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Published Jan 25, 2026, 2:30 PM EST
Shawn S. Lealos is an entertainment writer who is a voting member of the Oklahoma Film Critics Circle. He has written for Screen Rant, CBR, ComicBook, The Direct, The Sportster, Chud, 411mania, Renegade Cinema, Yahoo Movies, and many more.
Shawn has a bachelor's degree in professional writing and a minor in film studies from the University of Oklahoma. He also has won numerous awards, including several Columbia Gold Circle Awards and an SPJ honor.
He also wrote Dollar Deal: The Story of the Stephen King Dollar Baby Filmmakers, the first official book about the Dollar Baby film program. Shawn is also currently writing his first fiction novel under a pen name, based in the fantasy genre.
To learn more, visit his website at shawnlealos.net.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe is in a tough position right now, and it needs to kill its darlings if it wants to survive. When the MCU began, there were high hopes but no real expectations. Iron Man, Thor, and Captain America were popular for comic book fans, but they were unproven in movies and the MCU struck gold anyway.
That is where the big problem rests. The MCU became the biggest franchise in history and fans expected every movie to hit astronomical levels, or Marvel movies were considered box office flops. Fans wanted something new and then refused to watch anything new if it didn't have the old heroes. The only way the MCU can move on is to erase its past.
Avengers: Doomsday Teasers Need To Lead To Original Heroes' Deaths
When Avengers: Endgame came out, it was the biggest success story in MCU history, and nothing Marvel ever does will ever match its success. The movie was the most successful in history until Avatar surpassed it again, and it will remain near the top for a very long time. Marvel can't try to hit those heights again.
Fans love Chris Evans as Steve Rogers, Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man, and Chris Hemsworth as Thor. However, the MCU can't keep dragging them out when they need a hit. Even fans are getting tired of it when complaints began to rise about the Avengers: Doomsday trailers focusing on old heroes and not the new ones.
Marvel knows what is happening. Fans will complain when they bring back the old heroes, but more fans will show up to see them than to see the new heroes the MCU needs to build the future of the franchise. It is a no-win situation, and Marvel will keep hearing fan complaints while knowing where the real money lies.
However, the only way the MCU can find success in the future is to eliminate these old heroes once and for all. Bringing back Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom was an interesting decision, but it is no secret it was to bring back lapsed fans who wanted to see Downey again, even if he is a new character.
Marvel needs to finally rid itself of the past if it wants to move on to the future. Robert Downey Jr., in every form, needs to leave the MCU for good. Chris Evans Steve Rogers needs to die, rather than disappear without a trace. It's time for Thor to die as well. Hawkeye needs to die (or retire) so Kate Bishop can thrive.
The original Avengers, as well as Fox's X-Men characters, need to die in Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars, so the next generation of heroes can live. It is a dangerous gamble and might push some fans away, but Marvel can deal with that in different ways. However, it has to happen.
The MCU Needs To Embrace The Next Generation Of Heroes
Marvel already has a good lineup for the future, and it has nothing to do with Iron Man, Captain America, and Thor. Kamala Khan is already the MVP of the next-generation of the MCU, and she needs to be at the forefront of the main Marvel heroes when Secret Wars ends. There isn't anyone better right now.
Ironheart's Disney+ series was great, and she is ready for the big time, as is Shuri. Kate Bishop is perfect as the next Hawkeye and Yelena Belova is a star in the making, as she showed in her appearances in Black Widow, Hawkeye, and Thunderbolts*. Add in Wiccan and the hopeful arrival of Miles Morales, and the next generation is already in place.
The X-Men will obviously be in the lead roles for the new MCU after Avengers: Secret Wars, but the young Avengers, or the Champions, will need their spot. While some might think they won't be financially successful, there is no reason these movies need to cost as much as the Avengers films, and they could still be profitable.
There are also street-level heroes like Daredevil on DIsney+, which can be made for a good budget and offer up great entertainment for Marvel fans. Add in Spider-Man movies, which have remained a success through it all, so Marvel can still make money on the Wall-Crawler and the X-Men and save on the newer heroes.
The MCU, At The Least, Should Recast Its Main Heroes
If the MCU is determined to keep the main heroes in the lead and refuses to trust in the young heroes for the future, Marvel will have to replace the actors in the roles. They are already planning a young X-Men team, but also plan to keep veteran mutants around for other movies, like Wolverine and possibly Storm.
However, if Marvel wants to bring back Steve Rogers, they need to move on from Chris Evans. Same thing with Iron Man, as they can't keep using Robert Downey Jr. There are already rumors they are finally replacing T'Challa after Chadwick Boseman's death with a new actor, and there is a great chance to do it.
If the MCU wants to reboot everything with new actors in several roles, Avengers: Secret Wars will do it, considering that the comics did the same thing. When the world is reformed after the event, new actors could replace the old ones in the same role.
However, this could do more damage than good. Sam Wilson is a great Captain America, but if the MCU brings back a new Steve Rogers, fans might reject that as much as they did Sam because it is a new actor. However, Marvel has to take a stand now if they want the MCU to survive in the future.
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