Despite Marvel releasing more content than ever, there is a huge debate on whether the death of Iron Man, Steve Rogers' Captain America, and Black Widow.
The concept of phases in the MCU is inspired by the popular Marvel comic book arc Civil War. Unlike other Marvel comics, Civil War felt more structured, broken down into four key parts, which allowed for better continuity throughout its run. Similarly, the MCU's phases are also meticulously structured, with each phase within the Infinity Saga serving as a beginning, middle, and end. For example, Phase 1 ended with the first team-up Avengers: Infinity War before showing them unite one last time to defeat Thanos in Avengers: Endgame.
Currently, the MCU Phase 4 is exploring the aftermath of Avengers: Endgame, with a lot of focus on the consequences of the Blip. However, this has proven to be a difficult task following such an epic conclusion to the Infinity Saga, with many feeling as though there is not much connecting the current new characters within the MCU. Because of this, it's seemingly been unclear where the narrative of Phase 4 is leading the MCU, with the pressing question of who would become the next big bad still lingering. However, it appears as though there is a more significant link between the MCU phases than previously theorized, given Marvel's latest announcements at Comic-Con 2022, with MCU Phase 4 not getting the justice it deserves.
Phase 4 Is Moving The MCU Into A New Direction
Some of the many criticisms surrounding MCU Phase 4 have been focused on the fact that it is nothing like the Infinity Saga of Phases 1-3. However, this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. While there is no denying the cultural and cinematic impact that the Infinity Saga had, trying to replicate this is bound to end in disaster. Instead, Marvel has announced a far better way forward for the MCU by labeling Phases 4, 5, and 6 the Multiverse Saga, ending with or the Secret Wars comic. The MCU is simply in a stage of narrative de-escalation, reminiscent of what happens when a major comic book arc ends. They are building up to something great; it will take time.
Phase 4 Is Like A Comic Book
Another major criticism of MCU Phase 4 is that there is a constant string of fresh new characters being introduced, but this is one of the best things the MCU has done to replicate its comic book roots. A majority of comic book readers don’t read every single title that is released and instead gravitate to the ones that they love the most. However, plenty of Spider-Man readers have picked up crossover events like House of M because, more often than not, their favorite hero will appear in it. Similarly, not everyone is going to watch every one of the WandaVision on Disney+, for example.
The Complexity Of The Multiverse And Dimensions Is Great
While anything to do with the multiverse can be pretty tricky to explain, the fact that the MCU's version of the multiverse can't be explained by one singular movie or TV show shows how much thought has gone into its creation. Additionally, the various dimensions within the MCU are a fantastic way to appeal to various people. It shows that Marvel is genuinely making an attempt to be inclusive to all rather than focusing solely on American culture and values, or even the genres and storylines that only appeal to one audience. The wide variety of dimensions in Marvel's multiverse also paves the way for the MCU to exist for many more years to come, opening the door to an endless number of storytelling opportunities.
While some of the complaints surrounding MCU Phase 4 are understandable, it’s nowhere near as bad as it’s made out to be, and in a few years, it will have audiences looking back, shocked at all the little details that led to Avengers: Secret Wars. Following on from such a culture-defining film was always going to be a tough job for Marvel, but they are doing the right thing in not giving audiences what they want straight away. After all, it wasn’t until Phase 3 that connections between previous MCU films became prominent. Additionally, Thanos’ first appearance being the post-credit scene of The Avengers means that there's a precedent for not properly seeing the next Marvel Cinematic Universe big bad, Kang, right away.
