Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars will undoubtedly be the biggest comic book movies since Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. With no Avengers movies between them, and no team up movies coming out of DC Studios yet, this is absolutely a given.
Rumors have been swirling for months that Secret Wars will end up serving as a reboot of sorts for the MCU, similar to what The Flash was supposed to do for DC before Gunn and Saffran took over. With Iron Man, Captain America, and Black Widow dead, and the Avengers not actively operating within the MCU, a reboot may very well be the case. Thor, Hawkeye, and Hulk are still kicking, but Thor is out in space acting silly wherever he goes with no projects confirmed to be developing, Hawkeye doesn’t have anything in the works either, and Hulk has been nerfed to be more of a comedic relief source than the brawling muscle of the Avengers.
Some fans question whether a reboot is a good idea, while others welcome it as they are sorely missing the days when the MCU seemed to have a clear direction. Of course, a reboot won’t necessarily bring the direction many fans want.
In the comics, the Secret Wars storyline happened when Earth-616 and the Ultimate Universe collided, then other universes collided with those creating Battleworld, an amalgamation of universes and their inhabitants in which the heroes and villains fight each other. While the comic event did not serve as a reboot for Marvel Comics, it did alter the canon and brought heroes from different universes into the main timeline.
If a reboot was on the horizon for the MCU after Doomsday and Secret Wars, what exactly would that look like?
The Reintroduction of Dead Characters
A reboot or soft reboot of the MCU could bring back dead characters in the form of variants. Without a doubt, fans miss seeing Iron Man and Captain America, even though Sam Wilson currently holds the mantle, fighting together with the rest of the Avengers. It’s possible that, after Secret Wars, a new version of Tony Stark and Steve Rogers will be introduced to the MCU. Fans like those characters, and many of those fans have abandoned the MCU. So, to bring those fans back to the fold, the characters may be reintroduced. However, because Secret Wars brings with it so many other possibilities, including the rumors of using evil versions of the Avengers, I find this one to be unlikely, save for the possibly bringing in a new version of Black Panther.
Miles Morales
While Miles does technically already exist within the MCU, this was confirmed when Donald Glover’s Aaron Davis mentioned a nephew in Spider-Man: Homecoming, Secret Wars could be his introduction as Spider-Man. In the comics, Miles originates from the Ultimate Universe, but ended up on Earth-616 after Secret Wars. When the universes collide, one of the radioactive spiders that bites Peter Parker could be sent from a different universe to Earth-616, similar to what happens in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. From that point onward, Peter could serve as Miles’ mentor and a story similar to the PlayStation games could play out. After the events of Doomsday, Secret Wars, and Spider-Man 4, Peter will have grown into a more mature hero capable of mentoring a young hero.
The Fantastic Four’s Residence
After the events of Secret Wars, the Fantastic Four will no doubt have a permanent residence in Earth-616 or whatever new name it’s given after the movie. In fact, there’s been speculation that the Fantastic Four will lose their battle against Galactus in Fantastic Four: First Steps, and, to escape death, will move their earth, or at least themselves, into a different universe. It would be a dark, yet unique way to end the Fantastic Four’s debut into the MCU. Even if the movie does not end with their transport to 616, they will undoubtedly make a home in the main continuity of the MCU so their story can continue.
The X-Men
The biggest change to the MCU after Doomsday and Secret Wars will for sure be the X-Men. The X-Men have already been teased several times throughout the MCU, and Feige himself has even said that the next two Avengers movies are leading toward the X-Men’s debut. This is why I think the reintroduction of Tony Stark and Steve Rogers is fairly unlikely. There are plenty of stories to tell with the X-Men leading the MCU. There are tons of new characters that can even lead their own movies like Cyclops, Wolverine, Storm, more Deadpool movies, Professor X and Magento, Beast, or Angel. The X-Men, of course, work best when they are a team, but they could certainly headline their own films. For a solid decade, maybe even more, the X-Men could be the future of Marvel. An X-Men versus Avengers style movie has even been rumored for after Secret Wars.
The possible reintroduction of dead characters, Miles Morales’ debut, The Fantastic Four setting up in the main MCU universe, and the X-Men becoming the face of the MCU would all change the future of Marvel movies dramatically.
How else do you think the MCU could change after Secret Wars? Let me know what you think in the comments!