Chris McKenna Teases a Massive Character Roster for ‘Avengers: Secret Wars’
Marvel’s biggest crossover ever is still more than a year away, but the writers are already wrestling with a very good problem. ‘Avengers: Secret Wars‘ is being built as the culminating chapter of the Multiverse Saga, and the size of its cast is becoming a major talking point. One of the film’s screenwriters has now given fans a peek into what the process looks like.
The movie is slated to arrive on December 17, 2027, a year after ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ on December 18, 2026. Anthony and Joe Russo are directing both, with screenplays credited to Michael Waldron, Stephen McFeely, and the team of Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers. Production is taking place at Pinewood Studios in England, and ‘Secret Wars’ was scheduled to begin filming in mid-2026.
McKenna and Sommers are best known for the recent ‘Spider-Man’ films, so their involvement in the Avengers finale has drawn plenty of interest. Now McKenna has confirmed how deeply he is involved. He said he is writing ‘Secret Wars’ and helped a little on ‘Doomsday’, describing both as big, star-studded films that mix huge set pieces with some intimate character ideas.
The most eye-catching detail came from McKenna’s appearance on The Bulwark Goes to Hollywood. He said the writers’ room has “hundreds of the characters up on the wall” as the team decides who fits into which story. Cosmic Marvel shared the comment on X on September 20, and the post has drawn 15.8K views, 869 likes and 77 reposts.
New trailer for ‘Avengers: Doomsday’
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In theaters December 18 pic.twitter.com/1wsiTk1Nnv
McKenna also described a recent visit from ‘Community’ actor Danny Pudi to the writers’ room in London. Pudi got a look at the wall of characters and jokingly noticed that his minor ‘Captain America: The Winter Soldier’ character was missing. McKenna joked that the character might still make it into ‘Secret Wars’.
The anecdote is lighthearted, but it also shows how wide the net is being cast. The team is not just adding names to the film, but deciding where each one can matter. That approach could help the finale feel earned rather than crowded.
Fans have already begun weighing in. One reply to the post grumbled that with hundreds of characters on the wall, they only need one: Scarlet Witch. It is a fair reminder that in a movie this big, every viewer has their own must-see list.
The official trailer for ‘ENDGAME: ENCORE’ has been released.
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In theaters on September 25. pic.twitter.com/7zWvlmuYz3
The size of the roster fits the source material. The original 1984 ‘Secret Wars’ comic featured a giant line-up that included the Avengers, the Fantastic Four, the X-Men and Spider-Man, along with a long list of villains such as Doctor Doom, Magneto and Galactus. The 2015 version, written by Jonathan Hickman, brought in even more worlds and versions of familiar heroes.
That history makes McKenna’s comments feel especially fitting. A story built around a battle of heroes and villains naturally calls for a huge cast. It also suggests that the film could draw from many corners of Marvel’s storytelling at once.
The MCU has plenty to work with. ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ is expected to bring together the Avengers, the Fantastic Four and the X-Men, and ‘Secret Wars’ is set to follow. If the writers succeed, the finale could reward years of fan attention across several eras of Marvel.
For now, the details remain closely guarded. Marvel hasn’t announced a full cast list for ‘Secret Wars’, and McKenna’s comments are a tease rather than a roster. Still, a room full of characters and a wall covered in possibilities is a very promising sign.
Which character would you most want to see in Avengers: Secret Wars?
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