Summary
I’m even more hopeful thatAvengers 5will redeem theMCUafter recent reports that the Phase 6 movie will feature over 60 returning Marvel Studios characters. It seemed a bold decision for Marvel Studios chief Kevin Feige to forego the typical Phase-endingAvengersmovies in favor of two massiveAvengerscrossover events concluding the entire Multiverse Saga. I have missed seeing Earth’s Mightiest Heroes join forces to battle villains like Loki, Ultron, Zemo, or Thanos, but any concerns I had may have now been assuaged following a recent report regarding thecast ofAvengers 5.
Kevin Feige first announced the development ofAvengers 5, originally titledThe Kang Dynasty, in 2022, revealing thatAvengers 5and its 2027 sequel,Avengers: Secret Wars, would end the Multiverse Saga. I’ve been worried about the future ofAvengers 5, particularly after the movie’s initial director and writer departed from the project. However,as the MCU inches closer toAvengers 5’sscheduled May 2026 release date, my excitement is finally beginning to rise, thanks in part to unexpected new details about the Phase 6 crossover movie.
July 27, 2025
Avengers 5 Pulling Off A Colossal Cast Right Would Be A Perfect MCU Redemption
In June,Deadlinereported that Marvel Studios had offered Shawn Levy the role of director for the nextAvengersmovie, but also revealed several othermajor updates concerningAvengers 5. This included the reveal that"more than 60 MCU characters could reprise their roles,“which would makeAvengers 5the biggest Marvel Studios project to date, almost doubling the roster fromAvengers: Endgame’sfinal battle.Deadlinedidn’t report all the names expected to return, but the simple idea thatAvengers 5could include over 60 characters from the MCU’s history has got me very hopeful.
Sources close to both the project say more than 60 MCU characters could reprise their roles, including everyone from Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth and Benedict Cumberbatch to Tom Hiddleston, Simu Liu and Karen Gillian. Unlike the first four films in which there was a core group that consisted of Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Hemsworth and Ruffalo, many of the characters in this film would have equal footing, making it more of an ensemble feature instead of a handful of characters leading the team.
It’s undeniable that Marvel Studios hit a bit of a lull afterAvengers: Endgameand the conclusion of the Infinity Saga, contributing to the MCU receiving more criticism than ever before in Phases 4 and 5. The expansion of the MCU onto Disney+ caused a noticeable drop in narrative quality, visual effects, and writing, so Marvel Studios is in need of redemption, building back its stellar reputation. Severalhighly-anticipated upcoming MCU projectswill help this, butAvengers 5handling a cast of over 60 characters correctly could seal the deal, putting Marvel Studios back on top.
Avengers 5’s Huge Cast Tease Could Make The Strongest Parts Of The Franchise Stronger
Avengers 5 has the perfect opportunity to act as an emblem of the strongest parts of the franchise.
Pointing out theissues with Marvel Studios' recent outputdoesn’t mean I haven’t been impressed with many parts of the MCU’s Multiverse Saga. Sam Wilson’s hesitation and evolution into the new Captain America was poignant, Wanda Maximoff’s descent into darkness paid off years of build-up, and several MCU TV shows, includingMs. Marvel, Moon Knight, Loki,andEchohave captured my imagination.It’s brilliant to see several elements of the Infinity Saga still being continued and developed in the MCU’s recent projects, too, andAvengers 5can take this to the extreme.
With a cast of over60 returning MCU characters,Avengers 5has the perfect opportunity to act as an emblem of the strongest parts of the franchise. Characters from the Infinity Saga who we perhaps thought we’d never see again could reprise their roles, while the best heroes and villains of the Multiverse Saga can take center-stage. Sam Wilson’s Captain America may lead the New Avengers, the Scarlet Witch may return from the dead, and beloved heroes who may have passed on could return through the magic of the multiverse, makingAvengers 5perhaps the MCU’s most exciting installment yet.
Avengers 5’s Newest Confirmed Hero Makes A Missing MCU Sequel Even Stranger
A new Avengers 5 report shared a few of the MCU characters who could appear in it, and it makes a missing sequel to a 2021 film seem more confusing.
Avengers 5’s Cast Tease Could Make It The Kind Of Comic Adaptation I Didn’t Think Was Possible
One of the things I find most exciting aboutAvengers 5’scolossal cast is that this number of characters will give the Phase 6 movie a scale as massive as some ofMarvel Comics' biggest storylines.Marvel Studios has often dulled-down certain wide-reaching comic adventures for their live-action adaptations in the MCU- namelySecret Invasion, which included almost every hero in Marvel Comics, but very few in the MCU. However, it seemsAvengers 5will throw away its restraint, and let almost every hero and villain from the MCU’s 16-year history loose.
In comparison,Avengers: Endgame’sfinal battle featured almost 40 characters, and even this felt like it had been taken straight out of Marvel Comics.Avengers 5’s cast rumor would blow this out of the water, though it’s unclear whether all 60 characters will be fighting together as they did during the Battle of Earth. Nevertheless, the fact that Marvel Studios could finally be putting all of its newly-introduced heroes and old familiars to work inAvengers 5has me very excited for the upcoming movie, and very hopeful that the MCU is finally moving in the right direction.
