As the Infinity Saga gradually built closer to its climax, the scale of the Avengers blockbusters grew immensely before culminating in the one-two combo of Infinity War and Endgame. With the Multiverse Saga well underway, many have been eager to discover where it's all heading and when Avengers 5 will finally be pushing toward theaters.
Every chapter of the MCU so far has concluded with an Avengers flick, so fans have naturally been questioning the absence of an ensemble epic on the Phase 4 slate. With Marvel Studios having remained quiet on the direction of Phase 4, even with thirteen projects already released, theories have been running wild on where everything is heading, with all signs pointing to Secret Wars.
Now, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige has finally taken to the stage at Comic-Con to reveal slates for Phases 5 and 6, confirming the current chapter will conclude this year. The Multiverse Saga will officially come to an end across May and November 2025 with Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Secret Wars, both of which fall in Phase 6, leaving two phases with no Avengers film.
Many may be disappointed to hear Avengers 5 is so far away, but Feige offered a strong explanation for why that had to be the case.
Marvel's New Avengers Movie Strategy
During an interview with Phase Zero's Brandon Davis at San Diego Comic-Con, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige explained why Phase 4 and 5 won't include Avengers blockbusters.
Discussing the lessons he's learned throughout Phase 4, Feige explained that because there are more projects across fewer years, "it didn't seem right to culminate" yet. Now, Feige believes it makes more sense to "[save] back-to-back Avengers films for the completion of a saga:"
“Well, I think we learn something on every project we do. But as we were laying out and even three years ago, here, laying out Phase 4, which we didn’t lay out all of but most of. You know, we realized that it’s very different than Phase 1, 2, & 3. That there are more projects and less years and therefore, it didn’t seem right to culminate… you know, we’re not gonna culminate every 10 months in an Avengers movie. And each of the films themselves now has become quite big and are crossover events in many ways. And after the creative experience we had with Infinity War and Endgame, it felt like it was about capping a saga. Saving back-to-back Avengers films for the completion of a saga. And that’s really what we wanted to lay out today.”
Why Phase 4 & 5's Avengers Break is Needed
With so many MCU projects having been released, many will undoubtedly be feeling that Marvel Studios is due the fans an Avengers blockbuster to tie things together. But Feige appears to have a different plan for the Avengers franchise, as he continues to release the team-up flicks at roughly the same rate, but now to cap off a saga instead of a phase.
As Marvel Studios used to only release a few projects a year, the Infinity Saga took over a decade to complete. The Multiverse Saga will instead be finished in under five years, by which point the MCU will begin plotting the course toward its third saga, but who knows how Secret Wars can possibly be matched.
Obviously, it's unrealistic for Marvel Studios to pump out an Avengers flick every year or two to culminate a phase, so now they will instead conclude a saga. This ought to help maintain the break between films that makes the blockbuster team-ups feel so special and allows them to break box office records.
Perhaps with a six-year break between Endgame and The Kang Dynasty, the fifth Avengers outing will once again stand a chance at topping box office records. Many previously thought Marvel would never have a shot at matching the culmination of the Infinity Saga, but Feige has made it very apparent that he fully intends to try his hardest.
Avengers: The Kang Dynasty hits theaters on May 2, 2025; Secret Wars will follow on November 7, 2025.
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