Marvel fans now have a good idea of where the MCU is going in its post-Infinity Saga story, which is now known as the Mulitiverse Saga. Featuring an amazing lineup of projects that started with 2021's WandaVision and will end with the dynamic duo of Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars in 2025, this new slate of films and TV shows has no shortage of thrills.

2022 will mark the end of Phase 4 with Black Panther: Wakanda Forever before Phase 5 brings a dozen new entries through 2024, starting with an epic threequel in next year's Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. From there, the story will only become more intense and exciting with team-ups for the Thunderbolts and the Fantastic Four, all leading to an inevitable Multiversal war to close out Phase 6.

Even while fans still wait to find out everything still yet to be announced for release over the next three years, knowing the direction of the MCU paints a much clearer picture for how this massive story will progress forward. Ahead of the MCU's return to animated and live-action storytelling this month, one of the company's top producers also shared his thoughts on what makes the Multiverse Saga so uniquely special.

Marvel Producer Teases MCU's Multiverse Saga

Speaking with Variety, Marvel Studios Head of Streaming, Television and Animation Brad Winderbaum shared his thoughts on what makes the MCU's Multiverse Saga so exciting for the MCU and teased the amazing stories to come.

When discussing how the animated I Am Groot series connects to the Guardians of the Galaxy movies and whether future animated series will have similar MCU connections, Winderbaum explained how the entire Multiverse Saga opens "so many more roads" to use for stories.

He noted how the Multiverse allows for "alternate paths and other takes on the characters" to be explored in "unforeseen, unexpected ways," particularly through the animated projects which will use the Multiverse concept as its "guiding light:"

Ever since he first bonded to the Venom symbiote, Eddie Brock's life has been one horrifying development and shocking revelation after another. When he ascended to the throne of King in Black, things took an ever more drastic turn. From losing his life and taking it back by sheer force of will, to being caught adrift in time itself, it seems as if Eddie's fate is entirely outside his control. Of course, that was only ever because he didn't truly understand his own powers, and the Kang the Conqueror has just shown him how deep they really go.

While Eddie has managed to escape from the Garden of Time, he still hasn't ended up anywhere he had intended. Venom #9 (by Al Ewing, Bryan Hitch, Andrew Currie, Alex Sinclair, and VC's Clayton Cowles) finds the King in Black now in the middle of Kang's stronghold with no idea when or where that happens to be. Luckily, Kang isn't intent on a rematch with his symbiote opponent, but rather on helping Eddie. Despite having no experiences of his own to compare to Eddie's current state of being, Kang still understands its nuances. As Kang explains, Eddie's shortcomings have only been because of the limitations he has set for himself.

Eddie has come a long way from the villain-turned-antihero he used to be, both as a person and in terms of what he is capable of. The discoveries of Knull, the symbiote Hive, and the true legacy of Venom didn't just change Eddie's life, but the way he sees the world in every possible way. Death is no longer an absolute, and time is merely another avenue by which the King in Black can travel. Kang makes it clear that all of this is thanks to Eddie existing as something that is outside every established rule and convention, which is precisely the problem that has been lurking in the background all along.

As a being of pure mind and boundless symbiote potential, the only thing that could ever hold Eddie back is himself. This is still something that he has yet to fully come to terms with, though the fact that he has begun embracing the concept is certainly a step in the right direction. Unfortunately, Eddie isn't the only one for whom this all rings true, as he is far from the only King in Black. The others who have found themselves trapped in the Garden of Time, all exist in the same relative way that Eddie does now. Thankfully, not even Meridius has claimed complete dominion over their own abilities, although that consolation ultimately turns the entire situation into a race between Kings in Black that seems like it cannot be won.

For everything that Eddie has accomplished, he is still woefully unprepared for the truths that are soon to be revealed, least of all those Meridius has been keeping from him. If he can't achieve his fullest potential before any of his fellow Kings in Black, the battles he has been fighting will surely be lost. Considering how far ahead in that regard Meridius already is, Eddie may be too late to stop his latest nemesis. Then again, time is no longer something that Eddie has to face head-on, and if he can get his bearings while moving through it, he might not have to fight Meridius in the first place.

Meridius is absolutely one of the most powerful foes Eddie has ever faced, and the villain has stayed ahead of him at every step in their shared journey. Meridius has also gone to great lengths to manipulate his relative past, setting a dangerous precedent for how his own downfall might come about. Now that Eddie knows that they don't have any limits, he can begin pushing them in ways he never could have imagined. And, assuming Meridius doesn't already see it coming, Eddie's next move may end up erasing his nemesis' reign as King in Black entirely.

