Summary
It’s no secret that theMarvel Cinematic Universeis in a bit of a rough spot. After the high that wasAvengers: Endgame, many thought Marvel Studios could do no wrong, especially as they followed it up with hits likeWandaVision,Loki, andSpider-Man: No Way Home. Sadly, a mixture of behind-the-scenes turmoil, box office bombs, and unnecessary Disney+ projects have driven away many fans.
Hopefully, things are on the up and up for Marvel in the near future. 2025 will see the release of highly-anticipated projects likeThe Fantastic Four: First Steps, and fans are excited to see Robert Downey Jr. return forAvengers: DoomsdayandAvengers: Secret Wars. Still,there’s always the possibility that the MCU is nearing its end, which could happen in a number of ways…
10Secret Wars Could End In Chaos
The Multiverse Saga May Not Wrap Up Neatly
From the second Marvel Studios confirmed that The Multiverse Saga would be ending withAvengers: Secret Warsin 2027, diehard comic book fans have known what that could entail. Famously, theSecret Warsstoryline in the comics, originally published in the 1980s and revived in 2015, finds several multiverses in an incursion, with disparate heroes re-organized on a patchwork planet known as “Battleworld.”
Marvel has already toyed with this idea in The Void, which appeared in bothLokiandDeadpool & Wolverine, butthe confirmation of Doctor Doom’s involvementwith theAvengersmovies could further the idea that afterSecret Wars, there might be even less structure to the MCU. Recastings could happen on a whim, and characters who haven’t met could team up, with less of a focus on a continuous story in the future.
9The Multiverse Can Bring Back Old Foes
It’s Hard To Capture The Magic Of Thanos Twice
Spider-Man: No Way Homehas already provedthere’s a big audience for nostalgia, with Willem Dafoe’s Green Goblin and Alfred Molina’s Doc Ock being highlights of that film. Time will only tell if audiences show up with the same enthusiasm for previous antagonists of the MCU, like Josh Brolin’s Thanos (Brolin has even reprised the role inWhat If?, signaling his eagerness to return to the role).
The return of Thanos through the multiverse could be destructive since audiences already know what the character was capable of inInfinity WarandEndgame. A recasting of Kang the Conqueror could also happen through this logic, replacing the controversial Jonathan Majors with another actor. If RDJ’s Doctor Doom can’t end the MCU, maybe someone audiences already are invested in will.
8Wanda’s Return Might Be Devastating
Multiverse Of Madness May Have Just Been The Start
One big question mark that hangs over the MCU is the status of Elizabeth Olsen’s Wanda Maximoff, who seemingly died at the end ofDoctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Taking Wanda off the playing field was probably a smart move for Marvel, given how powerful she’s canonically proven to be, but it might also mean that her return could set up an iconic and conclusive moment from the comics.
InHouse of M, a comic storyline referenced numerous times throughoutWandaVisionandMultiverse of Madness,a maddened Wanda uses her powers of reality-bendingto erase all mutants from existence. In a similar manner, Wanda could return and do the same for all heroes in the MCU, essentially ending the franchise anti-climactically but in a way where a very popular hero goes out on top.
7The Eternals Hold The Key To Marvel’s Demise
Will Marvel Let These Characters Disappear?
It’s a shame that audiences didn’t seem to respond to 2021’sEternals, given how important the characters could’ve been going forward. Established as god-like beings sent to planets to help maintain a growing population for the emergence of Celestials, the film saw Earth’s family of Eternals prevent the planet’s destruction and ended on a cliffhanger as they were confronted by Arishem for their crimes.
With no news of the Eternals ever returning, Marvel could always pull the plug on the universe by having the all-powerful Celestials return to destroy Earth, as they were always supposed to. This wouldn’t have much of an impact on MCU characters who are off-planet, but it would at least fulfill the promise of seeing the Eternals once again.
6We Already Have A World-Ending Villain From What If?
A Familiar Enemy Could Make A Great Live-Action Villain
There are a lot of divided opinions about how the Disney+ seriesWhat If?has played out, but everyone can agree it was at its best during the first season episode “What If Ultron Won?” In the episode, the events ofAvengers: Age of Ultronplay out in a way where Ultron defeats the Avengers, eventually stealing the Infinity Stones from Thanos and breaking through the multiverse.
