In a big show of confidence about the hopes for “Deadpool & Wolverine,” set to hit theaters in July and maybe save summer 2024 from the box-office doldrums, its director Shawn Levy (“Free Guy”) is apparently the first in line to be offered “Avengers 5,” formerly known as “Avengers: The Kang Dynasty.” According to Deadline, Levy has emerged as the top choice for the director’s chair, and apparently ‘Avengers 5” screenwriter Michael Waldron (“Loki”) has given him the latest version of the script for his eyes only.
READ MORE: Robert Downey, Jr. Is “Surprisingly Open-Minded” About A Marvel Return
Levy apparently hasn’t given Marvel Studios an answer yet, and they’ll evidently be moving forward with meeting with other directors for the gig concurrently.
Currently, it’s unclear if Levy will take the job; he’s still busy as a producer on the fifth and final season of “Stranger Things” coming in 2025, and he has several projects lined up in his future, including a “Star Wars” movie. But clearly, it’s a sign that Marvel and its studio chief, Kevin Feige, are more than happy with the results of “Deadpool & Wolverine.”
There is additional reason for caution. THR says Marvel quietly offered Levy ‘Avenger 5’ in March and the director turned it down due to scheduling— apparently he is set to direct some key “Stranger Things” episodes. But Marvel apparently pushed the movie’s production back a few months so Levy can still consider it. The fact that Marvel is willing to reengage with the filmmaker likely shows how eager they are to work with him again.
THR also say the film has been “reconceived” since it was first titled as ‘Kang Dynasty’ which could potentially mean the villain’s role is reduced in the film, but that’s also just speculation. The trade also says other high-profile directors are in the mix too, but none of them have been named yet.
Very little is known about “Avengers 5,” and to be fair, Disney has never recalled its former title, “Avengers: The Kang Dynasty.” But following the conviction of Kang actor Jonathan Majors for domestic assault and his subsequent firing, some rumors have suggested that Marvel would step away from the villain altogether. Other reports have suggested the opposite, with names like Colman Domingo surfacing as potential alternates to take the role, but nothing is official.
Waldron, known for writing “Loki” season one and “Doctor Strange And The Multiverse of Madness,” has become Kevin Feige’s go-to writer for big Marvel projects. Not only is he writing the fifth Avengers film, he’s writing its sequel, “Avengers: Secret Wars.”
Next to nothing is official, but if you believe the recent online scuttlebutt and rumors, ‘Avengers 5’ is said to be a more Earth-bound and grounded story, and ‘Secret Wars’ could be divided into two films, making for three Avengers movies in total.
Sources tell Deadline that up to 60 actors from the Marvel Cinematic Universe could be reprising roles for the movie, including names like Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Benedict Cumberbatch,Tom Hiddleston, Simu Liu, and Karen Gillian.
Missing in action, at least for the fifth film, will be Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson, and Chris Evans, all of whom died or were taken off the table in “Avengers: Endgame” (though Downey seems open to a return via the Multiverse).
All signs point to Marvel getting ready to shoot the fifth Avengers movie in early 2025, which would make sense; a monster-sized film needs at least a year and a half of runway to complete.
Levy’s credits include “Real Steel,” “Free Guy,” “The Adam Project,” and the Steven Knight-created series “All The Light We Cannot See.”
“Avengers 5” is currently slated for May 1, 2026. “Avengers: Secret Wars” is scheduled for May 7, 2027. Until then, let’s see if Levy bites, taking on this arduous challenge abandoned last year by “Shang Chi” director Destin Daniel Cretton, who decided to bow out and focus on “Shang Chi 2,” and the “Wonder Man” series he’s producing for Marvel. [Deadline]