I definitely think T’Challa was going to be one of the cornerstones going forward. Him, Dr. Strange, and Reed Richards when he’s introduced. I always envisioned them as the next “big 3”
Yeah. Boseman's unfortunate passing definitely has hurt, because he was one of the faces that was gonna move the MCU on after IM and Cap left. He had the screen presence to do it, unfortunately we'll never know.
I think the sudden death of Chadwick Boseman 2 years ago put a wrench in Marvel's plans to have Black Panther be that central figure in the MCU. Now they're seeing who from Phase 4 is gonna truly pop with fans.
It bothers me that even Stark Industries seems to have disappeared as an entity, a source of tech and support for all the remaining heroes. It seems like a sudden and total disconnect.
The biggest fumble is not making Thor 4 his redemption story that pushed him to be the anchor and leader of the team. What he was at the end of Infinity War, was leader worthy
Also, It was pretty obvious to me that Guardians 3 being pushed back due to James Gunn's firing / rehiring / Suicide Squad saga screwed that up as well. Guardians would have been the 1st movie after Endgame and you could have gotten all the Asgardians of the Galaxy stuff out of the way then. They then had to cram Guardians into Thor 4 b/c they had to explain what happened.
I feel like spiderman is the new headstone that was supposed to take tonys place, but with the struggles with sony, its just too hard for them to centralize around him.
It seemed to be that T'Challa was going to be the new leader. He was a king, he's been leading a country, I think Kevin did plan for the next figurehead and it was Black Panther. Tragically, Chadwick's passing derailed those plans which resulted in this issue people have right now.
Kevin Feige he needs to do the right thing and make a concerted effort to find an actor as talented and charismatic as Chadwick Boseman to portray T’Challa in new Black Panther films. Chadwick Boseman was an “actors actor” as they say. I can’t imagine that Chadwick Boseman would’ve wanted it to be all about him. I would like to think that Chadwick Boseman would’ve been delighted to have another young black actor given the opportunity to continue exploring the character of T’Challa. It’s not about the mantle and it’s not about the actor. It’s about the character.
I believe had Chadwick Boseman not passed the MCU would have felt different. Not saying the current shows would not have been out but there would have been a clear focal point to build around.
Not only are they missing cap and Ironman, but they’re missing Downey and Evans. They are leaders of the group off screen too and I think people are missing that a lot in their analysis of the situation
The reason they're missing them is because there was no one there to replace them. Black Panther (actor) passed and Captain Marvel is not likeable. Thor is a goofball and not a leader. Strange is not a people person, and Spiderman is too young. I think the new leader needs to be Professor Hulk.
Only thing I disagree is that KF didn’t plan for it. I think Black Panther and Capt.Marvel should have been the new leaders. Tragedy of the king’s passing and the fact that Brie Larson just did not connect with audiences as much as they hoped is the main reason for that lack of anchor you talk about. Thor was made into a joke anyway. Guardians are disbanding after 3…so they need F4 and the mutants ASAP.
Even though I miss Tony and Steve especially Steve. I think not having anchors there right now is a plus in the long run. After Endgame and Thanos, every one is kinda broken, Thor, Sam Wilson, Bucky, Hawkeye, Bruce, the Gaurdians, Spiderman, Dr. Strange, and Wanda. It's going to take someone like Kang to really fuck shit up to make someone truly rise to the occasion and become one of the new anchors.
I do think the Chadwick Boseman was going to be one of them, and his passing caught everyone by surprise as he didn't tell anyone he was sick. If the MCU has made any mistake, it's maybe having Iron Man and Steve Rodgers both departing at the same time, rather than staggering their departure.
I think he 💯% wanted black panther to take that role🤦🏽♂️remember him and cap taking the lead in the last battle in infinity war …charging into battle🔥
Chadwick Boseman/Black Panther was going to be the successor..Feige couldn't foresee his tragic death.. so honestly I think that's why phase 4 isn't too coherent right now. I'm surprised you guy's didn't even mention him
I sometimes think the plan was supposed to be Chadwicks T’Challa stepping into one of those shoes, sadly before he passed. Everyone loved him, easy choice.
Yeah I don't really think the issue is Iron Man & Captain America. It's more of a lack of connection between all the characters / projects. If they do a team up now and have characters interact with each other to show their chemistry and fight against one bad guy, that'll make Phase 4 feel like having an anchor without Iron Man or Steve Rogers. But we still got several projects to go and still no team up announced yet. So IMO the lack of team up is the bigger issue. But of course, too many threads, too many villains, and too many characters are all issues as well. I think the better way would be to focus on just a few new characters (Shang-Chi / Ms. Marvel / Moon Knight would be my picks) then do a team up movie with them in it. While I like Eternals a lot, I think it introduced too many new characters too early. Maybe after the first team up, they can be introduced like Guardians of the Galaxy and show up in the 2nd or 3rd team up movie. Anyway, right now there's just too much going on with a lack of connectivity & direction. Hopefully we get something very soon that'll piece everything together.
I think that Feige planned for T'Challa and Carol Danvers to step into those roles post Endgame. Unfortunately Chadwick passed, and Captain Marvel was not received well at all, so they're somewhat in limbo. Thor is not a leader, neither is Dr. Strange. I don't think that anyone exists in the MCU right now that can fill those roles to be honest.
The crux of Tony and Steve was the ideological tension between them. Both rational diverging viewpoints. They need that dynamic between two heroes again. It doesn't just come overnight.
Cap and Iron Man had the presence needed when it comes to the Avengers and the overall Infinity Saga. Ever since the end of Endgame, and especially since the passing of Chadwick Boseman, there hasn't been that figurehead who genuinely felt like the leader of the Avengers: not Spider-Man, Doctor Strange, Thor, Captain Marvel, etc. Shang Chi definitely doesn't seem like the leader they need, and not even Reed Richards could fill those shoes. Both of those characters brought something that made it feel like home.
I think the mistake was not incorporating either the X-Men or Fantastic 4 sooner. That 5 year plan for them needed to be 3. So to one of John's points about somebody being in Cap and iron Man's shoes, there would be an anchor of the X-Men or whomever. Because Shang-Chi, Moon Knight, etc, these people aren't doing it. People aren't gonna be enthused about a big team up movie where the anchor is Captain Marvel or somebody like that.
