Avengers 5 (formerly called The Kang Dynasty) is still on the way, but it's probably the most up in the air of all of Marvel's upcoming movies. This is because Jonathan Majors has been officially dropped as Kang going forward and the film has been renamed simply Avengers 5. More than this too, the movie has already changed directors and writers a fair few times, which means we could be on the path to more tweaks yet.
So, what do we know about Avengers 5? Well, Marvel Phase 5 so far had given us a good indication about the villain, thanks to his involvement in Ant-Man 3 and Loki season 2. This means if Marvel decides to recast Kang, this all may still be very relevant to his plans in the MCU. We also have a release date as well as some more indications about where this one falls in Marvel Phase 6. Read our full guide to Avengers 5 below.
Avengers 5 release date
Currently, Avengers 5 has a release date of May 1, 2026.
Originally, Kevin Feige confirmed that it would be released in 2025, with Secret Wars to follow in 2026 during Marvel's 2022 San Diego Comic-Con panel. Now Secret Wars is due on May 7, 2027.
So, why such a long wait between Avengers: Endgame and Avengers 5? "When we were doing Phase 1, Phase 2, and Phase 3, there were [fewer] projects over more years," Feige previously explained. "They were smaller projects and individual character stories, and it felt appropriate at that point, that after every two or three years that it took for a phase, we would do an Avengers film.
"As [Phases] 4, 5, and 6 were coming together, there are more projects in less years – because of all the amazing stuff we're now allowed to do on Disney Plus, and getting characters from Fox – Fantastic Four, and Deadpool – that it felt like, certainly after Infinity War and Endgame, that we thought Avengers movies aren't cappers."
Avengers 5 cast
So, this is where things start to get a bit tricky. Jonathan Majors was originally cast as Kang the Conqueror and all of his variants. He's played the role in several projects now, including Loki and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. However, he was dropped from Marvel Studios in December 2023. This was after the actor was found guilty of reckless assault in the third degree and harassment on December 18, 2023.
Now, Marvel may be planning to recast the role of Kang to continue his storyline. However, nothing has been confirmed one way or the other with that one just yet.
As for other cast members for Avengers 5, no one has been confirmed yet. However, it seems likely many familiar faces will crop up. Considering his antics in the multiverse, Doctor Strange is not a bad shout, while Ant-Man's another pick, seeing as Kang has unfinished business with him after Quantumania.
The new Avengers could also include Fantastic Four, Shang-Chi, the new Black Panther, Ironheart, and Daredevil, as each hero has a solo project in the ongoing Multiverse Saga. Then there's the young Avengers who we saw begin to come together in The Marvels ending. Kate Bishop, Yelena Belova, Kamala Khan, Cassie Lang, Skaar, and Echo could all be part of that.
The final line-up, however, probably won't be known until much closer to release – and we'll keep you updated on when names are confirmed.
Avengers 5 director and writer
Initially, Shang-Chi mastermind Deston Daniel Crettin was down to direct the next Avengers movie. However, in November 2023, it was confirmed that he was stepping down to focus on other Marvel projects, including Wonder Man.
Currently, the film is without a director but it does have a writer. In November, it was confirmed that Michael Waldron will be penning the script, taking over from Jeff Loveness. Waldron, known for his work on Loki and Doctor Strange 2, was already down to write Avengers: Secret Wars.
Avengers 5 plot
Plot details for Avengers: 5 are scarce, but we can hazard a guess at the direction of the story after Quantumania. Kang the Conqueror is the big bad of that movie, who was exiled to the Quantum Realm by the Council of Cross-Time Kangs (as seen in the post-credits scene). He spent a long time trying to escape with the intention of wiping out multiple timelines in an effort to stop his Variants, who are wreaking havoc on the multiverse and causing incursions. But, the ant-family stop him, and Kang is seemingly killed at the end of the movie. Whether he's really gone is a mystery for now, but there are many, many, many more Variants who could pose a threat in Avengers 5 – and the Council wants to stop the Marvel heroes exploring the multiverse.
The Loki season 2 finale shed more light on this one too. After meeting Victor Timely, a Kang variant, the show ends with Loki making the ultimate sacrifice to hold together the branched timelines at the end of time. The show then cuts forward to the TVA back in action with Mobius (Owen Wilson) and Hunter B-15 (Wunmi Mosaku) discussing Kang variants. "Do any of them know that we exist yet?" B-15 asks Mobius, who replies: "Nope. I guess one of them caused a little bit of a ruckus on 616 adjacent realm, but they handled it so we’re all good for now." That's of course a reference to Ant-Man 3. But what does seem to come from this is that the TVA are investigating Kang variants, and are likely on their radar too.
Kevin Feige has already teased Kang as a villain. "What I love is that [Kang is] totally different from Thanos. He is completely different. It's not just how about there's a bigger purple guy with a helmet, that's not what Kang is," Feige told ComicBook. "Kang is a very different type of villain and the fact that he is many, many different characters is what's most exciting and most differentiates him."
Now, let's look to the comics: a story titled The Kang Dynasty ran from 2000 to 2001 and saw Kang take over the Earth by destroying the United Nations and then teaming up with a whole roster of villains, including Eternals' foes the Deviants and the underwater armies of Atlantis, promising them all different parts of the planet. Kang then heads into the future to see how the Avengers may stop him, returning to the present and foiling their plans. The world soon gives into Kang.
The Avengers regather and launch an attack from space – and lose. Only when The Wasp manages to rally the other villains and turn them on Kang do the superheroes actually manage to save the day. Of course, the story's much more complicated than that and you can find our deep-dive on the comics' Kang Dynasty here.
Of course, all of this relies on Marvel deciding to continue the Kang storyline and recast Majors. It's a waiting game on that one at the moment, but as soon as Marvel sets it course, we'll keep you updated.
And that's everything we know about Avengers 5. For much more on the MCU, be sure to check out our full breakdown of all the upcoming Marvel movies and shows heading your way soon.
