Marvel Studios is gearing up for the next major chapter in the MCU, with Avengers: Secret Wars set to bring one of the most iconic comic book crossovers to the big screen. As the blockbuster inches closer, directors Joe and Anthony Russo have shared new insights on what to expect, making it clear that the adaptation will take some creative liberties while still drawing inspiration from the source material.
Speaking with TechRadar, Joe Russo discussed how much the Avengers: Secret Wars film will borrow from the original comics. “Well, we always create our own version of the story,” he explained. “So, we use the comics as loose inspiration. But, you know, I grew up on the original run. That’s something that got me into Marvel comic books. The [Jonathan] Hickman run is also fantastic [and they’re] very different from each other in a lot of ways, so we’ll draw inspiration from both of them.”
Marvel Studios has a history of reworking major comic storylines rather than directly adapting them. Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War, and Avengers: Age of Ultron all deviated from their comic book counterparts, and Avengers: Secret Wars will likely follow the same approach. The event was originally introduced in 1984 by Jim Shooter as a 12-issue limited series, featuring heroes and villains battling on an alien world known as Battleworld. A modern version by Jonathan Hickman in 2015 reshaped Marvel Comics, merging multiple universes into one.
Beyond the story changes, the movie is rumoured to have major implications for the franchise. Reports suggest that Avengers: Secret Wars could serve as a soft reboot for the MCU, consolidating multiple timelines and potentially setting up a new status quo. This aligns with previous speculation that the film could introduce the X-Men and Fantastic Four more definitively into the MCU, as well as shift character dynamics moving forward. Marvel executive Brad Winderbaum has downplayed reboot rumours, but with such a large-scale multiversal event, significant changes seem inevitable.
With Avengers: Doomsday beginning production soon and Avengers: Secret Wars set to film back-to-back, Joe and Anthony Russo have made it clear that their approach will balance honouring the legacy of Avengers: Secret Wars while delivering a new take for moviegoers. Fans will have to wait and see how Avengers: Secret Wars reshapes the future of the MCU.
Avengers: Doomsday opens in cinemas on 1 May 2026, and Avengers: Secret Wars opens in cinemas on 7 May 2027.
Natalie is a big fan of anything related to movies, TV shows, and anime — you name it. When she’s not reading or being a dedicated cinephile, she’s probably playing gacha and tabletop games, or daydreaming of Sylus from Love and Deepspace.
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