Disney+ made history by integrating one Marvel show with another Disney franchise, continuing the trend of expanding its preschool shared universe. Marvel's kid-friendly animated continuity features younger versions of Marvel superheroes who team up, learn lessons in friendship and teamwork, and face classic villains in low-stakes adventures. The slate began with Marvel's Spidey and His Amazing Friends in August 2021 on Disney Jr. and followed younger versions of Peter Parker, Miles Morales, and Gwen Stacy. In August 2025, Marvel's Iron Man and His Awesome Friends was added to the lineup, broadening the world by introducing a young Tony Stark alongside Riri Williams and Amadeus Cho.
Disney+ (via the Wall Street Journal) officially merged Iron Man and His Awesome Friends into a broader Disney franchise, rebranding the show as Avengers: Mightiest Friends for 2027. This is a historic move for Disney, as it marks the first full-length Avengers preschool series and expands the Marvel preschool universe into a true shared universe.
In July 2026, Iron Man and His Awesome Friends co-executive producer and story editor James Eason-Garcia bid goodbye to the show in a heartfelt social media post. However, Disney clarified that the series was not officially canceled, noting that it will evolve into Marvel's Avengers: Mightiest Friends.
The official synopsis for the 2027 Disney series also gave a taste of what to expect, confirming that Iron Man will return alongside other Avengers heroes like Hulk, Captain America, and Thor:
"Evolving from the new 'Marvel’s Iron Man and his Awesome Friends' series, 'Marvel’s Avengers: Mightiest Friends' introduces kid versions of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes: Iron Man (Tony Stark), Captain America (Steve Rogers), Hulk (Bruce Banner), Black Panther (T’Challa), Black Widow (Natasha Romanoff) and Thor. Together, the young Avengers strive to be their best selves while facing off against classic Super Baddies."
This move is seen by many as a kid-friendly parallel to the way solo MCU projects often set up larger team-ups, much like Iron Man, Captain America: The First Avenger, and Thor led into 2012's The Avengers. This strategy is expected to continue at Marvel Studios, as evidenced by the arrival of new projects that could fold into major MCU crossovers.
Every Upcoming Solo MCU Project That Could Lead to Major Crossovers
VisionQuest Into Avengers: Secret Wars & Young Avengers
VisionQuest will wrap up the MCU's WandaVision trilogy while also setting up the future, given the confirmed involvement of a now-adult Tommy Maximoff. At the end of Agatha All Along, Tommy Maximoff's soul was shown to have found a new host, just as Billy's did.
The Paul Bettany-led series picks up that thread by introducing Ruaridh Mollica's Tommy, and Vision's reunion with Billy and Vision lays the groundwork for a full Young Avengers team-up and their rumored appearances in Avengers: Secret Wars.
In May 2025, a report claimed that the Young Avengers (or at least a version of the team) would appear in Avengers: Doomsday. However, with no new updates about their debut, it's possible that the team's on-screen appearance will be pushed to Avengers: Secret Wars, and VisionQuest could provide clues on how they will be integrated into the plot.
A February 2026 report from insider Daniel Richtman also claimed that the Young Avengers series, which is being titled as Champions, won't release until after Avengers: Secret Wars, adding more evidence that the team could appear in the Multiverse Saga capper first.
Ghost Rider Into Midnight Sons
Marvel Studios' Hall H panel at this year's San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC) surprised everyone when Ryan Gosling was announced as the MCU's Ghost Rider, with a solo film arriving in 2028. This announcement was seen by many as Marvel Studios' bold declaration that the franchise's supernatural side will finally be given its due.
Ghost Rider serves as a natural launchpad for the long-requested Midnight Sons team-up film, consisting of other supernatural and magic-based heroes in the MCU. With Gosling's Ghost Rider as its anchor, it would make sense for the film to set up lingering supernatural threats that would require him to recruit the likes of Blade, Moon Knight, Werewolf by Night, Elsa Bloodstone, and more to save the world from a much more powerful threat (who may or may not be Mephisto).
Black Panther 3 Into Avengers 7
Another major MCU film announced at this year's SDCC was Marvel Studios' Black Panther 3. The upcoming threequel will continue the Wakandan story with a new Black Panther as it introduces David Jonsson as the adult version of Toussaint (T'Challa Jr) while navigating newfound threats in the post-Secret Wars landscape.
Black Panther 3 is not only poised to serve as a bridge into the post-Multiverse Saga, anchored by familiar characters like Shuri and M'Baku, but it could also set the stage for the next Avengers movie, either through a looming conflict or a dangerous villain who would require another team-up.
Nova Into Guardians of the Galaxy 4
Marvel Studios is reportedly developing a solo Nova movie in the Mutant Saga, and this project could expand the cosmic stories of the MCU for the better.
Whether it will focus on Richard Rider or Sam Alexander, Nova has the potential to jumpstart a new iteration of the Guardians of the Galaxy following their swan song in James Gunn's Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.
It's possible that the Rocket-led team (which consists of Groot, Adam Warlock, Kraglin, Cosmo, and Phyla) will be pushed to the forefront this time around, or the post "reset" after Avengers: Secret Wars could modify the team to better suit the narrative in the Mutant Saga.
