Is Marvel Phase Four gonna knock our socks off? Or nah.
The premiere of Avengers: Endgame marked the culmination (and end) of Marvel Phase Three. It was bittersweet to see Tony Stark, Steve Rogers and Thor relinquish the seats they had so properly fit for years—but it was something that had to be done. That final battle against Thanos—and Captain America finally uttering “Avengers, assemble”—is something we’ll remember for years and will be, without a single doubt, difficult to match. After all, every film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe led up to that.
But with the end comes a new beginning and that means Marvel Phase Four, of which the overarching news broke out at San Diego Comic Con a few months ago.
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Where it starts: Black Widow
Marvel Phase Four is officially starting with Black Widow, set to premiere in May 1, 2020. At this point, we all know of Natasha’s selfless sacrifice but—despite being in several MCU movies—we know very little about her. Thank you, Kevin Feige, for confirming that she’s finally getting her due.
Thanks to Captain Marvel, Black Widow will not be the first film within the MCU to feature a woman, but it also goes without saying that the production house has some things to iron out on this end of the gender spectrum. Here’s to hoping that the story of Natasha will be given the justice it deserves.
The upcoming MCU movies include Black Widow, The Eternals, Shang-Chi: And the Legend of the Ten Rings, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and Thor: Love and Thunder.
It’s not all about the cinemas
For the first time in this caliber, the MCU will expand beyond movie theaters into our smaller screens. Series such as The Falcon And The Winter Soldier, WandaVision, Loki, Hawkeye and What If…? are hitting Disney+. There’s no way to tell at this point whether or not the episodic side of the universe will be vital to get the entire picture, but we’re not really all that thrilled to have to sign up for yet another streaming site.
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Marvel Phase Four: What it’s really all about
If you haven’t noticed it just yet, let us point something out for you: There are no Avengers movies coming our way in Phase Four. Feige has gone on the record to say that the next few chapters are all about new beginnings and essentially rebuilding from the flat field that Endgame left us with—and I personally agree with this strategy.
There weren’t too many questions running through my head when I walked out of that film, having been introduced to the new Captain America and having bid farewell to Ironman. The powers-that-be of Marvel did an amazing job at tying everything together, which gives them the opportunity to somewhat start anew.
Anything is possible at this point, but I wouldn’t put my money on the next phases toping the ones that came before. There is no way to match Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark or even Chris Evan’s Steve Rogers. Maybe I’m being too loyal or a little too pessimistic, but my standards are a little high and that’s Marvel’s fault, really.
But honestly, any high expectations I had for what’s to come ended when they announced that Tom Holland as Spider-Man was no longer a go.
But here's to hoping, right?
Art Alexandra Lara
