Marvel Studios' 3rd Saga Will Reportedly Expand the MCU Into 3 Different Branches

The MCU is reportedly set to focus on three different branches of stories as the franchise moves forward into its third major saga. Following over a decade and a half of thrilling adventures in the Infinity Saga and the Multiverse Saga, Marvel Studios is showing no signs of slowing down on the big and small screen. The big question now is which heroes and villains will be at the forefront of those new stories.

The Cosmic Circus' Alex Perez shared where Marvel Studios will focus its plot after 2027's Avengers: Secret Wars. Naming off three separate corners of the MCU, this report teases what directions Marvel Studios will go down after finishing off Phase 6 and the Multiverse Saga over the next couple of years. Due to start off with The Fantastic Four: First Steps on July 25, the Multiverse Saga is then set to end with Avengers: Secret Wars on December 17, 2027.

3 Branches of MCU Storytelling in Franchise's 3rd Saga

Cosmic

According to Perez, Marvel Studios' biggest focus will be on the cosmic side of the MCU following the release of Avengers: Secret Wars. While cosmic MCU stories have always been a big part of the MCU, thanks to the Thor quadrilogy and the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy, adventures featuring characters outside of Earth are expected to be much more prominent.

Most notably, characters like the Fantastic Four are expected to be major players in driving the MCU forward following their debut in their own Phase 6 solo movie and the next two Avengers films. After years of being kept away from Marvel Studios due to rights ownership issues, this team and their off-world journeys will be no small part of the greater narrative in Phase 7 and beyond.

Additionally, Marvel already has plans to introduce heroes like Nova into the mix, along with plenty of other important heroes and teams who will continue the efforts started by Thor and the Guardians. While the franchise seems to be moving away from some of its original heavy-hitters, there are plenty of equally strong personalities waiting in the wings.

Mutant

Since Disney completed its acquisition of 20th Century Fox, fans have slowly gotten an influx of mutant characters in the MCU (many of them in Deadpool & Wolverine and X-Men '97). Now, the flood gates are reportedly about to open, with Marvel Studios looking to make the mutants a major part of the next saga.

Reports have already indicated that Thunderbolts* director Jason Schreier is in line to take the same role for the MCU's first X-Men movie, with Hunger Games writer Michael Lesslie penning the script. Although story details have not been teased yet, this will be the first step in Earth-616's mutants taking over the MCU after Multiversal legacy characters kickstarted that trend in Phase 4 and beyond.

Additionally, Marvel is said to be eying a fourth Deadpool movie for Ryan Reynolds after Deadpool & Wolverine became the MCU's most recent billion-dollar hit and the highest-grossing R-rated movie of all time. These films should only be the start of a mutant infusion into the greater MCU, with fans eager to learn more about what's on the way.

Supernatural

The last branch of the MCU said to be planned for the franchise's third saga is the supernatural, which began making its mark as early as Phase 3. Now, along with mutants and cosmic stories, this theme will only continue to be more vital to future MCU projects.

Fans are already looking ahead to films like Doctor Strange 3, which will come after Strange is expected to play a major role in one or both of the next two Avengers movies. His last solo film set up the Dark Dimension to play a major role in his own story, which could expand out further into the greater MCU.

Furthermore, the Midnight Sons have been the focus of rumors concerning their own solo film, which could bring in heroes and antiheroes like Ghost Rider and bring back veterans like Werewolf by Night and Elsa Bloodstone. While no supernatural-specific titles are rumored or confirmed yet, this will take the franchise way beyond its grounded scientific roots that have been laid out over the years.

Will Marvel's 3rd Saga Still Explore Other MCU Branches?

Singling out these branches means that a few of the other avenues established during the MCU's Multiverse are left a bit uncertain. So what will their fate be? Here's what we think.

Multiverse

What was once the go-to gimmick is slowly causing fatigue among cinemagoers, so it is likely that the Multiverse will take a backseat following the end of Avengers: Secret Wars.

Avengers

The future of Avengers films is a tad unclear, given the Infinity Saga's frequent use of the crossover flicks and the Multiverse Saga's hesitance to. Although Earth's Mightiest Heroes will undoubtedly still team up from time to time, it's possible that the advent of a new group of heroes, namely the X-Men, may mean Avengers movies are required less.

Street-Level

With Daredevil: Born Again hitting its stride and paving the way for other Defenders characters to make their way back to the MCU, it's likely that the universe will still have enough bandwidth to tell smaller-scale stories.

Spider-Man

Everyone's friendly neighborhood wall-crawler acts on his own terms in relation to other MCU projects, but that doesn't mean he's going anywhere soon. Whether Spider-Man continues through Peter Parker, Miles Morales, or another webslinger, the webhead is too big to let go just yet.

Young Avengers

A segment of the MCU that has yet to see its full potential is the Young Avengers, a team that has consistently been teased but has yet to actually come together. With so many young heroes about (who are rapidly getting older), it would make sense for a team to come together soon to establish another throughline in Marvel's next saga.