Despite being the biggest franchise in movie history, theMCUis not infallible and there are some resolutions that it will need to make in 2025 and beyond.The MCU timelineis in the middle of the Multiverse Saga and has stumbled quite a few times post-Avengers: Endgame. No matter what, though, the MCU has proven time and again that it can still produce a hit, with a handful of movies in the past few years being some of their biggest hits of all time.
There is a lot to like aboutthe MCU’s release slate, with some of the biggest movies the franchise has ever made on the horizon. Still, the MCU will need to clean up a few things and nail a few others to really give this second Saga of theirs a chance to end on a high note. Here are tenresolutions the MCU must make in 2025 and beyond.
10Lower Its Production Budgets Across Movies And TV
High Budgets Make It Harder To Turn A Profit
One of the biggest detriments to the MCU over the past few years, is the bloated production budgets. Of course, COVID is partially responsible for some of these massive numbers, but films likeThe Marvelsshouldn’t cost $270 million and an Ant-Man movie shouldn’t even come close to a $300 million budget. It’s unsustainable for Marvel Studios and causes some of these films to be financial flops (or under-performers) when they fail to even recoup their massive production costs.
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Besides, the MCU has shown that bigger budgets don’t make projects better. When looking at the TV side of things,Agatha All Alongwas the least expensive MCU series yet, whileSecret Invasionwas the most expensive. Only one of these series was even good, and it definitely wasn’t the one that used AI opening credits despite having a production budget larger than nearly all the films in the MCU.
9Finally Bring Together The Young Avengers
The Young Avengers Are Now Five Years In The Making
One thing the MCU needs to do (and hopefully soon) is finallybring the Young Avengers together. When Phase 4 kicked off,it felt like Marvel Studios really wanted to begin to lay the groundwork for the younger superhero team, as a number of members were introduced in various Multiverse Saga projects. All the major pieces are essentially on the board, save for Tommy, which feels like the perfect time for the MCU to finally have these younger heroes join together as the Young Avengers.
Following the events ofAgatha All Along, Billy is continuing his search for his twin brother Tommy.
TheAvengersfranchise has consistently been the biggest franchise for the MCU in terms of box-office, as all four films are in the top five. A Young Avengers movie might not reach those exact heights, but there is a lot of potential for a team full of younger heroes that could essentially work like Marvel’s version of the Teen Titans. The MCU has shown a willingness to have multiple superhero teams with the Thunderbolts, Guardians of the Galaxy, and Avengers; maybe it’s time to throw in the Young Avengers.
8Have Another Billion-Dollar Box Office Success
Huge Hits Like Spider-Man And Deadpool Bolster The MCU
When Phase Three was in full-swing in the lead up toAvengers: Infinity War, it felt like the MCU could do no wrong, as the Infinity Saga had a large number of movies earn well over $1 billion at the box-office.Post-Avengers:Endgamehas had three, with two of those being Spider-Man, and the other had Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman reprising their iconic roles for the MCU this time around.
A big test for this, will be to see how audiences react toThe Fantastic Four: First Steps.
There have been quite a few more duds in the Multiverse Saga as well, and it could do the MCU good to reach those massive financial heights again, realizing the potential the saga has always had. A big test for this, will be to see how audiences react toThe Fantastic Four: First Steps. If that film could come close to the coveted $1 billion mark, it could mean very good things for the future of the MCU, where they are one of the premiere teams alongside the X-Men.
7Emphasize Quality Over Quantity
It Doesn’t Matter How Many MCU Projects Release In 2025 If Fans Don’t Respond Well
One of the biggest missteps the MCU has had was the drastic increase in output following the conclusion of the Infinity Saga. Many times, it felt much like quantity over quality, which led to a lot of the projects not being as strong as they could have been, as Marvel Studios seemed to have spread themselves too thin. One of the biggest culprits for this change was the various TV productions for the MCU. Their TV schedule, alongside a steady stream of movies was a lot, and that was obvious.
Since that initial push, the MCU seems to have slowed down, especially in 2024, where only one film was released, and the slate wasn’t packed with shows. One thing to be cautious of going forward is thatMarvel Studios will have at least six TV series coming out in 2025 alone. This doesn’t seem to line up with the idea of quality over quantity that should be the focus, but hopefully, the jam-packed slate doesn’t cause too many problems with Marvel Studios trying to do many things at once.
6Make Daredevil: Born Again As Many Seasons As Possible
Charlie Cox’s Daredevil Is A Proven Favorite Among Fans
To further explore the TV side of Marvel Studios, a lot of their shows have felt like long movies, only getting one season with nothing on the horizon. Disney has said they are looking to go back to the more traditional style of television, with showrunners and multiple seasons.Daredevil: Born Againseems to be benefiting the most from this philosophy as it has already been renewed for a second seasonwithout the first even being released until March 2025. The MCU would be wise to keep the ball rolling.
It feels likeDaredevil: Born Againis the most important TV series for Marvel Studios, with a lot riding on its success.
