At Marvel Studios’ Hall H panel at this year’s Comic-Con, Kevin Feige announced the MCU’s next big Endgame-sized crossover event movie. Avengers: Secret Wars will arrive in theaters on November 7, 2025, to conclude Phase Six of the long-running blockbuster franchise. There are two different versions of the Secret Wars comic book storyline for Marvel’s filmmakers to draw from. Fans have been discussing whether Feige will adapt the 1984-1985 version of Secret Wars or the 2015 revamp that focused more on the multiverse.
Based on the MCU’s handling of the Civil War and Infinity Gauntlet storylines, he’ll probably incorporate elements of both comics in a way that fits into the larger story arcs and worldbuilding of the ongoing “Multiverse Saga.” In the 1984 incarnation of Secret Wars, an omnipotent entity called the Beyonder handpicks a bunch of superheroes to teleport to a planet he created called “Battleworld” for a glorious battle royale. The 2015 incarnation similarly revolves around a battle royale on Battleworld, but this version of Battleworld is created by folding various incarnations of the Marvel universe into one giant combat arena full of multiversal variants.
It seems likely that this is where the Multiverse Saga is headed. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness has already planted the seeds for worlds to collide in Secret Wars with the notion of “incursions.” After introducing a few alternate realities like Earth-838 and a zombie-infested post-apocalyptic wasteland, Feige might bring the MCU’s sprawling multiverse collapsing in on itself.
Endless Possibilities For Superhero Cameos
If Feige’s plan for the Secret Wars movie is to fold the MCU’s multiverse into an on-screen Battleworld, then the opportunities for variant cameos are endless. The movie could feature Sylvie, the Loki variant who created the multiverse in the first place; familiar faces like Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine or Wesley Snipes’ Blade; and live-action versions of What If...? variants like Captain Carter, Doctor Strange Supreme, and the Gamora who successfully killed Thanos. And, perhaps most excitingly, it could reunite Tom Holland’s Peter Parker with the Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield variants he met in Spider-Man: No Way Home.
After agreeing to let Doctor Strange wipe out everybody’s memories of him in No Way Home, Holland’s Spidey said a heartfelt farewell to his other selves. Before Maguire and Garfield were transported back to their respective cinematic universes, Holland told them, “I guess I’ll see you.” This might just be a throwaway line, but it could also be a setup for a future re-teaming.
A Secret Wars Spider-Verse Could Detract From No Way Home
Marvel fans certainly wouldn’t object to another Spider-Verse-style team-up of the live-action Peter Parker trifecta. But an appearance by Maguire and Garfield in Secret Wars might detract from what made No Way Home so special. That was a Spider-Man movie, not an Avengers team-up movie, and it still had barely enough time to explore plot points from their existing character arcs like the fate of Peter’s relationship with Mary Jane in the Maguire-verse and the aftermath of Gwen Stacy’s death in the Garfield-verse. Alongside every other Avenger and a bunch of their variants in Secret Wars, the Spider-Men could end up being relegated to a fan-service cameo appearance.
If the film adaptation of Secret Wars is just going to be three hours of all-out action-packed spectacle, then Feige might as well bring back every Marvel actor he can get: Maguire, Garfield, Jackman, Snipes, Tom Hardy’s Venom, Halle Berry’s Storm, Ben Affleck’s Daredevil – not to mention what-could-have-been castings like Tom Cruise as Tony Stark, Emily Blunt as Sue Storm, and Glenn Howerton as Peter Quill. Thanks to the gonzo multiversal premise of the source comic, the sky is the limit.
Spider-Man 4 And The Amazing Spider-Man 3 Would Be Better
After their highly anticipated performances in No Way Home, fans called for Maguire and Garfield to each get another solo Spider-Man movie. Instead of making lackluster movies out of B-tier Spidey villains, Sony should focus on continuing Maguire and Garfield’s standalone superhero adventures. Sam Raimi’s work on Multiverse of Madness proved he hasn’t lost his touch in the comic book realm and Garfield’s Spidey has a bunch of unresolved storylines from his canceled franchise. Giving the other Spider-Men a spotlight in movies of their own would be more satisfying than a tacked-on cameo appearance amidst a cast of dozens of fellow Marvel heroes in an Avengers epic.
The MCU already pulled off No Way Home. Some fans doubted that the rumored multiversal team-up storyline could work, but it ended up working beautifully. Whatever Marvel has in store for Avengers: Secret Wars, there’s reason to have faith that it’ll be equally awesome. Even if Maguire and Garfield only make brief cameos alongside Holland, the three Spidey actors’ chemistry is so great that it’ll still be an unforgettable moment.