Shawn Levy in the Mix to Direct ‘Avengers 5’ After Taking on ‘Deadpool and Wolverine’

Director Shawn Levy may be sticking around the Marvel Cinematic Universe a bit longer.

Levy, who helmed this summer’s “Deadpool and Wolverine,” is being eyed by Marvel — though it’s in very early stages — to direct the next “Avengers” movie.

Destin Daniel Cretton, who made 2021’s Marvel movie “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings,” was previously supposed to direct the fifth “Avengers” movie, but he backed out in November 2023. That movie, which is scheduled for May 1, 2026, also does not currently have a title. It was originally named “Avengers: The Kang Dynasty,” but lost that title after Jonathan Majors, who was cast as the time-traveling villain Kang the Conqueror, was convicted of assaulting and harassing his ex-girlfriend. After this untitled “Avengers” movie, the next will be “Avengers: Secret Wars,” set for May 7, 2027.

Levy’s “Deadpool and Wolverine,” which brings together the iconic superheroes played by Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman in Fox’s X-Men universe, will hit theaters on July 26. It will be the first “Deadpool” movie released by Disney after it acquired 20th Century Fox, and it marks the first R-rated MCU movie. Not to mention, it’ll officially bring Fox’s mutants into the proper MCU timeline, which fans have been clamoring for since the acquisition.

Levy previously worked with Reynolds on the 2022 family adventure movie “The Adam Project” (which included Marvel actors Mark Ruffalo and Zoe Saldaña) and 2021’s “Free Guy” (which had Easter eggs nodding to Captain America and Hulk). He’s also worked with Jackman on the 2011 action movie “Real Steel.”