TheDaredevilseries on Netflix ran for three seasons, which allowed time for the story to breathe and to really feel worth it in the end, after watching Matt Murdock progress as a character throughout that time.Daredevil: Born Againis essentially a fourth season, considering it will follow the events of the original series. If Marvel Studios really wanted something special on their hands, they would allow Daredevil to get as many seasons as he possibly can.
5Nail Doctor Doom
The MCU Needs A Thanos-Level Threat
When Robert Downey Jr. was revealed to be playing Doctor Doom inAvengers: DoomsdayandAvengers: Secret Wars, there was a lot of discourse about the casting choice, both good and bad. It is definitely a bold choice to go with Downey Jr. after he gave a decade to the MCU playing Tony Stark.Whether it is the right choice or not will only be known once he officially shows up as Doctor Doom.
Make no mistake, Marvel needs to nail Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom from the get-go. If he is a lackluster character, and doesn’t live up to the hype, it could be pretty easy to say that he was the wrong choice to play the character. If Doctor Doom is incredible, though, and Downey Jr. gives one of his best Marvel performances ever, then Kevin Feige, Robert Downey Jr., and the Russo Brothers will be geniuses. It’s a risky move that needs to succeed.
4Figure Out The Blade Movie
Fans Have Been Waiting For Mahershala Ali’s Blade For Half A Decade
One of the most frustrating things about the MCU since the Infinity Saga ended is the all the drama surrounding the Blade film. Mahershala Ali was announced as the character with a movie in the works all the way back in 2019. Since then, a handful of directors and writers have joined and left the project, with the film being stuck in limbo the entire time.With a remarkable talent like Ali wanting to play the character, it is incredibly frustrating to see Marvel Studios fumble such a straightforward concept.
I’m Convinced That Wesley Snipes Will Play Blade Again Before Mahershala Ali Joins The MCU
After the MCU Blade movie received a very negative update, I believe that Wesley Snipes will be the only Blade of the MCU’s Multiverse Saga.
It shouldn’t be that difficult for the biggest movie franchise of all time to figure out how to makeBlade. Wesley Snipes’ return as the character inDeadpool & Wolverinewas a lot of fun, but just muddied the waters even further with Mahershala Ali’s take on the character still not coming anytime soon. If Marvel really is intent on making a Blade film, they will need to really figure it out in 2025 or Mahershala Ali might eventually decide to finally walk away.
3Have More Recurring Villains
Characters Like Loki Are Audience Favorites
There have been some great villains over the course of the MCU’s history, but there have been even more unremarkable ones, only being a footnote in the larger universe. One of the main reasons this happens is becauseMarvel likes to routinely use villains as a one-time thing, never giving them enough time to properly develop. Loki, Thanos, and Kingpin are some of the best the MCU has ever had, and they have been in multiple projects.
In 2024, DC showed how successful keeping a villain around for more than one film can be, as Colin Farrell as the Penguin had his own series after being introduced inThe Batman. It was the right move, too, considering he has become one of the best comic book villains of all time. The MCU needs to do this more. Characters like Galactus and Doctor Doom need the same type of treatment. One-off villains can be great, but building them up to something even greater is even more rewarding.
2Finally Get A Fantastic Four Adaptation Right
Marvel’s First Family Deserves A Quality Adaptation
The Fantastic Four have been struggling to get a truly great adaption for three decades. The 1994 film was only made to retain the rights, never actually being released. The two mid-2000s movies were serviceable at their very best, and the 2015 attempt is one of the worst comic book movies of all time.Marvel’s First Family is ready for a fantastic adaptation and the MCU needs to completely deliver with the upcoming film.
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The Fantastic Four: First Stepsis arguably the most important MCU film in 2025. The cast is amazing and there is a lot of promise with it taking place in a 1960s retro-futuristic universe. If the film is a dud, then it might be a long time before The Fantastic Four get another film. They will absolutely be included in team-up movies, but their own film series could never get off the ground. That means it’s time for a great adaptation of the characters.
1Make Avengers: Secret Wars The Biggest Marvel Movie Ever
Secret Wars Should Celebrate Marvel’s Movie History
Avengers: Endgamewas a cinematic event that very few films (if any) could even rival. It was also the largest cast of characters in a superhero film by far, concluding the Infinity Saga in remarkable fashion.Avengers: Secret Warsneeds to do the same for the end of the Multiverse Saga, butit needs to go even bigger given the nature of the story and what Marvel has been building up to this entire time.
Avengers: Secret Warswill seemingly bring decades of Marvel films together into one massive film, most likely resulting in the biggest cast of characters the MCU has ever seen. The Multiverse Saga allows for these massive stories to take place, and ifAvengers: Secret Warsreally is the end of this iteration of theMCU, before a possible soft-reboot, it needs to be absolutely massive, with legendary characters over the years each having a role to play when it is all said and done.
Marvel Cinematic Universe
The Marvel Cinematic Universe is a multimedia superhero franchise that began in 2008 with Paramount’s Iron Man starring Robert Downey Jr. The franchise quickly grew in popularity, with Disney eventually buying out Marvel Entertainment in 2009. The MCU consists of dozens of movies and TV shows, most notably Avengers: Endgame, WandaVision, and Loki.
