The next Avengers movie may face two narrative pressures: an ever-expanding roster of heroes and increasingly complex multiverse rules. A ComicBook author argues that the new film must not only give more characters meaningful roles but also ensure that viewers who haven't watched all the Disney+ series can still follow the story.
The first Avengers film only had to manage six heroes, each with clear reasons for joining the fight and existing conflicts among them. Although Avengers: Endgame's final battle assembled a large cast, audiences had spent over a decade getting to know core characters like Captain America, and the film reserved space for pivotal moments.
According to the author's count, there may already be around 15 to 20 characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) associated with the Avengers, though Marvel has not released an official member list. The Fantastic Four are set to join the MCU, the X-Men may also enter the narrative, and the multiverse opens the door for legacy characters or alternate versions to return. The author points out that if the new film simply crowds more faces into the same big battle, some characters will inevitably be relegated to the background.
Integrating these rules presents another challenge. Loki deals with branching timelines, Spider-Man: No Way Home brings three Peter Parkers together, and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness introduces the risk of universe collisions. The new film will need to explain these concepts while lowering the barrier for audiences to understand the plot.
Citing Jonathan Hickman's comic series Secret Wars as a reference, the author argues that even grand crises should revolve around core conflicts driven by personal motivations, rather than relying solely on larger teams, stronger villains, and higher stakes for the world's survival. This perspective is analytical commentary and does not represent any plot or cast announcements from Marvel Studios.