Agreed. They wrote the heavyhitters such as Cap, Tony and Natasha out hoping the new ones would carry it but so far its not happening. There has been no hype about any of the characters introduced like Kamala, Kate, Monica, Shuri. People seemed hyped about Jane Foster and she got killed off in the very first movie. Same thing theg did with Wanda. They powered her up and axed her in the very next movie appearance and God knows when she will be back. They shouldve had X-Men and F4 ready by 2023, same with Deadpool. These characters are gonna carry the MCU. Not the ones they are trying to get people hyped over
I agree, the first phases of the MCU were so Avengers-centric that now people think it doesn't have a direction. Most people in recent years have become Marvel fans because of the MCU but what many don't realize is that they're actually Avengers fans. So now that the MCU is exploring others characters/ sides of the Marvel mythos, they feel lost, like the MCU has no plan anymore. When the truth is the MCU is not about the Avengers anymore.
The REAL problem is , There's TOO MUCH SHIT coming from Marvel and story is spread all over TV shows and Films. Many people don't have the time to watch all the TV shows.
The MCU was always the B team, with Spider-Man, X-Men, and Fantastic Four being the A team of Marvel. Once RDJ and Chris Evans left to go pursue other interests, the MCU is now the C team. Pretty simple.
Yes, but you used to have a 50 puzzle piece picture. You now have a 500 piece puzzle. Going to be a tough puzzle to put together and it's going to take a bit more time
You're missing the watering down of Hulk at the same time as getting rid of Cap and Ironman. So we lost 3 anchors at the same time. The loss and refusal to keep Tchalla after Chadwick's death was an additional blow.
Glad to know I’m not the only one that feels this way about the current state of the MCU. I hope we get direction and momentum soon. Although the recent films have been good they feel watered down and I can’t see the payoff.
Yeah, if you go back and watch the original Thor and then look at him now, it is two completely different characters. It also isn't clear at all how he became the character that he is now.
Tchalla not being the face of phase 4, I feel like he was setup to be the new leader of it all. The familiar face in this new waters were in but with him passing they had to rework everything so fast and loosely
The mistake that Feige made was tying the characters exclusively to the actors who played them and then taking them off the board when those actors wanted to step away from those roles or (in the unfortunate case of Chadwick Bosman) tragically died. These characters shouldn't be written out of the MCU simply because the actors who played are no longer playing those characters. They should recast and continue telling stories about these characters.
Because the focus is not the story, but the insertion of inclusive characters. What turns me off is how they did it. The characters we love are being done away with badly
I always assumed (and to some degree still do) that Reed Richards would be the next anchor in the franchise because he is considered one of the most intelligent characters in the MCU. The next relevant and logical anchor after Richards would not a be a hero, but rather a villain, Dr. Doom , who is of equal intelligence but with different ideas about world order. Clearly not a one and done character. But I never in a million years thought it would take them this long to get going on that. And to hear the FF are still more than two years out from release was a complete downer.
I think it was supposed to be the new Captain America and Black Panther. We literally see the mantle of the shield get passed and it’s the first voice you hear from the portals, followed by black panther being the first person you see.
I think the original plan for who the next anchor would be was obvious. It was Chadwick Boseman's Black Panther. When Boseman died (and they chose not to recast) that screwed up phase 4.
I honestly thought the new leaders of the team would be Captain Marvel and Black Panther. Unfortunately people are divided with the Captain Marvel character and we lost Black Panther in real life. Good point about the Avengers not really communicating either. We saw Captain Marvel and Bruce Banner in the end credit scene with Shang-Chi and Spider-Man and Doctor Strange together. That seems to be it 🤷♂️
We can’t keep saying that we trust Fiege but keep worrying that there seems to be no real direction. Yes we miss Ironman and Cap, but if we kept going back to the same flavor, we’d eventually get tired of it and need to move on to something new. I look at it as having a favorite restaurant, eventually I need to try other places to eat if I’m gonna call myself a foodie, some places will be good, some great and some not so much. Right now we are trying new restaurants and if we keep an open mind, we will prolly find 2-3 new favorite restaurants in due time. I think the biggest wrench thrown in there was Chadwick Boseman’s passing
Feels like a fatherless or a guardian less family, members scattered everywhere. Already 2.5 yrs into phase 4,always felt like previously any trouble you could go to Tony...he is there to always help 😭
I have a feeling that Kevin Feige and Marvel secretly bet all of their chips on Black Panther and Captain Marvel. Sadly we lost the wonderful Chadwick Boseman. Chadwick Bozeman as the character Black Panther definitely had the potential to be the new heart and soul of the MCU. Chadwick Boseman had a wonderful personality, a great talent, and a fantastic character. Bri Larson as Carol Danvers Captain Marvel just did not did not live up to that high expectation of being the heart or soul of the MCU. It doesn’t matter what any individual personally feels about Bri Larson or of the Captain Marvel film. The consensus overwhelming fell to the negative. The MCU is currently treading water. It’s best chance for a heart and soul type team up is Doctor Strange, Thor and Bruce Banner.
I like your assessment of Bruce banner. , Doctor strange and thor... Especially Thor and DS. they should step into the other releases and projects and be the anchor.... Hulk is a bit tricky mainly because of the entangled rights with Universal... So they can't have a solo movie about him and without a proper solo movie, it's a bit difficult to explore and develop Bruce's character.... They did an admirable job, developing his arc, somewhat, over several movies within other's franchises, but marvel needs to talk to universal and get back full ownership of the Hulk rights...
@@mohamednadzri1980 I thought all of that Incredible Hulk Universal legal stuff was all done and Disney has it all. Honestly, Universal needs take a big fat check from Disney and let the Hulk go already if they’re not gonna do anything useful with Mark Ruffalo and Bruce Banner.
@@richardmark9161 as far as I know, correct me if I'm wrong, the rights still aren't fully resolved.... It seems marvel cannot use the hulk in solo movies unless universal has distribution rights and creative rights.... But marvel is able to use hulk in shared outings.... But I'm not sure if this is the latest info tho...
@@mohamednadzri1980 Well I thought that was the old news and it was all resolved but to be honest I don’t know either. Unless they have a decent script for Mark Ruffalo to work with and a passionate creative team it doesn’t really matter. They have to do right by the Ruffalo version of Bruce Banner and The Hulk.
@@richardmark9161 that's true.... I like the storyline of planet hulk which runs through to world war hulk .... More so than the action, there's plenty of heartfelt storyline there - hulk being betrayed, being cast out of earth, landing in sakaar and emerging as sakaar's ruler and washing war on earth for the death of his wife and son... I know the MCU borrowed elements and integrated into thor 3 etc ... But hulk's story needs better fleshing out... Bruce deserves better.
Totally agree with John here, 2007-2019 you definitely could tell there was a clear map that you could follow over those 12 years, now for sure I have no clue what's going on just seems like there throwing pain on the board and seeing what sticks.
