In 2008, Marvel Studios re-invented how to make a movie based on comic books with the Marvel Cinematic Universe. They have held this standard through 36 different connected projects and are not slowing down.
In the MCU, each movie or television show connects in some way or another to the other projects within the universe. These films and shows are broken into what they entitled phases. Currently the MCU is in Phase 4.
The Story So Far
Iron Man (2008) kicked-off Phase 1 followed by The Incredible Hulk (2008), Iron Man 2 (2010), Thor (2011), and Captain America: The First Avenger (2011). These films were building up to the final film of the phase, The Avengers (2012). Origin stories on individual characters to eventually fight together as a team.
The second phase brought Iron Man 3 (2013), Thor: The Dark World (2013), Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014), Guardians of the Galaxy (2014), Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015), and Ant-Man (2015). It was in this phase where we started to see Marvel was working towards an interconnected story-arc, The Infinity Saga. This arc would connect between phases to a culmination big event. This connectivity is what most movie fans consider the main reason for watching the Marvel films.
Kicking off Phase 3 was Captain America: Civil War (2016) followed by Doctor Strange (2016), Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017), Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), Thor: Ragnarok (2017), Black Panther (2018), Avengers: Infinity War (2018), Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018), Captain Marvel (2019), and Avengers: Endgame (2019). Thanos’ impact during Infinity War and Endgame was 11 years in the making and was some of the best storytelling in history. Marvel grabbed onto the feelings we held over those years and finished with the bang. Endgame became the most successful box office comic book film of all-time and the second highest grossing film of all-time with $2.79 billion.
Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019) was also part of the third phase, but was put after Endgame to help us feel the effects of the Avengers films and to set up viewers for what’s to come to start the next phase.
Each phase of the MCU has had a film not go over well with critics or fans or both. The first phase saw The Incredible Hulk (67% Rotten Tomatoes), in Phase 2 it was The Dark World (66% RT), and Captain Marvel (79% RT) in Phase 3. Now in Phase 4 a few RT scores have landed under the 80% mark, but keep in mind a Rotten Tomatoes score over 60% is considered “Fresh” and one over 75% is “Certified Fresh.” In other words, the overall consensus is the movie is good.
Is Marvel Lost With Phase 4?
Short answer is no.
The fourth phase in the MCU started with Black Widow (2021). This film was a few years too late and is actually slotted back between Civil War and Black Panther. Let’s consider this film a miss phase 3 opportunity.
Phase 4 has released more projects (13) than any other phase (11), and the phase is far from over. However, grumblings from fans and news outlets have been more than ever with these projects. Discussion around not knowing where the story is headed, no overarching story-arc, no “big bad,” and too much content.
Marvel keeps a lot close to the chest. The recent reveal on the Ms. Marvel (2022) tv series was only known by Iman Vellani and a few key others before the filming of the final episode. Even Matt Lintz, who was part of the scene, was unaware. The Studio likes to build anticipation and has always had a plan, why would that be different in this phase?
The current goal is to move us on from the impact of the Infinity Saga and introduce new characters to the universe. This is little different than the first phase of the MCU. The overall number of projects, characters and threads might seem different, but is similar to introducing Iron Man, Hulk, Captain America and Thor. The world of superheroes is much larger than when Marvel released Iron Man and ground work needs to be laid.
Movies such as Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021), Eternals (2021), and Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021) are setting up new important characters, introducing the idea of gods in the universe, and giving us a glimpse of what a multiverse can be in each film respectively.
TV series Moon Knight and Ms. Marvel, along with feature films Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and Thor: Love and Thunder released this year. Continuing the concept of introducing new characters such as Moon Knight, Ms. Marvel, America Chavez and more, plus the big reveal of the effects of the multiverse. Love and Thunder was closing up threads from the third phase and checking in on what is taking place off-earth.
Eternals (47% RT), Love and Thunder (67% RT), and Doctor Strange 2 (74%) have not been as well received as fans and critics had hoped. However, only Eternals landed in the “Rotten” category of 59% or less as the only MCU film to do so. This leaves 97% of projects in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as fresh on Rotten Tomatoes with 83% of releases certified fresh. Does this not give you faith Marvel has a plan?
Disney+ Series Shining Bright in Phase 4
Phase 4 saw the introduction of the Disney+ tv series with WandaVision (2021), The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (2021), Loki (2021), and Hawkeye (2021). These series all featured characters from previous phases with the purpose of transitioning to what is next, tying up some loose ends and introducing the successors of previous main characters.
Marvel had attempted to produce shows to intertwine with the MCU, but opted to state they lived outside of the universe. Some of this changed recently with the inclusion of Matt Murdoch in Spider-Man: No Way Home and Kingpin in Hawkeye.
In the fourth phase, the films slipped in critic and fans eyes, as stated above, but the shows have taken center stage. Of the seven tv series, each and every one has been rated certified fresh on Rotten Tomatoes (75% or higher) with only Moon Knight (86%) and The Falcon and The Winter Solider (83%) below the 90th percentile.
The inclusion of another medium to release stories about Marvel characters has added depth to the universe and the ability to explain things in a different way.
Phase 4 is Setting a Foundation for the Future
Marvel is setting up the next 10 years of projects and has to lay the foundation of new characters, new places and new storylines. This is what we believe is the purpose Phase 4. In order to get to where we ended up with Thanos, we need to have a foundation and the foundation was destroyed in Endgame.
Planning, executing and delivering multi-million dollar movies and television shows for many years is not an easy task. Toss into the mix the addition of characters that were previously untouchable, ie. X-Men, Mutants, Fantastic Four. The Marvel Universe went from four major characters and locations, plus villains in the first phase to hundreds of characters or places by the end of the third phase. This takes a special ability and let’s be honest, most of us don’t have these skills.
Yes, we don’t know where this is all headed. We don’t know who the next big bad is going to be at the moment. We don’t have an Infinity War-type massive thread weaving throughout the films, but this seems to be a buffer phase. Something to get us from the gut-wrenching third phase to the what can be expected as a wonderful Phase 5.
If they went right from Thanos snapping half the universe away and the Avengers brining them back in End Game to the next big bad or long storyline it would’ve been too soon. We need to sit in the events of the Infinity War, learn about new characters and worlds and prepare us for the future.
Let’s be honest…Marvel has created something that we all expect to be perfect, because most the first movies were perfect. They will falter, they will stumble, but if history tells us anything, they will make great content and we all will be buying tickets. Marvel is still doing something the likes of DC and other make believe worlds have struggled to duplicate. Let’s sit back, breathe and know us Marvel fans are in good hands. If phase four ends and phase five begins with horrible films, I will admit I was wrong. However, I’ll take it to the bank Marvel will release some unbelievable content over the next 5-10 years.