The "Kang Dynasty" storyline took place through Avengers (vol. 3) #41-55, and the Avengers Annual 2001. True to its name, it features Kang the Conqueror establishing his dominion over the entire Earth with the help of his son Marcus - who took up the mantle of the Scarlet Centurion. The Avengers join forces with the respective forces of the United Nations to try and stop Kang, but the Conqueror is well-prepared. Not only does he possess technology from the future, but he also has a major weapon in the form of Damocles Base - a massive, sword-shaped spaceship with enough firepower to put the Death Star to shame. He even hijacks a fleet of mutant-killing robots known as Sentinels to serve him!

Eventually, the Avengers surrender after a failed space attack seemingly results in the death of many of their members. However, the Avengers who went to space encounters a mysterious being named the Master of the World, who has technology that can counter Kang's. Earth's Mightiest Heroes manage to launch a counterattack against the Conqueror. This leads to one of the biggest moments in the comic, where Kang summons a massive holographic image of himself. Captain America counters by summoning his own holographic image, and the two do battle. Eventually, Kang is taken into custody and is saved by Marcus. Kang, however, winds up killing his son and expresses disappointment that Marcus didn't try to take over his empire - before revealing that he has cloned his son, in a seemingly endless campaign against the Avengers.

The Kang Dynasty is an epic in every sense of the world, spanning over two years and involving many classic Avengers. The various artists attached to the title at the time, including Alan Davis (Excalibur), Ivan Reis (Superman), and future Uncanny Avengers writer Rick Remender, truly brought a cinematic flair to their work. It's also the storyline that marked the end of Kurt Busiek's tenure on Avengers. During his run on Avengers, Busiek and a host of artists - most notably the late, great George Perez - truly elevated the Avengers to the position of "Earth's Mightiest Heroes". The Kang Dynasty is the perfect example of Busiek's craft, as every Avenger gets a chance to shine and Kang's conquest feels like it has true life and death stakes.

In fact, The Kang Dynasty being adapted into film continues the trend of Avengers films pulling from Busiek's work. Avengers: Age of Ultron owes a great deal to "Ultron Unlimited", the Busiek/Perez storyline where the genocidal A.I. Ultron launched his deadliest attack against the Avengers. The Avengers Forever miniseries features the Avengers traveling through time, with its influence being heavily felt in Avengers: Endgame. And Thunderbolts, the upcoming film featuring a team of Marvel's supervillains, takes its name from a comic co-created by Busiek. In short, Kurt Busiek may be one of the most influential comic creators where the MCU is concerned.

The Kang Dynasty has also cemented Kang as the MCU's next Big Bad following Thanos, especially as Jonathan Majors is slated to reprise his role as the time-traveling villain in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. With director Peyton Reed hyping up Quantumania as the beginning of Phase 5, it's safe to assume that Kang's actions will carry over into The Kang Dynasty. And with Secret Wars being hinted at in Loki and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, The Kang Dynasty will more than likely serve as the first half of a two part story similar to how Avengers: Infinity War led into Endgame.

Even more recently, Deston Daniel Cretton was revealed to helm The Kang Dynasty. Not only does this mark Cretton's continued involvement with the MCU following the success of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, but it also may hint at who will appear in the new roster of the Avengers. Carol Danvers, aka Warbird, was a major player in the Kang Dynasty storyline as she took out Damocles Base. That's not even mentioning the fact that Brie Larson, who plays Carol/Captain Marvel, has appeared in every one of Cretton's films to date. Having Carol as the leader of the Avengers would continue to mark the MCU's trend of building up a new generation of heroes.

Avengers: The Kang Dynasty will come to theaters on May 2, 2025.

The surprise announcement of Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and its follow-up Avengers: Secret Wars shook the ground at San Diego Comic-Con. While many had speculated Jonathan Majors's Kang the Conqueror would play a major (no pun intended) role in upcoming films, his name is now attached to one of the capstone movies of the newly dubbed Multiverse Saga. 

From just slight glimpses of an alternate Kang in the form of He Who Remains in Loki, Majors has proven he's up to the task of portraying one of Marvel's most notorious and powerful villains. Marvel Studios is already setting the stage for the coming Conqueror with official art released of him for the first time. The first real look at the next big bad of the MCU is on its way in 2023 with Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, and that's really only the beginning of the exciting things to come.

Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige, along with Majors himself, have shared some thoughts on the character in the wake of the recent announcements that give a glimpse at what fans can expect.

Kang Carries the Multiverse (Saga) On His Shoulders

Brandon Davis from ComicBook interviewed Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige at SDCC and addressed the topic of Kang's incredible presence throughout the Multiverse. Feige firmly put his faith in actor Jonathan Majors to portray the Conqueror, saying that there was "nobody’s shoulders I’d rather be putting the Multiverse Saga on than his." 

Feige also hinted at "different incarnations" or "Variants" of Kang appearing throughout the Saga: