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We might finally know when to expect ‘Avengers 5’

Published Jan 9th, 2021 2:07PM EST
Avengers 5 Release Date
Image: Marvel Studios

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  • A leaker familiar with Marvel’s MCU plans claims Avengers 5 already has a release date and a potential director.
  • Marvel has not announced any plans for a new Avengers film following the massive success of Endgame.
  • Marvel will introduce many new heroes and villains in Phase 4, building the storyline towards future crossovers.

When Marvel announced its first MCU Phase 4 plans in July 2019, the company confirmed that it was working on projects including properties that Disney obtained following Fox’s acquisition. Without revealing specific plans, Marvel said that the X-Men and Fantastic Four are coming. In the wake of the massive Avengers: Endgame success, Marvel wasn’t ready to announce Avengers 5. The studio updated its Phase 4 plans quite a few times since then.

In the months that followed the initial announcement, Marvel announced a few additional Disney+ shows and confirmed that Spider-Man 3 would be included in Phase 4. Then the coronavirus pandemic forced Marvel to modify its launch plans for the films and TV series that were already announced — ultimately, 2020 turned out to be a year with no new MCU adventures for fans. A few weeks ago, Marvel announced more details about Phase 4, confirming several cast members, new show titles, and updated release dates. It even revealed the first details about the first Fantastic Four film. But Kevin Feige & Co. are yet to share any details about the next Avengers adventures.

Back in 2019, I explained why there’s no Avengers 5 in Phase 4. Endgame marked the end of the line for three significant Avengers. Black Widow and Iron Man died in the quest of defeating Thanos for good, and Captain America retired after that whole ordeal. Marvel will use Phase 4 to rebuild the team, recruiting new members via the upcoming movies and TV shows.

The same goes for villains. Thanos was the main threat in the Infinity Saga storyline, and now he’s gone. We’ll discover quite a few new villains in Phase 4, with Kang, Namor, Doctor Doom, and Norman Osborn all rumored to be part of the upcoming series.

Infinity War and Endgame needed more than 10 years of storytelling. All those intertwined movies allowed us to fall in love with the heroes, villains, and the story. The introduction of Disney+ shows will allow Marvel to tell even more complex stories. Marvel has more time to explore its rich universe and develop new characters. This could help Marvel bring over the next massive Endgame-like film to theaters sooner. We might not have to wait another decade for an epic conclusion like Endgame. That’s if Marvel is going this way, as some rumors said the next Avengers film would be a sort of soft reboot of the franchise, rather than a full-blown epic finale. What’s clear is that Marvel can’t just ignore the strength of the Avengers franchise. On top of that, we’re likely to see even more crossovers, considering the increasingly large number of heroes coming to the MCU.

This brings us to a massive leak on 4chan from a person who says they’re connected to well-informed Marvel insiders. This person already posted the purported title of Spider-Man 3 and told us the next Black Panther character would surprise audiences. The leaker claims he or she has information about Avengers 5.

The person says Marvel wants to launch Avengers 5 in May 2024 and are looking at Joss Whedon to return to the MCU to write and direct the film. The leaker says Marvel wants to see first what happens with the Ray Fisher Warner Bros. investigation.

Other than Whedon, the leaker had no information about the plot, title, or roster. He or she speculated that Avengers 5 would feature Dark Reign, the story that follows the Secret Invasion storyline — Marvel has already announced the Secret Invasion TV series.

The leaker also speculated that Secret Invasion and Captain Marvel 2 would be much bigger than anticipated, just like Spider-Man 3. Marvel would build up the Thunderbolts through Phase 4 and 5. Osborn (Willem Dafoe) and the Thunderbolts should be the main villains of Avengers 5.

The film might be as big as Infinity War and Endgame when it comes to characters. Thor 4 and Captain Marvel 2 will be smaller Avengers movies, the person said.

The leaker also addressed the Young Avenges in other remarks, saying that several team members will be introduced throughout Phase 4. Many of them appear in the Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. The Young Avengers will be a Disney+ TV series rather than a movie.

Chris Smith Senior Writer

Chris Smith has been covering consumer electronics ever since the iPhone revolutionized the industry in 2008. When he’s not writing about the most recent tech news for BGR, he brings his entertainment expertise to Marvel’s Cinematic Universe and other blockbuster franchises.

Outside of work, you’ll catch him streaming almost every new movie and TV show release as soon as it's available.