A new official update from the Avengers: Secret Wars directors paints the climactic MCU event in a new light.
The Russos brothers are back in the MCU, taking on the incredible weight of both Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars. Unless Avengers 5 gets delayed, which is being rumored, these culminating films will be released one year apart in 2026 and 2027.
Despite a loose adaptation of the Secret Wars comic runs, with Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom, little is known about plot details for either film... until now.
New Avengers Films Are 'A New Beginning'
In a recent interview with Omelete, Joe and Anthony Russo discussed their upcoming return to the MCU, teasing how this time the story they're telling is much different.
Joe Russo confirmed that Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars are "a new beginning" whereas their past Avengers films were "an ending story:"
"What's compelling about these two new 'Avengers' movies is they're a beginning. It's a new beginning. So we told an ending story, now we're going to tell a beginning story, and then who knows where we'll go from there. Maybe there'll be another five years, but I think we just needed that time and perspective to figure out where it needed to go next, and the only thing that brought us back was the right story."
This is an exciting revelation when it comes to how the films are being viewed by Marvel Studios. Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame were the ultimate conclusion of an 11-year, multi-franchise story arc, whereas Doomsday has had that type of lead-up.
A common worry for fans is the lack of build-up before Doomsday, despite Marvel Studios planning to release a total of 15 films and 12 live-action TV series from 2019-2015.
The deeper issue lies narratively, with many of those projects not connecting in concrete ways like the original three phases of the MCU.
Joe Russo's comments seem to indicate that the two-part journey of Doomsday and Secret Wars will do less to wrap up loose ends and more so to push the universe into an exciting future.
On the production side, Joe also shared how exhausting shooting the previous two Avengers films were, noting that they only took "a few weeks off" in between them and his brother Anthony "got pneumonia in between the two:"
"It was exhausting. We shot 'Endgame' and 'Infinity War' back-to-back with a few weeks off- four weeks off in between. [Anthony] got pneumonia in between the two. They're physically demanding movies. You're literally, as soon as you wrap the movie, you're in post while you're prepping the next one."
Anthony Mackie, aka Captain America, previously confirmed that Doomsday and Secret Wars would be filming nearly one year apart, departing from the past doubled-up filming process.
The space between filming may also hint towards more distinct films, with potentially different characters of the MCU taking on larger roles depending on the film.
How Will Secret Wars Set Up The Future MCU?
Avengers: Secret Wars serving as a "new beginning" for the MCU, hints at a potential soft reboot rather than a complete reset, something Marvel is unlikely to do given its vast array of established characters.
The Russos also previously suggested that Disney+ characters could play a role in the upcoming Avengers films, hinting at the broad reach the films will have.
It's hard now to think about the MCU's long-awaited introduction of a new X-Men team when a new chapter is referenced. Especially with the mutant team's film rumored to release in 2027 and reports circulating that Spider-Man 4's Sadie Sink could be playing Jean Grey.
With Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars bringing together legacy Marvel heroes, MCU newcomers, and fresh characters, these films are shaping up to be something never before seen by fans. One part nostalgia, another part hope for the future.
The transition from the Multiverse Saga to the (rumored) Mutant Saga could happen in theaters, when Avengers: Secret Wars opens on May 7, 2027.
