Disney CEO Bob Iger is unsure about Marvel sequels but says the studio plans to introduce plenty of fresh faces

Last Updated on March 17, 2023

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is an ever-expanding world of wonder and super-heroics. It’s also become a revolving door where, as the MCU ages, it has become a revolving door for characters old and new. At Morgan Stanley’s 2023 Technology Media and Telecom Conference on Thursday, Disney CEO Bob Iger said Marvel is constantly re-evaluating the repeated use of certain characters and who will be the franchise’s new faces overall. Iger says the next five years are crucial to the Marvel formula. Decisions about who gets a sequel and which legacy characters will return for another adventure are forever in flux. Instead of relying on old tricks, Marvel is looking forward and is eager to bring young and exciting characters into the limelight.

“Marvel — there were 7,000 characters, there are a lot more stories to tell,” Iger said. “What we have to look at at Marvel is not necessarily the volume of Marvel storytelling, but how many times we go back to the well on certain characters. Sequels typically work well for us. Do you need a third or a fourth, or is it time to turn to other characters? There’s nothing in any way inherently off in terms of the Marvel brand. I think we just have to look at what characters or stories we’re mining. And if you look at the trajectory of Marvel over the next five years, you’re going to see a lot of newness. We’re going to turn back to the Avengers franchise, but with a whole set of different Avengers.”

While Marvel is still determining how many sequels they’ll offer going forward, the brand still has plenty of flagship characters returning for more silver screen shenanigans in Phase 5. Those sequels include James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, The Marvels, and Captain America: New World Order, starring Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson as Captain America. The studio also has Thunderbolts on the way, featuring a team of villains and anti-heroes tasked with achieving the impossible.

By the time Marvel reaches Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Secret Wars, the MCU could look significantly different than it does now. Iger hinted at a new Avengers team, which some think includes a mix of new and legacy characters. Marvel could introduce the Young Avengers as well, with characters like Kate Bishop, Ms. Marvel (Kamala Khan), Stature (Cassie Lang), America Chaves, Patriot (Eli Bradley), Wiccan (Billy Kaplan), Speed (Tommy Shepard), and Kid Loki already running around the MCU.

Part of the fun of the MCU is not knowing what comes next. That’s why it’s our job to speculate wildly about the future until Marvel reveals its grand plans. Let us know what you’d like to see from the MCU in the comments section.