If recent rumours are to be believed, Marvel Studios' plan is to reboot the Marvel Cinematic Universe after Avengers: Secret Wars. It won't be a full-blown fresh start, but dead heroes will supposedly return and a new status quo is going to be established which ushers in the next era of storytelling.
The MCU launched in 2008 with Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk, so by the time 2028 rolls around, the time will arguably be right to start over.
With that in mind, we've singled out some of the things this new MCU should make a priority. From the inclusion of certain characters to recastings and how even key locations are portrayed, we believe these suggestions are a solid starting point, especially when it comes to restoring this property to its former glory.
Find out what we're hoping to see in this rumoured reboot by clicking on the "Next" button below.
6. A New Captain America And Iron Man
We enjoyed watching Sam Wilson wield the shield in The Falcon and The Winter Soldier and look forward to his story continuing in Captain America: Brave New World next year. Ironheart is also a character with potential, but when the MCU is rebooted, Steve Rogers and Tony Stark need to live again.
That will require new actors to pick up where Chris Evans and Robert Downey Jr. left off, but if the likes of James Bond and Batman can be recast on a frequent basis, then why not Captain America and Iron Man as well?
This extends to other fallen heroes - Black Widow - and those who will likely have to be recast five years from now when MCU vets Chris Hemsworth and Mark Ruffalo, for example, potentially decide to move on from their respective superhero roles.
5. Return Of The King
This is a really tricky subject to tackle, but on the subject of heroes who should return, T'Challa/Black Panther needs to be somewhere near the top of that list.
Chadwick Boseman's performance as Wakanda's King was superb and the fact we lost him so soon will never be anything less than a heartbreaking tragedy. However, we have to believe he'd want the character to live on without him, inspiring people just as he did during his brief tenure in the MCU.
Shuri's story can continue over the next few years, but when this franchise is rebooted, T'Challa should be put front and centre as a King and an Avenger. This is, after all, a terrific character and one we're sure many young actors can bring to the screen just as effectively as Chadwick before them.
4. New York City, Reimagined
This would be a minor change in the grand scheme of things, but with a new timeline comes heaps of new opportunities. Among them should be making the MCU's New York City more in line with what we've seen on the page.
Give us Avengers Mansion and have the Baxter Building tower over the rest of the Big Apple's skyscrapers! This can even extend to Westchester where we'd obviously like to see the X-Mansion.
The MCU is a reflection of our world but there's no harm in embracing the source material, even going so far as to give the Inhumans a base on the moon and for the likes of the Savage Land and Latveria to be places we spend a lot of time in moving forward.
3. Spider-Man
It would be all too easy for Marvel Studios and Sony Pictures to end their agreement after Avengers: Secret Wars, finally giving Ari Arad what he wants: Spider-Man.
With that, the wall-crawler would be thrown into all manner of terrible Morbius-like projects, with Arad - the worst thing that's ever happened to Spidey - likely destroying the character's reputation just as he very nearly did in the mid-2010s with his wider plans for The Amazing Spider-Man movies.
Whether it's Peter Parker or Miles Morales, the web-slinger needs to continue being part of the MCU. Despite some controversial changes, Marvel Studios has proven that they know how to handle this character on screen in a way Sony cannot and he should be front and centre for whatever comes next.
2. A Role For The Legacy Heroes
Now, you might be reading this feature thinking we simply want to go back to how things were, saying goodbye to the likes of Yelena Belova, Kate Bishop, and Ms. Marvel in the process. Absolutely not. Those characters can still be a big part of what comes next, including in projects where they're the leads.
In some cases, these characters can actually remain permanent replacements for their predecessors. After all, there really aren't that many places for Clint Barton's story to go at this stage, so why not have Kate take over as Hawkeye?
There's a delicate balance to be found here but just because the spotlight will be put back on many of the heavy-hitters, that doesn't mean there isn't room for newer heroes. Marvel Studios just needs to do a really good job of establishing them over the next few years.
1. X-Men Front And Centre (And The Fantastic Four)
As we enter a new era of storytelling, the X-Men should absolutely be what the wider MCU revolves around.
Whether we meet them as teenagers or an established team, there are countless places to take their stories, particularly with Marvel Studios calling the shots in place of 20th Century Fox. This is also relevant to the Fantastic Four, another group that should be treated as being as important as The Avengers.
Crucially, both sets of heroes have villains who are Thanos and Kang-level threats to the MCU. Apocalypse, Magneto, Doctor Doom, Annihilus, Mister Sinister...the list goes on and on. A reboot presents Marvel Studios with the opportunity to massively shake things up.