Marvel’s Phase 4 has raised the stakes higher than ever before by introducing God-like villains, upgrading heroes’ powers and creating the infinite multiverse. However, while all of these aspects have made for a great start so far, the real success of this new era could come from bringing characters together. The MCU seems to be preparing for multiple different team-ups in future projects, having dropped hints here and there throughout the beginning of this phase.
As of right now, it’s been confirmed that Wanda, Loki and Stephen Strange will come face to face duringDoctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. TheBlack Widowpost-credits scene hinted atYelena, one of Marvel’s newest fan-favorite heroes, running into Cling Barton in the Disney Plus seriesHawkeye. The last time fans saw Thor, he was jetting off to space with the Guardians, which means the ragtag group could very well be together in the upcomingThor: Love and Thundermovie, or perhaps evenGuardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.
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The next Captain Marvel film, titledThe Marvels, will show Carol Danvers teaming up with other female heroes, including the daughter of her best friend, Monica Rambeau. Rumors of there being multiple Spider-Man variants inSpider-Man: No Way Homehave been a major topic of conversation in recent months, so fans are anxiously waiting to see who Peter Parker will join forces with on screen. All in all, Phase 4 is blending the worlds between heroes and making them much more connected.
During the Infinity Saga, heroes didn’t work together very much, unless it was during anAvengersfilm. There were a few instances in which crossovers happened, but the characters were pretty distanced from each other whenever they weren’t fighting Thanos. Phase 2 brought Steve, Bucky, Sam, and Natasha together duringCaptain America: The Winter Soldierand Phase 3 united Thor and Bruce Banner inThor: Ragnarok. Even though these films were released years ago, fans are still taking to social media to sing their praises about both of these movies, making them some of the most popular in the franchise. Aside from theAvengersfilms, Phase 3 also includedCaptain America: Civil War, which has received an equal amount of attention from fans in the years since its initial release. The popularity of these projects proves thatcrossovers are enjoyable for audiences, so using this formula in Phase 4 should bring a lot of viewers to theaters.
Additionally, the dynamics between the heroes in Phase 4 are much different than they were in the past. Despite the times that the Avengers have come together to defeat evil, none of them ever seemed to get along outside of work. Even then, there were some major tensions causing problems for the gang, but the movies with the most hero vs hero conflict usually performed the best. Phase 4 seems to be taking a more healing approach, as it focuses on character development by scrapping some of the action and allowing the heroes to fully resolve their differences on screen.
Fans have already seen characters like Sam and Bucky go from enemies to friends, something that was never resolved during Phase 3.Black Widowshows that Yelena already has it out for Clint, because she blames him for the death of her sister. They’ll have to go on a journey similar to Sam and Bucky if they’re going to cope with the loss of someone they both loved, bringing back the enemies to friends dynamic that fans enjoyed watching duringThe Falcon and the Winter Soldier.Thor and Peter Quill have some obvious tensions, which fans saw during the Infinity Saga when Peter expressed his jealousy over the rest of his team mooning over Thor. If they’re still traveling together in future films, watching them attempt to out-macho each other will surely be both hilarious and heartwarming as they find a way to work together to save the universe.
Watching Loki interact with Wanda and Strange will also be quite interesting since he’s earned himself a reputation as a mischievous trickster. Now that he’s fighting on the right side of things,he should have the chance to bond with Wandaover their previous indiscretions and redeem themselves while they fight the multiversal war. Carol and Monica have some unresolved issues, as well, which was implied duringWandaVisionwhen Monica expressed her distaste at the mention of Carol’s name. They’ll have to have a serious conversation inThe Marvelsif they’re going to repair their relationship and become a family again.
For the most part, it seems as if Phase 4 is using the same fan-favorite tactics that they used in previous Phases, but bringing it to a more human level. Now thatLoki, WandaVisionandThe Falcon and The Winter Soldierhave kicked off this new set of projects with more character exploration, future team-ups and emotional healing could be the key to making Phase 4 successful in the absence of the heroes who started it all.MORE:Thor: Ragnarok Actress Believes MCU Will Embrace Diversity In Phase 4
