We all love a good Marvel Cinematic Universe crossover, and the best part is that two of them are on the horizon. Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars are not only expected to be the biggest cinematic events in superhero history, but they will also act as the culmination of the Multiverse Saga. Heroes from parallel realities are set to come together to stop Doctor Doom from ruling existence as a whole. But once the fight is over and the dust has settled, what comes next? What will the MCU's next saga be about?
Unfortunately, we don't officially know what projects are bound to be released after Avengers: Secret Wars. But even if Marvel is trying to keep its cards close to its chest, some of its secrets might've been revealed ahead of time. Recently, it was reported that we'll see more supernatural MCU characters take over the spotlight after the multiverse storyline is over. Fans suspected this was a hint that Blade would finally get his stand-alone movie, but it seems something even bigger might be in the making.
The MCU's Midnight Sons has reportedly resumed development
Rumors of a Midnight Sons project started as early as May 2024. However, those plans went quiet for a while, which quickly caused concern among fans. To top things off, there was no news about Marvel's Blade or Moon Knight season 2 either. But just when it seemed like no more supernatural Marvel stories were coming our way, reliable industry scooper Daniel Richtman reported that the production on the Midnight Sons movie has resumed.
So far, the MCU has toyed a bit with the "dark" and "supernatural" themes in a few projects. Werewolf by Night is perhaps the best example, but Moon Knight and Agatha: All Along haven't been too far behind either. All of these storylines seemed like the setup for something bigger, and we might finally see the payoff after the end of the Multiverse Saga.
Rumor has it that Marvel is looking for a new actor to play Ghost Rider in the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday. Besides, even if we've gotten no official updates on the Blade movie, it hasn't been officially cancelled either. That could indicate the vampire hunter will still have a place in the MCU. Last, but certainly not least, Doctor Strange is no stranger to the big screen, and he might be looking to create a team after the Avengers ultimately save the day one last time.
We also need to consider that Iron Heart will reportedly feature the long-awaited introduction of Mephisto, who could be a big antagonist moving forward. There's no denying it: All pieces are in store for a supernatural storyline to take over in the following years.
It's no secret that the MCU's bread and butter are the Avengers movies. Granted, we've seen other crossovers in projects such as The Marvels, but they don't generate nearly as much excitement. However, it's clear Marvel wants to change this strategy moving forward, as indicated by Thunderbolts* (especially with that New Avengers plot twist). Why should fans need to wait seven years in between Avengers movies when we can also see other exciting team-ups more regularly? The Midnight Sons might be a crucial part of this plan, along with the likes of The Young Avengers, and The Defenders (who might assemble sooner than expected).
It remains to be seen what the next MCU saga will be all about, especially considering that the X-Men are finally coming. Could we see a Mutant storyline taking over the spotlight? Or will the supernatural take over? With a bit of luck, both of these arcs can have their own place moving forward, and fans will get projects thematically different from the ones released to date.