Perhaps the most anticipated batch of announcements from the 2019 San Diego Comic-Con came out of Hall H. Marvel Studios head honcho Kevin Feige laid out the blueprint and timeline for Phase 4 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. As you can expect, it left us with plenty of things to talk about.
First some general thoughts. It shows how confident they must be to lay out very specific plans so far in advance. They’ve done it before but never quite to this degree. But money speaks volumes and the MCU movies have made a ton of cash. So it makes sense that they would be full steam ahead.
It also shows just how much of the box office landscape Disney will own in the coming future. I’m not an alarmist but think about how many moviegoer dollars will be going into their pockets via the MCU, Star Wars, Pixar, Avatar, live-action remakes, etc. It will be interesting to see how and if this effects the earnings and number of screens available for other films outside of the Disney umbrella.
But back to the MCU, Feige had some major announcements, many of which were for the big screen but just as many for Disney’s upcoming streaming service due to launch on November 12th. It sounds like the movies and the numerous streaming series will all play key roles in the MCU giving us even more content to consume. Whether that’s good or bad remains to be seen.
Now onto what they actually announced:
- On the movie front “Black Widow” was finally confirmed after tons of rumors. It’s set to release on May 1, 2020 and takes place between “Captain America: Civil War” and “Infinity War”. A truly stellar cast was introduced. In addition to Scarlett Johansson, David Harbour, Florence Pugh, and Rachel Weisz are onboard. It’s a great kickoff to Phase 4.
- Next up is a more iffy choice. “Eternals” hits theaters November 6, 2020 and follows these lesser known band of super-powered protectors. How far they will stick with Jack Kirby’s original and relatively obscure creation remains to be seen. Could be good or it could be Marvel finally betting too high on itself.
- First up on their streaming platform will be “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier”. I’m really excited for this one. As a huge Captain America fan obviously I have an affection for his two best friends. Anthony Mackie and Sebastian Stan are back and Daniel Brühl will be reprising his role as Baron Zemo. Sold!
- 2021 will be a busy year for the MCU starting February 12th with the big screen release of “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings”. Talk about an announcement out of left field. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a fan of the Master of Kung-Fu. But this certainly seems like an out-of-blue choice. Still I’m intrigued especially when it was revealed that the Mandarin would be the villain. Maybe the MCU will get him right this time.
- WandaVision hits Disney+ next and it sounds really interesting. Feige kept saying it would be “weird” which I’m guessing was intentional. We also learned that Paul Bettany reprises his role as Vision and the series takes place after “Endgame”. So Vision lives? Oh, and the series will directly connect to their next announcement.
- In theaters May 7th, 2021 is “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness”. The title alone lets you know that this thing could be pretty gonzo. What was most interesting was hearing director Scott Derrickson call it “the first scary MCU movie”. We also learned that Elizabeth Olsen’s Scarlett Witch will have a big part. I think it will also open the door for another announcement we will get to in a moment.
- Three Disney+ series will drop in Spring, Summer, and Fall of 2021. Tom Hiddleston is back as the glorious god of mischief in the simply-titled “Loki”. “What If…?” will be an animated series with a massively impressive voice cast. And “Hawkeye” sees Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner) shepherding his successor. Hmmm.
- November 5, 2021 brings the biggest question mark yet. “Thor: Love and Thunder” brings back writer-director Taika Waititi who apparently plans on covering a ton of new ground, none of which especially sells me on his movie. Chris Hemsworth is so good as Thor and seeing him leave that role behind is a bummer. Tessa Thompson has yet to show the charisma to make her version of Valkyrie remotely interesting. And Natalie Portman as the new Thor? I’m sorry, but while Portman has grown into a good actress, seeing her as The Goddess of Thunder feels like a huge stretch. This could be a mess.
- And then two-time Oscar winner Mahershala Ali walked out. His new character doesn’t appear on the Phase 4 timeline but he’s certainly on the way. Marvel is bringing Blade into the MCU and I can’t think of a better actor to play him. And with Doctor Strange’s movie delving into horror, that opens the door for Blade’s special brand of justice.
Perhaps most exciting is what they tossed out at the end but didn’t show. “Black Panther 2”, “Guardians of the Galaxy 3”, and “Captain Marvel 2” were safe bets but good to have confirmed. The biggest confirmation came when Feige playfully mentioned the Fantastic Four and “mutants” (aka X-Men).
I don’t know about you, but after seeing the Phase 4 lineup I think the MCU needs the X-Men and Fantastic Four sooner rather than later. Yes, these announced movies will still make money and yes, they will still set social media ablaze. But for many of us it’s hard to see any of these newcomers filling the shoes of such iconic superhero characters like Tony Stark’s Iron Man, Steve Rogers’ Captain America, or Bruce Banner’s Hulk. And it’s especially hard to find the same excitement we felt building up to the Avengers.
The MCU will need to lean heavy on Spider-Man, Black Panther, Captain Marvel and the Guardians until the new heavy hitters get on their feet. And what about the villains? We know of a couple but creating compelling antagonists have proven to be tough. This just adds more questions to a growing list.
