Now that Spider-Man: Far From Home and Avengers: Endgame have made their mark on theaters, the next phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe is about to begin. Both films bring huge changes to the series and tease many more to come. What Marvel movies could we possibly see in the next few years? It’s hard to say for sure just yet, but we have some preferences.
While the Black Widow film is in production, there are a handful of projects waiting in silence while the rumor mill takes hold. Casting reports are circulating for The Eternals, everyone is waiting for the next Guardians of the Galaxy, and there is still no news on a Black Panther 2.
In any case, let’s take a look at some projects we’d like to see on Marvel’s slate and some that they will hopefully avoid. Here are 5 MCU Movies That Should Be In Phase 4 (And 5 We Hope Aren’t).
Should Be — Fantastic Four
Any day now, right? With Disney’s acquisition of Fox complete, it’s only a matter of time before Marvel reboots the Fantastic Four.
The future of the MCU is supposedly going to be more cosmic than before. So, with the new direction and the Avengers on the backburner, it only makes sense to bring this space-faring family back into the limelight.
Take them to space, take them to other dimensions, who cares! Just give fans a proper Fantastic Four movie. After all, somebody needs to move into Stark Tower — newly renovated as seen in Spider-Man: Far From Home. Surely that isn’t a coincidence, right?
Hope Not — Thor 4
Thor has become more and more of a fan-favorite character with each appearance. However, with three films under his belt and a leading presence in both Infinity War and Endgame, perhaps Thor should vacate the spotlight so that a new hero can bask in it.
Funnily enough, Thor 4 was announced during this list’s writing with Ragnarok director Taika Waititi at the helm. It’s probably time for some new characters to shine instead of Thor, but with Waititi behind the camera once again, we can’t complain. It’s not a bad idea but, hopefully, this doesn’t take the place of a project that could start a new franchise.
Should Be — Doctor Strange 2
Here’s a sequel that is long overdue — why haven’t we gotten Doctor Strange 2 already? While the Marvel Cinematic Universe plans to lean into more and more sci-fi projects, the fantasy genre isn’t getting any play. Doctor Strange has the potential to be the most unique franchise of the bunch, and yet the sequel somehow isn’t a priority.
The sequel is reportedly in development, but Doctor Strange 2 should be a no-brainer. With his newfound popularity thanks to the Avengers films, the MCU needs to head back into his world and get really weird with it. The next film is supposed to feature Nightmare and the Dream Dimension — just the kind of spooky fantasy that the movies seem to lack.
Hope Not — Captain America 4
Endgame’s farewell to Captain America was divisive among fans. Cap passes his mantle to Sam Wilson, a.k.a. the Falcon. While some fans were thrilled, others maintain that it should have gone to Bucky Barnes. Whichever camp you fall into, one thing is certain: There shouldn’t be another Captain America movie…at least not yet.
Not only would another film come too soon after the original Cap’s beloved trilogy, but this duo already has their own TV series in the pipeline. Falcon and the Winter Soldier will air on Disney+, and with likely several hours of episodes, there is no need for them to star in a Captain America 4.
Sam and Bucky should continue to appear in the MCU films as secondary characters, but save the feature films for new heroes — or for Chris Evans’ inevitable return.
Should Be —Moon Knight
The era of Marvel’s Netflix dominance has come and gone and Moon Knight didn’t make a single appearance. He would have fit in perfectly too — a grounded, edgy hero with psychological trauma fighting the seedy New York underworld? He was ready for Netflix.
However, since that is no longer an option, we wouldn’t be surprised if Moon Knight got his own film. Director James Gunn pitched this to Marvel Studios a few years back, but the company passed. With no hero filling that crime-noir niche, it might be time for some Moon Knight. Surely, they’ve already called Keanu Reeves about this, right?
Hope Not — An Ant-Man & the Wasp Sequel
While the Ant-Man films are tons of fun (and Paul Rudd has become a fan-favorite), they aren’t MCU headliners. The films also make up one of the lower-grossing franchises in the series. It would be wrong to abandon these characters altogether, but do we really need a third Ant-Man and the Wasp?
Ant-Man has had plenty of cumulative screen time, and we don’t necessarily need more of his adventures over other characters in the series. Wasp remains pretty unexplored though, so unless Marvel is pitching a solo Wasp film, maybe this duo should take a backseat for a few years.
Should Be — Young Avengers
There are so many young heroes to choose from, but since the regular Avengers deserve a rest, why not introduce the Young Avengers in a feature film? We’re not just talking about the Young Avengers comic either. Marvel Studios can assemble any of the brand’s young heroes for a movie.
Cassie Lang already exists in the MCU, meaning Stature could be the first young Avenger. Miles Morales was also mentioned in Spider-Man: Homecoming, so he could be introduced as another web-slinger. There are plenty of B-list heroes from the comics that could work as well: Ms. Marvel, Ironheart, Hulkling, Nova, take your pick! Studio CEO Kevin Feige has already expressed interest in a Young Avengers movie, so expect something along those lines in the next phase.
Hope Not — Avengers 5
The chances that Phase 4 will lack an Avengers movie are slim to none. It will almost certainly have one giant crossover. However, if we can’t avoid a Phase 4 Avengers film, can we at least put it off until the end of this string of films?
With so many heroes to choose from and plenty of other teams to introduce, the Avengers should be benched for the foreseeable future. Let the Guardians go do their thing and let the Avengers go their separate ways. Eventually, the younger cast can star in a New Avengers film as the next generation of MCU heroes. Until then though, let’s focus on some new blood or some well-deserved sequels first.
Should Be — A Spider-Men Team-Up
Between the MCU, Into the Spider-Verse, and Spider-Man on PS4, the character is thriving lately. However, what the MCU lacks that those others don’t is clear: A team-up. For once, Marvel Studios should take a cue from Sony Pictures and make a team-up film.
The obvious route here is to introduce Miles Morales and have Tom Holland’s Peter Parker team up with a new Spider-Man. Of course, fans suggest riffing on the Spider-Verse concept by introducing the multiverse and other, weirder Spider-Men. How about a crossover between Tom Holland, Tobey Maguire, and Andrew Garfield?
That’s just wishful thinking, but since Spidey team-ups seem to breed success, the MCU should follow suit and introduce some more Spider-Men.
Hope Not — Anything X-Men Related
With the X-Men back in Marvel’s hands, the studio is likely eager to restore their glory. However, despite their instincts, it might be best to wait on that.
Between Deadpool, Logan, the floundering X-Men films, and the flurry of projects that never got off the ground, the X-Men brand has never left the minds of mainstream audiences. For years, it has remained the sub-par cousin of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
With so many properties to choose from, Marvel Studios should plan an X-Men reboot carefully, and not rush to bring them back in the next phase. After Dark Phoenix, let fans forget about the X-Men for a bit before making them great again.
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What movies do you want to see in Marvel’s Phase 4? Leave a comment and share your thoughts.