Marvel Cinematic Universe planning has moved past Avengers: Secret Wars, and Alex Perez says a Thunderbolts* sequel is part of the studio’s movie priorities. The report lands while Marvel is still lining up Spider-Man: Brand New Day, Avengers: Doomsday, and Avengers: Secret Wars.
Alex Perez Q&A
“Marvel’s movie focus right now is on Black Panther 3, Shang-Chi 2, Spider-Man 5, the X-Men, Thunderbolts* sequel, Blade, Midnight Sons, and the next Avengers title.” That line from Perez is the clearest sign that Marvel is mapping the next film cycle before the current one ends, and it puts Thunderbolts* in the same planning lane as franchise tentpoles that have already carried the MCU for years.
The list also tells us where the studio is placing its bets. Black Panther, Shang-Chi, the X-Men, Blade, and Midnight Sons are all part of a larger reset around the Multiverse Saga and beyond, with the next Avengers title sitting near the center of that slate.
Thunderbolts and Florence Pugh
Thunderbolts earned $382.4 million worldwide against a reported $180 million production budget, a gap that makes a sequel decision more interesting than the box office number alone suggests. The film also holds an 88% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes and a 93% audience score, which gives Marvel a cleaner read on audience approval than the global total does by itself.
Florence Pugh’s Yelena Belova has grown into one of Marvel’s most popular heroes since her debut in Black Widow, and that gives the team built around Thunderbolts* a level of continuity the studio can reuse across future films. Marvel is not just weighing one movie’s haul here; it is weighing whether a character pipeline still has value after a softer theatrical run.
Jake Schreier and Marvel
Marvel reportedly tapped Jake Schreier to direct its X-Men reboot after being impressed with his collaborative filmmaking style on Thunderbolts. That move matters because it shows the studio treating the film less like a one-off and more like a talent test that can feed other parts of the slate.
Shang-Chi remains absent after his debut, and Moon Knight has yet to return, which leaves Marvel with multiple strands it can choose to advance or park. A Thunderbolts* sequel is not the same thing as a greenlight, but it is a stronger signal than vague nostalgia: the studio is keeping the team alive because the post-Secret Wars board still has room for them.
For readers tracking Marvel’s next phase, the practical takeaway is simple: the company is already building beyond the current crossover cycle, and Thunderbolts* is still in that conversation. The only question that really matters now is whether Marvel turns Perez’s reported priority list into an actual production order.
