Menu

Report: Marvel and Disney on Track to Cancel ‘Avengers: Secret Wars’ 2027 Release

Split image: On the left, a man in a green suit with arms outstretched stands on stage. On the right, an MCU superhero in a helmet wields a large hammer, looking determined in a dramatic Avengers: Endgame scene.
Credit: Marvel Studios Comic Con / Marvel Studios / edited by ITM

Marvel Studios is approaching the most important stretch in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) since the Infinity Saga ended, but the second half of that plan may have hit a serious obstacle. A new report claims Avengers: Secret Wars may not begin filming until February 2027, a timeline that would put its December 2027 release date in doubt and could reshape Marvel’s entire upcoming slate.

Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom in the 'Avengers: Doomsday' trailer
Credit: Marvel Studios

Marvel’s Road to Battleworld

Phase Six is built around two major team-up films: Avengers: Doomsday (2026) and Avengers: Secret Wars (2027). Both are directed by Joe and Anthony Russo, the duo behind Avengers: Infinity War (2018) and Avengers: Endgame (2019), and Marvel is relying on them to restore momentum to a franchise that has had an inconsistent run in recent years.

Kevin Feige has discussed using Secret Wars to reset the MCU around a single timeline, making it one of the most structurally important films the studio has attempted. Doomsday also marks the return of Robert Downey Jr. (Victor Von Doom/Doctor Doom), who comes back to the MCU in an entirely different role from his previous turn as Tony Stark/Iron Man.

What the Russo Brothers Have Said

Speaking after San Diego Comic-Con, Anthony Russo said Doomsday was in the advanced stages of post-production, with work continuing on its score, sound mix, and other finishing touches. He confirmed that preparations for Secret Wars were underway, but when asked when cameras would roll, he stayed deliberately vague, suggesting only that the start date was approaching.

Thor (Chris Hemsworth) in the 'Avengers: Doomsday' trailer
Credit: Marvel Studios

A Suspension, or a Case of Mistaken Identity?

In August, reports emerged suggesting Secret Wars had already begun filming at a UK production base. According to UK production tracker Filmbase, filming had then been suspended for approximately five weeks, with the break expected to last until late September.

Industry insiders Daniel Richtman and MTTSH quickly challenged that reading. Richtman said Doomsday was still undergoing reshoots and that Secret Wars was expected to begin filming at the end of September. MTTSH similarly claimed the footage being shot was additional photography for Doomsday, not Secret Wars. Under that interpretation, the reported hiatus had simply been attributed to the wrong film.

Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark/Iron Man in 'Avengers: Endgame'
Credit: Marvel Studios

New Report Points to February 2027 Start

That late-September window now appears to have passed without a confirmed start. Richtman has since reported that Secret Wars may not begin filming until February 2027.

A film of this scale typically requires an extensive post-production period, particularly given the visual effects work an Avengers event demands. A February start would leave a far tighter window than Marvel has given its previous team-up films.

A 2027 Without Marvel?

If filming begins in 2027, it would be all but certain that Marvel and Disney will miss the December 2027 release date. That would push Secret Wars into 2028 and leave the MCU without a single theatrical release in 2027, a remarkable gap for a studio that has released films almost every year since the franchise began.

Tom Holland returning in 'Avengers: Endgame'
Credit: Marvel Studios

The Knock-On Effect for X-Men

A delay would not affect Secret Wars alone. Marvel’s slate is tightly sequenced, and moving its biggest film into 2028 could disrupt everything scheduled around it, including the highly anticipated X-Men movie (TBA).

That project was confirmed at D23 Expo 2026 alongside an almost full cast, including Sadie Sink (Jean Grey), who made her first appearance in the role in Spider-Man: Brand New Day (2026). With mutants expected to play a central role in the MCU’s post-Secret Wars future, any slip in the Avengers timeline would likely ripple directly into the X-Men’s arrival.

What Could Secret Wars Look Like?

Unverified leaks reportedly originating from Doomsday suggest its ending could introduce Battleworld, the patchwork reality expected to anchor Secret Wars. Previous reports described a world in which Doctor Doom controls most heroes and villains.

The Cosmic Circus’s Alex Perez compared the premise to WandaVision (2021), describing a medieval-inspired reality reminiscent of the What If…? (2021) storyline that reimagined the Avengers in 1602. Elizabeth Olsen (Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch) has not been confirmed to return.

Patrick Stewart as Charles Xavier in the 'Avengers: Doomsday' trailer
Credit: Marvel Studios

For now, nothing has officially changed. Avengers: Doomsday remains on track for its December 2026 release, and Secret Wars still holds its December 2027 date on Marvel’s calendar. However, if Richtman’s report proves accurate, fans should prepare for a longer wait than expected, both for the conclusion of the Multiverse Saga and for the X-Men’s long-awaited MCU debut.

Until Marvel Studios addresses the reports directly, the best approach is to treat the February 2027 timeline as a strong possibility rather than a certainty and to watch for official updates as Doomsday‘s release draws closer.

How do you feel about the current state of Avengers: Secret Wars and the upcoming reset of the MCU? Let us know in the comments down below!

About Thomas Hitchen

When he’s not thinking about the Magic Kingdom, Thomas is usually reading a book, becoming desperately obsessed with fictional characters, or baking something delicious (his favorite is chocolate cake -- to bake and to eat). He's a dreamer and grew up on Mulan saving the world, Jim Hawkins soaring through the stars, and Padmé Amidala fighting a Nexu. At the Parks, he loves to ride Everest, stroll down Main Street with an overstuffed pin lanyard around his neck, and eat as many Mickey-shaped ice creams as possible. His favorite character is Han Solo (yes, he did shoot first), and his favorite TV show is Buffy the Vampire Slayer except when it's One Tree Hill. He loves sandy beach walks, forest hikes, and foodie days out in the Big City. Thomas lives in England, UK, with his fiancée, baby, and their dog, a Border Collie called Luna.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

*

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.