Since its inception, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has never been immune to a shift in plans. Movies get delayed, a few projects are canceled altogether, and theatrical experiences are suddenly turned into Disney+ series. However, there's no denying that things were steadier in the days of the Infinity Saga, back when the output of projects was lower. Sure, the occasional misstep still took place (looking at you, Inhumans), but the Multiverse Saga has proven to be shakier in all aspects.
The sudden delay in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness impacted the narrative of Spider-Man: No Way Home, while series such as Nova were reported to be in development only to vanish into thin air, and Kang was dropped as the ultimate multiversal villain in favor of Doctor Doom. Worse of all, the Avengers movies suffered from a major delay. The Kang Dynasty was originally intended to hit theaters on May 2, 2025, while Secret Wars was aiming for a Nov. 7, 2025, release. However, history eventually proved that neither of these two release dates was met, which made fans a bit uneasy about the future of the MCU.
Avengers: The Kang Dynasty was eventually replaced with Avengers: Doomsday, which, in turn, also suffered from a minor delay from May 1, 2026, to Dec. 18, 2026. Due to all the recent changes and sudden shifts in plans, audiences worldwide started to ask the same question: Will Avengers: Secret Wars—the most ambitious superhero movie ever—meet its deadline? Fortunately, a new production update just eased all of our worries.
Avengers: Secret Wars will start filming in April 2026
As reported by Hollywood North Buzz, Avengers: Secret Wars will start filming in April 2026. This would mimic the production of Avengers: Doomsday, which began principal photography in April 2025 ahead of its December 2026 release.
It's worth noting that filming Earth's Mightiest Heroes' upcoming adventure ran for five months, concluding in September 2025. Such a timeframe allows for over a year of post-production, which will hopefully translate into polished VFX. Granted, reshots are a common practice, and they might still take place in the future. Even then, there shouldn't be any risks of a potential delay for Doomsday, which means Secret Wars is likely to follow a similar roadmap to ensure it meets its targeted release date.
Prior to the main production of Avengers: Doomsday, it was revealed that the directors, the Russo Brothers, had devised a new strategy to prevent leaks and set photos from making their way online, unlike other major productions such as Spider-Man: Brand New Day, which opted to film on location in broad daylight. Given that nothing but a handful of set videos from Avengers: Doomsday have leaked (and none of them have revealed any big surprises), it wouldn't be surprising if we learn next to nothing about Avengers: Secret Wars once principal photography begins.
Marvel will likely try to remain tight-lipped about Avengers: Secret Wars until after the release of Avengers: Doomsday. However, if production for the final chapter of the Multiverse Saga will begin in April 2026, then there could be a small possibility the superhero giant decides to make a cast reveal once again to combat leaks or set pictures ruining any surprises, and that will at least reveal who will join the first part of Doom's attack on Earth.
It's reassuring to know Marvel will dedicate a considerable amount of time to the principal photography and post-production of Avengers: Secret Wars. After all, rushing the biggest superhero movie to date could prove to be disastrous. Now, let's just hope that Avengers: Doomsday sets up all the pieces for a fantastic conclusion to the Multiverse Saga. It's a tall order, but one that the Russo Brothers have proved to be more than capable of achieving.
Avengers: Secret Wars will be released on Dec. 17, 2027.