I mean he showed up in many movies as a cameo or side character like iron man did for hulk, captain america, and spider-man. The only difference is that he isn't one of the main guys on the main teams like tony. It's why he isn't entirely established as THE GUY of the MCU
What i have noticed appearing left and right in the late MCU is Wong. I can see him as current Sorcerer supreme to have the role of the team leader that recruits the next gen of heroes. (also appeared in the She-Hulk trailer too)
I think by keeping this jokey 80s Thor thing going on, Marvel is killing the potential of making him the central important Avenger. I mean we already have the comedic relief in Antman. I was hoping they were going to take Thor down darker path when they announced Gor as the next villain, but, here were are again. 🤷🏾♂️
"Kevin Feige did not adequately prepare for what the next anchor was going to be..." What are we basing this off of? How do we know that the entire intent wasn't to depict a lack of anchor and a power vacuum? I mean we clearly know that Secret Invasion is coming and it takes place during the blip. That being said, I think the point of Phase 4 has been to depict what post-blip life has been for characters and to show a power vacuum. In the same way that Civil War set up Thanos being a threat since the Avengers were split, I think Phase 4 is to set up the lack of structure which allows evil forces, both earthly and otherwise, to take root. I think Cap and Iron Man were great characters and iconic for their time but let's not forget how big Marvel is beyond the Avengers I'm not saying excuse bad projects.. but considering what they've given us so far... why not assume that what they're doing now has a "big picture? aspect to it in the same way as all the other phases? 6:13 is a good summary of where I'm at with the MCU at the moment as well as 16:21 . We don't know right now how much of this is lack of planning and how much of it is "bad overarching story". Like it or not, we have to wait to see what they do to be able to make that call
well, let's be honest here. after endgame a lot of new characters have been introduced between films and tv shows, but the biggest problem is that none of those was memorable enough to take the spotlight and become the next face of the mcu. this happened for a multitude of factors i believe: first of all, we've seen the new characters only once so far (except very few cameos here and there), so there hasn't been enough time to develop a bond with them; second, it seems like the criteria behind the choice of the characters to bring on screen is less story-based than before, and more quota-based. and we all know what happens when disney writes diversity quota characters: they hire activists, focus on messages rather than good storytelling and it all results into duller, bland characters who don't even have an arc, because they're already awesome and flawless from the get go, it's just society bringing them down and it's a matter of discovering this for them to become even more awesome and flawless. and we all know it's very difficult to grow attached to such uninteresting characters. i've got a feeling they were counting on captain marvel as the next big lead, but the character was so unlikable we all know how it went down. shang chi was already a hero, he just had to decide to do something with it. the eternals are literally gods. i was hyped about falcon becoming the next captain america but the show managed to make it uninteresting too. all the bait and switch characters from the series have unbelievable plot armour... so why should we care? i liked the eternals right? but that film feels kinda inconsequential. when are we gonna see an eternal again? don't know. when are we gonna see dane whitman again? don't know. and yet they thought it best to work on an echo and an agatha harkness tv show? who even cares. spiderman no way home was the most successful movie in recent years and ok, it's technically sony, but who knows when we're gonna see spiderman again? and i'm very curious about that because the way the film ended left so many open doors for interesting new stories. but no, we're getting she-hulk (where judging from the trailer the titular character is already a better hulk than the hulk) and iron heart (a rather unsuccessful character in the comics whose only importance is the diversity aspect -and by the way, they already have a diverse iron man in war machine... i'd rather watch a don cheadle iron man any day). i appreciate having new characters introduced, but make them less and make them good. how can you expect people getting behind the umpteenth bait and switch female version of some already established and loved character, who's better than said character because girl power/plot armour?
I think it was supposed to be Black Panther, after spending so much time with Captain America and being so pivotal to End game. Sadly Chadwick’s passing really seems to throw a wrench in the whole over arching narrative, I’m sure they planned to have Black Panther be the one to assemble the new avengers. He had the funds for the new base as well as like a narrative reason to try and keep the avengers alive
I feel the answer is Dr Strange. It doesn’t matter that he is not an Avenger, because “The Avengers” are over. Dr strange is the one character that has been tying phase 4 together. Wong was in Shang Chi, Strange was in Spider-Man, and MOM tied in to WandaVision. So it seems that the sorcerers are the connecting thread here. IMO, Shang Chi felt like the only real entry into the overall story. We have a new hero that joined the team, we have a new mcguffin to worry about (the signal sent out by the rings), and we have a common goal for our OG characters to work towards. That is the story line I am waiting for. That is the one that has me hooked. The impending incursion from MOM is also a big thing, but so far it doesn’t appear to be leading towards a team up.
I do think it's Doctor Strange and Wong at this point. I also think Shang-Chi may show up in "The Marvels" given that Ms. Marvel's bangle has some connection to the Ten Rings (and we also saw Captain Marvel in the mid-credits of Shang-Chi).
Didnt he get diagnosed before his first appearance as black panther? Maybe he should of told someone at marvel instead of keeping it a secret. They were counting on him being around and he knew he wasnt gonna be
Cap and Iron Man were like two binary stars, with the other heroes as planets in orbit. Now, those stars are gone, and the planets are left adrift in the void.
Doctor Strange and Captain Marvel are/were supposed to be the next gen MCU leaders. They've been crossing over and consistently referenced in other stuff. Personalities are even similarly written to Tony & Steve. The biggest issue is that I don't think Strange/Cumberbatch has been charming enough to balance the a-hole, and Cpt. Marvel/Brie Larson probably got rushed to supersonic before being established enough to develop an emotional attachment from the audience. I think they probably had much bigger plans for Black Panther too.
Yes he did, T'challa, Strange and Carol, but he couldn't predict Chad's death. Also Tony and Cap didn't become the anchors until 2012 with the 1st Avengers movie
I’m still waiting til Comic Con and D23 are over. Feige said the path should be more clear soon and he gave me 11 years of fun so I am giving him a little more time! I also think we have been spoiled on wanting everything to be connected. Fingers crossed for next phase.
Rob has a really good point, it does feel disjointed and rudderless. Feels like theres no momentum, completely separate projects that aren't together at all. It's really jarring for fans who are used to Marvel's formula as it were and at the end of the movies and shows I'm feeling like.. okay.. so is this going to connect? Why should I care? The movies and shows are fine but we've been conditioned to expect things to connect together
I mean there’s literally Easter eggs and references of them throughout the phase 4 shows and movies…they might not be in the MCU for now but their legacies are still around..
