Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige is standing by a polarizing Avengers: Secret Wars release decision, and his reasoning is a direct result of the past five years. As it stands, the studio's theatrical slate to close out the Multiverse Saga is just two movies: Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars. Releasing in back-to-back Decembers starting this year, the two crossover blockbusters will tie a bow on the saga that began back in 2021. That said, Feige changed up his game plan from past Avengers films in a big way, and fans will begin to learn if the new strategy worked out when Doomsday hits theaters in two months.
With X-Men, Ghost Rider, and Black Panther III all slated for Phase 7 in 2028, Empire pointed out that there won't be a single MCU movie between Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars.
That makes the December 2027 crossover the MCU's only movie next year. Feige broke down the reasoning behind it when the outlet caught up with him after Marvel Studios' Hall H panel at San Diego Comic-Con back in July.
For the Marvel Studios President, it's largely about "focusing on quality," especially considering the importance of the Avengers brand, he said they "didn't want to be spread thin:"
"A lot of it is a strategy we've talked about for a while, of focusing on quality. We always try to focus on quality, but when quantity is so much, you get spread thin. We didn't want to be spread thin, and the Avengers is as important as it comes."
He went on to frame Secret Wars as "a setup in and of itself to the future," with the studio already eyeing the next saga of the MCU:
"And 'Secret Wars,' in particular for Empire readers, who know the comics, is a setup in and of itself to the future, to what’s next. So really, it was landing those two movies and setting up 2028, of which we've revealed two of them so far, 'Ghost Rider' and 'Panther III.'"
Of course, that all depends on Secret Wars sticking to its December 2027 date, and the latest rumormill on the film's production has led many to believe it could actually be pushed.
According to a few insiders, the movie now won't start filming until January 2027, which could leave as little as seven to eight months for post-production. For comparison, Doomsday wrapped its first round of filming in September 2025, giving it more than a year of post-production before its December 18, 2026, release.
On top of that, Captain America star Anthony Mackie recently shed light to Deadline on his Secret Wars schedule, revealing he'll "finish up all the Avengers stuff" once his Broadway run in Macbeth wraps next summer.
Marvel has yet to confirm any changes, but a delay would, in theory, lead to an even bigger gap between the two Avengers films, with no other MCU film in between.
The optimistic point of view is that Marvel Studios has a plan in place, which will keep Secret Wars firmly in place for its December 17, 2027, release date. One theory is that the Russo brothers have actually already filmed scenes for Secret Wars on the set of Doomsday, despite saying that the two films would be separate productions this time, rather than the back-to-back shoots of Infinity War and Endgame.
Kevin Feige's Laser Focus on Avengers 5 & 6
It's no secret that the Multiverse Saga hasn't been a big hit among many fans. It has objectively been less successful than the Infinity Saga, which, for the most part, hit home runs in theaters from 2008 to 2019. Avengers: Endgame just recaptured the top spot at the all-time global box office following its Encore re-release.
Now that Marvel has licked its wounds and reset itself as a studio, Feige is pushing all his chips in on Doomsday and Secret Wars.
The trick to Secret Wars is that it's not just a conclusion, but it's also said to help set up what's next in 2028 and beyond. And that's the true test of whether or not the MCU can be a powerhouse heading into the 2030s.
For now, Secret Wars remains a bit of a mystery because of its elusive production start date. But with Disney and Marvel recently confirming the X-Men reboot for May 2028 at D23, there must be a behind-the-scenes plan to avoid an even bigger gap between Doomsday and Secret Wars.
It's also hard to believe Disney would be willing to move the Secret Wars release date, as the film does have a deal in place with IMAX, unlike Doomsday, which lost initial screens in that format to Dune: Part Three.
