Marvel has been dropping hints about their upcoming Avengers: Secret Wars film. The Russo Brothers are directing this installment in the Multiverse Saga, and it’s expected to feature even more characters than previous MCU films.
Joseph Quinn was confirmed to be appearing as Johnny Storm / Human Torch in the movie. Pedro Pascal was also announced to be joining the cast as Reed Richards.
Confirmed Cast
The cast for’marvel Secret Wars’ is starting to take shape with the confirmation of a few new actors. The film will feature a mix of new faces and returning MCU veterans. It will be based on the popular video game franchise that has sold more than 55 million units worldwide.
Hayley Atwell is set to return as Peggy Carter in the movie. The Marvel Cinematic Universe’s first female director will reprise her role as the spy who took a stand for her country in the face of overwhelming oppression.
David Harbour has also joined the cast as Red Guardian. The Thunderbolts* member is slated to appear in both Doomsday and Secret Wars. Depending on how the two movies play out, he may meet his end in Doomsday or make a return in the sequel.
Joseph Zada will portray a young version of Haymitch Abernathy in the movie. Woody Harrelson portrayed the adult Haymitch in the original trilogy, but the new film will show him as a youth mentoring District 12 tributes Katniss and Peeta for their games.
Luke Cage actor Ryan Omoto has also been cast in the film. The character’s name has not been revealed yet. He is expected to join forces with his former Defenders teammates, including Jessie Rosamund Pike and John Cox, in their battle against the Anti-Vigilante Task Force.
Plot Rumors
It’s no secret that the Marvel Cinematic Universe is getting pretty crowded. After 37 movies, the franchise is starting to feel a bit overwhelmed. That’s why 2027’s Avengers: Secret Wars is being positioned as a reboot of the MCU. But before the new movie can take place, there are some things that need to be settled.
First, it’s rumored that every major character from MCU Phases 4-6 will be appearing in the movie. This includes Captain America (Chris Evans), Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), She-Hulk (Tatiana Maslany), and Loki (Tom Hiddleston). And it’s also possible that Robert Downey Jr’s version of Doctor Doom will be a major part of the film.
Downey’s Doom could serve as the key to resetting the Multiverse, which would be the perfect tie-in for both Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and the 2015 Secret Wars comic storyline. In that story, an Incursion threatened to sabotage the entire Multiverse. In response, Doom created Battleworld and ruled it with an iron fist until the heroes he recruited were able to restore the original status quo.
According to Paul from the Heavy Spoilers Show, this may be exactly what happens in Avengers: Secret Wars. He reports that the plan is to have MCU mirror characters such as Sam Wilson (Captain America), Yelena Belova (Black Widow), Kate Bishop (Hawkeye), and Peter Parker (Spider-Man) come face to face with their predecessors/mentors, with all of these characters fighting for their own versions of the Multiverse.
Production Updates
The Russo brothers (pictured left and right) were originally slated to direct the two new Marvel movies in 2023. Jonathan Majors was attached to play Kang the Conqueror and Destin Daniel Cretton was set to direct The Kang Dynasty, but both roles were reworked in September 2023, with Michael Waldron replacing Jeff Loveness as writer on The Kang Dynasty and Stephen McFeely taking over the writing duties for Secret Wars.
The rumor is that both Secret Wars films will focus on events in Battleworld, a hodgepodge of realities created by Doctor Doom. As such, it is likely that all of the major characters from Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame will appear in both movies. This includes Falcon (Anthony Mackie), Captain Marvel (Brie Larson), Star-Lord (Chris Pratt), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), and Ant-Man (Paul Rudd). Even the Wasp, Kate Bishop, and Shang-Chi will likely make an appearance if they have not already done so in other MCU movies or TV shows.
In addition, Florence Pugh’s Yelena Belova from Thunderbolts* will probably be seen again. It is also possible that some of the characters from Earth-838, the universe introduced in 2022’s Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, will be revisited. However, Feige has not yet confirmed if the X-Men from the Fox-Marvel merger will be included in Battleworld.
Fan Speculation
As the climax of the MCU’s Multiverse Saga, it’s not too surprising that fans would be diving into comic book history to learn more about Avengers: Secret Wars and where it might take us. The story is expected to take place on Battleworld, a patchwork planet created by Doctor Doom, where heroes and villains from across the Multiverse will converge for one massive showdown.
While it’s no secret that the movie will feature some of the MCU’s biggest characters, what may come as a surprise to many is how much of the characters’ regular outfits will be used in the film. According to reports, the Russo brothers want to keep as much of Marvel’s most iconic costumes intact as possible, with the exception of some minor tweaks.
For example, Pedro Pascal’s Maestro is a hugely powerful character, but his specialized outfit doesn’t really play well with the rest of the Thunderbolts. That’s why the actor is expected to only appear in small scenes, with his costume likely getting stripped down to its core components for the majority of the film.
Similarly, Joseph Quinn’s Johnny Storm is also expected to make an appearance in the movie, possibly even going head-to-head with Doctor Doom in one of the film’s more epic sequences. However, it is still too early to tell what exactly his role will be in the film.