Marvel Taking A Huge Risk With Its Main Avengers 5 Villain And Heroes
Phase 6's Avengers: Doomsday will bring together the MCU's next big bad and its new team of superheroes, but this event will happen too late. The MCU Multiverse Saga seemed to be moving in the direction of an epic battle between a new generation of Avengers and the Council of Kangs. However, Jonathan Majors' legal issues led to his firing, and Kang the Conqueror was replaced by Doctor Doom as this saga's main antagonist. Following Robert Downey Jr.'s Doctor Doom, Phase 6's Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars now seem to be adapting Marvel Comics' 2015 Secret Wars storyline more closely.
Meanwhile, the MCU is set to introduce an essential part of its Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars story, the Fantastic Four. Marvel's First Family has been absent for the entirety of the MCU's history, and Matt Shakman's upcoming The Fantastic Four movie will rectify that. The MCU's main variants of Reed Richards, Sue Storm, Ben Grimm, and Johnny Storm will come from a different universe, and they will likely join the rest of the MCU's main heroes from Earth-616 at the end of The Fantastic Four, Avengers: Doomsday, or Avengers: Secret Wars.
The MCU Is Introducing Its Most Important Multiverse Saga Characters Too Late The Fantastic Four And Doctor Doom Will Debut Late In The Multiverse Saga Close Not only are the Fantastic Four and Doctor Doom some of Marvel's most famous and powerful characters, but they're also the protagonists of Marvel's 2015 Secret Wars storyline, which will likely be the source material for the MCU's Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars. In the Secret Wars comics, Doctor Doom reshapes the multiverse as his personal kingdom, but Reed Richards challenges Doom and ultimately restores the multiverse, leading Doom to become a better man, albeit temporarily. Although the MCU may adapt Reed Richards and Doctor Doom's Secret Wars dynamics at the end of Phase 6, both characters will only be introduced right before or during Avengers: Doomsday.
In the Multiverse Saga, the MCU's new main hero and new main villain probably haven't been introduced yet.
The Infinity Saga only explored Thanos' backstory and motivations until Avengers: Infinity War, but Thanos had already made cameo appearances in The Avengers and Avengers: Age of Ultron's post-credits scenes and a brief supporting role in Guardians of the Galaxy. Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame's entire hero roster was also gradually introduced throughout the previous twenty movies. In the Multiverse Saga, the MCU's new main hero and new main villain probably haven't been introduced yet.
Brie Larson's Captain Marvel was introduced the same year Avengers: Endgame was released, which probably influenced her limited screentime in the crossover film.
The Fantastic Four And Doctor Doom Face An MCU Challenge After Secret Wars The Fantastic Four And Doctor Doom's Story Will Likely Progress Backwards In The MCU If the MCU adapts the source material accurately, Avengers: Secret Wars may conclude with Reed Richards reversing Doctor Doom's rule over the multiverse. Should this happen, then the Fantastic Four and Doom's biggest comic book battle will actually be their first encounter in the MCU, meaning that Avengers: Secret Wars could either be the premature conclusion of Doctor Doom and the Fantastic Four's feud, or a conflict so big that it will be impossible to match in future installments. In the former scenario, a one-off battle would undermine their lifelong enmity, and in the latter, an extended multiversal war would only continue to raise the bar for future sequels.
Avengers 5
Release Date May 1, 2026 Studio(s) Marvel Studios Distributor(s) Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Franchise(s) The Avengers Budget $356–400 million Upcoming MCU Movies Captain America: Brave New World
Release Date February 14, 2025 Thunderbolts*
Release Date May 2, 2025 The Fantastic Four (2025)
Release Date July 25, 2025 Blade (2025)
Release Date November 7, 2025 Avengers: Doomsday
Release Date May 1, 2026 Avengers: Secret Wars
Release Date May 7, 2027