The Fantastic Four: First Steps, Spider-Man: Brand New Day, and Avengers: Doomsday are the three movies leading up to Marvel Studios' biggest project in years, Avengers: Secret Wars. The latter is said to be closely tied to Jonathan Hickman’s Secret Wars.
In Secret Wars, universes were colliding and being destroyed in a multiversal incursion. The Illuminati tried to stop it and failed, but Victor von Doom succeeded. This leads to one world under a god-like Doctor Doom lording over various multiverses. The remaining universes combined into one planet called Battleworld.
After Reed Richards eventually defeats Doctor Doom, he sets Universe-616 back. However, some people like Miles Morales and the Maker (Ultimate Reed Richards) didn’t return to their universe (Earth-1610). Meanwhile, Reed Richards and Sue Storm, along with their kids and the Future Foundation, set off to remake the multiverse.
Thanks to a report from Variety, it sounds like the Marvel Cinematic Universe could be going through something like this. As Kevin Feige revealed to the outlet, as well as other reporters present during a conversation the Marvel Studios President had with press:
"Endgame,’ literally, was about endings. ‘Secret Wars’ is about is about beginnings."
First off, Kevin Feige’s quote should be mentioned. He said, “Reboot can mean a lot of things to a lot of people. Reset, singular timeline — we’re thinking along those lines.” He went on to clarify, saying, “X-Men is where that will happen next.” However, he also states that characters we know and love will be recast and likens it to a new James Bond, mentioning that Amy Pascal and David Heyman are looking for a new James Bond actor.
It’s easy to get worried when it’s time to reset something you love. But this isn’t the first time a universe has recast popular characters. There have been 11 actors to play Batman or Bruce Wayne (12 if you count Conroy in Crisis on Infinite Earths, and I do), 12 to play Superman (13 if you count Nicolas Cage in 2023’s The Flash), and five to play Spider-Man / Peter Parker. It was only a matter of time before Charles Xavier, Magneto, Storm, and the others would be replaced (again), especially as they are set to make their full-time debut in the MCU in the not-too-distant future.
Marvel Studios is set to produce an X-Men movie in the franchise's next chapter after the Multiverse Saga. It's been long-rumored that the legendary actors who portrayed Marvel's Mightiest Mutants in the Fox movie series wouldn't be reprising their roles as the film will press the reset button on the franchise (meaning that their upcoming returns in Avengers: Doomsday will likely serve as a send-off to these particular versions of the X-Men). That said, there are two actors from the X-Men franchise that likely will stick around.
Feige also discussed those two individuals, who just so happen to be two of the most popular actors and characters in Marvel, Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine and Ryan Reynolds’ Deadpool. He said, “I think there is more fun to be had with both of those characters. But we’ll see where.” That’s a simple, but loaded answer.
Part of me hopes that we get at least another two more Marvel movies from Jackman and Reynolds. Deadpool said Jackman would be Wolverine until he’s 90 years old. Yes, that was hyperbole, but it's clear that the legendary actor has at least another movie or two left in him as the iconic X-Men hero.
On the flip side, as this writer has said before, anything you say can and will be used against you on the internet. Had Feige given a definitive answer, it could have spoiled what’s coming in Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars. For example, we saw Thor holding Wade in Deadpool and Wolverine. If the Merc with a Mouth is dying in the future, it wouldn’t be smart to say whether Ryan Reynolds was or wasn't coming back as the character. Now, you'll have to see the movies to know their fates. Or, stay tuned to Bam Smack Pow for what's next.
More from Bam Smack Pow: