Highlights
- Marvel fans are eagerly anticipating the big-screen adaptation of Avengers: Secret Wars, which draws inspiration from various versions of the event throughout Marvel's continuity.
- The first Secret Wars event occurred from 1984 to 1985, involving a battle between heroes and villains on a world called Battleworld, controlled by a being known as the Beyonder.
- The 2015-2016 Secret Wars event featured the destruction of multiple Marvel universes and the formation of a new Battleworld ruled by God Emperor Doom, with a group of surviving heroes trying to defeat him.
As the march toward Avengers: Secret Wars continues, 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 of Secret Wars throughout 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 specific Secret Wars story 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 of Secret Wars to tackle for Avengers: Secret Wars, the decision isn’t all that difficult.
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What Was The First Secret Wars Event?
The first Secret Wars event, running from 1984 to 1985, was a massive coming-together of some of the earth’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 where Spider-Man's black and white suit originated).
What Is The Modern Secret Wars Event?
The 2015 to 2016 Secret Wars functioned vastly differently. This time, various Marvel universes are being destroyed and are brought together to form a new Battleworld run 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 and the strength of the Infinity Gauntlet, try 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 that Avengers: Secret Wars is yet another film that sees the Earth’s Mightiest heroes losing, only for the subsequent films to be set on a reigning villain’s battleworld until the next Avengers film ultimately 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 reappear in any solid form, it’ll almost certainly be in Avengers: Secret Wars or the outcome/sequel film to that story.
It’s a bit hard to believe that Avengers: Secret Wars won’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 in Secret Wars, and that’s without mentioning the potential big-screen adaptations of Marvel Zombies, and the live-action debut of Miles Morales that all become possible in such an event.
Avengers: Secret Wars is set to be released on May 7th, 2027.