Marvel Studios is in the fifth phase of building their Cinematic Universe – The Multiverse Saga. Phase 4 saw the Infinity Stone Saga’s end, culminating in Avengers: Endgame. The heroes we’ve come to know and love on the big screen pass the responsibility of protecting Earth to new heroes. Rather than a slate of feature films like in the previous phases, Phase 4 was the rise of the MCU television series. The death of Chadwick Boseman served as the plot device that led to Letitia Wright’s Shuri donning the Black Panther role in Wakanda Forever. The Disney+ series, Falcon and the Winter Soldier saw Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes, played by Anthony Mackie and Sebastian Stan, struggle with maintaining a world without Captain America. Phases 1 through 3 were 11 years of big boss battles, historic team-ups, and the growth of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes.
Phase 4 received mixed reviews during its run and with good reason. Fans enjoyed feature films like Shang-Chi, Multiverse of Madness, and Wakanda Forever. On the other hand, films like Black Widow and Eternals received heavy criticism. During this phase, the television series received similar treatment. Fans raved over WandaVison and Loki and lamented over breakout series Secret Invasion, Ms. Marvel, and Moonknight. Marvel ran into a problem it created–catering to a subset of fans who are not avid comic book readers. The Infinity Saga is where Marvel saw a great increase in viewership. How does the company seek to maintain the loyalty of fans who grew up idolizing the original Avengers? It seems that Marvel chose to stay true to expanding its universe, even at its own expense. As we reach the climax of Phase 5, Marvel looks to be making a major comeback.
Connecting the Dots
Phase 5 opened with the films Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol 3, and The Marvels. Each film brought new questions to the multiverse theme running in the MCU. It also expanded the alleged “big bag,” Kang the Conqueror played by Jonathan Majors. On a larger note, these films also presented the idea of other world-destroying villains lurking in the vastness of the multiverse. In this Phase, Marvel is stepping away from major threats to Earth and building out an entire universe of life, diverse with conflicts and communities.
We see more of Kang in season 2 of Loki, further emphasizing how integral his character is. However, Majors has long been dropped by Marvel, after he was found guilty of two misdemeanor counts of harassment and assault. It is unclear whether Marvel plans to recast the role or scrap the idea of Kang as the final villain altogether. Nonetheless, as mentioned earlier, Marvel is showcasing an entire multiverse of villains hell-bent on destruction. The upcoming series, Agatha All Along, Your Friendly Neighborhood Spiderman, and Eyes of Wakanda–set to release later this year–look to the development of new characters, heroes, and anti-heroes alike. Before that, however, we prep for what may be the biggest Marvel movie since Endgame. Yea, I went there.
Marvel’s newest and first R-Rated film, Deadpool and Wolverine, was released July 24, 2024. After its premiere in New York on July 22, 2024, fans and critics are already boasting of its raunchiness, gore, and tribute to the seemingly forgotten Marvel heroes owned by Fox and Sony. Both Deadpool and Wolverine are beloved characters in the Marvel Universe, so it makes sense why this movie is already considered a blockbuster hit. If this is the direction we can expect from Marvel, I suggest we buckle up!
Featured image courtesy of GOODFON.