Rumours have swirled for months that Avengers: Doomsday will open with Hugh Jackman's Wolverine and Tobey Maguire's Spider-Man squaring off in the midst of an Incursion.
Deadpool, Magneto, Doctor Octopus, and the Green Goblin are also rumoured to be part of the sequence that reportedly concludes with the apparent deaths of both heroes. That explains why Wolverine isn't fighting alongside the X-Men when Doctor Doom's Sentinels attack, though many fans have expressed disappointment with this apparent "waste" of both heroes.
We've heard from multiple sources that both Jackman and Maguire will have more substantial roles in Avengers: Secret Wars, and insider @MyTimeToShineH has now shed some light on what we can potentially expect from the duo.
"Hugh Jackman's Wolverine and Tobey Maguire's Spider-Man will reportedly have a quest together in Avengers: Secret Wars," they write. "They are looking for something. Or... SOMEONE."
It's an intriguing use of both characters, lining up with what we've heard about a handful of survivors from the pre-Battleworld Multiverse assembling to take down Doctor Doom. As for that "someone," we're going to put our money on Tom Holland's Peter Parker.
Appearing on Good Morning America in June, Jackman refused to answer questions about his rumoured MCU return and wouldn't budge on the subject. Even when the host pointed out that the actor didn't say no, he remained silent.
Jackman did, however, acknowledge, "You got me early in the morning. If I was going to break, this was when I was going to break." Alas, he did not break on that occasion. Maguire largely remains out of the spotlight and rarely acts, so we've not really heard from him on Spider-Man since 2021.
The confirmed (or, semi-confirmed, at least) cast of Avengers: Secret Wars includes Robert Downey Jr. (Doctor Doom), Chris Evans (Steve Rogers), Anthony Mackie (Captain America), Benedict Cumberbatch (Doctor Strange), Paul Bettany (The Vision), Letitia Wright (Black Panther), Simu Liu (Shang-Chi), and Hayley Atwell (Peggy Carter).
Also appearing are Pedro Pascal (Mister Fantastic), Vanessa Kirby (Invisible Woman), Joseph Quinn (Human Torch), Ebon Moss-Bachrach (The Thing), and Sadie Sink (Jean Grey).
The Russo Brothers direct Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars from a screenplay by Stephen McFeely, with whom they previously collaborated on the Avengers and Captain America franchises. Loki and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness's Michael Waldron has also been enlisted to refine the story, alongside Spider-Man: Brand New Day's Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers.
Avengers: Doomsday is set to be released on December 18, with Avengers: Secret Wars scheduled to arrive on December 17, 2027.