The Marvel Cinematic Universe spent its first decade on a slow incline of growth with its characters and overarching narrative. As a result, when the time came for the universe’s heroes to face off against Thanos, it had serious stakes and felt like a climactic battle worthy of the hype it garnered. But after reaching the highest heights, its next phase had the unenviable task of matching what came before and starting anew with a new collection of heroes and stories.
For the most part, Phase 4 has helped introduce new avenues of the MCU, such as the supernatural aspects and the more cosmic stories like the Eternals. In essence, this phase has been more about a look at the MCU’s metaphysical worlds and how those have balanced with its theme of grief. However, even though its ideas were massive, and the phase acted more as a reconstruction period for the franchise, there was still an overly prevalent sense of buildup with little to no payoff. That said, the answer for why Phase 4 wasn’t nearly as perfect may have everything to do with the Skrulls and their secret invasion.
Phase 4 Was Vast But Lacked A Crucial Component
The MCU’s Phase 4 was best summed up through the setups it created in the story. For starters, there was the rise of Kang and the Multiverse, as well as the promise of greater surprises involving creatures like Vampires and a greater focus on street-level heroes. With new faces like Moon Knight, Daredevil, Shang-Chi and the Eternals leading the charge, there was more than enough for audiences to chew on in terms of content. That said, the overall thoughts on the phase were that there was a lot of substance but not much that could be done with it.
Phase 4 had a lot of setups but not much in the way of forward momentum. With Phase 5 on the horizon and little to no closure to what’s been introduced, it could be easy to assume that there may not even be time to solve everything before Avengers: Secret Wars. In fact, it’s almost as if the growth within the MCU was slowed down for a reason, as the heroes haven’t been nearly as capable of pushing the narrative forward as they were before. But the reason for this may not be a matter of pacing but instead a narrative tool to show just how aggressive the Skrulls have been in taking over.
How Did Skrulls Slow Down the MCU?
Stating the possibility that Skrulls have slowed down the progress of an entire franchise is a huge claim to make if there’s no valid evidence to help prove it. However, the MCU has dropped subtle hints of this in many ways. For starters, there have been some big leaps for villains and even greater leaps for side characters gaining the upper hand in the universe during The Blip. A great example is Wong, who has become a fan favorite since Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. During The Blip, he became Sorcerer Supreme and contributed to breaking out The Abomination and keeping America Chavez on Kamar-Taj. If he was a Skrull, he’s learned much in a few years and would be the perfect surprise for audiences.
Another exciting turn would be Sharon Carter, who has taken a drastic heel turn as the Power Broker. When she lived in Madripoor, it would make sense that she would want to survive and grow accustomed to a life of black market weapons and power dealing. But considering who her Aunt was, her morals would’ve stopped her before she started a new operation in one of the world’s largest superpowers. Though they’re only two examples, they’re huge in proving that changes have happened, but there’s no growth. As a result, it’s likely that these changes have only benefitted the Skrulls and may allude to bigger surprises once Secret Invasion is launched. But once the dust has settled, the MCU may explode with stories that’ll quickly make up for lost time.
