Avengers 5 and Secret Wars Reportedly Turned Down Two Popular Directors

Kevin Feige reportedly turned down Greg Berlanti and Noah Hawley to direct the MCU sequels.

By Jenna Anderson

The next two Avengers movies continue to be in the pop culture conversation, as Marvel Studios is currently trying to find directors to helm the highly-anticipated projects. Recent reports have hinted at everyone from Deadpool & Wolverine director Shawn Levy to former Avengers directors Joe and Anthony Russo being eyed for the job — and now, we may know two additional names who were briefly in contention. According to a new report from Puck News, Greg Berlanti (Fly Me to the Moon, Love, Simon) and Noah Hawley (Fargo, Alien: Earth) were two names suggested by the talent agency CAA to direct the next Avengers movies. Ultimately, according to the report, Berlanti and Hawley were both turned down for the job by Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige.

While Berlanti and Hawley have not really been previously associated with the MCU, both have various histories within the superhero adaptation space. Berlanti is regarded to be one of the architects of The CW's Arrowverse of DC shows, executive producing almost every DC television series of the 2010s. Hawley, meanwhile, created FX's X-Men spinoff series Legion, and had been developing a Doctor Doom solo movie before the character's rights reverted back to Marvel Studios.

What Is Avengers 5 About?

Formerly titled Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, the fifth Avengers movie has undergone a bit of a creative overhaul in recent years. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings director Destin Daniel Cretton was previously lined up to helm the project, before stepping away in November of 2023. Additionally, Marvel Studios has parted ways with Kang the Conqueror actor Jonathan Majors following his guilty verdict in a recent assault case, with reports indicating that the franchise might pivot away from the character of Kang altogether.

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"Not every film in the Infinity Saga focused on the Infinity Stones or Thanos, and it'll be the same across 5 and 6," Feige previously said. "But we're gearing up. People will get a taste of this in a big way in Quantumania as we lead to Avengers: Secret Wars, which I'm extremely excited for. You know, I'm coming up on 23 years at Marvel. That's a long time. It's not quite half my life, but it's almost half my life. [Laughs] Many of us have been together for a decade or more. And we only do it because we are so excited and in love with the potential for what we can do ahead. The storylines that weave together through Phase 5 and 6 into Secret Wars and the opportunities that the multiverse brings storytelling-wise, it's a whole new aspect to the MCU. "

Avengers 5 is currently scheduled to be released on May 1, 2026, followed by Avengers: Secret Wars on May 7, 2027.

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