Remember that hype we all used to feel every time a new Avengers movie was announced? Right after Avengers: Endgame, it naturally faded. But now, with Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars creeping closer, it’s back. And it’s not just curiosity, it’s almost automatic for Marvel Cinematic Universe fans. Everyone expects a fresh start, massive scale, a star-studded cast (which is guaranteed), connections to everything that came before, and that incredible feeling that everything is building toward something historic. Doomsday already carries some of that weight, but Secret Wars takes it to another level. And why exactly is that?
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Since it was announced, this movie has become synonymous with being the ultimate event of the Multiverse Saga, promising to bring together alternate versions of countless characters, mix multiple franchises, and tie up years of loose threads. The hype is real, and it’s not hard to see why. Secret Wars has all the ingredients to be a visual and commercial spectacle, the kind that could shatter box office records again. But if you’ve been a Marvel fan for decades and are hoping to feel the same emotional punch as the comics, that’s where the problem starts.
Avengers: Secret Wars Won’t Be Able to Deliver the Essence of Its Story
What actually drives the plot of Marvel’s Secret Wars? It’s not the collapsing multiverse or Battleworld — it’s the rivalry between Reed Richards and Doctor Doom. And this isn’t just any rivalry. We’re talking years of history between two of the smartest minds in the Marvel Universe, stacked with ego, philosophy, and pure pride. In the comics, Reed and Doom started as university classmates but eventually became mortal enemies, with Reed representing altruistic science, collaboration, and hope; and Doom embodying absolute control and the need to prove his superiority at all costs. That tension gives weight to every meeting, every clash, and every decision on Battleworld. Without it, the whole event basically makes no sense.
The Russo Brothers have already confirmed that Secret Wars won’t be exclusively based on Jonathan Hickman’s run, which is the reimagined, modern version of the story and the one fans usually reference. According to them, the film will also take inspiration from the original 1984 storyline, plus their usual approach of putting their own spin on things for the big screen.
However, when it comes to Secret Wars in general, fans naturally focus on the tension and intellectual, psychological conflict from Hickman’s run. That’s where Doom steals the Beyonder’s power and becomes God Emperor Doom, ruling over Battleworld. And Reed, even after surviving entire destroyed universes, isn’t just going in with powers — he’s confronting Doom’s philosophy, a worldview based on absolute control. The showdown between them ends up being more psychological and ideological than physical, showing that, at its core, Doom and Reed represent completely different ways to rebuild reality.
Now look at the MCU: Reed has just been introduced in Fantastic Four: First Steps and is barely getting established as a character. Doctor Doom, meanwhile, is slowly arriving in the multiverse with a lot of mystery and without any prior story with Reed. There’s no accumulated resentment, no sense that these two know each other deeply and hate each other. Before Fantastic Four, there were strong theories that Doom would at least be mentioned, but all we got was a silent cameo in a post-credits scene. And that’s fine, Secret Wars could still put Reed and Doom on opposite sides on the big screen. However, the audience isn’t going to feel the weight of that rivalry because it hasn’t been built yet. And is that really okay?
Avengers: Secret Wars Has All the Ingredients to Be Spectacular, but Not Perfect
There’s no doubt about it: this Avengers movie has everything to be great, and no one’s denying it. It could be epic, redefine the multiverse, deliver jaw-dropping action sequences, and give us moments we’ll remember forever. But what it won’t have is the soul of the original story, and that’s what makes the MCU version inevitably feel shallower. In the comics, Secret Wars is about two men trying to prove that their vision of the world is the right one — and that drives the entire narrative. Without that foundation, the film risks being nothing more than chaotic fan service on screen.
Of course, you could theorize that the MCU is building a new reason for conflict through Fantastic Four, since Doom showed up to interact with Franklin. Maybe there’s no long-standing rivalry yet, and this version of the villain is chasing Reed’s son for his own reasons. Plus, in the comics, Franklin actually plays an important role. So that could create an in-universe feud from now on. Or maybe Doomsday will use a flashback to explain their past. But will it be as effective?
The MCU is great at spectacle, but its most memorable stories have always come from long-term relationships or careful buildup in general. The clash between Tony Stark and Steve Rogers, for example, worked in Captain America: Civil War because fans had followed their relationship since 2012. Thanos became a legendary enemy because he was built up gradually across multiple movies. But that kind of slow-burn development doesn’t exist for Reed and Doom. You can’t compress decades of emotional, ideological, and intellectual history into two movies. The same level of emotional resonance just won’t be there, because audiences won’t have had time to connect the way they should. There are plenty of reasons to be hyped for the next Avengers films, but this one thing is missing.
So yes, Secret Wars will be huge, with a strong chance of being phenomenal, and a lot will happen before its release. But without the deep Reed vs. Doom rivalry, the movie will ultimately be a shadow of what the comics delivered. It can still be fun and exciting, but it won’t be the same experience that made this story special for over fifty years. And honestly, that’s sad.
Avengers: Secret Wars hits theaters on December 17, 2027.
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