The Big Picture
Benedict Cumberbatch hints at a juicy update on Avengers 5 in a recent interview with Netflix. Exciting developments are cooking up for the upcoming team-up film.
Marvel is gearing up to start filming Avengers 5 next year, with reports indicating that Shawn Levy may potentially helm the movie. Cumberbatch’s hints have fans on the edge of their seats.
Despite some uncertainties about the director and villain for Avengers 5, the anticipation and excitement for the film’s release on May 1, 2026, continue to build. Stay tuned for more updates.
One of the biggest stars remaining in the MCU in the post-Endgame era just provided a juicy new update on the next big team-up film. While speaking to Netflix and looking back on all the roles he’s played in his career, Benedict Cumberbatch also dropped an interesting bit of information on Avengers 5. When Cumberbatch arrived at the point in his career where he was cast as Doctor Strange, he reminisced on how he initially had to turn down the role due to scheduling conflicts, but that it thankfully worked out in the end because Marvel wanted him to play Stephen Strange so badly they were willing to work around his schedule. When looking back on the past and forward to the future of Doctor Strange, Cumberbatch had this to say:
“It’s been a lovely relationship with [Marvel] ever since [being cast]. I’m very much looking forward to Avengers [5] next year, which is cooking up a storm.”
Unlike MCU fans, it seems Cumberbatch has some idea of what Avengers 5 is going to look like. Development updates on the film have been a bit murky since Marvel fired Jonathan Majors, who was set to headline the film (Avengers: Kang Dynasty) as Kang. It’s unknown at this time if Marvel Studios is going to stick with Kang through a recast, or move in a different direction with a new villain, but whatever is happening, it’s clear that it’s going to kick off in 2025. Despite Marvel’s secrecy procedures, which were recently detailed by Julia Louis-Dreyfus, it’s possible more information regarding potential plot details and casting will come to light as production inches closer.
Who Is Directing ‘Avengers 5’?
Image via Marvel Studios
With Avengers 5 set to begin filming next year according to Cumberbatch, the movie is going to need a director sooner rather than later, and recent reports revealed that Marvel has their sights set on someone. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings director Daniel Destin Cretton was originally attached to direct, but backed out last year. It recently surfaced online that Marvel was interested in Deadpool & Wolverine director Shawn Levy helming Avengers 5, and even offered him the job earlier this year, which he had to decline due to scheduling conflicts. However, Marvel left the offer on the table, and if Deadpool & Wolverine is the financial success it’s tracking to be, it’s likely Levy will end up in the director’s chair for Avengers 5 with other conflicts taking a backseat.
Avengers 5 is currently slated to release in less than two years on May 1, 2026. Stay tuned to Collider for future updates and get tickets for Deadpool & Wolverine below.