As the Marvel Cinematic Universe pushes deeper into Phase Six, the franchise is juggling record-setting launches, shifting box office patterns, and the growing question of what the Avengers’ next generation will look like.
July marked the debut of The Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025), directed by Matt Shakman, which officially kicked off the studio’s latest era. The reboot introduced Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Marvel’s iconic quartet of Reed Richards, Sue Storm, Johnny Storm, and Ben Grimm. The debut of the team—long requested by fans—set the stage for a high-stakes rollout.
The movie opened strongly, raking in $118 million domestically and $218 million worldwide. However, momentum slowed quickly, with the film plunging 66% in its second weekend to just under $40 million. According to Box Office Mojo, its current global total stands at $514.9 million. For Marvel, it’s a reminder of a recurring trend: high debuts followed by steep declines, whether due to shifting audience habits or the realities of today’s box office landscape.
Even as Fantastic Four lays groundwork for future stories, Pedro Pascal has already completed his role in Avengers: Doomsday (2026). At the same time, he remains connected to Behemoth!, a new collaboration with Tony Gilroy, the creator of Star Wars: Andor.
“Fantastic Four kicked off the next phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and Pascal recently wrapped production on the next Avengers movie, Avengers: Doomsday, which will premiere in 2026,” Deadline wrote. “Also in 2026, Pedro will reprise his role as Din Djarin in Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu.”
Doomsday began filming in April 2025, and while it’s not unusual for certain cast members to finish early, Pascal’s wrap has sparked attention, considering Reed Richards’ significance to Marvel’s overarching storyline.
The Avengers’ lineup moving forward remains unresolved. Recent films like Captain America: Brave New World (2025) and Thunderbolts* (2025) showcased cracks in alliances, suggesting potential conflicts ahead. Kevin Feige has indicated that the teams formed in Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars (2027) will not remain permanent, with a larger reset looming. That reset is tied in part to Franklin Richards’ appearance in First Steps and the seismic events of Secret Wars, after which the X-Men are set to become Marvel’s next headliners.
Avengers: Doomsday will also feature several iconic X-Men from the 20th Century Studios era. James Marsden, Ian McKellen, Rebecca Romijn, Patrick Stewart, and Alan Cumming are all confirmed to appear, with Famke Janssen and Halle Berry also rumored.
Cumming, who portrayed Nightcrawler in X2 (2003), confirmed he has finished filming. Following his Emmy win for Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality Competition Program, the actor told the press he was “finished it.”
“I did a lot of stunt work and training. That was amazing,” he shared of the preparation involved (via Comic Book Movie). “The stunt people couldn’t believe that I could get up, let alone jump around and do this boxing and training.”
With the Russo Brothers returning to direct, Doomsday appears poised to echo the ensemble scope of Avengers: Infinity War (2018) and Avengers: Endgame (2019). Rumors suggest one storyline could stem from Steve Rogers’ reunion with Peggy Carter, which may have triggered an incursion impacting Victor Von Doom (Robert Downey Jr.), setting the character on a path of vengeance.
The film won’t arrive until 2026, but it’s already shaping up to be one of Marvel’s most ambitious crossovers yet.
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