While controversial, the MCU’s Phase 4 had various key moments that completely changed the course of the franchise as the Multiverse Saga took shape.
The MCU’s Phase 4 had various moments that completely changed the direction of the franchise. After the Infinity Saga came to an end with Avengers: Endgame and Spider-Man: Far From Home, Phase 4 started a new era for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The concept of the multiverse, the launch of MCU Disney+ shows, and the introduction of new characters and worlds were only some of Phase 4’s biggest innovations.
These additions proved popular for many and divisive for others. However, they were undeniable changes of pace from what had come before. Now that Black Panther: Wakanda Forever put an end to Phase 4 and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania started Phase 5, it’s easier to look back and pinpoint the most crucial moments from Phase 4.
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WandaVision Teases Actors From Other Marvel Franchises
WandaVision became a game-changer for the MCU not only because of its status as Marvel’s first-ever Disney+ series, but also because it played with Marvel Studios’ format and tone. Most surprisingly, WandaVision featured Evan Peters as Pietro a.k.a. Quicksilver, just a couple of years after Peters’ final appearance as the speedster in Fox’s X-Men franchise. Although WandaVision revealed Evan Peters’ character to be a regular human named Ralph Bohner, it marked the first time a Marvel actor from a different franchise was reincorporated into the MCU — a trend that would continue across Phase 4.
Falcon And The Winter Soldier Introduces The Avengers’ First Legacy Hero
Falcon and the Winter Soldier followed WandaVision with a more grounded take on the MCU. The second MCU Disney+ series followed Sam Wilson as becomes Captain America, and his first appearance wearing the suit and shield turned him into the MCU’s first official legacy hero. Other Phase 4 installments would follow suit and turn other MCU characters into legacy heroes, setting up a new generation of Avengers that include Kate Bishop, Jane Foster, Shuri, and possibly T’Challa’s son, Toussaint.
Falcon And The Winter Soldier Starts Assembling A Very Different Avengers Team
Falcon and the Winter Soldier also set up a new team of superheroes, this time less heroic than the Avengers. Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ Valentina Allegra de Fontaine first recruited John Walker and gave him his codename, U.S. Agent, in Falcon and the Winter Soldier episode 5 (“Truth”), before inviting Yelena Belova onto the team in Black Widow‘s post-credits scene. As confirmed by the official Thunderbolts line-up, Val will also recruit Black Widow‘s Red Guardian and Taskmaster, as well as Falcon and the Winter Soldier‘s Bucky Barnes and Ant-Man and the Wasp‘s Ghost.
Loki Officially Introduces (And Breaks) The Multiverse
Phase 4’s first installments laid the foundations for the Multiverse Saga, but it was only until Loki that the multiverse truly shifted into high gear. Loki established the concepts of alternate universes, multiversal variants, and the Sacred Timeline; it teased a previous Multiversal War, debuted and killed He Who Remains, and set up the arrival of the MCU’s new overarching antagonist, Jonathan Majors’ Kang the Conqueror. Loki‘s final episode featured the Sacred Timeline’s collapse and Sylvie’s murder of He Who Remains, which set off a chain of events that will continue to affect the franchise, at least until Avengers: Secret Wars.
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Phase 4 Post-Credits Scenes Introduce Various Key MCU Characters
Phase 4’s post-credits scenes took the Infinity Saga’s penchant for introducing new characters after the credits — namely Nick Fury, Thanos, The Collector, and the Maximoff Twins — to a whole new level. Eternals‘ two post-credits scenes introduced Harry Styles’ Eros and Mahershala Ali’s Blade, Spider-Man: No Way Home brought Tom Hardy’s Eddie Brock and Venom to the MCU, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness introduced Charlize Theron’s Clea, Thor: Love and Thunder introduced Brett Goldstein’s Hercules, and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever introduced T’Challa’s son, Divine Love Konadu-Sun’s Toussaint. On Disney+, Moon Knight introduced Marc Spector’s third persona, Jake Lockley.
No Way Home And Multiverse Of Madness Bring Back Beloved Characters
Loki revealed the infinite possibilities of the MCU multiverse, but Spider-Man: No Way Home put them on full display. The final installment in Tom Holland’s first MCU trilogy was a love letter to Spider-Man’s cinematic history, as it honored Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy and Marc Webb’s The Amazing Spider-Man movies. It not only brought Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield’s Spider-Men but also Willem Dafoe’s Green Goblin, Alfred Molina’s Doctor Octopus, Thomas Hayden-Church’s Sandman, Rhys Ifans’ Lizard, and Jamie Foxx’s Electro.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness then gave Fox’s X-Men and ABC’s Inhumans a nod with the return of Patrick Stewart’s Professor X and Anson Mount’s Black Bolt. But even without the help of the multiverse, Spider-Man: No Way Home brought Charlie Cox’s Daredevil into the MCU, and Hawkeye did the same with Vincent D’Onofrio’s Kingpin. Phase 5 is set to continue the trend with the return of Ryan Reynolds’ Deadpool and Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine in Deadpool 3.
Ms Marvel Introduces The First Official MCU Mutant
Although the MCU’s X-Men are unlikely to arrive anytime soon, Phase 4 already laid the foundations for future mutant storylines. Ms. Marvel featured the MCU’s first instance of the word “mutation” and the shocking suggestion that Kamala Khan is an MCU mutant instead of an Inhuman. Soon after, Namor called himself a mutant in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, which teased the introduction of other mutant characters ahead of the X-Men’s official debut. WandaVision‘s revelation that Scarlet Witch already controlled chaos magic as a kid also suggests that Wanda and Pietro Maximoff were mutants all along.
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She-Hulk Breaks The Fourth Wall And Brings Marvel Studios To The MCU
In She-Hulk: Attorney At Law, Tatiana Maslany’s Jennifer Walters did what no other MCU has done and smashed the fourth wall even harder than Ryan Reynolds’ Deadpool. She-Hulk not only interacted with the audience but also came out of her own show and entered Marvel Studios’ headquarters, talked with the show’s writers and director, and discussed her series’ finale with producer Kevin Feige’s fictional counterpart, the robot KEVIN. While this fourth wall break was purely comedic, it potentially presented an even higher power than Loki‘s He Who Remains or Thor: Love and Thunder‘s Eternity.
The MCU’s Special Presentations Introduce A Brand-New Marvel Format
The MCU’s Phase 4 also brought a new Disney+ format in the form of Special Presentations — short, self-contained stories released exclusively on Disney+. The two Special Presentations released so far, Werewolf By Night and The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special, served as seasonal storylines, the former being Halloween-themed and the latter Christmas-themed. Special Presentations still take place within MCU canon and introduce new characters that will likely become key to future movies and shows.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Honors Chadwick Boseman’s Legacy
Wrapping up the MCU’s Phase 4 with a bang, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever gave Chadwick Boseman and his portrayal of T’Challa a touching goodbye. Ryan Coogler’s Black Panther sequel introduced various important characters and set up various storylines such as Namor, Talokan, Riri Wiliams, and a possible future battle for vibranium, but it served first and foremost as a respectful tribute to the impact Chadwick Boseman’s Black Panther had inside and outside the screen.