Can you believe it. You fans are never happy. Star Wars tried to rehash the same storyline blueprint and you guys were pissed. Now you want to do the same thing to Marvel. I like phase 4 bc it is different. I don’t need another avengers movie. I want something new.
I think the problem is captain America and iron man were such polarizing characters with polarizing actors! They alone carried the franchise on their shoulders. Other than Strange who’s going to carry the mantle. To this date i haven’t seen someone on the level as those two and that could be problem for them in the future. They are about to introduce a whole new world of characters. In phase 1 there was no expectations for success and by some miracle they stuck gold with RDJ. Now the bar is set so high that the audience will not settle for a good/decent movie. They want the same magic.
I think another thing that is lost in translation is that this multiverse is BROKEN... Even though Endgame saw the Avengers blip people back, that act in and of itself did not fix things... It only complicated matters... So it's supposed to be discombobulated... Each member has their own individual issues and can't "assemble" at the moment... It took 4 years for the original Avengers team to come together.... With the only small thread being Nick Fury...patience grasshoppers
I do think they were moving to have Captain Marvel, Spiderman, and Black Panther be the new holy trio. There was even parts of the Spiderman Far From Home where Peter talked about struggling to live up to Tony. Unfortunately, 1) Captain Marvel has had a bit of a mixed reception, 2) The rights around Spiderman seemed to have become a bigger issue right at the beginning of Phase 4, perhaps making Marvel less likely to make him the centerpiece, and 3) obviously Chadwick passed away. I have faith they'll pivot but I think it might take longer, due to these setbacks.
I agree with all of this, but remain in deep denial: Tony Stark and Cap are so essential to the MCU that I keep telling myself the ridiculous notion that Kevin Feige is trolling all of us with a master plan that he's always had: To Kill Tony off and sideline Cap and everyone else only to bring them back via the multiverse in some fashion. I know this is only wishful thinking. But the ENDGAME PTSD is real missing Black Widow and other familiar faces. I do understand Feige's strategy, however, that I think Campea misses. Feige seems intentional in his current strategy and I think his only miscalculation is overestimating our ability to ride his intentional storm. Since we all knew the Infinity Saga was a straight line to Endgame, Feige has intentionally decided that they had to do something not in a straight line so that the super-intelligent audience couldn't anticipate each beat. They did this first with Infinity War, where the Avengers lost and several "died" until they vanished. They did it again in End Game by killing Thanos at the beginning of the movie uneventfully, only to bring him back by turning the movie into a time heist rather than another Big Bad Fight until the dramatic ending. When Feige and all the other true comic book fans on his team anticipate audience expectations, they go out of their way to subvert them without dissolving fan service. So these current phases are clearly designed to subvert fan expectations of another connected universe leading up to Avengers assembling again by intentionally disconnected movies that sabotage those expected beats and connections until much later, so they're more deeply satisfying. I get it. The only problem is a big one: We're still in mourning for Tony Stark, Cap, Black Widow, Black Panther, and the other characters we emotionally connected with during the Infinity Saga. It's not that this new strategy doesn't work by itself. It's just that after your dad dies, you'll never accept the new stepdad right away when you first meet him. Acceptance takes a very long time. Feige, who is always the smartest person in the room, is intentionally giving the audience that time. When Feige brings Stark and Cap back, wishful thinking, if he brings them back, it would be so epic and all would be forgiven. But all will also be forgiven when Feige connects the chemistry among these disparate movies. But we're still connected to the Infinity Saga. So the deep emotional connections to the OG MCU are underrepresented in the new MCU largely because it seems silly to even acknowledge or discuss them. Yet these FEELINGS for imaginary characters remain VERY real regardless. This means that the only true Feige failure is not the new strategy but a simple oversight: Not having characters in each movie in Phase 4 mourn the loss or update the whereabouts of OG MCU characters. Talk about Stark. Talk about the sacrifice Black Widow made. New Cap should talk about missing Old Cap more. Shang-Chi commenting on Captain Marvel. She-Hulk saying she's a lousy replacement for He-Hulk. Having the new characters mirror our own angst and confusion and sense of loss and sharing our likes and dislikes as they relate to the OG MCU is not only what's missing, but would connect us emotionally to them.
I think the next main anchor is going to be Reed Richards and the fantastic four and the X-men to an extent. The problem is, we’ll be like 3 years into Phase 4 before we meet our new anchors
its saturation and fatigue. Eternals aside phase 4 stuff has been pretty decent. I personally liked Hawkeye even though it seems alot of people didn't. But i just think the MCU is hitting an over saturation point and its hard to re invent it of keep it fresh
Ironman and Cap are my two favorite mcu characters but I'm ok with their ending in endgame. As many of people have said in the comments Black panther was supposed to be the leader in the mcu. I do believe that the mcu should have recasted t'challa because we don't have that leader right now.
we are also missing the true heir that shouldve shouldered the absence of ironman and cap was chadwicks black panther.
We’re mostly going to miss T’challa since they’re basically killing him off…
Jimmy didn't see this until after I wrote mine but I agree.
I definitely think T’Challa was going to be one of the cornerstones going forward. Him, Dr. Strange, and Reed Richards when he’s introduced. I always envisioned them as the next “big 3”
I just posted this without reading your comment first, but yes agreed
Fax
doc strange and black panther were meant to be the new anchors imo. their characters are very similar to cap and tony too in their own ways.
@@nickmedina3674 yeah. Marvel ruined his character
Yeah. Boseman's unfortunate passing definitely has hurt, because he was one of the faces that was gonna move the MCU on after IM and Cap left. He had the screen presence to do it, unfortunately we'll never know.
I think the sudden death of Chadwick Boseman 2 years ago put a wrench in Marvel's plans to have Black Panther be that central figure in the MCU. Now they're seeing who from Phase 4 is gonna truly pop with fans.
they just need to recast black panther
It bothers me that even Stark Industries seems to have disappeared as an entity, a source of tech and support for all the remaining heroes. It seems like a sudden and total disconnect.
Just like DS not having his title back.
Wait for Armour Wars.
I'm sure we'll see a ton of Stark Industries (with Pepper) in that series.
The biggest fumble is not making Thor 4 his redemption story that pushed him to be the anchor and leader of the team. What he was at the end of Infinity War, was leader worthy
Also, It was pretty obvious to me that Guardians 3 being pushed back due to James Gunn's firing / rehiring / Suicide Squad saga screwed that up as well. Guardians would have been the 1st movie after Endgame and you could have gotten all the Asgardians of the Galaxy stuff out of the way then. They then had to cram Guardians into Thor 4 b/c they had to explain what happened.
