The upcoming “Avengers: The Kang Dynasty” has undergone a major rebranding. The next two Avengers movies will now be titled “Avengers: Doomsday” and “Avengers: Secret Wars,” both directed by Joe and Anthony Russo. The Russo Brothers, who previously directed four Marvel films, including the hugely successful “Avengers: Endgame,” announced their return at San Diego Comic-Con’s Hall H, much to the delight of the fans.
Joe Russo explained that after finishing “Avengers: Endgame,” they felt creatively exhausted. However, they discovered a compelling story that brought them back to Marvel. This story, which they describe as the biggest Marvel has ever told, is “Avengers: Secret Wars.” To do justice to this epic tale, they needed a powerful character like Doctor Doom, who will be played by Robert Downey Jr., famously known for his role as Iron Man. The first movie, “Avengers: Doomsday,” is set to premiere in May 2026, followed by “Avengers: Secret Wars” in May 2027.
The Russo Brothers’ independent studio, AGBO, will co-produce these films with Marvel. Stephen McFeely, who co-wrote the Russos’ previous Marvel films, will handle the scripts for both “Doomsday” and “Secret Wars,” taking over from Michael Waldron, who was initially writing the script for “The Kang Dynasty” and “Secret Wars.”
The change in direction comes after Destin Daniel Cretton, originally slated to direct “The Kang Dynasty,” left the project to focus on other Marvel films, including a potential sequel to “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.”
This rebranding also follows the controversy surrounding Jonathan Majors, who played the villain Kang. After being convicted of misdemeanor assault and harassment, Marvel parted ways with Majors, leading to uncertainty about the character’s future. Despite Majors’ multiple portrayals of Kang, the character didn’t resonate with audiences as strongly as Thanos did. The Season 2 finale of “Loki” concluded Kang’s storyline, allowing Marvel to move forward with their plans for the Multiverse Saga without significant disruption.
In the interim, the Russo Brothers directed other projects, including “Cherry” with Tom Holland, Netflix’s “The Gray Man” starring Ryan Gosling and Chris Evans, and the upcoming “The Electric State.”
