How Will The MCU Introduce Battleworld?

Fans of Marvel movies and comics are eager to find out how Battleworld will fit into the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), especially starting from Phase Six. This patchwork planet is expected to host key battles in the Multiverse Saga, and some theories suggest it may have already been hinted at in the MCU.

The franchise is building towards the Secret Wars storyline, first introduced in 1984, where the Beyonder creates Battleworld by pulling together heroes, villains, and pieces of different realities to force them into battle. Jonathan Hickman’s 2015 comics took it further, with Doctor Doom destroying the multiverse and rebuilding Battleworld from fragments of various universes. Both versions allow massive crossover events involving the Avengers, X-Men, and Fantastic Four – something the MCU would now aim to repeat.

Who Will Create MCU’s Battleworld?

Battleworld’s arrival in the MCU is practically inevitable, especially after Kevin Feige’s announced Avengers: Doomsday with franchise favorite Robert Downey Jr. returning as Doctor Doom. This casting decision is a hint that Doom will be the mastermind behind Battleworld, either by creating it himself by ripping apart universes and merging them, or seizing control of existing multiversal chaos. Originally, Marvel seemed to be setting up Kang the Conqueror to rule Battleworld, but this can be ruled out following the Jonathan Majors controversy. Bringing in the Beyonder from the 1984 comics also feels unnecessary with RDJ now involved, as it eliminates the need for another God-like figure to build Battleworld.

In the MCU, Battleworld will likely be the result of all the multiversal incursions in the post-Endgame era. An incursion happens when two universes collide and leave behind fragments of broken realities. Doctor Doom could then assemble these pieces to create Battleworld, which also makes room for the possibility that Battleworld has existed in some form all along. The foundation for this is already in place, with Loki‘s He Who Remains holding the multiverse together. The MCU could even borrow from the Avengers Forever (2023) storyline to make Loki the Prime Avenger who assembles a different team of multiversal Avengers to fight an epic war on Battleworld.

Is Battleworld the Same As The Void?

The hints seem to be growing around Battleworld already existing in the MCU and hiding in plain sight as the Void. The dumping ground for timelines pruned by the Time Variance Authority (TVA) loosely fits the description of Battleworld. While they may not be identical, the fragments of erased realities seen in the Void could serve as the foundation for Battleworld’s creation later on. The key difference here is that the Void erases realities, while Battleworld merges pieces of different realities into a new battleground for conflict.

Since the Void exists outside normal time and space, the MCU could easily repurpose it into Battleworld by having Doctor Doom take control, perhaps by defeating its current guardian, Alioth or even the TVA. Deadpool and Wolverine already made best use of this idea by letting the titular characters fight each other in the Void. They even teamed up with heroes from other universes like Blade, Elektra, X-23, and Gambit to defeat Cassandra Nova, and also included an unlikely Johnny Storm cameo. This hints at the Void evolving into a war-torn patchwork world, effectively becoming Battleworld, where multiversal versions of heroes and villains are forced to clash.

Battleworld In Future MCU Works

On a practical level, the purpose of introducing Battleworld in the MCU must be clearly defined. In the 1984 Secret Wars comics, the Beyonder created this patchwork planet as a crossover arena to entertain himself, pitting heroes and villains from different universes against each other. However, the upcoming Doctor Doom storyline needs to provide a solid reason for creating Battleworld that clicks with audiences unfamiliar with the comics. It should go beyond Doom’s ambition to become a God-like ruler of the multiverse. At the same time, it should offer a logical way for older heroes or their alternate versions to use Battleworld as a stage and organically enter the narrative.

With Avengers: Doomsday set for May 2026 and Avengers: Secret Wars following in 2027, Battleworld must be set up by the end of Phase Five, ideally in The Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025). After all, Victor Von Doom is primarily a Fantastic Four villain, and it makes sense for him to show up in the movie, at least in the post-credits. Doom must take up the mantle of becoming the MCU’s next Thanos-level threat or even bigger. This way, Battleworld can emerge once he gains control of the multiverse, which is somewhat reminiscent of what the Marvel Cinematic Universe did with the Infinity Stones, Thanos’ snap, and the Blip.