Avengers: Secret Warsis expected to be the biggest movie theMarvel Cinematic Universehas ever had, and based on how many teams will be part of the Avengers film that releases before it, it seems likeSecret Wars' storycould make for plenty of superhero squads. Recently, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige confirmed at CinemaCon, whereScreenRantwas in attendance,thatthe Avengers, the Wakandans, the Fantastic Four, the Thunderbolts, and the original X-Menwould be part ofAvengers: Doomsday’s cast.
According to Feige, all the teams will fight Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom in theupcoming Avengers movie. The MCU boss also confirmed that more names will be added to the film afterAvengers: Doomsday’s cast announcement left out major players. While some exciting teams will be part of the film, quite a few major squads are missing, which means they could show up in Avengers: Secret Wars instead.
10The Prequel X-Men
Another Version Of The X-Men Joins The MCU Beforehand
The X-Men were the major surprise ofAvengers: Doomsday’s cast announcement. While it was expected that some players of the team would appear due to howThe Marvels' post-credits scene set up an X-Men universe with Kelsey Grammer’s Beastto be explored, the MCU surpassed expectations. Many of Fox’s original X-Men stars will be returning for the next Avengers movie, but no actor from the younger timeline was announced.
I’m Not Convinced Denzel Washington Is The Best Casting Choice For The MCU’s Magneto For 1 Very Simple Reason
Denzel Washington has been rumored for the MCU’s Magneto, but even though he is a talented actor, he should not be the X-Men villain for a key reason.
Marvel Studios has the opportunity to honor both versions of the X-Men movie franchise. WhileAvengers: Doomsdaycould focus on the original Fox X-Men cast,Avengers: Secret Warscould bring back Michael Fassbender’s Magneto, James McAvoy’s Charles Xavier, and more characters from the younger X-Men continuity. Doing so would be easy, aspast Marvel movies have already used time travel, and the prequel X-Men team could also come from a different universe.
9The Council Of Reeds
The Multiverse Saga Has Teased The Team’s Possible Debut
An exciting team that would make a lot of sense forAvengers: Secret Warsis the Council of Reeds.The MCU’s first version of Mr. Fantastic was the variant played by John KrasinskiinDoctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. He was killed by the Scarlet Witch, with Pedro Pascal now set to debut soon as Earth-616’s Reed in the long-awaitedThe Fantastic Four: First Steps.
The trailers for the MCU movie have shown thatReed will be looking into alternate universes, which could lead to him finding his variants and crafting the Council of Reeds to think of a solution to take down Doctor Doom. This would allow Marvel to bring back Krasinski as a new Mr. Fantastic variant, as well as past Reed Richards actors Ioan Gruffudd from the 2000s Fantastic Four films and Miles Teller from the 2015 reboot.
8The Young Avengers
Ms. Marvel Is Slowly Putting Her Team Together
The MCU’s Multiverse Saga has introduced several characters in a short time. That has led to many of them not having a set project to return in. Among those characters aremany young MCU heroeswho seem poised to team up in the near future, though a movie or Disney+ show for the team has yet to be announced. That team is the Young Avengers, and Marvel recently took a big step toward its debut.
In one ofThe Marvels' post-credits scenes,Ms. Marvel recruited Kate Bishopfor the new team she was starting. Kamala Khan also mentioned that Ant-Man’s daughter, Cassie Lang, would be the team’s next recruit. Recently,Daredevil: Born Againrevealed that Ms. Marvel was in California, likely to go to Cassie’s home in San Francisco.Avengers: Secret Warscould be the project where the Young Avengers finally come together.
7The Guardians Of The Galaxy
The Cosmic Team Has A New Roster For The MCU To Explore
James Gunn left the MCU after delivering one of the best movies in the franchise.Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3was an emotional affair that served as the perfect farewell for the original iteration of the MCU’s premiere cosmic team. The film also debuted the new Guardians of the Galaxy, which hasRocket Raccoon staying on as the team’s new leaderand sees Groot return alongside new additions.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 promised that “The Legendary Star-Lord Will Return,” though Chris Pratt’s MCU return has yet to be announced.
With Gunn out andthere not being a Guardians of the Galaxy movie in the works,it is possible that the team’s role from now on will be as a supporting squad in major MCU events and other characters' movies. Since the Guardians of the Galaxy have yet to be announced forAvengers: Doomsday, there is a chance the team could sit out the film due to its huge cast list, returning to help in the Multiverse Saga’s finale.
6The Original Avengers
The MCU’s First Team Could Return To Save The Multiverse
If there is one team that has yet to be announced for the MCU’s two upcoming Avengers movies and that should appear, it is the franchise’s original Avengers roster.Half of the characters are still in the MCU, with Thor, the Hulk, and Hawkeye still active and even training new heroes. Of them, only Chris Hemsworth’s Thor is confirmed forAvengers: Doomsday. However, the door is open for the team to reunite inSecret Wars.
