Imagine a reality where Avengers: Secret Wars came out as planned. In that world, people are currently debating the movie online – comparing it to Avengers: Endgame, discussing if it sets up the future of the X-Men, and arguing about its Rotten Tomatoes score. Basically, in that alternate timeline, Secret Wars is brand new today.
As a Marvel fan, I remember the huge buzz when Kevin Feige announced Secret Wars at Comic-Con in 2022 – it felt like a repeat of the massive Phase Three reveal back in 2014. But looking back, it’s clear Marvel’s plans are always subject to change. Still, the extent of the delays with Secret Wars is pretty shocking. Originally slated for November 7, 2025, the film is now aiming for a December 17, 2027 release. It really makes you wonder what happened behind the scenes to cause such a significant pushback.
Marvel’s Original Secret Wars Plans Fell Through
Kevin Feige likely knew his announcement came with risks, especially since the pandemic had already caused two years of disruption in Hollywood. The film Secret Wars was first delayed in June 2023 due to the Writers Guild of America strike, which paused all Marvel Cinematic Universe productions. This led to further delays for Thunderbolts and Blade (and Blade is still on hold), creating a chain reaction. As a result, the next two Avengers movies were also pushed back, with The Kang Dynasty now scheduled for May 2, 2025, and Secret Wars for May 7, 2027.
December 2023 brought further difficulties when actor Jonathan Majors was convicted of assaulting his ex-girlfriend. Prior to his arrest, Majors was poised to become a major villain in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, having been cast as Kang the Conqueror and his different versions. He’d already appeared in Loki and was scheduled to lead The Kang Dynasty and Secret Wars. Following his arrest in March, Marvel and Disney had been closely watching the case, and they swiftly removed him from his roles after the guilty verdict.
Marvel was already shifting its plans. After the disappointing reception to Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, screenwriter Jeff Loveness left in November 2023. Shortly after, director Destin Daniel Cretton stepped down from directing both The Kang Dynasty and Secret Wars, though he remained with the studio on other projects. Soon after that, reports surfaced that Marvel was internally calling The Kang Dynasty “Avengers 5,” signaling a major change in direction that would also impact Secret Wars.
Phases 4-6 Haven’t Been the Success Marvel Hoped For
Marvel’s recent phases (4 through 6) haven’t been as successful as the studio intended, and the build-up to the Secret Wars storyline has faced challenges. While the first season of Loki was initially well-received, particularly the introduction of Jonathan Majors as a Kang variant, the overall Marvel Cinematic Universe began to falter. A focus on creating content for Disney+ led to a disjointed and unclear overarching story, and both audience enthusiasm and ticket sales started to decrease. Ant-Man & the Wasp: Quantumania, which was meant to be a crucial link to the next Avengers movie and Secret Wars, only earned $476.1 million worldwide.
Marvel asked the Russo brothers to take on a new project. Known for directing the blockbuster films Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, the Russo brothers had publicly expressed their enthusiasm for the Secret Wars storyline since 2019. However, the Marvel Cinematic Universe had become much larger and more complicated since Endgame, and even the Russo brothers found it daunting. Anthony Russo explained to The Times that this made considering a return to the franchise a difficult decision.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe has definitely grown huge, and we’ve been feeling that impact too. That’s actually why Joe and I wanted to return – we believe there needs to be a stronger, overarching storyline. We made that very clear when we worked with Marvel previously, and we’re hoping to bring that kind of focused storytelling back to the forefront.
Marvel has acknowledged that the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) suffered from overproduction, leading to a decline in quality and rushed visual effects. They are now scaling back future projects to address these issues. The Russo brothers, known for their successful Marvel films, are reportedly involved in the solution. Plans shifted under their guidance, with the previously announced The Kang Dynasty evolving into Doomsday, and Robert Downey Jr. is returning to the MCU, this time as the new villain, Doctor Doom.
The Scale of Avengers: Secret Wars Is Too Big to Rush
Marvel Studios recently pushed back the release dates of both Doomsday and Secret Wars. The films are now scheduled to come out in December, with Secret Wars landing on December 17, 2027. Sources say the delays are due to the filmmakers wanting more time to fully realize their ambitious plans, and to take advantage of the potentially lucrative holiday moviegoing season. These changes also position the Marvel films away from competing with Star Wars releases, suggesting Disney is shifting its strategy – with Star Wars films now planned for May and Marvel movies for December.
It’s unclear exactly what Marvel staff meant when they talked about “executing” the ambitious plans for Doomsday and Secret Wars. It could involve giving the films more time in front of or behind the camera. However, the most probable reason for the slight delays is to allow more time for finishing visual effects in post-production. Marvel received a lot of criticism for movies like Thor: Love and Thunder and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, and there’s significant pressure for these upcoming Avengers films to show the studio has improved its approach.
These repeated delays are adding up. If things had gone differently, Avengers: Secret Wars might have been released today, but it would likely be a very different movie. It would have been directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, starred Jonathan Majors as Kang the Conqueror, and had a completely rewritten script. Marvel will probably keep those original ideas secret, avoiding discussion of them – making them the biggest unanswered question of the Multiverse Saga.
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2025-11-07 16:45