If you’ve watched all the MCU movies in order, then you know the Marvel Cinematic Universe has never been shy about pushing boundaries. And with the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday & Secret Wars looming on the horizon, fan theories are running rampant about what comes next, especially given Kevin Feige’s comments about the future of the MCU. Will The House of Ideas hit the reset button with a full-scale reboot, or will they find a more creative way to keep the multiverse saga rolling? According to one bold fan theory, the answer may lie in an unexpected corner of Marvel Comics history: Battleworld.
The theory, posted to Reddit, more specifically the subreddit r/marvelstudios by user Ozymandiiass, argues that Marvel’s next phase won’t be a straightforward reboot at all. But rather a continuation of the stories we’ve seen, but reframed under a cosmic new status quo. Instead of cleanly wiping the slate, the theory claims that Secret Wars will end with Doctor Doom secretly becoming a godlike figure who reshapes reality itself. As the post puts it:
The multiverse stories will end in Avengers: Secret Wars but not with a reboot, but with Battleworld creation and everyone’s memory getting wiped by Doom. It will look like Doom lost in Secret Wars, but in actuality Doom will become a god. He will be the God who is present everywhere and controls everything but no one will know about it.
In other words, the MCU’s future may hinge less on an Avengers victory and more on Doom’s deception. For context, Battleworld — most famously featured in the 2015 Secret Wars comic event — was a planet-sized realm formed from fragments of destroyed alternate universes after a multiversal incursion. Battleworld functioned as a vast patchwork world where heroes and villains from different realities collided within distinct “domains.” Could this serve as the stage for Phase 7? On the surface, life might appear normal, but behind the scenes, Doom’s hand would be quietly steering everything.
The theory goes even further, suggesting that Marvel could use this setup to deliver a wide variety of stories that feel like Marvel’s What If…? (available with a Disney+ subscription) scenarios, with heroes occasionally sensing that something is “off” about their world. Those suspicions would drive a slow-burning mystery through the next phase, culminating in Doom’s eventual defeat. And only then, according to the theory, would Marvel commit to a true, across-the-board reboot.
It’s a wild idea, and fans are split on whether it’s genius, impossible, or just too comic book-y for the big screen. Here are some of the best reactions from the thread:
- MikeyTheShavenApe – “I think that's too comic book-y for movies meant for a general audience. The good guys will win, we will return to a new status quo in a normal world, and they'll start pumping out X movies.
- TheLiquor1946 – “Movies set in Battleworld could feel like their own thing and not necessarily tied to Secret Wars. They could simplify it for the general audience.”
- Ozymandiiass (the OP) doubled down – “Imagine MCU live action zombie movie, vampire movie, Old Man Wolverine movie, X-Men movie… everything happening in each section on Battleworld. Meanwhile Doctor Strange, Professor X and Mr. Fantastic trying to find the reason for all this chaos.”
- Mizerous – “They aren't dragging out this saga anymore, not with X-Men coming.”
- Fuzzy_Acanthisitta24 put it bluntly – “Hell, Secret Wars (2015) was too comicbook-y for comicbook readers. Every title got canceled or suspended and replaced by a line-wide collection of what ifs. It was ballsy, don't get me wrong, but it would never in a million years work in the movies.”
The takeaway? Fans are intrigued by the possibility of Doom secretly pulling the strings in the MCU, but many doubt Marvel will risk confusing general audiences, especially with the MCU’s version of the X-Men waiting in the wings.
Whether it’s Battleworld, a straight reboot, or something else entirely, one thing that’s clear is that the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday and its follow-up Secret Wars have already sparked the kind of speculation frenzy only Marvel can inspire.
I suppose we will just have to see what’s in store for the MCU’s future when Doomsday hits the 2026 movie schedule and Secret Wars the following year. Be sure to stay tuned for any updates about these movies and all things new Marvel movie releases.
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