We may take it for granted now that we’re eleven years and two-dozen movies into the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), but when the studio started having characters from separate franchises interact with each other on the big screen, whether it be brief cameos, supporting roles or full-blown blockbuster crossovers, it was a world-building strategy that had never been attempted before.
Based on the box office numbers though, fans really love the cross-pollination between the disparate heroes of the MCU when these major events happen. Not only is it the highest-grossing franchise in history, but Marvel Studios are also responsible for four of the ten biggest box office hits of all-time, which are all coincidentally Avengers movies.
With Endgame drawing a definitive conclusion to the Infinity Saga though, many wondered whether the studio would shy away from these epic team-ups in order to focus on establishing a roster of fresh faces to carry the MCU into the future. Kevin Feige hinted previously that the Avengers could be set to reappear at some point down the road, and in a recent interview, the company’s Chief Creative Officer doubled down on that statement, admitting that the MCU’s next huge crossover event is already in the works.
“The MCU is all interconnected, but we really focus on one movie at a time. We’re going to make the best Black Widow movie we can possibly make, the best Eternals movie we can make, the best Shang-Chi, the best Doctor Strange, Thor, Captain Marvel, Black Panther… and keep evolving their stories. Then, yes, it is always fun to see them come together in a master plan. Which is, I promise you, well underway.”
Recent reports claimed that the studio were considering an adaptation of Secret Wars as the MCU’s next major crossover event, and given that Feige made it clear that the Eternals are well aware of the existence of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, the two could ultimately combine to serve as the narrative driving force behind the next Avengers-level blockbuster. And when you factor in the Disney Plus shows as well as Deadpool, the X-Men and the Fantastic Four all coming to the MCU in the near future, whatever Marvel are cooking up next certainly has the potential to blow Endgame completely out of the water.