In a nutshell, Marvel has some work to do.
keithandthemovies.com 
I am VERY excited. Doctor Strange wasn’t my fav movie but Cumberbatch was fantastic in the role in team up films and the whole scary vibe they say the film will have is something I am hyped for. I trust Waititi and I always liked Jane Foster and Thor together so I love the announcement. And Blade! I am hopinh it’s gonna be R rated, it’s such an easy way for MCU to branch out and do something different if they start doing more adult movies like that. Hopefully I’ll get to see those films because Daddy Hopper sporting that ferocious beard and playing some sort of kick ass Russian agent in Black Widow may end me
I wish I was as optimistic about Waititi’s Thor. To me Portman doesn’t seem like the super-powered, lightning-calling, hammer-wielding type. But I truly LOVE when movie’s prove me wrong. 🙂
I’m really excited for Black Widow. As for Daddy Hopper…let’s just say I ‘did a thing’ during my vacation that will make you proud. More on that later in the week. 😉
I can’t say I’m that excited but then , my excitement for MCU product has been waning anyways . I personally think they are all over the map . I like some of thier movies alot but many I’m been very lukewarm about . I rarely go to any opening weekend and now wait till I can use a coupon . Yep I’m there .
I was happy to hear Master of Kung Fu get some love with Shang-Chi being announced . I loved that 70’s run . I gravitated towards the more unique titles in the 70’s like Master ,Tomb of Dracula , Werewolf by Night , Man-Thing etc…So with that in mind , was happy to hear of Blade getting a shot too . Hope its more like the comic and less like Snipes version . Not a fan .
Dr.Strange has me intrigued . Especially with Derrickson calling it more scary or horror based . That could be cool .
As to everything else , I’m not that engaged . As to Thor , I think that is going to be more like the last , and with that in mind , check me out .
I was deeply disappointed that zero love was shown for the Netflix shows like Daredevil and Punisher . Both were excellent and Charlie Cox and Jon Bernthal deserve more stories . Plus its time to connect them to the wider MCU .
So going forward I’m thinking as you said , the time to get the Fantastic Four going should be sooner . They could be the next real anchor . Plus by introducing the FF , you get Dr.Doom and Galactus as well.
YES on Doom and Galactus! My gosh the MCU needs them, especially Doom. He should be a Thanos type centerpiece villain so hopefully that gets going sooner rather than later. And with the X-Men comes Magneto, another favorite of mine. I would give anything if they brought Fassbender back.
Yes , Fassbender needs to be in this universe . I even like McAvoy as Professor X . Needs to happen .
YES!!!! PLEASEEEE!!! A certain MCU film has shown that can be done. Both of them make perfect sense.
Marvel does have lots of work to do. However, they also have a strong foundation and solid track record so I’m excited to see what they do with this phase. On the other hand, it might be too much for me to keep up with all the TV shows to go with the movies. As long as they keep the movies the main thing and the shows filling in smaller parts of the MCU I’ll be fine. Once I have to watch the shows to understand the movies, it will be a problem.
Great point. I think making the shows mandatory for understanding the movies would be a pretty big mistake. It’s a fine line. You want the shows to be relevant but you don’t want to force people to see them in order to understand your movies. Tricky spot to be in.
Firstly gutted Chris hemsworth isn’t Thor, did he die in endgame? Not watching it without him anyways. Secondly looking forward to the Eternals as I’m an angelina jolie fan. also sad that Loki is reduced to a TV series, but like him lots so will watch it and see.
Nope, Thor as we know him now still lives but is off on an unknown journey. Eternals could be good or bad. Guardians of the Galaxy was kinda like that at first. I’m interested in the Loki series. It sounds like they are putting a lot of money into the production of their streaming stuff so they could be pretty good.
Re Loki I hope so. G of G 1 I did like but thought the 2nd didn’t live up to it. Actually it’s Chris Doodah I’m not so keen on I think. I like the rest of the characters though.
Loki is a great character but he mainly works because Hiddleston is soooo good.
agreed! also though Hiddleston and Hemsworth were just a great pairing, sad that is no longer to be. 😦
I’m SO excited for this. Especially since I’m getting more of Wanda, who is my favorite. Give me all the Marvel goodness lol
Funny you mention Wanda. It’s about time they are giving her room to grow. Scarlett Witch is such a powerful hero. In the comics she is the daughter of Magneto. Imagine if they bring that angle into the MCU once the X-Men come onboard.
BTW, she’s my daughter’s favorite too! 🙂
I’m excited for this upcoming Phase. Particularly for the fact that we have some established-indie and up-and-comers on board for these films. 2 of which are women in Cate Shortland and Chloe Zhao. I also like that they’re also trying to go for something different with Shang-Chi and Doctor Strange 2 with the latter being a horror film w/ Scarlet Witch helping out Doctor Strange. I’m really happy that Taika will do the next Thor film as the idea of Natalie Portman returning as Jane Foster who would then become Thor herself just made me do a Randy Marsh.
The Disney+ TV stuff I’m also excited for but not much since I’m still not on any kind of streaming service but I want to check it out.
There are several things I’m genuinely excited for, some things I’m curious about, and some things that just sound off. But the MCU has proved me wrong before. I remember when they cast Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark. I was among those who thought it sounded nuts. Boy was I happy to be so wrong.
There was plenty of hubbub at the casting of Michael Keaton and Ben Affleck as Batman; Heath Ledger as the Joker; Daniel Craig as James Bond; etc etc. And with the exception of Affleck’s Batman (which I haven’t seen yet), they’re all great.
Anxious to see how it turns out!
Should be interesting.
I hope so!
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