Before the Marvel Cinematic Universe first started, audiences worldwide had already watched multiple superhero franchises on the big screen. Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man, Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine, Wesley Snipes’s Blade, and Ben Affleck’s Daredevil were just some of the characters that had already made history before Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark built his first Iron Man armor and paved the way for the appearance of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes.
The majority of those legacy Marvel characters have already stepped out of the picture. However, now that the MCU is heading towards the end of its Multiverse Saga, anything is fair game, and every single hero believed to be long gone could make an unexpected appearance.
Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield’s versions of Spider-Man already swung back into action during the events of Spider-Man: No Way Home. Furthermore, X-Men variants from the Fox era have been confirmed to appear in Avengers: Doomsday. So, what other surprises could be in store for the final step of the road, Avengers: Secret Wars? Well, thanks to a new report, we may finally have an answer.
Spider-Man from the multiverse in Columbia Pictures SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME.
The two previous iterations of Spider-Man could be the only legacy heroes in Avengers: Secret Wars
The end of the Multiverse Saga may not be as wild as we originally expected. According to reliable insider Alex Perez (via The Cosmic Circus), the only legacy characters that are secured to appear in Avengers: Secret Wars are Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield’s Spider-Men. Nicolas Cage’s Ghost Rider and Ben Affleck’s Daredevil were also being discussed, though it’s unclear whether they will actually show up in the movie.
Interestingly enough, the X-Men are not mentioned in the report, even though they are confirmed to appear in Avengers: Doomsday. Granted, there’s a chance that they are not considered “legacy” characters because we’re about to see new iterations of those heroes, even if they are played by the same actors who took over the big screen over 20 years ago. However, there’s also a possibility that their story will come to an end in Avengers: Doomsday.
After the MCU’s Multiverse Saga culminates, we’re bound to watch a brand new take on the X-Men. The first step towards realizing that plan could come as soon as Spider-Man: Brand New Day releases, where Sadie Sink is rumored to play the role of Jean Grey. Furthermore, an X-Men movie helmed by Thunderbolts* director Jake Schreier is in the works and set to come our way in 2028. Casting rumors suggest younger actors are about to bring iconic characters like Cyclops or Beast to life.
It wouldn’t be surprising to learn that this new generation of X-Men will be introduced during the events of Avengers: Secret Wars, which would explain why their legacy counterparts won’t be in the film. That would explain why Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield’s Peter Parkers will be the only two heroes from previous franchises set to be part of the last project in the Multiverse Saga.
(L-R): Rogue (voiced by Lenore Zann), Jubilee (voiced by Holly Chou), Jean Grey (voiced by Jennifer Hale), Cyclops (voiced by Ray Chase), Roberto Da Costa (voiced by Gui Agustini), Nightcrawler (voiced by Adrian Hough), Storm (voiced by Alison Sealy-Smith), and Morph (voiced by JP Karliak) in Marvel Animation’s X-MEN ’97. Photo courtesy of Marvel Animation. © 2024 MARVEL.
On the one hand, it could seem surprising that Marvel doesn’t take more advantage of its last opportunity to bring multiversal characters into the fold. However, it’s important to remember that the superhero giant has been introducing many new heroes throughout the years, and many of them were never seen after their debut.
The Eternals, She-Hulk, Moon Knight, Werewolf by Night, Kate Bishop, Wiccan, and more had one-and-done appearances. So, it would be the best move to involve them in the ongoing multiversal storyline rather than cast them aside in favor of legacy heroes. Furthermore, street-level characters such as Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, and Iron Fist have spent most of their lives isolated from the wider MCU, meaning it would be the perfect chance to finally see them join forces with Earth’s Mightiest Heroes.
Marvel’s main objective should be to close out the Multiverse Saga in a cohesive way. Perhaps the best way to achieve that is to remove any unnecessary multiversal cameo appearances and shine the spotlight on the characters that are currently active in the MCU. Of course, it’s always best to take rumors with a grain of salt. But for the time being, it seems that Deadpool & Wolverine will be the epitome of legacy character appearances on the big screen.
Avengers: Secret Wars will be released on Dec. 17, 2027.
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