While the MCU is heading on a collision course with its next Thanos-level threat in the form of Robert Downey Jr.'s Doctor Doom, some fans have already started wondering who the franchise could set up as the next overarching big bad in Phase 7. Marvel Studios' ongoing Multiverse Saga still has a few years before it is finished (ending with December 2027's Avengers: Secret Wars); however, tidbits about what is next for the brand started to make their way out to fans, teeing up what might lie beyond this current era of super-powered storytelling.
Specifics of what is coming in Phase 7 of the MCU have been scarce, but there have been scant pieces of information about the next saga making the rounds. It is rumored that the next saga after the ongoing Multiverse Saga will be the Mutant Saga, which will introduce an original-to-the-MCU take on X-Men characters for the franchise.
Beyond that, though, where the series will go and what it will look like after the sure-to-be epic Avengers duology of Doomsday and Secret Wars remains to be seen. One thing is for sure, though. Marvel Studios will almost certainly want another villain in the vein of Thanos and Doctor Doom that everything is leading toward (beyond those already confirmed for Phase 7 movies).
The Seven Best Candidates To Be the New Big Bad of Phase 7
Annihilus
One of the most significant Marvel Comics characters yet to make their presence known in the MCU is the terrifying Annihilus. Hailing from the Negative Zone (an anti-matter-filled pocket dimension hidden within the Marvel Multiverse), Annihilus is an ultra-powerful insectoid hellbent on extending his life span and expanding his reach across the Multiverse.
Like Thanos and Doctor Doom, Annihilus is one of the few Marvel Comics villains to have a universe-altering comic book event named after him, with 2006's Annihilation.
This storyline could serve as an exciting basis for the next MCU Avengers story after Secret Wars, as he and his universe-pilfering Annihilation Wave make their way to Earth-616, ready to lay waste to the entire MCU as we know it (read more about Annihilus here).
Apocalypse
If Marvel Studios' third saga (which will kick off with Phase 7) focuses on Marvel's marvelous team of mutant heroes, the X-Men, then it would make sense that the next Thanos-level threat hails from that corner of the comic book canon.
When it comes to X-Men villains, few are more iconic than the ruthless Apocalypse. Apocalypse (aka En Sabah Nur) is one of the first characters in Marvel Comics history to possess the mutant gene, originating back in Ancient Egypt. However, in the modern day, he discovers that Mutants are living as outsiders and declares war on humanity.
The MCU would not be the first time the Apocalypse storyline has been adapted for the screen, as Fox's X-Men: Apocalypse attempted to do the character justice under the tutelage of Star Wars actor Oscar Isaac. The film, however, was poorly received upon release, meaning the character is practically begging to be used again.
Magneto
It is hard to know exactly what Marvel Studios will do with its next saga after this current one, but if I were a betting man, I would put money on Magneto/Erik Lehnsherr playing some part in it.
Of all the X-Men's big bads, the metal-manipulating mutant is easily the most recognizable, being the Joker to Marvel's mutant team's Batman. Magneto is best known for his long history with X-Men leader Professor X and his ability to control any magnetic field on Earth, making him extremely dangerous.
Magneto makes the most sense for Phase 7 and beyond's ever-present villain, mainly because of the scale a Magneto vs X-Men and Avengers conflict would likely be. After the Multiversal stakes of Phases 5 and 6, the MCU may want to pare down its story for a bit, providing its heroes with a threat that, while dangerous, will not tear the seams of reality apart.
Phoenix Force
The last X-Men villain on this list is the mysterious Phoenix Force. Fans familiar with X-Men movie adaptations of the past know all too well the story of the Phoenix Force; however, Phase 7 could be the place to do it justice (or at least start to).
In the comics, the Phoenix Force is an intergalactic entity that traverses the cosmos, looking for a mighty host to corrupt and feed upon. In some of the X-Men's most iconic comic book stories, the Phoenix Force comes into contact with Jean Grey, turning her into the ultra-powerful Dark Phoenix, one of the team's most dangerous cosmic threats.
A lack of set-up leading into it has been one of the biggest reasons the adaptations of the Dark Phoenix storyline have not worked on the big screen so far (in X-Men: The Last Stand and Dark Phoenix). Perhaps the entity could appear as a looming threat for Phase 7, leading into a bigger story for the villain going forward.
Korvac
Korvac is secretly one of the most powerful Avengers villains that not many MCU fans know about. The character has a long history in Marvel Comics, contending with Earth's Mightiest Heroes several times over the years, meaning he is a contender for the Phase 7 big bad.
The character is a former human scientist from the year 2977 who betrays humanity and becomes a super-powered slave of the alien Badoon. However, he reaches his full supervillain potential as he ascends to godhood and becomes imbued with the Power Cosmic, leading him to want to control all of reality (in a similar way to Kang).
Some speculated that the longtime Marvel Comics character could have been a part of The Marvels in 2023, but he would probably be better served as a Thanos-type villain, appearing as an overarching threat to the MCU rather than a one-off.
Norman Osborn
Norman Osborn is one of the most iconic names in Marvel Comics, yet he has yet to get the MCU treatment. Sure, Willem Dafoe appeared as his version of the character from Sam Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy, but the super-powered franchise still has not presented its original take on the beloved big bad.
In the Marvel Comics universe, Norman Osborn is one of the biggest looming threats. Although he is typically associated with Spider-Man, being the alter ego of the wall-crawler's arch-nemesis, Green Goblin, the character has also occasionally contended with the Avengers.
How cool would it be if the upcoming Spider-Man 4 laid the seeds for Norman's emergence in the MCU before he was woven into the greater MCU story heading into Phase 7, culminating in Tom Holland's Spider-Man and the Avengers having to knock him down a few pegs?
A New Doctor Doom
This might be a weird one coming off the news that Robert Downey Jr. is going to play Doctor Doom in Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars, but what if this is all leading to another Doctor Doom being the primary villain of Phase 7 and the next saga?
Ultimately, Downey's return to the MCU to play a Multiversal Variant of the iconic Marvel villain was done to take the focus off of Jonathan Majors' Kang. As far as we know, Doom was never the plan for Avengers 5 and 6, but after Majors found himself in legal troubles and was removed from his post, Marvel Studios pivoted.
While it is exciting for fans to see Downey back in the franchise, and as a villain at that, some have been left wanting more, wishing Doom got the proper Thanos-like treatment he deserves as one of the biggest Marvel villains of all time. Maybe this is part of a plan to introduce a new Earth-616 Doom for the next saga, bringing a new actor who will play the character for years.