I feel like spiderman is the new headstone that was supposed to take tonys place, but with the struggles with sony, its just too hard for them to centralize around him.
It seemed to be that T'Challa was going to be the new leader. He was a king, he's been leading a country, I think Kevin did plan for the next figurehead and it was Black Panther.
Tragically, Chadwick's passing derailed those plans which resulted in this issue people have right now.
Kevin Feige he needs to do the right thing and make a concerted effort to find an actor as talented and charismatic as Chadwick Boseman to portray T’Challa in new Black Panther films. Chadwick Boseman was an “actors actor” as they say. I can’t imagine that Chadwick Boseman would’ve wanted it to be all about him.
I would like to think that Chadwick Boseman would’ve been delighted to have another young black actor given the opportunity to continue exploring the character of T’Challa. It’s not about the mantle and it’s not about the actor. It’s about the character.
T’Challa was clearly being setup as the heir to the Marvel Mantle, sadly that could not come to fruition.
I believe had Chadwick Boseman not passed the MCU would have felt different. Not saying the current shows would not have been out but there would have been a clear focal point to build around.
Not only are they missing cap and Ironman, but they’re missing Downey and Evans. They are leaders of the group off screen too and I think people are missing that a lot in their analysis of the situation
The reason they're missing them is because there was no one there to replace them. Black Panther (actor) passed and Captain Marvel is not likeable.
Thor is a goofball and not a leader. Strange is not a people person, and Spiderman is too young. I think the new leader needs to be Professor Hulk.
After endgame I really don't care about superhero movies anymore
And yet, here you are, commenting on a video about Phase 4. Der.
I still really feel like the leader was meant to be Black Panther, and they still haven’t quite figured out how to replace him.
Only thing I disagree is that KF didn’t plan for it. I think Black Panther and Capt.Marvel should have been the new leaders. Tragedy of the king’s passing and the fact that Brie Larson just did not connect with audiences as much as they hoped is the main reason for that lack of anchor you talk about. Thor was made into a joke anyway. Guardians are disbanding after 3…so they need F4 and the mutants ASAP.
I kind of think Chadwick was going to be their anchor, and he would have been AMAZING!
Agreed. We still have Sam tho.
I think the death of Chadwick Boseman really hurt phase 4. He was the de facto leader.
Even though I miss Tony and Steve especially Steve. I think not having anchors there right now is a plus in the long run. After Endgame and Thanos, every one is kinda broken, Thor, Sam Wilson, Bucky, Hawkeye, Bruce, the Gaurdians, Spiderman, Dr. Strange, and Wanda. It's going to take someone like Kang to really fuck shit up to make someone truly rise to the occasion and become one of the new anchors.
It's just too many characters right now, that aren't correctly used. Too many minor characters getting shows and movies that I am not interested in.
I do think the Chadwick Boseman was going to be one of them, and his passing caught everyone by surprise as he didn't tell anyone he was sick.
If the MCU has made any mistake, it's maybe having Iron Man and Steve Rodgers both departing at the same time, rather than staggering their departure.
I think he 💯% wanted black panther to take that role🤦🏽♂️remember him and cap taking the lead in the last battle in infinity war …charging into battle🔥
Chadwick Boseman/Black Panther was going to be the successor..Feige couldn't foresee his tragic death.. so honestly I think that's why phase 4 isn't too coherent right now. I'm surprised you guy's didn't even mention him
I think T'Challa was supposed to be the central figure. RIP
I sometimes think the plan was supposed to be Chadwicks T’Challa stepping into one of those shoes, sadly before he passed. Everyone loved him, easy choice.
They can recast
I think Panther was going to be that anchor. But, whit the passing of Bozeman. I think that's what makes this feeling of something missing
Yeah I don't really think the issue is Iron Man & Captain America. It's more of a lack of connection between all the characters / projects. If they do a team up now and have characters interact with each other to show their chemistry and fight against one bad guy, that'll make Phase 4 feel like having an anchor without Iron Man or Steve Rogers. But we still got several projects to go and still no team up announced yet. So IMO the lack of team up is the bigger issue.
But of course, too many threads, too many villains, and too many characters are all issues as well. I think the better way would be to focus on just a few new characters (Shang-Chi / Ms. Marvel / Moon Knight would be my picks) then do a team up movie with them in it. While I like Eternals a lot, I think it introduced too many new characters too early. Maybe after the first team up, they can be introduced like Guardians of the Galaxy and show up in the 2nd or 3rd team up movie.
Anyway, right now there's just too much going on with a lack of connectivity & direction. Hopefully we get something very soon that'll piece everything together.
I think that Feige planned for T'Challa and Carol Danvers to step into those roles post Endgame. Unfortunately Chadwick passed, and Captain Marvel was not received well at all, so they're somewhat in limbo.
Thor is not a leader, neither is Dr. Strange. I don't think that anyone exists in the MCU right now that can fill those roles to be honest.
For a while, they were pushing Captain Marvel as the face, despite the backlash. Kinda like WWE’s Roman Reigns.
I think T’Challa would’ve been the guy if Chadwick didn’t pass away
The crux of Tony and Steve was the ideological tension between them. Both rational diverging viewpoints. They need that dynamic between two heroes again. It doesn't just come overnight.
I hope that they don't come back, their storyarchs ended perfectly in Endgame
Agreed
Cap and Iron Man had the presence needed when it comes to the Avengers and the overall Infinity Saga. Ever since the end of Endgame, and especially since the passing of Chadwick Boseman, there hasn't been that figurehead who genuinely felt like the leader of the Avengers: not Spider-Man, Doctor Strange, Thor, Captain Marvel, etc. Shang Chi definitely doesn't seem like the leader they need, and not even Reed Richards could fill those shoes. Both of those characters brought something that made it feel like home.
I think the mistake was not incorporating either the X-Men or Fantastic 4 sooner. That 5 year plan for them needed to be 3. So to one of John's points about somebody being in Cap and iron Man's shoes, there would be an anchor of the X-Men or whomever. Because Shang-Chi, Moon Knight, etc, these people aren't doing it. People aren't gonna be enthused about a big team up movie where the anchor is Captain Marvel or somebody like that.
Agreed. They wrote the heavyhitters such as Cap, Tony and Natasha out hoping the new ones would carry it but so far its not happening. There has been no hype about any of the characters introduced like Kamala, Kate, Monica, Shuri.
People seemed hyped about Jane Foster and she got killed off in the very first movie. Same thing theg did with Wanda. They powered her up and axed her in the very next movie appearance and God knows when she will be back.
