A new update about Avengers: Secret Wars reveals when the Marvel Cinematic Universe movie will start filming, and if it seems much later than Avengers: Doomsday, there’s a good reason for that. This summer, The Fantastic Four: First Steps launched Phase 6 of the MCU, and we’re only a few years out from its conclusion, which will be when Avengers: Secret Wars releases in 2027.
Currently, the slate of upcoming MCU movies is quite sparse, with the only other confirmed movie being Spider-Man: Brand New Day, set to hit theaters in July 2026. It will be followed by Doomsday in December 2026, then Secret Wars a year later in December 2027. It’s unclear if Marvel Studios will release any other movies in 2026 or 2027, but it’s unlikely since production would need to begin within the next few months.
In terms of the confirmed MCU movies, both Spider-Man: Brand New Day and Avengers: Doomsday have completed principal photography. Recently, it was revealed that Avengers: Secret Wars will start filming in Summer 2026. This start date is later in the calendar year than Doomsday, which began filming in April of this year. However, there’s an easy explanation for this.
Why Avengers: Secret Wars Will Start Filming Later Than Avengers: Doomsday
Avengers: Doomsday began filming in April because it was originally intended for a May 2026 release date. This gave the movie a little over a year for filming and the post-production process, which was cutting it close. Then Disney and Marvel Studios delayed both Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars, so they’d release in December rather than May of their respective release years.
Since Avengers: Secret Wars was delayed from May 2027 to December 2027, it makes sense that filming would start later in 2026. That explains why it’s starting later than Doomsday. In fact, Secret Wars could have more time for filming and post-production than Doomsday originally did, depending on when in Summer 2026 it begins.
Why Avengers: Doomsday & Avengers: Secret Wars Were Delayed
Ever since The Avengers debuted in 2012, Marvel Studios has slated their flagship film franchise in early May or late April to capitalize on the start of the summer movie season. However, after Thunderbolts* failed to perform in a similar window, it seems Disney decided to move its upcoming Avengers movies to the safer December window, where franchises like Avatar and Star Wars have found great success.
Whether this was a smart move remains to be seen. Although the Thunderbolts* ending revealed the movie was actually the origin story of a new Avengers team — appropriately called the New Avengers — it wasn’t marketed as an Avengers movie until after release, so it’s debatable whether that truly proves the April/May window is now a dud for the MCU. Still, December has seen many billion-dollar releases, so it’s doubtful the new timeframe will hurt Doomsday or Secret Wars.
While Avengers: Secret Wars is based on a Marvel Comics event of the same name, there’s still plenty we don’t know about how the MCU will be adapting the storyline to the big screen. With the first Avengers: Doomsday trailer set to debut next month, hopefully we’ll know more about what to expect from both upcoming Avengers movies soon enough. We’ll certainly learn more once Avengers: Secret Wars starts filming next summer.
- Release Date
-
December 17, 2027
- Writers
-
Jack Kirby, Stan Lee, Stephen McFeely
-
Victor von Doom / Doctor Doom
-
Reed Richards / Mr. Fantastic
-
Vanessa Kirby
Sue Storm / The Invisible Woman
-
Ebon Moss-Bachrach
Ben Grimm / Thing
