SDCC 2019: MCU Phase 4 has Arrived

Thanks IGN

San Diego Comic Con was this past weekend and I’m still sorting through the news, but by far the biggest news of the year (In pop culture) has arrived: The Marvel Cinematic Universe Phase 4 map. I’m not incredibly excited for this slate although some of the projects do get me excited. I think Spider-Man: Far From Home has got me a bit down on the direction it seems they are heading in (My full thoughts later this week). More like cautiously optimistic. But, let’s look at what’s coming up!

First up is Black Widow. I don’t really care about this film. It is nice that the character is getting a starting film, but it feels too late. We’ve already seen the character die. Interest in the character was probably at it's highest following Captain America: Winter Soldier which featured the best version of a character that changes wildly between films. This film probably should have been released soon after that. But I’ll probably see this and hopefully enjoy it.

Next is The Falcon and The Winter Soldier. What a bland name. This one is a miniseries that will “air” on Disney+. It just so happens to feature the other two (more interesting) underserved characters from Winter Soldier. I assume this will be some sort of “Who Will Wield the Shield” adaptation although I saw an interview with Anthony Mackie saying he has already been fitted for his Captain America Suit.  So, who knows? This will probably be enough for me to try out Disney+.

Next up is Eternals, the big unknown. The Eternals are a very New Gods-esque of space gods. Should be fun. Maybe they’ll sneak Cannonball into it. Either way, the cast is fantastic enough and the concept is fun enough that I’m truly excited to see. I just hope it goes Full Jack Kirby. The MCU needs that kind of weirdness.

Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings promises to be interesting. I know virtually nothing about the cast and director, but Shang-Chi is cool and I'm down for an all-Asian superhero film. Also, the Mandarin is going to be in this one. For real this time. I’m incredibly interested to see where that goes because, as you may know, the comic character is historically VERY RACIST. Also, I liked Iron Man 3. Hopefully they reference that.

Next up is, ugh, WandaVision. WHO NAMED THIS? I’m also are this went through at least 20 levels of approval. It’s bad though. That whole group needs to take a long, hand look in the mirror. Otherwise, I'm tentatively excited. Elizabeth Olsen is a fantastic actress that hasn’t gotten to do enough in the films thus far. It seemed as if Marvel was playing coy, but I assume Paul Bettany will also make an appearance. Possibly in flashback. Probably in present day as Wanda discovers a way to bring him back. Sounds fun.

Influenced somehow by the events of WandaVision, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (Whew, that’s a lot.) promises a guest appearance from Wanda herself. Director Scott Derrickson promises more of a horror vibe which may or may not make this film better than the original, but it should make it more interesting than the absolute bore fest that was Doctor Strange.

Between the previous two, we’ll see the release of Loki. It will feature the Loki from Avengers: Endgame and that’s pretty much all I’ve seen confirmed. Should be interesting to see. I’m kind of over Loki at this point though. He’s a good character, but the films mostly don’t know what to do with him. Tom Hiddleston carries this character in a similar way to Scarlett Johansson and Jeremy Renner with their roles. Big meh from me.

What If…? Promises to be one of the more creative endeavors this phase. An animated exploration of what would have happened if certain events were in the Macy’s past were changed. It also has an insane cast. So, I’m in for whatever hijinks occur and Disney+ will get my money for another month.

Next up is MY BOY. Hawkeye is finally getting his due with a Disney+ series. He’ll be training Kate Bishop and the show will go more in depth with his time as Ronin. Awesome. Jeremy Renner is an amazing actor and he has never had enough to do. Count me in.

Finally, we have Thor: Love and Thunder. Crucially, Taika Waititi is back in the director’s chair. Chris Hemsworth will be back, but he'll be joined by a new Thor: Natalie Portman as Jane Foster. I’m not sure how Marvel convinced her to come back after their falling out (a VERY LARGE check is probably one part of it), but I’m glad to Portman return and that they’ll be adapting one of the better Thor sagas I’ve read. What a good way to end this phase.

Bonus:

Blade starring Mahershala Ali was announced. That’s all the information thus far but consider me intrigued. MCU czar Kevin Feige also confirmed Fantastic Four and X-Men projects are currently in the works. There's also a conspicuous lack of Black Panther 2, Captain Marvel 2, and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. Presumably those will feature in Phase 5, beginning in 2022.