The Marvel Cinematic Universe is charging toward the massive events of Spider-Man: Brand New Day, Avengers: Doomsday, and ultimately Avengers: Secret Wars.
While fans are focused on what comes next in the Multiverse Saga, a surprising new report is already shifting attention to what Marvel Studios has planned afterward. And if the latest rumor is accurate, Thunderbolts* could be sticking around for another mission.
Industry insider Alex Perez recently shared some interesting insight during his latest Cosmic Circus Q&A, revealing what he says are Marvel Studios’ biggest movie priorities once Secret Wars is in the rearview mirror.
One project that stands out is a sequel to Thunderbolts*, something many fans probably wouldn’t have expected after the film’s theatrical box office performance.
Perez explained: “Marvel’s movie focus right now is on Black Panther 3, Shang-Chi 2, Spider-Man 5, the X-Men, Thunderbolts* sequel, Blade, Midnight Sons, and the next Avengers title.”
That lineup is certainly interesting, especially considering Thunderbolts didn’t exactly light up the global box office. The movie earned $382.4 million worldwide against a reported $180 million production budget, numbers that placed it among Marvel’s weaker theatrical performers.
While audiences didn’t flock to theaters in huge numbers, the movie was freakin’; awesome, and it connected extremely well with both critics and fans.
It currently holds an impressive 88% critics score and a 93% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, proving the response to the film itself was far more positive than its box office suggested.
It also reportedly enjoyed a strong streaming debut, giving Marvel even more reason to view the project in a favorable light.
Then there’s director Jake Schreier. Marvel was reportedly so impressed with his collaborative filmmaking style on Thunderbolts that the studio tapped him to direct its highly anticipated X-Men reboot.
A sequel also starts making a lot more sense when you consider where these characters appear to be headed. Thunderbolts is expected to feed directly into both Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars, giving the team a much larger spotlight before launching into another standalone adventure.
One character in particular seems poised to become a major fixture of the MCU moving forward. Florence Pugh‘s Yelena Belova has steadily grown into one of Marvel’s most popular heroes since making her debut in Black Widow, and it certainly feels like Marvel has every intention of keeping her front and center.
The franchise may have accidentally stumbled onto its next long-running team series, even if they’re technically considered the “New Avengers” within the MCU.
Still, Perez’s comments also highlight one of Marvel’s biggest ongoing challenges. The Multiverse Saga has introduced an enormous number of new heroes, but many of them have seemingly disappeared for years after their first appearances.
Shang-Chi remains absent following his debut, Moon Knight has yet to return, and several other characters have been left waiting while Marvel juggles an increasingly crowded slate.
That issue could become even more difficult once the X-Men officially arrive. There’s already speculation that Black Panther 3 could introduce Storm, offering one possible bridge into Marvel’s mutant era, but whether the studio can successfully balance all of these characters remains to be seen.
Some projects on Perez’s list aren’t exactly surprising. Spider-Man 5 has always been expected to be near the top of Marvel’s priority list, especially with Spider-Man: Brand New Day reportedly generating incredibly strong early ticket sales.
Director Destin Daniel Cretton is already earning plenty of excitement for what many fans hope will become the best MCU Spider-Man movie yet, and his eventual return for Shang-Chi 2 would feel like a natural fit.
Perhaps the most fascinating entries, though, are Blade and Midnight Sons. Marvel has spent years trying to launch its supernatural corner after announcing Mahershala Ali as Blade back in 2019. Development has been a rough road, and fans are still waiting to see whether that side of the MCU will finally come together.
For now, this is still speculation, but if Perez’s information proves accurate, Marvel’s roadmap after Secret Wars is already taking shape.
