCU effort, Quantumania, it would not be all that surprising.
Given these rumors - and the ongoing strikes in Hollywood - The Kang Dynasty's release date remains in a state of flux.
Even though the studio already delayed it a year, release dates across Hollywood are fluid, meaning Avengers 5 could get punted even further if work on the film cannot start any time soon.
Who Is Cast in Avengers 5?
Currently, only one actor has been confirmed to appear in Avengers 5.
Seeing as his name is in the title, Jonathan Majors' Kang the Conqueror will be the big bad of the upcoming Avengers film, as he sets the seeds for the Phase 6-closer in Avengers: Secret Wars.
The blockbuster has actually been described by writer Jeff Loveness as "a Kang movie:"
"That's at least how I'm trying to write him. And, you know, we'll see how the structure changes and how the flow works, but like, he's got to be his own hero, and especially Kang the Conqueror and Ant-Man thought he was. Or, maybe he wouldn't use the word 'hero,' but he's on a crusade and he's doing it for a reason. So secretly, it is a Kang movie, but, of course, you have to keep the forward gas going with the Avengers. But yeah, in the back of my mind it's a Kang movie."
But despite Kang's confirmation for the film, Majors' involvement remains up in the air. The actor is in the middle of an ongoing legal dispute, with his future in the franchise being in question.
As of June 2023, Marvel Studios was "discuss[ing] potential options going forward" (per insider Jeff Sneider):
"I've heard that Marvel hasn't made any decisions regarding Jonathan Majors but they've met with or spoken to his agent to discuss potential options going forward."
So depending on the findings of the court, Majors' version of the character may not even make it into The Kang Dynasty with a recast maybe happening instead.
Other than Majors, one can assume who else will pop up in the super-powered epic. Seeing as it is an Avengers movie, Marvel's A-team of heroes will surely be there, with the likes of Chris Hemsworth's Thor, Mark Ruffalo's Hulk, Benedict Cumberbatch's Doctor Strange, Brie Larson's Captain Marvel, Anthony Mackie's Captain America, and Tom Holland's Spider-Man all headlining the team.
Marvel Studios has spent the last few years seemingly introducing audiences to the next generation of MCU Avengers, so they will likely all appear in the movie as well. This list includes Simu Liu's Shang-Chi, Iman Vellani's Ms. Marvel, Hailee Steinfeld's Hawkeye, and Florence Pugh's Yelena Belova, amongst new heroes yet-to-be-introduced like the Fantastic Four.
While saying how excited Loveness was to write for Pugh's Marvel character in the Avengers film, he also let slip that "Letitia Wright" is another actor he can't wait to see, seemingly confirming her involvement as well:
“I can’t say specifically. I think I’d get in trouble. I gotta get better at talking to the Internet. But just, characters that we like, I mean, I think we’re excited for the actors more than even the characters right now. Because, we have this really good crop of performers. We got Florence Pugh, and Jonathan Majors, and Letitia Wright. We’ve got such a deep bench of really good actors. Everyone’s gonna get their chance to shine. I can’t say who. I can’t say when they will shine. But I think we’ve got a deep bench and it’s fun to finally put everybody into the game.”
What Will Happen in Avengers 5?
So far, Marvel Studios has remained tight-lipped about what exactly will happen in Avengers: The Kang Dynasty.
Fans can, however, glean some information about the film based on its place on the MCU slate and its Kang-centric title.
First, Avengers 5 will serve as the first part of a supposed Multiversal duology to close out Phase 6. The film will be followed up by 2027's Avengers: Secret Wars, which - if following the comic book storyline of the same name - will serve as the ultimate showdown of the Marvel Multiverse, bringing in characters from across Marvel media to take down some sort of epic threat.
With this knowledge, one can assume that The Kang Dynasty will lay the groundwork for the Multiversal sequel to follow.
Previous reports hinted at Avengers 5 breaking down Kang's backstory with moviegoers "learn[ing] about him conquering worlds across the entire Multiverse."
In the same way that Thanos was the principal antagonist of both Infinity War and Endgame, it seems as though Kang will be that for The Kang Dynasty and Secret Wars. The Avengers will have their hands full, though, as Jonathan Majors' Marvel villain is not just one character but infinite variations of that character across reality.
There is also a comic storyline that The Kang Dynasty shares its name with, although it remains unknown just how much the film will steal from its comic book counterpart.
The Kang Dynasty (sometimes called the "Kang War") storyline ran from June 2001 to August 2022 and saw Kang come to Earth and take over the planet for a brief time.
This could be where the MCU version of the story goes, with Kang first traveling to conquer his former home planet in a more grounded story before the Multiverse truly comes into play in Secret Wars.
How Will Avengers 5 Lead to Secret Wars?
One of the key aspects of The Kang Dynasty is how it will set the ball for Secret Wars to spike over the net one year later.
Coming off the shocking cliffhanger of Avengers: Infinity War, where big bad Thanos snapped half the universe out of existence, Marvel Studios will have to go down a different route for its Avengers 5 to 6 baton pass.
One way The Kang Dynasty could differentiate itself from the snap of Infinity War's ending is by actually having the Avengers win this time.
Sure, there will have to be enough hanging thread to set up the sequel, but there is a chance Avengers 5 sees Earth's Mightiest Heroes take down Jonathan Majors' Kang (or, at least, they think they have).
Will Avengers 5 Be Bigger Than Endgame?
It may seem impossible, but Avengers 5 has the makings to be bigger than Avengers: Endgame.
While it will be a herculean task to reach the same level of box office success, the in-universe stakes will easily be bigger than Marvel Studios' last two Avengers films.
The biggest reason that this could be bigger comes in the form of the film's villain. Thanos proved to be a formidable foe for the Avengers, making every one of Marvel Studios' heroes come together just to see the Mad Titan's demise, but Jonathan Majors' Kang is unlike anything this band of heroes has ever gone up against before.
This is a villain with seemingly endless variation across the Multiverse, all of which seem hell-bent on conquering all realities. So instead of a single blood-thirsty tyrant, now, Marvel's super-powered team will have to go up against infinite Variants of one, likely across multiple planes of reality.
When Will Avengers 5's Trailer Come Out?
With Avengers 5 set to come to theaters on May 1, 2026, fans should expect a trailer for the movie roughly six months before the movie's debut.
For Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame, Marvel Studios put out trailers five and four months before each movie's release respectively.
So if The Kang Dynasty holds that May 2026 date, then audiences should be prepared for a first look sometime around January of that same year.
Avengers: The Kang Dynasty comes to theaters on May 1, 2026.