They shouldve had X-Men and F4 ready by 2023, same with Deadpool. These characters are gonna carry the MCU. Not the ones they are trying to get people hyped over
I agree, the first phases of the MCU were so Avengers-centric that now people think it doesn't have a direction. Most people in recent years have become Marvel fans because of the MCU but what many don't realize is that they're actually Avengers fans. So now that the MCU is exploring others characters/ sides of the Marvel mythos, they feel lost, like the MCU has no plan anymore. When the truth is the MCU is not about the Avengers anymore.
The REAL problem is , There's TOO MUCH SHIT coming from Marvel and story is spread all over TV shows and Films. Many people don't have the time to watch all the TV shows.
The MCU was always the B team, with Spider-Man, X-Men, and Fantastic Four being the A team of Marvel. Once RDJ and Chris Evans left to go pursue other interests, the MCU is now the C team. Pretty simple.
its like a bunch of puzzle pieces with no picture on the box to know what the pieces build to
That's a great analogy.
Yes, but you used to have a 50 puzzle piece picture. You now have a 500 piece puzzle. Going to be a tough puzzle to put together and it's going to take a bit more time
You're missing the watering down of Hulk at the same time as getting rid of Cap and Ironman. So we lost 3 anchors at the same time. The loss and refusal to keep Tchalla after Chadwick's death was an additional blow.
Nah, son he’s still there and that’s Doctor Strange. Marvel just really doesn’t know what it’s doing at this point
"I can do this all day" because " I love you 3000"😭😭
Glad to know I’m not the only one that feels this way about the current state of the MCU. I hope we get direction and momentum soon. Although the recent films have been good they feel watered down and I can’t see the payoff.
5:44 they did do that, it would have been Thor but Taika destroyed him by making him into a comedian.
Yeah, if you go back and watch the original Thor and then look at him now, it is two completely different characters. It also isn't clear at all how he became the character that he is now.
It was gonna be TChalla. They were building him up to be the anchors but Chad passing threw everything off
Tchalla not being the face of phase 4, I feel like he was setup to be the new leader of it all. The familiar face in this new waters were in but with him passing they had to rework everything so fast and loosely
The mistake that Feige made was tying the characters exclusively to the actors who played them and then taking them off the board when those actors wanted to step away from those roles or (in the unfortunate case of Chadwick Bosman) tragically died. These characters shouldn't be written out of the MCU simply because the actors who played are no longer playing those characters. They should recast and continue telling stories about these characters.
The anchor was supposed to be black panther. Chadwick Boseman passed away.
Because the focus is not the story, but the insertion of inclusive characters. What turns me off is how they did it. The characters we love are being done away with badly
Agree 100%!
I’m fairly certain black panther was supposed to be that anchor before Chadwick’s passing
Same.
I always assumed (and to some degree still do) that Reed Richards would be the next anchor in the franchise because he is considered one of the most intelligent characters in the MCU. The next relevant and logical anchor after Richards would not a be a hero, but rather a villain, Dr. Doom , who is of equal intelligence but with different ideas about world order. Clearly not a one and done character. But I never in a million years thought it would take them this long to get going on that. And to hear the FF are still more than two years out from release was a complete downer.
we’re missing a planner, a nick fury
underrated comment
I think it was supposed to be the new Captain America and Black Panther. We literally see the mantle of the shield get passed and it’s the first voice you hear from the portals, followed by black panther being the first person you see.
I think you’re making a good point
It was Nick Fury and Phil Coulson that actually really anchored and connected the entire MCU from the first Iron Man to Endgame.
I think the MCU was going to make black panther a cornerstone of the story
Yeah I was so excited about that before he passed.
Yeah me too black panther, fantastic four and doctor strange as the cornerstones of the MCU basically the Illuminati
I think the original plan for who the next anchor would be was obvious.
It was Chadwick Boseman's Black Panther.
When Boseman died (and they chose not to recast) that screwed up phase 4.
They definitely should have been recast. They could maybe save it with a Killmonger redemption story.
As much as I love Wandavision and the last Spider Man, this is exactly why I haven’t latched onto the MCU since Endgame.
Missing Nick Fury tying into each of these new properties and doing something to link them all together as he did with the original group of avengers.
I think I read somewhere that dr strange and black panther were supposed to be the new anchors for the mcu. Rip Chadwick wakanda forever
Falcon Cap and Ironheart have nothing on Steve and Tony
I honestly thought the new leaders of the team would be Captain Marvel and Black Panther. Unfortunately people are divided with the Captain Marvel character and we lost Black Panther in real life. Good point about the Avengers not really communicating either. We saw Captain Marvel and Bruce Banner in the end credit scene with Shang-Chi and Spider-Man and Doctor Strange together. That seems to be it 🤷♂️
We can’t keep saying that we trust Fiege but keep worrying that there seems to be no real direction. Yes we miss Ironman and Cap, but if we kept going back to the same flavor, we’d eventually get tired of it and need to move on to something new. I look at it as having a favorite restaurant, eventually I need to try other places to eat if I’m gonna call myself a foodie, some places will be good, some great and some not so much. Right now we are trying new restaurants and if we keep an open mind, we will prolly find 2-3 new favorite restaurants in due time. I think the biggest wrench thrown in there was Chadwick Boseman’s passing
The fact that you didn’t bring up Black Panther is really bothering me. He was soooo important and obviously was the next face of the franchise.
I thought it was Brie Larson’s Captain Marvel.
Lmao, MCU needs quality storytelling, not Iron Man and Cap.
Feels like a fatherless or a guardian less family, members scattered everywhere. Already 2.5 yrs into phase 4,always felt like previously any trouble you could go to Tony...he is there to always help 😭
I have a feeling that Kevin Feige and Marvel secretly bet all of their chips on Black Panther and Captain Marvel.
Sadly we lost the wonderful Chadwick Boseman.
Chadwick Bozeman as the character Black Panther definitely had the potential to be the new heart and soul of the MCU. Chadwick Boseman had a wonderful personality, a great talent, and a fantastic character.
Bri Larson as Carol Danvers Captain Marvel just did not did not live up to that high expectation of being the heart or soul of the MCU.
It doesn’t matter what any individual personally feels about Bri Larson or of the Captain Marvel film. The consensus overwhelming fell to the negative.
The MCU is currently treading water.
It’s best chance for a heart and soul type team up is Doctor Strange, Thor and Bruce Banner.
I like your assessment of Bruce banner. , Doctor strange and thor... Especially Thor and DS. they should step into the other releases and projects and be the anchor.... Hulk is a bit tricky mainly because of the entangled rights with Universal... So they can't have a solo movie about him and without a proper solo movie, it's a bit difficult to explore and develop Bruce's character.... They did an admirable job, developing his arc, somewhat, over several movies within other's franchises, but marvel needs to talk to universal and get back full ownership of the Hulk rights...
