Marvel Studios is set to make up for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness' disappointments now after confirming Avengers: Secret Wars. As the Phase 4 slate of Marvel Cinematic Universe content continued to release, it became quite clear that the multiverse was becoming a key part of the overall story. While prior MCU movies toyed with the idea of other timelines and universes, it was not until Loki that viewers really experienced what the multiverse contained. This was expected to be just a small glimpse of what would come in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and beyond.
There is no doubt now that MCU is building towards a multiversal event. Marvel's San Diego Comic-Con announcements included the huge reveal that Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars are coming out in 2025. Audiences have already met a version of Kang with He Who Remains in Loki, which explained his quest to conquer the multiverse. Comic readers are also familiar with the Secret Wars storylines, which have brought characters from various universes together to fight one another and eventually unite against a common opponent. This came alongside confirmation that the next three Phases of MCU storytelling are being labeled as the Multiverse Saga, with Avengers: Secret Wars culminating the overall multiverse storyline.
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While many predicted that Secret Wars was on the horizon for the MCU, it coming just three years after Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is a surprise. This is especially true considering how little multiverse exploration actually happened in Doctor Strange's sequel. Many expected the movie to visit countless other universes and feature a plethora of cameos from variants of Marvel characters, including bringing back past Marvel actors. There were a few examples of this thanks to Doctor Strange 2's Illuminati team, but otherwise, the movie's multiverse exploration left some viewers disappointed. The good news, though, is that Marvel Studios is sure to make up for it with Avengers: Secret Wars in Phase 6.
From the moment Marvel Studios announced Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, audiences began creating expectations for what the movie would be. With a title like that, a heavy exploration of the multiverse and showing the madness that exists within it was a big part of what viewers thought they would see. However, Doctor Strange 2's release in 2022 shockingly only really spent time in three universes: Earth-616, Earth-838, and Sinister Strange's universe that was largely destroyed by an incursion. While dozens of other universes were teased through America Chavez's powers, the disappointment about the movie's multiverse traveling was understandable. Furthermore, Doctor Strange 2 is not where the multiverse broke to set up even more adventures, making its importance in the grand scheme of the Multiverse Saga feel smaller than expected.
The other major reason why some viewers left Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness disappointed was due to a lacking amount of Marvel cameos. There was no shortage of rumors about who could appear in the movie and in what form. In the end, the only multiverse cameos came through Earth-838's Illuminati team. Professor X (Patrick Stewart), Mister Fantastic (John Krasinski), and Black Bolt (Anson Mount) officially joined the MCU through their cameos, while Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell) and Maria Rambeau (Lashana Lynch) became Captain Carter and Captain Marvel thanks to the multiverse. These appearances were exciting in their own right, but this came after intense speculation that Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) or Tom Cruise as an Iron Man variant would be in the movie. The rumor mill for Doctor Strange 2 got out of control and left the movie's use of the multiverse feeling somewhat underwhelming as a result.
There is little doubt, though, that Avengers: Secret Wars will deliver on all of the multiverse opportunities that Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness missed. There is no guarantee for how the MCU will adapt the comic storyline - or even which iteration of the story it will more heavily borrow from. Jim Shooter created the original Secret Wars in 1984 as a means to take Marvel's biggest characters to Battleworld to fight as part of the Beyonder's schemes. Jonathan Hickman then told a new version of the story in 2015 that introduced the idea of incursions - where two universes collide and threaten to destroy one or both. It was this version of Secret Wars that combined characters from all across Marvel's comic multiverse into a new Battleworld. The latter seems more aligned with the MCU's multiverse plans and setup, which opens the door for a lot of fun possibilities.
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If Avengers: Secret Wars even loosely follows the source material, audiences should see multiple universes featured in a significant fashion, not to mention glimpses of many others potentially forming Battleworld. This should give Marvel a proper place to visit various realities, either to spend time showing them being destroyed, reveal how some characters get to Battleworld, and so on. Any of these options open the door for the multiverse cameos Doctor Strange 2 was supposed to have according to the most popular speculation. Not only would this be a logical storytelling device for Marvel Studios to pull off a huge ensemble that is filled with Marvel multiverse characters, but it can also give them a way to increase the scope after Avengers: Endgame.
The opportunity for Avengers: Secret Wars multiverse cameos could help bring back Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield. The former Spider-Man and Amazing Spider-Man franchise stars famously returned in Spider-Man: No Way Home, as the multiverse cracking allowed them to team up with Tom Holland's Peter Parker. The movie ended with Maguire and Garfield's Spider-Men returning to their respective universes. While audiences have hoped that Spider-Man 4 or Amazing Spider-Man 3 could happen with them, it is possible that their return will actually come in Avengers: Secret Wars. Marvel Studios has not updated how Spider-Man fits into the Multiverse Saga, but it would be shocking if Holland was not in the Phase 6 movie. Depending on what Sony's future plans are, they could be okay with lending Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield to the MCU again for Secret Wars.
One of the exciting possibilities that exist with Avengers: Secret Wats is Hugh Jackman's return as Wolverine. After playing the iconic X-Men character for nearly two decades, the actor hung up his adamantium claws with 2017's Logan. He has often dispelled the idea of returning, but the one caveat has long maintained is if he got to be in the MCU and fight alongside Iron Man and some other original Avengers. If there was ever going to be an opportunity to bring Jackman's Wolverine to the MCU for an impactful role, Avengers: Secret Wars is it. He could be one of many multiverse heroes who becomes a main character in the movie as they fight Kang. This would be much more fulfilling to Jackman and audiences than a cheap fan-service cameo. And if the MCU's Wolverine has been introduced by this point, Secret Wars could also be a passing of the baton in a sense by having Jackman's version of the hero endorse his variant.
Tobey Maguire's Spider-Man, Andrew Garfield's Spider-Man, and Hugh Jackman's Wolverine are just the tip of the iceberg in terms of Avengers: Secret Wars cameos that could happen. This is most likely to be the place where Robert Downey Jr. returns as Iron Man for one final appearance, while Chris Evans' Captain America and Scarlett Johansson's Black Widow might even appear here. Marvel Studios can go far beyond this too by bringing back Wesley Snipes' Blade, Nicolas Cage's Ghost Rider, and other former X-Men stars even. Avengers: Secret Wars' Marvel cameos can also include other variants, whether that includes bringing back John Krasinksi's Reed Richards, Edward Norton's long-awaited Hulk return, or the debut of Tom Cruise's Iron Man.
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