Avengers: Secret Wars – Release date, cast speculation and plot theories

Thunderbolts* fared better in terms of reviews, but failed to draw audiences back to cinemas, posting an even worse box office gross ($371 million and counting) than the already disappointing Cap sequel ($415 million).

Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars directors Anthony and Joe Russo aren't oblivious to the waning popularity of the Marvel films – and they have a plan that they hope will revitalise the embattled franchise.

"The MCU has got quite large, that's for sure," said Anthony in an interview with The Times. "I mean, frankly, we struggle with that same issue. But part of the reason Joe and I decided to go back is exactly what you're talking about.

"There needs to be more of a central narrative. That was something we were very specific about when we worked with Marvel [before]. We would like to bring the focused narrative back."

If you're hoping for a return to the MCU's former glory, read on for everything we know so far about Avengers: Secret Wars.

Avengers: Secret Wars release date

Avengers: Secret Wars is scheduled to be released in cinemas on Friday 17th December 2027, following a major delay to both upcoming Marvel crossovers.

Doomsday and Secret Wars had previously been pencilled in for May 2026 and 2027 respectively, but were pushed back by seven months each, meaning both will now be festive releases instead.

The news isn't entirely surprising, as fans and industry pundits were doubtful that Marvel Studios would be able to turn around a blockbuster of such enormous scale in a year (note that Doomsday only commenced filming in April 2025).

Fans have also speculated that the delay could make time to make creative tweaks to the two films, which might be deemed necessary following the box office disappointments of Captain America: Brave New World and Thunderbolts*.

Generally, breathing space for the team to proceed with proper care and attention can only be a good thing for the mammoth projects, especially given that many of the MCU's recent flops have felt rushed or poorly thought-out (in this writer's opinion).

So, while the 17-month gap between Fantastic Four: First Steps and Avengers: Doomsday will be tough for comic book fans, there is reason to be optimistic that what comes next will be worth the wait.

Avengers: Secret Wars cast – confirmed and rumoured names

Robert Downey Jr will star in Avengers: Secret Wars (and the preceding film Doomsday) as fan favourite comic book villain Doctor Doom.

It's yet to be explained how this role will relate to his earlier work as Tony Stark, but co-director Anthony Russo has confirmed that Iron Man's noble sacrifice in 2019's Endgame is "part of the story" in this long-awaited sequel (via The Times).

Doctor Doom's comic book arch-nemeses, the Fantastic Four, will be following him into the two crossover flicks, played by Pedro Pascal (Mr Fantastic), Vanessa Kirby (Invisible Woman), Joseph Quinn (Human Torch) and Ebon Moss-Bachrach (The Thing).

Benedict Cumberbatch has also confirmed to Variety that his fan-favourite Doctor Strange will have a major role in Avengers: Secret Wars, which should more than make up for his absence from the Doomsday cast list.

Here's an overview of the confirmed Avengers: Secret Wars cast so far – expect this to grow substantially in the coming months, with Deadline reporting that more than 60 established MCU characters could appear across Doomsday and this sequel.

• Robert Downey Jr as Victor von Doom aka Doctor Doom
• Benedict Cumberbatch as Stephen Strange aka Doctor Strange
• Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards aka Mr Fantastic
• Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm aka Invisible Woman
• Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm aka Human Torch
• Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm aka The Thing

Which Avengers: Doomsday cast members could return for Secret Wars?

It's hard to say whether the entire Avengers: Doomsday cast will be back for Secret Wars as it's quite possible that certain heroes could be killed off in the first half of the crossover event.

Marvel fans were particularly surprised to learn that the entire Thunderbolts/New Avengers team would be returning for the film, alongside several key players from 20th Century Fox's thought-defunct X-Men franchise.

It wouldn't be a total shock to see a couple of the New Avengers used as cannon fodder in the opening act, or perhaps to see the Fox X-Men's entire reality collapse in the run-up to Secret Wars. For now, though, it's anybody's guess who will make it through.

Based on our own theories of the franchise's priorities, we'd predict that Anthony Mackie's Sam Wilson, Florence Pugh's Yelena Belova, Chris Hemsworth's Thor, Simu Liu's Shang-Chi and Letitia Wright's Black Panther are likely survivors.

