9 Theories On How The MCU Could End

9. The Heroes Bring Peace To The Universe

Otherwise known as the generic happy ending, the Marvel Cinematic Universe could one day reach a rounded conclusion that sees the comic book giant's mightiest heroes vanquish all of their enemies and bring peace to the universe.

Thanos is unlikely to be the ultimate endgame for the MCU. He's a complex character who's fought to save the galaxy almost as many times as he's threatened it in the comic books, so it seems likely another big bad will eventually replace the Mad Titan at the top of the food chain and raise the stakes even higher.

Once this new nemesis emerges, could we be in for another decade's worth of shared universe comic adaptations before the series comes to a head? Iron Man kicked off the MCU in 2008 and its first three phases have told a single story over 10 years.

If Marvel Studios was to repeat this feat and spin another inter-connected tale over the course of the next decade or so, that would take it to 2028, as good a time as any to bring the superhero franchise to an organic conclusion.

The House of M has plenty of storylines in its comic book vault that would send the movie series out on a high. Loose adaptations of the Kree–Skrull War or Secret Invasion could serve as epic final battles for the Avengers and their allies, or alternately, an arc featuring a villain bigger in stature than Thanos.

The planet-eating Galactus would be the ideal MCU final boss. Thanos will require the universe's heroes to unite, but a threat like Galactus would force its villains to join the alliance too. The only issue is that the cosmic entity is currently under the stewardship of Fox, but that's nothing a session at the debating table won't solve.