Disney CEO Bob Iger isn’t sure about Marvel sequels, but says the studio plans to introduce plenty of fresh faces

Disney CEO Bob Iger says Marvel Studios is committed to bringing fresh faces into the spotlight as the franchise progresses.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is an ever-expanding world of wonder and superheroes. It’s also become a revolving door, where as the MCU has aged, it’s become a revolving door for characters old and new. Speaking at Morgan Stanley’s Technology Media and Telecom Conference 2023 on Thursday, Disney CEO Bob Iger told Marvel constantly re-evaluates the repeated use of certain characters and who the new faces of the franchise will be overall. Iger says the next five years are critical to the Marvel formula. Decisions about who gets a sequel and which old characters return for another adventure are forever in flux. Rather than relying on old tricks, Marvel is looking ahead and striving to shine the spotlight on young and exciting characters.

“Marvel – there were 7,000 characters, there are many more stories to tell”, said Iger. “What we need to look at at Marvel isn’t necessarily the volume of Marvel storytelling, but how often we draw on the well on certain characters. Sequels usually work well for us. Do you need a third or fourth, or is it time to move on to other characters? There is nothing wrong with the Marvel brand in any way. I think we just have to look at what characters or stories we’re dismantling. And if you look at Marvel’s trajectory over the next five years, you’ll see a lot of new things. We’re going to revisit the Avengers franchise, but with a whole bunch of different Avengers.”

While Marvel is still finalizing how many sequels they will offer in the future, the brand still has plenty of flagship characters returning in Phase 5 for more big screen shenanigans. Among those sequels is James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, The wondersAnd Captain America: New World Orderwith Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson as Captain America. The studio also has thunderbolts on the road with a team of villains and anti-heroes tasked with achieving the impossible.

Until Marvel arrives Avengers: The Kang Dynasty And Secret Wars, the MCU could look significantly different than it does now. Iger hinted at a new Avengers team that some believe will feature a mix of new and old characters. Marvel might also introduce the Young Avengers, 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 are already running around the MCU.

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