It took the Marvel Cinematic Universe a decade to go from Robert Downey Jr.'s debut as Tony Stark in 2008's Iron Man to his iconic sacrifice in 2018's Avengers: Endgame. Now, Marvel Studios' current plans only stretch up to 2026, which is when the Multiverse Saga is supposed to end with the premiere of Avengers: Secret Wars on May 1, 2026. But, if we believe the recent reports, this might not necessarily be the case.

According to Cosmic Circus' Alex Perez, the likelihood of Avengers: The Kang Dynasty coming out on May 2, 2025 is very low, hinting that a delay announcement is imminent.

At this point, a delay is understandable, if not a given. The COVID-19 pandemic forced the entire world to come to a halt for the better part of the past three years. Not to mention, Marvel is just like every other studio in that it's at the mercy of the increased demand for the services of VFX houses. Finally, behind-the-scenes issues have plagued the multi-billion-dollar franchise including Jon Watts' departure from Fantastic Four and Blade losing its director.

Most recently, Marvel confirmed the delay of The Marvels from July 28 to November 10 and it's highly unlikely this will be the last.

Keep in mind that Marvel must make room for the respective debuts of its TV shows as well, which have been reduced in quantity to focus on quality. It only makes sense for Marvel to stretch out the Multiverse Saga further to make room for a handful more shows and movies, both announced and unannounced.

Plus, there's the artist's side of things. Marvel has been criticized for its lackluster VFX work lately. Both of the in-house and outsourced VFX talents need a break between the shows and movies Marvel is releasing. A 10-year slate would give Marvel more time to fine-tune the important details while giving its VFX artists enough time to rest.

It's an agonizing thought to wait longer to see Earth's Mightiest Heroes assemble against Kang but it's necessary. After all, Marvel set a high bar with the Infinity Saga. Already, Marvel released two of its worst-reviewed movies in Phase 4's Eternals and Phase 5's Ant-Man 3 coming out in the past two years. Unless Marvel changes, the downward slide will continue, and it's a slippery slope.

Also, don't forget, Marvel will have to stave off competition in the years to come. 2025, specifically, will prove pivotal to the lopsided rivalry between Marvel and DC movies. Once James Gunn's DCU slate kicks off, the MCU will have more reasons to worry about the quality of its shows. At that point, Marvel and DC will battle it out for the attention and wallet of fans.

For now, fans can look forward to the premiere of Secret Invasion on Disney+ soon and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 on May 5.