Summary

TheMCUhas been a cinematic Jagganath for 16 long time and counting , but the sprawling franchise ’s rumour soft reboot seems like a better idea now than ever . The very idea of an interconnected moving-picture show creation was a Brobdingnagian gamble back whenIron Manhit field of operations in 2008 , but the creatives at Marvel - and eventually Marvel Studios - succeeded in finding a proportionality between astuteness and breadth in the MCU ’s Infinity Saga . It was easy to tell a cohesive write up with fewer " primary " case , but the MCU has grown by degrees of magnitude and has lost some of its connective tissue paper .

The idea of an MCU reboot is n’t just pure speculation , either . In 2023 , Joanna Robinson , the author of the illuminating bookMCU : The Reign of Marvel Studios , revealed the following about a possible MCU sassy start :

" We have a quote from Kevin Feige kind of implying that , like , Secret Wars will service as a mild reboot in which they can prune everything … [ They ’ll ] prune everything that ’s not work and just keep what is [ working ] , or bring back mass you thought were snuff it forever . "

Benedict Cumberbatch as Doctor Strange and Jonathan Majors as Kang the Conqueror in the MCU

Of of course , plans change , so even if a flabby reboot in or after2027’sAvengers : Secret Warswas once in the bill , only time will tell apart if it still comes to realisation . However , it ’s hard to reason that a straighten - up timeline would n’t help the MCU ’s current woes .

The MCU Is Failing To Keep Up With Its Teases And Set-Ups

Ever since Nick Fury approached Tony Stark about The Avenger ’s Initiative in theIron Manpost - credits setting , teaser and cliffhanger have been the brand ’s lettuce and butter . However , the former year of Marvel ’s cinematic universe tended to follow up on dangling threads quite quickly . Fury approached Stark , then Stark enter sub later that year inThe Incredible Hulk . Iron Man 3ended with a shot of Thor ’s hammer in the desert , andThorwas released to address that tantrum the next twelvemonth . The modern MCU is keeping that strategy , but payoff are far more delayed or not take place at all .

With the MCU potentially head for a reboot after Secret Wars , there are a number of unresolved mystery the franchise still needs to solve .

It ’s not challenge to see why . The Infinity Saga had off - shoot squad like the Guardians of the Galaxy who remain mostly apart from the all-inclusive MCU untilInfinity War , but there was a solid story focus on the six original Avengers - Iron Man , Captain America , Thor , Hawkeye , Black Widow , and Hulk . Now , one would be hard - pressed to say who the " main characters " of the Multiverse Saga are . There ’s also a sequel problem .

Chris Evans as Captain America between Robert Downey Jr.’s Iron Man and Benedict Cumberbatch’s Dr. Strange in the MCU

In the Infinity Saga , every quality who starred in a solo movie ( or squad in the case of the GotG ) got at least one sequel to fall out up on their story and address any cliffhangers or teasers from the premature film except Doctor Strange and Captain Marvel . However , the latter two were n’t introduced until late in the saga , create the lack of a sequel more understandable . In direct contrast , not a single bomber currently has two motion picture in the Multiverse Saga , so informal game threads have been left drop .

This will undoubtedly be resolved as a few of Marvel Studios ' unannounced Phase 6 projects come to light , but it does little to handle how long it ’s taking to revisit characters and history . Most recently , Kit Harington , who plays Dane Whitman / the succeeding Black Knight inEternals , clarified thatthere are currently no plans in home to revisit his character . It ’s setup like this that do n’t seem to have any pre - dictated program for resolution that indicate a franchise - wide trim might be demand to bring Marvel picture show narratives more achievable .

A Soft Reboot Is The Easiest Way To Refocus The MCU

If the MCU wants to refocus its type and narrative in a way that ’s better for the internal account and easier for general audiences to follow , there are three options . Marvel Studios can chance the clock time to address the dozens of ongoing stories and homogenise dissimilar fictitious character into unified franchises , it can but discount what ’s not form and more on , or it can use a gentle reboot to snip the MCU down to something more manageable . The latter seems like the clear best selection .

retaliator : Secret Warsis the perfect time for a fresh start

It just so chance that an upcoming Avengers movie is the gross clock time both in - universe and out to shake up the condition quo and move forward with a more merged and touchable architectural plan . Avengers : Secret Warsis the pure time for a bracing start if it takes major inspiration from the Marvel Comics tarradiddle of the same name . In the rootage fabric , Secret Warssees the realities of the multiverse collide and be destroyed , resulting in a more incorporated main timeline for Marvel Comics . In the process , blue-ribbon characters from other public hopped over and became Earth-616 mainstays .

Nextwave team

The latest release updates touch Marvel Studios were sure as shooting illuminating and made possibility surrounding a major MCU reboot even more potential .

The same can happen even withinthe main Earth-616 persistence of the MCU . Certain characters and write up can be written out ( or fetch back from death ) with a multiversal reset , allowing Marvel Studios to refocus on what ’s working and leave what ’s not behind . The timing works out in the substantial man , too . The ending of a narrative Saga is the perfect prison term for variety . With new and notable team like the Fantastic Four and the X - Men also on the sensible horizon , it ’s never made more sensation to trim the metaphoric fat from the MCU .

Can The MCU Hold Together As It Continues To Grow?

A reboot - even a soft one - seems daunting , as it would likely mean that someone ’s favored lineament or most hoped-for story is forget behind . However , the option requires consideration of if the MCU can remain at all cohesive as the enfranchisement raise even bigger over the coming geezerhood and through whatever is lay out to follow the Multiverse Saga . While anything is potential , it simply seems unlikely .

As of now , the MCU is already split into several mostly isolated narrative corners , admit magic ( Doctor Strange ) , cosmic ( Captain Marvel , the Guardians of the Galaxy ) , global ( the Avengers ) , street - level ( Daredevil , Spider - Man , etc . ) and more . As those stories continue to go their own manner , they ’ll soon be bring together by even more . The Fantastic Four will likely chip at out their own corner of the cinematic universe , and Blade could kickstart a Midnight Sons repulsion - inspired grinder - franchise . Moreover , the 10 - Men have always been close to an entirely separate Marvel Universe .

If a gentle reboot does n’t refocus these stories , then the other option is to be given into sub - franchises and leave overarching sagas behind totally . Instead of The Avengers bring together the heroes of theMCU , various team - up projects could involve whoever stimulate sense . irrespective , it ’s clear that something needs to give , and answer are n’t potential to be grant untilAvengers : Secret Warshits theatre on May 7 , 2027 .

A split image of Doctor Strange, Thor, and Captain Marvel in the MCU.

Custom Image by Yailin Chacon

a split image of over a dozen Marvel movie characters, including Fox’s X-Men, the Avengers, and potential Young Avengers

MCU Franchise Poster

Marvel Cinematic Universe