Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is one of the most beloved franchises in the world. Having kickstarted with the 2008 movie Iron Man, the media franchise has expanded to short films, television, and digital series. The MCU releases its projects in groups called Phases and as of now, it is on Phase 5, which started with Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.
The first three phases, collectively known as The Infinity Saga consist of 2019 the movie Avengers: Endgame which saw three of the six original Avengers bidding adieu to the franchise which broke the hearts of millions of fans across the world. However, a recent update has suggested that some of the MCU characters, which fans had assumed would never return, might make a comeback.
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Marvel Cinematic Universe Might Get A Reboot
Over the past fifteen years, several entities tried to create a replica of the Marvel Cinematic Universe but so far, none of them have managed to be successful in their attempt to do so. From the very beginning of the franchise, it has been helmed by Kevin Feige, CCO of Marvel Entertainment and president of Marvel Studios.
Kevin FeigeAhead of the Walt Disney Co.’s 100th anniversary, Feige told Variety, “Even after 32 movies, it feels like we’ve barely scratched the surface.” This statement implies that there is a lot more to come in the future so it does not hurt to think that it might include a little reboot of the franchise.
During her interview on The Watch podcast, author of the new Marvel book MCU: The Reign of Marvel Studios Joanna Robinson hinted that a reboot might be in store, saying:
“We have a quote from Kevin Feige sort of implying that, like, Secret Wars will serve as a soft reboot in which they can prune everything… That’s not to use a Loki-ism. [They’ll] prune everything that’s not working and just keep what is [working], or bring back people you thought were gone forever.”
On one hand, this news is worth celebrating as fans might get the chance to watch their favorite superheroes grace the screen once again, it also opens doors to the villains that were gone for good.
Marvel Has A Way To Sort It All Out
Author Joanna RobinsonIn the current predicament, Marvel literally and figuratively has a lot going on. After all, making sure that all the phases made so far make sense and remain interconnected must be a grueling task even for the exceptionally talented Kevin Feige.
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The last chapter named ‘How Much We Have Left’ of the book MCU: The Reign of Marvel Studios has a paragraph close towards the end that references a meeting between Feige and author Joanna Robinson in which the former shows the author a 1988 poster of hundreds of Marvel characters drawn by Ed Hannigan and Joe Rubinstein.
A nice reminder of what we were all doing together almost exactly 1 year ago. A nice reminder of what we will all be doing together someday again. #AvengersEndgame https://t.co/l8Tm8Kj2DC
— Kevin Feige (@Kevfeige) April 7, 2020
The above-mentioned poster was indicative of how many new characters are going to be introduced in the franchise. Robinson wrote that over time, Feige has had to learn how to periodically reboot characters, how spinoffs and variants can be kept in check, and that an annual event can bring all the rampaging characters together.
Frequently asked questions
Did Kevin Feige confirm the MCU is getting a reboot?
No. Feige has not confirmed a reboot. The article is built on author Joanna Robinson’s interpretation of Feige’s comments, in which she suggested on The Watch podcast that Avengers: Secret Wars could act as a soft reboot that prunes what isn’t working. This is analysis and speculation, not an official Marvel announcement, so it should be treated as a fan-favored reading rather than confirmed plans.
What did Joanna Robinson actually say about a soft reboot?
Promoting her book MCU: The Reign of Marvel Studios on The Watch podcast, Robinson said there is "a quote from Kevin Feige sort of implying that… Secret Wars will serve as a soft reboot" that could "prune everything that’s not working and just keep what is [working], or bring back people you thought were gone forever." The reboot framing is Robinson’s interpretation, not a direct Feige statement. Separately, Feige told Variety, "Even after 32 movies, it feels like we’ve barely scratched the surface."
Which fan-favorite characters could return to the MCU?
The article does not name specific characters or announce any castings. Robinson’s general point is that a soft reboot via Secret Wars could theoretically bring back characters fans thought were gone for good, and could also reopen the door to past villains. Any specific names, returns, or release dates circulating online remain unconfirmed fan speculation and have not been verified by Marvel Studios.
