Marvel’s Avengers 5 Eyes Deadpool & Wolverine Director Shawn Levy

It appears Kevin Feige and Marvel Studios might have a director in mind for Avengers 5, the long-awaited next installment in the film series. Marvel has been work towards a couple of Marvel-centric Avengers films in the not-too-distant future, after getting pivotal projects like and the third Deadpool movie off the ground. The latter, Deadpool & Wolverine, is shaping up to be a mega-hit that Marvel desperately needs, and the man behind the camera is apparently being eyed for an even bigger job with the studio down the line.

According to a new report from Deadline, Deadpool & Wolverine director Shawn Levy is Marvel’s “top choice” to helm Avengers 5. The report suggests that he’s even had talks with Marvel about Avengers 5 and read the latest script from Michael Waldron, but that’s as far as the process has gotten. 

Even with these talks ongoing, Deadline indicates that this Avengers 5 development is far from a done deal. Marvel will still be meeting with other directors while they wait on a decision from Levy, and there’s a decent chance Levy could turn it down. He’s expected to be involved with the final season of Stranger Things and is supposed to helm a Star Wars movie at some point. But for now, he appears to be the guy Feige and Marvel want to hand the Avengers keys to.

When originally announced, the fifth Avengers movie was supposed to be Avengers: Kang Dynasty, focusing on the iconic Marvel villain that was set up in Loki and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. Plans have obviously changed, though, as Kang star Jonathan Majors was fired by Marvel following a reckless assault conviction. 

In Marvel Studios’ Deadpool & Wolverine, Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) will change the history of the Marvel Cinematic Universe with Wolverine (Hugh Jackman). The film also stars Matthew Macfadyen as Paradox, and Emma Corrin as Cassandra Nova, with the return of Deadpool alums Morena Baccarin as Vanessa Carlysle, Leslie Uggams as Blind Al, Karan Soni as Dopinder, Stefan Kapičić as Piotr Rasputin/Colossus, Brianna Hildebrand as Negasonic Teenage Warhead, Rob Delaney as Peter, and Lewis Tan as Shatterstar. Aaron Stanford is returning as Pyro from the X-Men film series, with Jennifer Garner rumored to return as Elektra Natchios. 

Kevin Feige, Ryan Reynolds, Shawn Levy and Lauren Shuler Donner produce with Louis D’Esposito, Wendy Jacobson, Mary McLaglen, Josh McLaglen, Rhett Reese, Paul Wernick, George Dewey and Simon Kinberg serving as executive producers. Deadpool & Wolverine is written by Ryan Reynolds & Rhett Reese & Paul Wernick & Zeb Wells & Shawn Levy. Deadpool & Wolverine will be released exclusively in theaters on July 26th.