A reader poll finds a majority of fans support recasting Tony Stark, Steve Rogers, and other legacy MCU heroes after Secret Wars.
Marvel Studios spent years building its cinematic universe around a specific ensemble, turning Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, and Scarlett Johansson into the franchise's defining faces. Kevin Feige has since confirmed a significant reset is coming once Avengers: Secret Wars closes the Multiverse Saga, eventually passing roles like Tony Stark and Steve Rogers to new performers.
To many, replacing actors so synonymous with their characters seems almost unthinkable. Yet the core fanbase appears far from opposed.
In a poll on X, 59.5% of respondents backed recasting the legacy heroes after Secret Wars. Several supporters compared the idea to Marvel Comics, where rotating writers and artists have long reinterpreted characters like Stark and Rogers without diminishing their popularity.
Still, the transition will not be painless. A tentpole Marvel film now costs roughly $200 million before marketing, and recouping that depends on mainstream audiences with no particular attachment to continuity - viewers who often turn out for a specific star as much as the character.
