Marvel released its Phase 4 plans, and we love them 3,000
Marvel Studios released its lineup for Phase 4 of the MCU at San Diego Comic-Con yesterday. And even with Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Evans departing from the franchise this year, the plans for the future look promising.
Avengers: Endgame and Spider-Man: Far From Home brought the third phase of the MCU to a close this year, and both left fans wondering what was next. After all, what could possibly top the Avengers’ fight against Thanos? It took two blockbuster films to defeat the Mad Titan, and then another to tackle the aftermath.
But whatever our doubts, Marvel Studios released the lineup for Phase 4 yesterday at San Diego Comic-Con, and things actually look pretty promising going forward. While it’s still unclear how the remaining heroes’ storylines will intertwine with one another — or what overarching villain will replace Thanos — we can officially say with confidence that we’re excited for the future of the MCU.
What we knew about
With yesterday’s reveal came release dates for a few movies and series we already knew were headed our way. The Black Widow film we’ve all been hearing about for years has finally been confirmed for May 2020, and all three Disney+ series that have been announced so far have tentative release dates.
The Loki series and Wandavision will be the first to stream on Disney+, with both of them coming to the small screen during spring 2021. That fall will also see The Falcon and Winter Soldier released on the streaming platform, meaning we’ll have plenty of MCU content to binge that year.
The sequels to Doctor Strange and Thor, both of which had already been confirmed, also have release dates — and more importantly, titles and details that give fans some insight into what’s coming for both heroes. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness hits theaters in May 2021, and judging by its title, we can probably safely confirm the Multiverse theory MCU fans have been arguing about.
Thor 4: Love and Thunder is headed our way in November 2021, and it will feature Natalie Portman as Lady Thor. That news is about as exciting as it gets, especially when you consider that Taika Waititi is returning to direct the next installment. A female Thor and a beloved director — what more could we really ask for?
What we didn’t know about
While many of the release dates were for movies and series we knew were coming, there were a few pleasant surprises in Marvel’s lineup. For one, The Eternals movie fans have been whispering about is coming — and a lot sooner than expected. Next November, we’ll see Angelina Jolie star in the film alongside Richard Madden, Salma Hayek, Don Lee, Lia McHugh, Brian Tyree Henry, Lauren Ridloff, and Kumail Nanjiani.
In February 2021, we’ll also be getting Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, which will star Simu Liu as Shang-Chi. This film will feature Shang-Chi taking on the Ten Rings organization, which was actually introduced back in Iron Man. It’s an interesting way to establish a new hero while tying his story into previous Marvel films, and we’re excited for it.
Marvel also revealed plans to reboot Blade, though most details were kept under wraps for now. We do know that the film will star Mahershala Ali, but that’s about all — and really, that’s all we need to know to sell us. We can assume Blade will be one of the later films in Phase 4, possibly paving the way into Phase 5.
What’s missing?
As excited as we are about all of the MCU announcements, there are a few surprising names missing from the lineup for the next few years. To start, Spider-Man: Far From Home left fans on quite an intense cliffhanger with its midcredits scene — and it doesn’t look like Tom Holland will be back to resolve that issue any time soon (unless, of course, he does so in another hero’s movie).
Guardians of the Galaxy 3, Black Panther 2, and Captain Marvel 2 are also nowhere to be seen, meaning we might be waiting longer than we expected to see some of our favorite heroes return to the big screen. On the brightside, it does look like Marvel will be keeping us plenty occupied in the meantime. And who knows? Maybe some of our faves will cameo in the new movies.
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What are you most excited for during Marvel Phase 4? Tell us in the comments below.