@@mohamednadzri1980 I thought all of that Incredible Hulk Universal legal stuff was all done and Disney has it all. Honestly, Universal needs take a big fat check from Disney and let the Hulk go already if they’re not gonna do anything useful with Mark Ruffalo and Bruce Banner.
@@richardmark9161 as far as I know, correct me if I'm wrong, the rights still aren't fully resolved.... It seems marvel cannot use the hulk in solo movies unless universal has distribution rights and creative rights.... But marvel is able to use hulk in shared outings.... But I'm not sure if this is the latest info tho...
@@mohamednadzri1980
Well I thought that was the old news and it was all resolved but to be honest I don’t know either.
Unless they have a decent script for Mark Ruffalo to work with and a passionate creative team it doesn’t really matter. They have to do right by the Ruffalo version of Bruce Banner and The Hulk.
@@richardmark9161 that's true.... I like the storyline of planet hulk which runs through to world war hulk .... More so than the action, there's plenty of heartfelt storyline there - hulk being betrayed, being cast out of earth, landing in sakaar and emerging as sakaar's ruler and washing war on earth for the death of his wife and son... I know the MCU borrowed elements and integrated into thor 3 etc ... But hulk's story needs better fleshing out... Bruce deserves better.
We have Sam, they shoulda started using him more already.
Cap and Tony made the MCU for me. Right now I am so confused about phase 4. I am not enjoying the stories and the films aren’t as good.
I think fiege did plan for the new anchor.. it was Chadwick😢
Totally agree with John here, 2007-2019 you definitely could tell there was a clear map that you could follow over those 12 years, now for sure I have no clue what's going on just seems like there throwing pain on the board and seeing what sticks.
If Chadwick was around he would be the leader
100% agree
No one expected Chadwick to die. The Panther was supposed to be an ⚓.
I was about to say the same thing
I kind of feel like Stephen Strange is the new anchor. Am I wrong?
I can see it.
I mean he showed up in many movies as a cameo or side character like iron man did for hulk, captain america, and spider-man. The only difference is that he isn't one of the main guys on the main teams like tony. It's why he isn't entirely established as THE GUY of the MCU
Where is nick fury by the way...??????
We need an hour long discussion on this so the team can just go off
I miss Rogers and Stark and Romanoff but I still have faith in THE MCU it's going to come together!!! and don't forget BLADE is on his way
What i have noticed appearing left and right in the late MCU is Wong. I can see him as current Sorcerer supreme to have the role of the team leader that recruits the next gen of heroes.
(also appeared in the She-Hulk trailer too)
I think by keeping this jokey 80s Thor thing going on, Marvel is killing the potential of making him the central important Avenger. I mean we already have the comedic relief in Antman. I was hoping they were going to take Thor down darker path when they announced Gor as the next villain, but, here were are again. 🤷🏾♂️
"Kevin Feige did not adequately prepare for what the next anchor was going to be..."
What are we basing this off of? How do we know that the entire intent wasn't to depict a lack of anchor and a power vacuum? I mean we clearly know that Secret Invasion is coming and it takes place during the blip. That being said, I think the point of Phase 4 has been to depict what post-blip life has been for characters and to show a power vacuum.
In the same way that Civil War set up Thanos being a threat since the Avengers were split, I think Phase 4 is to set up the lack of structure which allows evil forces, both earthly and otherwise, to take root.
I think Cap and Iron Man were great characters and iconic for their time but let's not forget how big Marvel is beyond the Avengers
I'm not saying excuse bad projects.. but considering what they've given us so far... why not assume that what they're doing now has a "big picture? aspect to it in the same way as all the other phases?
6:13 is a good summary of where I'm at with the MCU at the moment as well as 16:21 . We don't know right now how much of this is lack of planning and how much of it is "bad overarching story". Like it or not, we have to wait to see what they do to be able to make that call
well, let's be honest here.
after endgame a lot of new characters have been introduced between films and tv shows, but the biggest problem is that none of those was memorable enough to take the spotlight and become the next face of the mcu.
this happened for a multitude of factors i believe: first of all, we've seen the new characters only once so far (except very few cameos here and there), so there hasn't been enough time to develop a bond with them; second, it seems like the criteria behind the choice of the characters to bring on screen is less story-based than before, and more quota-based. and we all know what happens when disney writes diversity quota characters: they hire activists, focus on messages rather than good storytelling and it all results into duller, bland characters who don't even have an arc, because they're already awesome and flawless from the get go, it's just society bringing them down and it's a matter of discovering this for them to become even more awesome and flawless.
and we all know it's very difficult to grow attached to such uninteresting characters.
i've got a feeling they were counting on captain marvel as the next big lead, but the character was so unlikable we all know how it went down.
shang chi was already a hero, he just had to decide to do something with it. the eternals are literally gods. i was hyped about falcon becoming the next captain america but the show managed to make it uninteresting too. all the bait and switch characters from the series have unbelievable plot armour... so why should we care?
i liked the eternals right? but that film feels kinda inconsequential. when are we gonna see an eternal again? don't know. when are we gonna see dane whitman again? don't know.
and yet they thought it best to work on an echo and an agatha harkness tv show? who even cares.
spiderman no way home was the most successful movie in recent years and ok, it's technically sony, but who knows when we're gonna see spiderman again? and i'm very curious about that because the way the film ended left so many open doors for interesting new stories. but no, we're getting she-hulk (where judging from the trailer the titular character is already a better hulk than the hulk) and iron heart (a rather unsuccessful character in the comics whose only importance is the diversity aspect -and by the way, they already have a diverse iron man in war machine... i'd rather watch a don cheadle iron man any day).
i appreciate having new characters introduced, but make them less and make them good.
how can you expect people getting behind the umpteenth bait and switch female version of some already established and loved character, who's better than said character because girl power/plot armour?
Truth...
I don’t think Kevin miscalculated at all… I think it was supposed to be Chadwick/Black Panther who would anchor the MCU… That became the problem.
Yup, I remember reading that a while ago. T'Challa was pretty much gonna be the Tony Stark of this next saga.
Black Panther was definitely the heir. He was young, popular, and most importantly a leader.
So true!
I think it was supposed to be Black Panther, after spending so much time with Captain America and being so pivotal to End game. Sadly Chadwick’s passing really seems to throw a wrench in the whole over arching narrative, I’m sure they planned to have Black Panther be the one to assemble the new avengers. He had the funds for the new base as well as like a narrative reason to try and keep the avengers alive
I disagree. He did pick a successor. It was BP. Then what happen happend.
