Summary
As the march towardAvengers: Secret Warscontinues, Marvel fans are left to wonder which version of the iconic event they’ll be seeing on the big screen. Believe it or not, there have been a variety of versions ofSecret Warsthroughout Marvel’s continuity, and each version brought something unique to the table. In this instance, Marble is lucky to have so many different ideas to pull from for the big-screen MCU adaptation of the famous story.
While it is possible that the MCU will pick a specificSecret Warsstory to adapt, it is just as likely that aspects of each of the many versions of the event will be significant. When every hero and villain possible crossover in one mega event, there’s bound to be chaos, and that has to be what Marvel is hoping for. Still, if the MCU has to pick one version ofSecret Warsto tackle forAvengers: Secret Wars, the decision isn’t all that difficult.
What Was The First Secret Wars Event?
The firstSecret Warsevent, running from 1984 to 1985, was a massive coming-together of some of theearth’s greatest heroes, and those heroes' greatest villains. After they are all suddenly transported to another world that comes to be known as Battleworld, it becomes clear that a strange force known as the Beyonder wants the heroes and villains to battle until one side comes out on top. It is implied by the Beyonder that the winning side will have whatever desires they have fulfilled by the being, regardless of what those desires may be. As one might expect, this almost immediately caused the villains to jump into action against the heroes.
Both rosters were jam-packed with heavy hitters, with the heroes consisting of the likes of Spider-Man, some of the Avengers, some of the X-Men (including the sometimes-villainous Magneto), some of the Fantastic Four (minus Susan Storm), The Hulk, Thor, Iron Man, and somehow even more. At the same time, the villains were some of the most dangerous in existence and included Doctor Doom, Galactus, Enchantress, Doctor Octopus, Ultron, The Wrecking Crew, Molecule Man, and of course, Kang the Conqueror. Just about every issue featured some kind of epic battle between different groups of heroes and villains, with each hero having a chance to shine at some point.
After many battles, Doctor Doom steals the Beyonder’s powers for himself, and even succeeds in killing all the heroes, but that is quickly undone. While the heroes battle against what evil remains on Battleworld, the Beyonder claims his power back from Doctor Doom and ends the conflict. Things didn’t exactly go the way the Beyonder had intended, but the heroes ultimately prevailed over the villains, with a few people (namely, Spider-Man) heading home with some new surprises (this event is whereSpider-Man’s black and white suitoriginated).
What Is The Modern Secret Wars Event?
The 2015 to 2016Secret Warsfunctioned vastly differently. This time, various Marvel universes are being destroyed and are brought together to form a new Battleworldrun by God Emperor Doom. Essentially, Doctor Doom and Doctor Strange used Molecule Man to defeat the Beyonders and gain their power, granting them immense power, with Doom eventually becoming the ultimate being of Battleworld. A group of heroes who survived the incursion of worlds on a multiversal liferaft are all that stand against God Emperor Doom and the world he’s capable of shaping in his own image.
The heroes have to travel throughout the strange Battleworld in order to stop Doom, eventually leading to a massive clash. Thanos himself stands against Doom but is killed for his trouble right before the final battle can truly begin. Namor and Black Panther, with the powers of Beyonders andthe strength of the Infinity Gauntlet, attempt to take on God Emperor Doom, but even that is not enough to defeat the madman. Doom’s downfall eventually comes when he confronts Mr. Fantastic and is betrayed by Molecule Man, causing the collapse of Battleworld. Luckily, the power of the Infinity Stones is enough to revert things and the classic Earth-616 of the Marvel comics is back to normal, though this time with some new additions.
Which Version Will The MCU Choose?
Realistically, the MCU has an equal likelihood of picking either version of the events. With how secretive and surprising Marvel can be, it wouldn’t be a shock to see a massive shift that reveals thatAvengers: Secret Warsis yet another film that sees the Earth’s Mightiest heroes losing, only for the subsequent films to be set on a reigning villain’s battleworlduntil the nextAvengersfilmultimately sets everything right. At the same time, if it is a simple standalone movie, it wouldn’t be hard to see Marvel adapting the original conflict, providing a fun way to get every hero and villain together while also telling a relatively simple story.
The smart bet is that the MCU will tackle the latest version of the event as it can allow for the most freedom while still being able to capture the essence of the classic eighties storyline. The modern version allows for a whole host of characters to appear, including major cameos from previous actors.If Chris Evans or Robert Downey Jr. are ever going to reappearin any solid form, it’ll almost certainly be inAvengers: Secret Warsor the outcome/sequel film to that story.
It’s a bit hard to believe thatAvengers: Secret Warswon’t be a massive film in scope,especially if it reboots everything. Even the nature of the original story would be tricky to capture in a single film, which is why it wouldn’t be shocking to see the MCU do a lengthy period of time when the main universe is amalgamated as Battleworld. Even more than right now with all the “anything can happen in a multiverse” stuff, Marvel could take some bold swings. Sheriff Strange may sound like a weird concept, but it makes perfect sense inSecret Wars, and that’s without mentioning the potential big-screen adaptations ofMarvel Zombies, and the live-action debut of Miles Morales that all become possible in such an event.
Avengers: Secret Warsis set to be released on May 7th, 2027.
