Iman Vellani, star of Ms. Marvel and The Marvels, has identified ways the MCU could potentially succeed in recapturing Avengers: Endgame levels of hype again.
Speaking to The Direct, Vellani suggested Marvel needs to focus on its current rosters of characters in order to generate the same buzz and excitement around upcoming MCU events that past releases have managed to achieve, claiming they could establish something similar to "the next Avengers" through different team-ups.
"I don't know if it's about just getting bigger and bigger and bigger. Because then, like, what's left?" Vellani considered. "I think it's just about making the audience care about their characters. And I think they've established so many wonderful characters in the last phase of the MCU that it would be nice to see them all again and see them team up."
She continued this train of thought, adding: "I think, because there are so many new characters people want to like, start shipping people together and be like, 'Oh, seeing Kamala and like the Red Guardian together.' Like imagining all these pair-ups, and I think that would definitely pay off. It'll be like, you know, the next Avengers."
The Marvels, which sees Vellani team up with Teyonah Parris' Monica Rambeau and Brie Larson's Carol Danvers, continued the MCU's downward trajectory by nabbing the MCU's worst ever opening earlier this month with $47 million, no doubt impacted by the lack of a press tour with the then-ongoing actors' strike.
However, the ending of The Marvels teased an even bigger role for Vellani's character in the MCU going forward, injecting the franchise with some much-needed excitement about the next generation of Avengers in the lead-up to the twin climax that is Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars.
2024 will be a quiet year for MCU movies, with Deadpool 3 alone on the slate. But looking at Disney’s MCU streaming schedule, there are five shows coming next year: Marvel Zombies, Spider-Man: Freshman Year, Agatha: Darkhold Diaries, X-Men ‘97 and Echo.
This week, Chris Evans responded to reports of Marvel Studios plotting to reunite the original Avengers team, stating no one has contacted him about returning to the MCU as Captain America.
Adele Ankers-Range is a freelance entertainment writer for IGN. You can follow her on X @AdeleAnkers.
