Predator: Badlands arrives in theaters today, but somewhere else in the Multiverse, we're all sitting down to watch Avengers: Secret Wars.
At 2022's San Diego Comic-Con, Marvel President Kevin Feige announced that Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars would be released on May 2, 2025 and November 7, 2025, respectively. The idea was for them to conclude the Multiverse Saga (at an admittedly breakneck pace, given how many movies and TV shows have been released since 2019's Avengers: Endgame).
We later learned that Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings director Destin Daniel Cretton would helm Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, and only The Kang Dynasty. A few names were rumoured for Secret Wars, but as far as we're aware, no one ever signed on the dotted line. As for Cretton, he's moved on to Spider-Man: Brand New Day.
Jeff Loveness was hired to write the first of the two movies, with Michael Waldron writing Secret Wars (there were rumours the latter might reunite with Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness director Sam Raimi).
Both movies ran into major problems when Jonathan Majors was fired after some well-publicised personal issues. As a result, The Kang Dynasty became Doomsday, with the Russo Brothers confirmed to direct both that and Secret Wars, and Robert Downey Jr. officially unmasked as the MCU's Doctor Doom.
The movies were pushed back to May 1, 2026 and May 7, 2027, only for plans to change again when, this past May, Avengers: Doomsday was moved to December 18, 2026, and Avengers: Secret Wars to December 17, 2027.
So, it's all changed with Earth's Mightiest Heroes, but Avengers: Secret Wars wasn't the only MCU movie originally scheduled for release today. For a time, so was Blade!
It was at the San Diego Comic-Con in 2019 that Feige brought out Mahershala Ali and announced a new Blade movie. Three years later, he told fans in Hall H that the reboot would arrive in theaters on November 3, 2023. It then moved to September 6, 2024, and later slid further down the calendar to February 14, 2025.
For a time, it too had a November 7, 2025 release date. Ultimately, it was removed from Marvel Studios' schedule altogether and taken back to the drawing board (having already gone through multiple creative teams). As of now, Blade remains undated.
Avengers: Doomsday officially stars Chris Hemsworth, Anthony Mackie, Winston Duke, Tom Hiddleston, Sebastian Stan, Letitia Wright, Paul Rudd, and Robert Downey Jr. Wyatt Russell, Simu Liu, Tenoch Huerta Mejia, Florence Pugh, Danny Ramirez, David Harbour, Hannah John-Kamen, and Lewis Pullman all make their Avengers franchise debuts in the movie.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps leads Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, and Joseph Quinn join them, as do X-Men franchise stars Kelsey Grammer, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Alan Cumming, Rebecca Romijn, James Marsden, with Deadpool & Wolverine star Channing Tatum.
The Russo Brothers direct the movie from a screenplay by Stephen McFeely, with whom they previously collaborated on the Avengers and Captain America franchises. Loki and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness's Michael Waldron is also working on the script.
Avengers: Doomsday is set to be released on December 18, 2026, with Avengers: Secret Wars scheduled to arrive on December 17, 2027.