While the franchise continues to bloom on both the big and small screens, Marvel exec Brad Winderbaum doesn’t think Avengers: Secret Wars will kickstart a reboot of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The 2027 movie will again be a two-part story crossing over various characters and arcs from throughout the MCU, with Joe and Anthony Russo returning to direct both it and Doomsday before it, while Michael Waldron and Stephen McFeely pen the script. A report surfaced in late 2023 that claimed Kevin Feige was looking to softly reboot the MCU after Secret Wars, though the studio has remained quiet since.

During an interview with Screen Off Script to discuss the upcoming release of Daredevil: Born Again, Winderbaum was asked about the possibility of Avengers: Secret Wars serving as a soft reboot of the MCU, alluding to the rumors that began swirling in late 2023 about it doing so. Though the Marvel exec notes that his involvement on the TV side of things somewhat precludes him from knowing all of the answers, he doesn’t imagine such a thing happening for the franchise, particularly as attempts to do so in the comics have had mixed results. See what Winderbaum explained in the quote and video below:

So, you’re going to have to ask Kevin about the features. I’m on the TV side, but we do navigate the same waters and live in the same universe. I’m a comic fan, I’ve read comics since I was 12 years old, and I’ve seen what happens at comic companies when things get full reboots. And the truth is, every time there’s been a full reboot at Marvel or DC — DC, in particular [chuckles] — it always feels like you can’t really fully reboot anything. The classics always come back around, it’s a very difficult thing to do to a living, breathing fictional universe to just start from scratch, because of all of the fan investment and love for the stories that have come so far.

\n”‘};

window.arrayOfEmbedScripts[“twitter”] = “”””;

What This Means For Avengers: Secret Wars & An MCU Reboot

Such An Undertaking Will Be A Mᴀssive Challenge

Since reports first swirled of the potential MCU reboot after Avengers: Secret Wars‘ release, fan debate has raged about whether or not it was the right decision to do so. While some are not ready to see their favorite characters replaced, others have argued that the increasingly rocky output from the studio is a sign that it’s time for them to start from scratch. For every ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool & Wolverine or Agatha All Along, there comes Captain America: Brave New World‘s middling box office and Secret Invasion‘s critical panning.

Though Winderbaum’s comments may not offer any actual insight into whether Feige and the studio are considering doing so, they do come with the understandable point that rebooting the MCU is not going to be an easy feat. Unlike James Gunn and DC Studios, which ran for a decade with 15 movies and one TV show, the MCU is currently comprised of 34 released movies, four more either in production or post-production, and 18 TV shows, 12 of which are released and six of which are either in production or on the verge of release.

However, if there was any time to reboot the MCU, it would be as it comes to closing out The Multiverse Saga, as Feige and co. could ultimately shift their entire focus to a new universe rather than continuing on with the various others they’ve explored thus far. That would also give Marvel the opportunity to cast a new roster of actors who could carry on their roles for years to come, much like how Robert Downey Jr. played Tony Stark/Iron Man for just over a decade before his initial retirement in Avengers: Endgame.

Our Take On Avengers: Secret Wars Potentially Rebooting The MCU

There Are Enough Signs Pointing To No

While it does seem like the MCU is getting big enough to the point of needing to start over, I do think it’s a bit premature for Avengers: Secret Wars to serve as the franchise’s reboot. There are a lot of projects on the horizon about to introduce new versions of iconic heroes to the fold, including this year’s Fantastic Four: First Steps and the long-gestating Blade and X-Men reboots, that would more or less become unnecessary after the reboot, while others like Simu Liu’s Shang-Chi have only just gotten started that it would be a shame to see them shifted away.

Source: Screen Off Script/Twitter

Upcoming MCU Movies

• 
  
  

  
  

  Thunderbolts*

  Release Date

  
  May 2, 2025
  

  
  
  
  

  
  

  Powered by

  
  

  
  Expand
  Collapse
  

• 
  
  

  
  

  The Fantastic Four: First Steps

  Release Date

  
  July 25, 2025
  

  
  
  
  

  
  

  Powered by

  
  

  
  Expand
  Collapse
  

• 
  
  

  
  

  Avengers: Doomsday (2026)

  
  
  
  
  

  
  

  
  Powered by

  
  

  
  
  Expand
  Collapse
  

• 
  
  

  
  

  Spider-Man Homecoming 4

  Release Date

  
  July 24, 2026
  

  
  
  
  

  
  

  Powered by

  
  

  
  Expand
  Collapse
  

• 
  
  

  
  

  Avengers: Secret Wars

  Release Date

  
  May 7, 2027
  

  
  
  
  

  
  

  Powered by

  
  

  
  Expand
  Collapse