9 Ways The Marvel Cinematic Universe Could End

3. An All-New, All-Different Analogue Reboot

In recent years comic book fans have become accustomed to the Marvel publications serving as a testing ground for the movies, experimenting with the popularity of lesser known characters and plot ideas (or titles) ahead of applying them to the big screen. Things were taken up a notch when Secret Wars led to a complete reboot of all titles (the first in Marvel's history), dubbed All-New, All-Different.

Ostensibly done to clear up the overborn continuity of both the regular and Ultimate universes, it also serves to further line the comics up with the movies. But what if the reboot isn't just so Marvel can better trial movie concepts ahead of time, but is also marking the broader future of the MCU? The continuity of the MCU is already getting pretty complicated, with multiple movies a year and an ever-expanding roster of TV shows, and in a decade or two it'll only get more labyrinthine and alienating to newcomers.

Civil War brought back William Hurt as General Ross, last seen drowning his sorrows in The Incredible Hulk. That's an eight year hiatus, leading to an appearance one that only die-hards will get. An event that is simultaneously the end of the MCU and the start of an entirely new universe (not just a rejigged timeline) would provide two key things; it would somewhat justify a successor to the MCU while also providing the opportunity for a big narrative conclusion. Speaking of which...