Can Marvel Studios Still Bring The MCU Multiverse Saga to a Satisfying End?
Will the MCU Multiverse Saga be able to regroup and end on the same kind of epic note as the Infinity Saga? Let's discuss.
Marvel Studios has put forth a lot of renewed effort this year, trying to assure its fanbase (and Disney shareholders) that the Marvel Cinematic Universe franchise still has promising years ahead of it. Numerous reports broke alleging widespread trouble behind the scenes of the MCU after Avengers: Endgame, while fans and insiders both seemed to agree that the franchise had begun putting out too much quantity, at the high cost of quality. Then there have been real-life events like celebrity scandals (Jonathan Majors) and Hollywood politics (Actors and Writers strikes), which have forced Marvel to make big pivots with production timetables and the overarching story of the current MCU Multiverse Saga.
But now, big changes have been made. Disney CEO Bob Iger stepped back in; the entire content strategy for franchises like the MCU or Star Wars is changing back to 'quality over quantity'. Marvel Studios has started to have major PR successes with its previews for upcoming 2025 projects like Captain America: Brave New World, Thunderbolts*, or Daredevil: Born Again, but there still so many unanswered questions facing the franchise, moving forward. One of the biggest questions is, without a doubt: Can the MCU Multiverse Saga land this nose-diving plane?
The End Is Nigh
Logos for Marvel's Avengers: Doomsday & Secret Wars
- Marvel Studios)Let's take a look at how much runway we have left:
Phase Five of the MCU will conclude next year, following the releases of Agatha All Along, Captain America: Brave New World, Daredevil: Born Again, Thunderbolts* and Ironheart (in that order).
Phase Six of the MCU will end the Multiverse Saga, and is currently scheduled to run 2026-2027. Confirmed projects in that phase include Fantastic Four: First Steps and Blade (in 2025); Avengers: Doomsday and the Vision Quest Disney+ series (in 2026), and Avengers: Secret Wars in 2027.
There is room in that schedule for other projects to be added, like the Wonder Man Disney+ series already in development, or any number of Marvel Special Presentation features. However, there's not a lot of runway between now (Fall 2024 at the time of writing this) and the summer of 2027, when the Multiverse Saga will end. Given how many characters and storylines will have been introduced in MCU Phases 4 – 6, it feels nearly impossible that this Multiverse Saga can pull off a massive, well-earned climax like Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame did; or that the franchise can even find a way to make the Multiverse Saga feel like a tight, interconnected story like the Infinity Saga (mostly) was.
Why The Multiverse Saga Ending Will Be A FAIL
It's hard to see how the Multiverse Saga can do little more than pull together many of the characters that were introduced in Phases 4 – 6, but that will (in many cases) be only the second (third, tops) time we see those characters operating in the MCU. We haven't had multiple projects featuring Shang-Chi, Shuri/Black Panther II, or The Eternals; meanwhile, veteran franchises like Thor, Guardians of the Galaxy, Doctor Strange, Captain Marvel, and Spider-Man have seen massive status quo shifts that haven't been addressed, while the Fantastic Four will be a very new set of characters and mythos in the MCU.
Equally unsure are the relevance and importance of the Disney+ series and their characters. Tom Hiddleston's Loki and Anthony Mackie's Captain America are obvious sure bets for the climatic Secret Wars event – but Ms. Marvel, Moon Knight, Hawkeye, and Kate Bishop, She-Hulk, Peggy Carter or even Daredevil are far less certain to make an appearance. Even if they do, again, it will be only the second time dedicated fans see many of those characters onscreen – and it will be a first introduction for all those fans who only watch movies and skip the TV shows.
...That's not even counting Robert Downey Jr.'s Doctor Doom and the work needed to re-introduce the Multiverse Saga's main antagonist and replace Jonathan Majors' Kang.
Can Marvel Studios bring the Multiverse Saga to an end by Summer 2027? Certainly. And frankly, the sooner the franchise moves past this quagmire of character variants and alternate timelines, the better. But the ending is most likely going to feel rushed and the larger interconnect story will likely still look riddled with plot holes, logical inconsistencies, and dangling plot threads for individual franchises that are not sufficiently answered – and a soft reboot into Phase 7 will look more like an escape hatch, rather than another hard-earned win.
The next MCU release will be the Agatha All Along Disney+ series on September 19th.
