The future of the MCU seems promising, full of stories of both new and already established heroes. It's unclear what path the movies will follow and whether they will draw inspiration from any major comic book events. One storyline that many fans would like to see in the MCU is the Secret Wars, which even got a sequel in the comics.
However, for now, it doesn't look like the Secret Wars will make it into the MCU anytime soon since Kevin Feige said they're not planning a movie about it. Still, the fans can hope this will change. But even if the Secret Wars gets a live-action adaptation, it's more than possible that some characters who play a part in it in the comics won't appear in the movie.
7 T'Challa
T'Challa didn't have it easy during the Secret Wars, and that was true even at the end. He fought with Dr. Doom, and if he lost, it would lead to the destruction of everything.
While it would be interesting to see T'Challa fight Doctor Doom in the movie version, it's highly unlikely that will happen. Chadwick Boseman, unfortunately, passed away in 2020, so even if Black Panther plays a role in the movie, it's not going to be T'Challa.
6 Vision
In superhero movies, death is rarely ever permanent, but it seems like Vision could be the exception to this rule. He did appear in WandaVision but it turned out he was still dead, and Wanda didn't bring him back to life.
During the Secret Wars in the comics, Vision joined a new Avengers team alongside heroes such as Spider-Man, Thor, Captain America, Iron Man, or Ms. Marvel. Unfortunately, if the team gets together in the Secret Wars movie, they will have to do so without Vision.
5 Tony Stark
It's not entirely out of the question that Iron Man could appear in the MCU again. But if he does, it's most likely going to be someone else, not Tony Stark, since Stark famously sacrificed his life in Avengers: Endgame (2019).
However, he has a worthy successor in the form of Riri Williams, a brilliant young superhero who designs her own Iron Man suit and becomes known as Ironheart. Stark helped finance the new Avengers during the Secret Wars but someone else could support the team instead.
4 Reed Richards
All of the Fantastic Four could get a mention but Reed Richards' actions during the Secret Wars left the biggest mark... and not necessarily a positive one. Instead of trying to save the world, Richards focused on protecting his family, and when they were in danger, he risked other people's lives to save them.
While that makes sense, it would be difficult to introduce a brand new superhero team in a movie filled with many other heroes. So even if the Fantastic Four gets its solo movie in the MCU, they might not be a part of the Secret Wars. It all depends on the timing in this case and on which movie comes first.
3 Punisher
The Netflix Marvel superheroes haven't been doing so well when it comes to their inclusion in the MCU movies. The previous rumors about their introduction to the movies have mostly been shot down. Whether that changes in the future or not, remains to be seen.
However, it's unlikely that Punisher will come back during the Secret Wars to do what he does most of the time - to kill people. Even during the crisis, Punisher continued doing what he set out to do, which is killing the bad guys. While this stays true to his character in the comics, it might be difficult to incorporate his storyline into a larger Avengers: Secret Wars movie.
2 Thanos
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If the Secret Wars do make it into the MCU, the most logical step will be to introduce a brand new villain. And Thanos is so closely connected to the previous era of the MCU that bringing him back from the dead would lessen his impact.
Even if Josh Brolin agreed to reprise his role, it would only mean the audience would get to see Thanos die yet again. As in the comics, Thanos meets his end when Doctor Doom, of all people, rips out his spine and his skull. Which might also be a bit too brutal for the MCU.
1 Venom
While it would be great to see Venom interact with Tom Holland's Spider-Man, the Sony Marvel universe and the MCU continue to stand separately and are unlikely to meet in the Secret Wars movie. In the comics, Spider-Man tore his suit during the Secret Wars and he needed a new one.
He discovered a machine that provided him with a new suit that later turned out to be an alien symbiote. Technically, these events take place before Eddie Brock gets the suit so bringing Venom onto the scene would only make the timeline confusing since it doesn't fit with what the audience already learned in the first two Venom movies.