Marvel Studios is preparing for a sweeping shift in strategy that includes recasting iconic characters, revisiting its once-dizzying output, and using the 2027 release of Avengers: Secret Wars to reset the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). In a rare, candid interview to media, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige laid out the studio’s roadmap for the future, acknowledging past missteps while unveiling what lies ahead for Earth’s mightiest heroes and their replacements.

The upcoming X-Men film, directed by Jake Schreier will introduce completely new faces. While familiar faces like Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, and Kelsey Grammer will reprise their roles in 2026’s Avengers: Doomsday, Feige confirmed the franchise will be recast following Secret Wars.

“We’re utilizing that [story] not just to round out the stories we’ve been telling post-‘Endgame,’ just as importantly — and you can look at the ‘Secret Wars’ comics for where that takes you — it very, very much sets us up for the future,” said Feige. “‘Endgame,’ literally, was about endings. ‘Secret Wars’ is about beginnings.”

Feige was careful to avoid calling the transformation a “reboot.” Instead, he referred to the shift as a “reset,” indicating a soft continuity shift rather than a hard restart. “Reboot is a scary word. Reboot can mean a lot of things to a lot of people. Reset, singular timeline — we’re thinking along those lines,” he said.

The new X-Men films will revisit the mutant metaphor through the lens of adolescent identity, a core theme in the comics. “They have been a place to tell stories about young people who feel different and who feel Other and who feel like they don’t belong. That’s the universal story of mutants, and that is where we’re going,” Feige added.

The president of Marvel Studio also indicated other beloved characters like Tony Stark and Steve Rogers will eventually be recast. “David [Corenswet], the new Superman — he was awesome. That will always be the case,” he said, referencing the recasting of legacy roles across cinematic universes.

While some retired stars like Robert Downey Jr. are difficult to replace, Feige said, it’s a natural evolution. “How are they going to ever replace Sean Connery [as James Bond], right?”

A Strategic Reset After Overexpansion

Feige admitted the studio’s explosive growth after Avengers: Endgame led to overproduction and audience fatigue. “We produced 50 hours of stories between 2007 and 2019,” Feige said. “But in the six years since ‘Avengers: Endgame’ concluded the Infinity Saga, we’ve had well over 100 hours of stories — in half the time. That’s too much.”

The studio’s aggressive Disney+ expansion diluted its core storytelling model, he admitted, shifting focus away from quality and overextending Marvel’s lean executive team. “For the first time ever, quantity trumped quality,” Feige said.

Going forward, Marvel will scale back to a maximum of three films per year and produce far fewer TV shows—often just one live-action series annually. TV and film will operate more independently, with shows no longer required viewing for understanding films.

“I think allowing a TV show to be a TV show is what we’re returning to,” Feige said, confirming that major film events will no longer affect smaller series like Daredevil: Born Again. “No,” he said simply, when asked if the events of Thunderbolts would impact the NYC-based series.

Financial Recalibration and Leaner Productions

Following a string of box office underperformers and rising production costs, Marvel is now reining in budgets. Projects post-Endgame saw ballooning costs, but Feige said new titles, from Deadpool & Wolverine to Fantastic Four, are being made for up to one-third less than earlier blockbusters.

The studio even consulted the creators behind the budget-friendly sci-fi film The Creator to adopt more cost-efficient techniques.

“I think it has to get better. Is AI going to do that? I don’t know,” Feige said, signaling openness to evolving methods but wariness of overreliance on technology.

No Miles Morales for Now, But Familiar Faces Will Return

Despite public interest, Spider-Man’s Miles Morales is not headed to the MCU just yet. Sony, which holds the rights to the character, has asked Marvel to stay away until its animated trilogy concludes in 2027. “That is nowhere,” Feige said.

Still, he reassured fans that representation remains integral to Marvel’s identity. “Marvel represents the world outside your window,” he said. “I’ve always said it, before DEI and woke became a thing and after DEI and woke became a thing — are we after? I don’t think so.”

He praised Ms. Marvel star Iman Vellani as “one of the greatest bits of casting we’ve ever done,” though he avoided confirming whether the teased Young Avengers will become a reality. “Potentially,” he said.

Doctor Doom Rises, Kang Falls

Feige revealed that Marvel had begun pivoting away from Kang as the primary villain even before actor Jonathan Majors’ legal troubles emerged. Instead, the studio leaned into Doctor Doom—now to be played by Robert Downey Jr.—as the central antagonist.

“We had started to realize that Kang wasn’t big enough, wasn’t Thanos… We started talking about Doctor Doom even before we officially pivoted from Kang,” Feige said.

As for characters like Clea, Hercules, and the Eternals? “Do you want to see them again?” Feige quipped, suggesting some may return—but offering no timeline.

The Future Is Global and Genre-Bending

Feige confirmed that upcoming Avengers films will be shot primarily in London’s Pinewood Studios due to stage space availability and favorable tax conditions. Despite that, future production could return to U.S. locations like Georgia and New York, which offer competitive incentives.

Meanwhile, Feige hinted at a genre-focused future, with a renewed interest in single-character stories akin to Shang-Chi. He said, “We were talking about a structure of an upcoming post-‘Secret Wars’ movie that I won’t name. [It’s] getting back to what genre haven’t we done and want to do… focus on a singular storyline by embracing a certain genre we haven’t seen in a while.”

Feige is also taking inspiration from the golden age of cinema. “Everything old is new again, by the way,” he said, referencing a nightly habit of watching classic films from the 1930s and ’40s. “That’s another reason I watch those old movies.”

As for what lies beyond Marvel for Feige, he remains committed to crafting cinematic experiences. “Do I want to be making big movies for big audiences in 10 or 15 years from now? Yes, absolutely. That’s all I want to do,” he said. “Marvel’s a great way to do that for me right now, but I hope to make big movies for lots of people forever.”

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