Avengers: Secret Wars Rumored To Feature Marvel's Most Emotional Reunion - Again
It's been five years since Marvel Studios released an Avengers movie, and it will be at least another two years before we finally get "Avengers 5." The long-awaited team-up is slated to premiere on May 1, 2026, but there are a lot of question marks. The "Kang Dynasty" subtitle that was previously attached to "Avengers 5" was stripped after Kang actor Jonathan Majors' removal from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. "Avengers 6," which is set to be released in 2027, still carries the "Secret Wars" subtitle. And now, according to one Marvel insider, it looks like we might be getting another reunion between Iron Man and Spider-Man in that second film.
That greater context is important because, even if this rumor is true, a lot of details are still up in the air. We don't know — and Marvel might not even know — what the story for the next two Avengers movies entails. Regardless, the reputable MCU insider known as @MyTimeToShineH on X (formerly known as Twitter), now claims that "Secret Wars" will see Spider-Man reunite with his mentor, Tony Stark.
"They will meet again in Secret Wars," the account tweeted in response to a post featuring a GIF of the characters' emotional hug in "Avengers: Endgame." That heartfelt scene takes place after Peter Parker returns from the dead once Thanos' snap is undone. If we get another moment between them in "Secret Wars," the roles will be reversed, as Iron Man would be the one rising from the grave. So, is it feasible?
How realistic is another Iron Man and Spider-Man reunion?
In December 2023, after rumors surfaced that Robert Downey Jr. might be brought back to the MCU, Kevin Feige stated that Marvel would not resurrect Iron Man. The character's death in "Avengers: Endgame" is one of the most impactful and memorable moments in the entire franchise, and undoing it would be tough to pull off satisfyingly. It's also possible Downey may not be interested in playing the character again. His time in the MCU seems to be completely over and done with.
It's also still uncertain whether or not Tom Holland will play Spider-Man again in the MCU, though recent rumors claim that a "Spider-Man 4" is in development with Zendaya also returning. Time will tell if that's true or not.
Marvel Studios might not need either star to make a Spider-Man and Iron Man reunion happen. With the Multiverse now at the center of the franchise and a few years to go before the release of "Secret Wars," there's plenty of room to recast the roles and make them variants from other dimensions. Of course, that would kneecap some of the emotional weight of a reunion. The report from @MyTimeToShineH is vague in how the two characters will return. And though the source has been reliable before, this could be an idea that Marvel ultimately scraps.
Is reuniting Iron Man and Spider-Man even a good idea at this point?
In truth, "Avengers: Secret Wars" might be better off letting sleeping dogs and dead superheroes lie. By the time the movie comes out in 2027, it will have been eight years since Iron Man's last appearance in the MCU (not counting "What If...?") and six years since "Spider-Man: No Way Home." Because the franchise has struggled to rebuild a consistent narrative foothold during the Multiverse Saga, going back to old characters and storylines might seem like a good idea. But the property would probably benefit from investing in new arcs that Marvel Studios can build on in the years to come.
For now, that's all up in the air. Regardless of rumors, the removal of Jonathon Majors' Kang — the only real central storyline the MCU has managed to construct since the end of the Infinity Saga — has thrown the next few years of movies into question. We know that Marvel intends to cut back on its Disney+ shows. We also know that the Fantastic Four and the X-Men will be key to the studio's plans going forward. But promising ideas don't necessarily make for a compelling whole. While the rumor reported by @MyTimeToShineH may be an actual arc being tossed around at Disney, there's plenty of time for it to be abandoned before "Avengers: Secret Wars" releases.