If in doubt, this multiverse iteration of Ultron could be the perfect “final boss” for the MCU. Whether our favorite heroes win or lose against this all-powerful creation of Tony Stark may be irrelevant if Marvel Studios can create an engaging and jaw-dropping finale involving Ultron. Plus, it might be the perfect way to tie-in the character of Vision, who has been M.I.A. since the end ofWandaVision.
5Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3 Has A Perfect Ending
An Ending Doesn’t Have To Mean Everyone Goes Away
Not every ending for the MCU has to end with all of our favorite heroes dying and the world being destroyed.As proven by James Gunn’sGuardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, audiences can be satisfied with seeing everybody happy in the end. The film’s ending shows Star-Lord returning to Earth to reunite with his grandpa, while Rocket leads a brand-new iteration of the Guardians.
Although there will always be those who wish to see more films featuring the likes of Spider-Man, Captain America, and Thor, perhaps the best ending for the MCU is just seeing the assembly of an all-new Avengers team featuring popular heroes like Captain Marvel, Scarlet Witch, Vision, and Black Panther, or even more obscure characters like Dane Whitman, Shang-Chi, and Moon Knight.
4Marvel Vs. DC Comes To Life
It’s All Riding On James Gunn’s Superman
Speaking of James Gunn, a lot of comic book fans have already gotten hyped over the promise of the writer-director’s new-and-improved DC film universe. Starting with 2025’sSuperman, Gunn will continue bringing what he brought toGuardians of the Galaxyto DC. If Kevin Feige and Marvel Studios are smart enough, they’ll capitalize on their relationship with Gunn to do something exciting.
As of yet,Marvel and DC have never crossed pathsin their respective film universes, but it wouldn’t be the first time the franchises have linked up. A miniseries from the late 90s saw characters from DC like Batman, Wonder Woman, and Superman battle the likes of Wolverine, Spider-Man, and Captain America. It would truly be game-changing to see these film franchises unite on-screen.
3The MCU Gets An “Ultimate” Reset
The 1990s saw a similar pattern in terms of comic book sales as the Marvel Cinematic Universe is currently experiencing. As a result, Marvel Comics decided the best way to reignite interest was to reboot the comic book franchise with less of a focus on the continuity that had plagued comics up to that point. Thus,the world was graced with the “Ultimate Marvel” imprint.
Taking place on Earth-1610, these stories had no association with the existing Marvel Comics continuity, allowing for new interpretations of popular characters like Spider-Man, the X-Men, and Hulk. This series culminated in the 2015Secret Warsstoryline, in which the Earth-1610 universe merged with Earth-616. Perhaps the best path forward for the MCU is a reset for a whole new generation of audiences.
2Perhaps The Franchise Ends With A Bang
A Tribute To Films Past Would Satisfy Many Fans
It was known from early set photos ofDeadpool & Wolverinethat the film would be lampooning the 20th Century Fox universe of Marvel movies, given that a giant set-piece of the iconic logo was seen. However, few expected to see that the movie was actually a heartfelt tribute to the Fox Marvel franchise, even ending with a blooper reel and behind-the-scenes footage of the entire history of Fox Marvel films.
Perhaps all it takes to properly end the MCU is one film that ends on a nostalgic high. Whether that’s anAvengersfilm, aSpider-Manfilm, or even theX-Men, the best way to endear audiences to the Marvel Cinematic Universe again is to make them miss it.Deadpool & Wolverinehas already proven it’s possible to do that and still exceed at the box office.
1Superhero Movies Might Be On Their Way Out
2025 Will Be A Decisive Year For Marvel
For the record, cinematic universes aren’t going anywhere. Films likeSonic the Hedgehog 3,The Super Mario Bros. Movie, andDune: Part Twohave shown that audiences still love franchises as much as ever. However, 2025 will be a make-or-break year for Marvel Studios, withCaptain America: Brave New World,Thunderbolts*, andThe Fantastic Four: First Stepsall releasing in theaters, andDaredevil: Born AgainandIronheartlaunching as Disney+ series, all in the first half of the year.
Only time will tell if these films and series can reignite the audience’s passion for superhero movies, but with the added bonus of James Gunn’sSupermanreleasing in summer 2025, it’s simply the truth that the MCU might endnot with a climactic film or nostalgic tribute, but with a fizzle if audiences simply stop showing up for new films. Hopefully, that won’t be the case, and given the financial success ofDeadpool & Wolverinein 2024, it seems unlikely that the money will stop flowing in Marvel’s direction any time soon.
