Avengers: Secret Wars is scheduled to begin shooting imminently, meaning it won't be long until details start leaking and, if we're really lucky, photos from the movie's set begin finding their way online.
There's already been some chatter about what's to come, including supposed plans for Elizabeth Olsen's Scarlet Witch. It seems Marvel Studios will add elements of Avengers: The Children's Crusade to the next Avengers movies, potentially using Secret Wars as a launching platform for a Young Avengers or Champions project.
In recent days, we've heard that Wanda Maximoff will feature in one of Avengers: Doomsday's post-credits scenes, potentially assembling a team of heroes to fight back against Doctor Doom.
Now, insider @MyTimeToShineH is claiming that "Wanda will be one [of] the main leads in Avengers: Secret Wars." The character has been sidelined in the MCU since 2022, when she seemingly perished beneath Mount Wundagore.
Following the events of WandaVision and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Wanda remains one of the MCU's most tragic and emotionally damaged characters (she's also MIA and believed dead). Doom exploiting her grief, guilt, and immense power would be an easy way to establish him as a threat while simultaneously bringing Olsen back into the spotlight.
As always, a claim like this is best taken with a pinch of salt for now. Marvel Studios has yet to officially announce Olsen's return, let alone reveal what role Wanda might play in the franchise's future.
"It's a character I love going back to when there's a way to use her well, and I think I've been lucky when I started, I was used well...and they kind of didn't know what to do with me for a second there!" Olsen previously said of her MCU future. "If there's a good way to use her, I'm always happy to come back."
The confirmed (or semi-confirmed, at least) cast of Avengers: Secret Wars includes Robert Downey Jr. (Doctor Doom), Chris Evans (Steve Rogers), Chris Hemsworth (Thor), 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 Thunderbolts* cast is also expected to return.
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 writer 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.