"Deadpool & Wolverine" Director to Direct "Avengers 5"

The multiverse adventure "Deadpool & Wolverine" is already considered one of the highlights of the 2024 cinematic year. At Marvel, they seem to be very pleased with the blockbuster: director Shawn Levy is now considered a top candidate to direct another MCU event.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the director was offered the director's position for "Avengers 5" several months ago. However, Levy had to turn it down due to scheduling difficulties. Now, though, it seems that a lot is happening behind the scenes: As Deadline reports, the "Free Guy" director is once again on the shortlist. It also appears that he has already been given the first draft of the script by author Michael Waldron. Whether Shawn Levy will accept the offer remains uncertain, however. Currently, Levy is heavily involved in the production and direction of the final season of "Stranger Things" and is planning his own "Star Wars" film as well.

Details regarding the plot of "Avengers 5" remain unknown. Following the departure of Jonathan Majors, the question of who the main villain will be is still unanswered. Initial rumors point to Dr. Doom, or Galactus who will already feature in "The Fantastic Four". A recasting of Kang cannot be ruled out either.

It is currently expected that over 60 characters from the MCU will make an appearance in the film, including familiar faces such as Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Benedict Cumberbatch and Tom Hiddleston. This time, special emphasis will be placed on ensuring that the heroes appear as equal as possible in the movie without highlighting individual characters.

We could also be in for an actual surprise: Robert Downey Jr. told Esquire magazine that he would definitely enjoy playing Iron Man one more time. According to his own statements, there is no other character that is so strongly connected to his DNA. A return of Iron Man would make perfect sense in the context of the Avengers movies; after all, several variants of well-known characters have already been established across the multiverse. This would certainly be a convenient way to bring at least one version of the likeable billionaire back into the franchise. The currently targeted release date for "Avengers 5" is May 1, 2026.