Here's a reminder of the confirmed Avengers: Doomsday cast members, who are yet to be announced for Secret Wars:

• Anthony Mackie (Sam Wilson/Captain America)
• Chris Hemsworth (Thor)
• Letitia Wright (Shuri/Black Panther)
• Winston Duke (M'Baku)
• Paul Rudd (Scott Lang/Ant-Man)
• Simu Liu (Shang-Chi)
• Danny Ramirez (Joaquin Torres / Falcon)
• Florence Pugh (Yelena Belova/Black Widow)
• Sebastian Stan (Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier)
• Wyatt Russell (John Walker/US Agent)
• Hannah John-Kamen (Ava Starr/Ghost)
• David Harbour (Alexei Shostakov/Red Guardian)
• Lewis Pullman (Bob/Sentry)
• Patrick Stewart (Charles Xavier/Professor X)
• Ian McKellen (Erik Lehnsherr/Magneto)
• James Marsden (Scott Summers/Cyclops)
• Rebecca Romijn (Raven Darkhölme/Mystique)
• Alan Cumming (Kurt Wagner/Nightcrawler)
• Kelsey Grammer (Hank McCoy/Beast)
• Channing Tatum (Remy LeBeau/Gambit)
• Tenoch Huerta Mejia (Namor)
• Tom Hiddleston (Loki)

With Secret Wars set to serve as the concluding chapter of Marvel's multiverse saga, some fans are hoping it will be the last hurrah for several actors from the pre-MCU years of comic book cinema.

Particularly high on fan wish lists are Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield (last seen in Spider-Man: No Way Home) as well as Hugh Jackman (whose future was left open by the Deadpool & Wolverine ending).

As for current MCU talent, fans are calling for Brie Larson's Captain Marvel to get another chance in the spotlight, and demanding redemption for Elizabeth Olsen's Scarlet Witch after 2022's controversial Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.

On the latter point, there's reason to be confirmed, with Olsen telling The Hollywood Reporter that she won't be in London during the back-to-back shoot of Doomsday and Secret Wars, as she continues to focus instead on non-Marvel projects.

The actor has previously criticised how Wanda Maximoff's character arc was handled post-WandaVision, stating that Marvel execs seemingly "didn't know what to do with" the complex antihero after Jac Schaeffer's celebrated miniseries (via Collider).

A less expected return is also on the table for Gwyneth Paltrow's Pepper Potts, with the actor recently telling fans that she "might" have a role in the upcoming blockbusters, but "nothing is confirmed" just yet (see Deadline).

Given her character's close ties with Tony Stark, with whom she has an on-and-off relationship and, eventually, a daughter, it's quite possible that Marvel could bring her back in connection with the Downey Jr's own shock return.

Meanwhile, Daredevil: Born Again star Charlie Cox has told Variety that he wants to "do it all" now that he's back as Hell's Kitchen's resident vigilante, adding that "so long as long as they'll have me [in the movies], I'm there".

However, with Born Again season 2 filming (in New York) at the same time as the Avengers movies (in London), this particular hero might not be stepping up to the big leagues just yet.

We'll update this page when further Secret Wars casting announcements are made.

What could happen in Avengers: Secret Wars?

There have been two major Secret Wars storylines in the comic books, which are very different in style and substance despite sharing the same title.

Starting in 1984, the first Secret Wars saw the most famous heroes and villains of the Marvel Universe transported to Battleworld by a cosmic entity known as the Beyonder, and forced to duke it out for his entertainment.

While commercially successful, the comic event was panned by critics at the time for its shallow story, although it remains a nostalgic favourite among fans who were growing up at the time.

In 2015, a modern take on Secret Wars unfolded to a much warmer critical reception, seeing Earth-616 (the main Marvel Universe) collide with the Ultimate Marvel Universe (birthplace of Miles Morales) in a cataclysmic incursion.

In an attempt to prevent complete annihilation, Doctor Doom harnesses the power of the Beyonders to create a new Battleworld, which is an amalgamation of every alternate reality in the Marvel Universe.

Naturally, he also installs himself as God and Emperor.

The heroes and villains of the Marvel Universe have no memory of their life before Doom's new order, which is why most don't question the strange new reality they find themselves in.

Given the significant role of Doom in the later version, we'd expect this to be the foundation for 2027's Avengers: Secret Wars, but expect the film to deviate from the source material at times (as was the case with Civil War and Infinity War).

Is there an Avengers: Secret Wars trailer?

Not yet! We'll update this page when footage becomes available.

Avengers: Secret Wars is coming to cinemas on Friday 7th May 2027.

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