All the pieces are there for the original Avengers to team up one final time to take down Doctor Doom and possibly reboot the franchise.
Robert Downey Jr. will already be in the movie as Doctor Doom, so pulling double duty as Iron Man would not be impossible.Chris Evans is rumored to be back as Captain America in both Avengers movies. Finally, Scarlett Johansson is working with Marvel again as an executive producer onThunderbolts*. All the pieces are there for the original Avengers to team up one final time to take down Doctor Doom and possibly reboot the franchise.
5The Inhumans
Marvel Studios Has Shown How To Redeem The Team
The Inhumans' inclusion inAvengers: Secret Warscould lead to Marvel redeeming the team. While the MCU largely dominates the live-action Marvel releases of the past couple of decades, some projects outside the shared universe were released to very different results.The Inhumans series was panned by critics and the audience, having few redeeming qualities. However, Marvel Studios showed that it could turn public opinion on them around.
Anson Mount reprised his role as Black Bolt with a comic book-accurate suit inDoctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. The MCU could do the same for the rest of the Inhumans, tapping into the team’s powerful characters and its rich mythology to expandAvengers: Secret Wars' scope. Even if the Inhumans only returned in a small role, the mere fact that they could look comic book-accurate and have exciting action scenes would be enough to help redeem them.
4The Defenders
A Street-Level Team To Offer The Avengers Movie Variety
This team does not need redeeming, but a fresh start. Charlie Cox’s Daredevil has had multiple appearances in other characters' movies and TV shows since returning. Recently, the MCU debutedDaredevil: Born Again, which once again showed howMatt Murdock can be one of the faces of the franchise. With the series honoring Netflix’s The Defenders Saga, the door is open for the rest of the Defenders to come back.
Daredevil: Born Againseason 2 could add at least one more member to the team beforeAvengers: Secret Warscomes around with the final pieces. Daredevil and the Punisher are already under Marvel Studios,leaving only Jessica Jones, Iron Fist, and Luke Cage without a set project to return. The Defenders would give the Avengers movie its own street-level team to take on a different kind of threat.
3The MCU’s Illuminati
A Prior Version Of The Team Already Debuted In The Franchise
The Illuminati were introduced inDoctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. The team hailed from Earth-838 and had powerful members, such as John Krasinski’s Reed Richards, Patrick Stewart’s Charles Xavier, Anson Mount’s Black Bolt, and more. However, the Illuminati were killed. With the team dead, Doctor Strange could take his knowledge of them and their role to create the Earth-616 version of the Illuminati, making room for a morally ambiguous MCU team.
Namor plays a key role in the Illuminati’s story in Marvel Comics' Secret Wars. With the character confirmed forAvengers: Doomsday, it seems like the MCU could be setting up the new Illuminati to destroy other universes to keep theirs safe, just as the comic book team did.Avengers: Secret Warscould follow a moral debate among the Illuminati’s members, leading to the creation of the Cabal, a darker version of the team.
2The Eternals
The MCU Can Bring Back The Forgotten Team
Eternalsunderperformed at the box officeand was not a hit with critics or the audience. The MCU movie had many moving parts, with one of its problems being the sheer number of main characters it had to introduce, develop, and make fans care about. Currently, Marvel has no plans to bring back the team, but with so much power between the Eternals and how big of a threat the Avengers will face,Secret Warscould be the project to do so.
Doctor Doom could even brainwash some of the Eternals to do his bidding, as the MCU has already shown how big of a threat they can be when on the wrong side, as was the case for Richard Madden’s Ikaris.Avengers: Secret Warswill be the MCU’s biggest event to date. There is no better way to try to get the audience to connect with the Eternals than to have the team help the Avengers succeed in the movie.
1The Resistance
One OfThe Latest Teams To Debut In The MCU
Finally, bringing backthe main superhero team of the highest-grossing R-rated movie of all timejust makes sense financially for the MCU. Adding to that, the Void’s Resistance fromDeadpool & Wolverinehas plenty of experience with multiverse situations, as the heroes who make up the team come from different live-action Marvel franchises. With Channing Tatum’s Gambit returning inAvengers: Doomsday, the Resistance’sSecret Warsreturn would fit.
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The Resistance could initially appear as each hero tries to save their universe from incursions inAvengers: Secret Wars. After that, they could team up,led by Ryan Reynolds' Deadpool and Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine, to help the Avengers stop Doctor Doom and save the multiverse. After successfully taking down a multiversal tyrant like Cassandra Nova, the team would not bow down to Victor von Doom inAvengers: Secret Wars.
Cast
Avengers: Secret Wars is an anticipated installment in Phase 6 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, serving as the finale of The Multiverse Saga. Scheduled for release in December 2027, the film’s plot remains under wraps, fueling curiosity about its role in the expansive Marvel narrative.
