While there have been a number of rumored candidates to direct Avengers: Secret Wars, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige confirmed that nobody has been approached for the job yet.
Once Avengers 6 was confirmed to be in development to close out the Multiverse Saga, its director position became the hottest job in the entire MCU. Particularly after MCU rising star Destin Daniel Cretton took the directing post for its predecessor, Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, fans looked to the MCU’s past and future to find the best person for that highly-coveted job.
The first name to pop up in discussions was Avengers: Endgame leading men Joe and Anthony Russo, although they likely won’t take on another project within the MCU until after Avengers 6 actually arrives in theaters. Then, the conversation turned to Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’s Ryan Coogler, with one rumor going so far as to say he was already in talks to take the reigns on the Avengers' 2026 team-up outing.
But now, ahead of Black Panther 2’s release, it appears that the rumors about those conversations have been debunked for the time being.
No Avengers 6 Director Yet, Says MCU Boss
Speaking with Variety, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige confirmed that the studio hasn't approached Black Panther: Wakanda Forever director Ryan Coogler to take the same position for Avengers: Secret Wars.
While Feige made it clear that Coogler is "a singular talent and a great person" to work with, he confirmed that there haven't been any talks about directing Avengers 6 at this time:
“Well, I would want Ryan to do anything at any time because he’s a singular talent and a great person to spend years with. But no, in all honesty, there’ve been no conversations. We’ve not spoken to him about Secret Wars.”
Coogler himself also debunked the rumor, bluntly saying "that's crazy" when asked whether he's in the running for the job.
While he still loves the work he does, he put everything he had into making Black Panther 2 and wants to take a moment to "sit down and reflect." Following that, he'll work out his future:
“I love making movies, but to quote a character in our movie, I gave this everything. This movie got everything I have. I’m at that place where I think I’ve got this press tour in me and then I’ve got to sit down and reflect. Probably cry a lot, because I’ve been holding that back. And then from there, figure out whatever’s next.”
Will Coogler Eventually Direct Avengers 6?
Looking at Ryan Coogler's comments, there's no denying that he's currently in charge of one of the MCU's biggest projects yet, with Kevin Feige even calling Black Panther 2 the studio's most important movie ever. Combine that with the duty this movie has to end Phase 4 on the big screen, and it only makes sense that Coogler wants some time to himself once the film hits theaters.
Following on the efforts of a four-movie series where each entry made at least $1.4 billion at the box office with excellent reviews and reception, the Avengers 6 job is one with no shortage of pressure and work involved to make the movie the right way. And while the movie already features head writer Michael Waldron, who previously helped develop Loki Season 1, Feige and Marvel have a tall order ahead of them to make sure the right director is in position.
Thankfully, the movie is still over three and a half years away thanks to the recent delay that pushed its release until May 2026. But since The Kang Dynasty and Secret Wars will inevitably be tied together in some form, the search for the latter's director still remains a huge task on Marvel's to-do list.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will debut in theaters on Friday, November 11. Avengers: Secret Wars will then close out the Multiverse Saga on May 1, 2026.
