From the moment Marvel unveiled the MCU Phase 4 slate at Comic-Con in July 2019, we noticed there was no Avengers 5 title on the schedule. We speculated at the time that Marvel couldn’t hurry to the next Avengers installment without bringing some order to the Avengers lineup following Endgame. Furthermore, future MCU stories needed to incorporate brand new heroes, including characters from the Fox universe.
Since then, Marvel added plenty of titles to Phase 4, but we’ve yet to get any sort of epic crossover announcement. However, that might change soon, thanks to new comments from Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige. He teased that the thrust of the current saga should become evident as we get near the end of MCU Phase 4. Does that mean an Avengers 5 announcement is imminent? Before we answer, you should know that Phase 4 spoilers might follow below.
When will Marvel unveil the MCU Phase 5 titles?
Each of the previous MCU phases featured massive Avengers crossover movies, culminating in Infinity War and Endgame. The first three phases are called the Infinity Saga.
Back in the summer of 2019, we had no idea how massive the MCU Phase 4 would be. The initial announcement was overwhelming, as it included numerous Disney Plus TV shows. Phase 4 was going to be the first MCU phase to feature multiple TV shows on Disney’s brand new streaming service.
Then Marvel kept adding to the pile, and we even saw reports that Marvel’s phase structure might be going away. Marvel never titled what the current saga is about, and the pandemic further complicated things.
On the one hand, Marvel had to delay everything, so 2020 was the first year without any MCU releases. On the other hand, the delays meant Marvel was under no pressure to announce an Avengers 5 crossover or the MCU Phase 5 titles. The studio was well behind schedule, so everything would be delayed.
Two years later, the MCU Phase 4 isn’t over, and the Avengers are hardly there. The current phase still doesn’t have a name or an Avengers 5 story attached to it.
However, we might be getting close to more announcements from Marvel.
Kevin Feige says MCU Phase 4’s clues are clear
Talking to Total Film, Marvel Studios’ president teased that Marvel will soon deliver more clues about the current saga.
“As we’re nearing the end of Phase 4, I think people will start to see where this next saga is going,” Feige said.
“I think there have been many clues already, that are at least apparent to me, of where this whole saga is going. But we’ll be a little more direct about that in the coming months, to set a plan, so audiences who want to see the bigger picture can see a tiny, tiny, tiny bit more of the roadmap.”
Of course, Feige would understand the clues in MCU Phase 4 so far. He’s planting them as he sees fit without disclosing the bigger picture.
But these enigmatic Feige comments are exciting nonetheless. The exec seems to suggest that Marvel might have some sort of announcement that will help the audience understand the larger storyline. Whatever Marvel will announce should be “direct,” although the roadmap will remain largely hidden.
We will point out that Marvel only used the Infinity Saga moniker after the events in the last two. However, Marvel teased the big villain in Infinity War and Endgame along the way, with Thanos (Josh Brolin) appearing in the post-credits scenes of various MCU movies in the previous phases. Not to mention the Avengers movies that glued everything together.
What will Avengers 5 be about?
That cohesiveness seems to be lacking in the MCU Phase 4 so far. That’s even though MCU Phase 4 is larger than anything we had before that.
When all is said and done, Phase 4 might contain 11 movies if we include Fantastic Four. We only saw five of them, and there’s no Avengers 5 or other big crossovers on the list.
As for Disney Plus TV shows, we have at least 14 separate titles in MCU Phase 4. And we’ve only saw seven of them.
Unlike the previous phases, the current saga’s theme might not be as clear as Feige might think. The Avengers are a glaring absence from various movies and TV shows in MCU Phase 4 so far, to the point where the Avengers become a plot hole. And there’s no central villain.
However, there are two clear themes in Phase 4 so far. For starters, we’re looking at more heroes coming out of hiding. Marvel is rejuvenating the MCU, and we already have the basis for what might turn out to be a Young Avengers. Then, Marvel could go for other teams, like the Thunderbolts and the Midnight Sons. Thunderbolts already has a director.
More importantly, the MCU Phase 4 delivers a big multiverse theme with the help of Loki, WandaVision, Spider-Man: No Way Home, and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
Not only that, but the main villain to follow Thanos might be Kang (Jonathan Majors). And if multiversal wars/incursions are to happen next, then Avengers 5 might start telling the MCU’s version of Secret Wars.
All of that is speculation, however. Hopefully, as Feige has teased, Marvel will clarify the purpose of the current saga soon.
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