Marvel Studios may have finally found a director for the next Avengers movie.
According to both Deadline and THR, Deadpool and Wolverine director Shawn Levy is in talks to helm the project, which was formerly known as Avengers: The Kang Dynasty prior to the departure of Jonathan Majors as the villainous Kang the Conqueror.
The studio reportedly offered Levy the gig in mid-March, but he turned it down at the time as he was still putting the finishing touches on Deadpool and Wolverine and was also working on the final season of Stranger Things.
Apparently, Marvel's decision to "push the film by several months" opened the window of opportunity, and negotiations are now underway.
It sounds like this if far from a done deal, however. Levy is said to have been given the latest script by Michael Waldron, but has not given an answer on whether he will definitely come aboard, and other filmmakers are in contention.
Deadline's report also mentions some intriguing new plot details.
"Sources close to the project say more than 60 MCU characters could reprise their roles, including everyone from Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth and Benedict Cumberbatch to Tom Hiddleston, Simu Liu and Karen Gillan. Unlike the first four films in which there was a core group that consisted of Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Hemsworth and Ruffalo, many of the characters in this film would have equal footing, making it more of an ensemble feature instead of a handful of characters leading the team."
Despite Jonathan Majors' recent firing, Kang is still expected to appear, although we can't see the character playing nearly as big a role in the story. As we know, Loki writer Michael Waldron was hired to pen a new draft of the script, but reports indicate that the events of Loki season 2 are still going to inform the main plotline, which means Kang would likely remain on as a supporting character (at the very least).
We got word that Marvel/Disney had severed ties with Majors almost immediately after the news that he'd been found guilty broke, which would obviously seem to suggest that they were waiting for the verdict before making their decision. However, some insiders believe that the studio was never going to move forward with Majors as Kang, regardless of the outcome of the trial.
The trades don't mention anything about a new actor taking over as Kang, but do note that the movie "could potentially include multiple antagonists."
Avengers The Kang Dynasty 5 is currently scheduled to arrive in theaters on May 1, 2026, with Avengers: Secret Wars to follow on May 7, 2027.