Black Panther was suppose to be an anchor. 😒
I feel the answer is Dr Strange. It doesn’t matter that he is not an Avenger, because “The Avengers” are over.
Dr strange is the one character that has been tying phase 4 together. Wong was in Shang Chi, Strange was in Spider-Man, and MOM tied in to WandaVision. So it seems that the sorcerers are the connecting thread here.
IMO, Shang Chi felt like the only real entry into the overall story. We have a new hero that joined the team, we have a new mcguffin to worry about (the signal sent out by the rings), and we have a common goal for our OG characters to work towards. That is the story line I am waiting for. That is the one that has me hooked. The impending incursion from MOM is also a big thing, but so far it doesn’t appear to be leading towards a team up.
I do think it's Doctor Strange and Wong at this point. I also think Shang-Chi may show up in "The Marvels" given that Ms. Marvel's bangle has some connection to the Ten Rings (and we also saw Captain Marvel in the mid-credits of Shang-Chi).
The MCU misses Black Panther more than Cap and Starks! They had their run, T’Challa was the future rip Chadwick Boseman
I feel like Black Panther was supposed to be the next "leader" of the MCU. Unfortunately, real life had other plans. RIP Chadwick :(
Didnt he get diagnosed before his first appearance as black panther? Maybe he should of told someone at marvel instead of keeping it a secret. They were counting on him being around and he knew he wasnt gonna be
Cap and Iron Man were like two binary stars, with the other heroes as planets in orbit. Now, those stars are gone, and the planets are left adrift in the void.
Doctor Strange and Captain Marvel are/were supposed to be the next gen MCU leaders. They've been crossing over and consistently referenced in other stuff. Personalities are even similarly written to Tony & Steve. The biggest issue is that I don't think Strange/Cumberbatch has been charming enough to balance the a-hole, and Cpt. Marvel/Brie Larson probably got rushed to supersonic before being established enough to develop an emotional attachment from the audience. I think they probably had much bigger plans for Black Panther too.
Yes he did, T'challa, Strange and Carol, but he couldn't predict Chad's death. Also Tony and Cap didn't become the anchors until 2012 with the 1st Avengers movie
i bet the anchor was that kevin figie was looking for was black panther but chadwick passed and kind of drailed some of his plans .
I think they need to start deciding who the leaders are and really push them. Dr Strange and Captain America?
I’m still waiting til Comic Con and D23 are over. Feige said the path should be more clear soon and he gave me 11 years of fun so I am giving him a little more time! I also think we have been spoiled on wanting everything to be connected. Fingers crossed for next phase.
In an ideal world the baton would’ve been passed to Black Panther T’Challa & Captain Marvel as the new two anchors/leaders of the MCU.
Rob has a really good point, it does feel disjointed and rudderless. Feels like theres no momentum, completely separate projects that aren't together at all. It's really jarring for fans who are used to Marvel's formula as it were and at the end of the movies and shows I'm feeling like.. okay.. so is this going to connect? Why should I care? The movies and shows are fine but we've been conditioned to expect things to connect together
You can thank Disney+ for this mess. Gotta feed the beast.
I mean there’s literally Easter eggs and references of them throughout the phase 4 shows and movies…they might not be in the MCU for now but their legacies are still around..
Can you believe it. You fans are never happy. Star Wars tried to rehash the same storyline blueprint and you guys were pissed. Now you want to do the same thing to Marvel.
I like phase 4 bc it is different. I don’t need another avengers movie. I want something new.
I think the problem is captain America and iron man were such polarizing characters with polarizing actors! They alone carried the franchise on their shoulders. Other than Strange who’s going to carry the mantle. To this date i haven’t seen someone on the level as those two and that could be problem for them in the future. They are about to introduce a whole new world of characters. In phase 1 there was no expectations for success and by some miracle they stuck gold with RDJ. Now the bar is set so high that the audience will not settle for a good/decent movie. They want the same magic.
@@PizzahPrinciples I don’t think the MCU as a whole is something that can be duplicated. Even if they did something like reboot the whole MCU.
I think another thing that is lost in translation is that this multiverse is BROKEN... Even though Endgame saw the Avengers blip people back, that act in and of itself did not fix things... It only complicated matters... So it's supposed to be discombobulated... Each member has their own individual issues and can't "assemble" at the moment... It took 4 years for the original Avengers team to come together.... With the only small thread being Nick Fury...patience grasshoppers
I do think they were moving to have Captain Marvel, Spiderman, and Black Panther be the new holy trio. There was even parts of the Spiderman Far From Home where Peter talked about struggling to live up to Tony. Unfortunately, 1) Captain Marvel has had a bit of a mixed reception, 2) The rights around Spiderman seemed to have become a bigger issue right at the beginning of Phase 4, perhaps making Marvel less likely to make him the centerpiece, and 3) obviously Chadwick passed away. I have faith they'll pivot but I think it might take longer, due to these setbacks.
I agree with all of this, but remain in deep denial: Tony Stark and Cap are so essential to the MCU that I keep telling myself the ridiculous notion that Kevin Feige is trolling all of us with a master plan that he's always had: To Kill Tony off and sideline Cap and everyone else only to bring them back via the multiverse in some fashion. I know this is only wishful thinking. But the ENDGAME PTSD is real missing Black Widow and other familiar faces. I do understand Feige's strategy, however, that I think Campea misses. Feige seems intentional in his current strategy and I think his only miscalculation is overestimating our ability to ride his intentional storm.
Since we all knew the Infinity Saga was a straight line to Endgame, Feige has intentionally decided that they had to do something not in a straight line so that the super-intelligent audience couldn't anticipate each beat. They did this first with Infinity War, where the Avengers lost and several "died" until they vanished. They did it again in End Game by killing Thanos at the beginning of the movie uneventfully, only to bring him back by turning the movie into a time heist rather than another Big Bad Fight until the dramatic ending. When Feige and all the other true comic book fans on his team anticipate audience expectations, they go out of their way to subvert them without dissolving fan service. So these current phases are clearly designed to subvert fan expectations of another connected universe leading up to Avengers assembling again by intentionally disconnected movies that sabotage those expected beats and connections until much later, so they're more deeply satisfying. I get it. The only problem is a big one: We're still in mourning for Tony Stark, Cap, Black Widow, Black Panther, and the other characters we emotionally connected with during the Infinity Saga.
It's not that this new strategy doesn't work by itself. It's just that after your dad dies, you'll never accept the new stepdad right away when you first meet him. Acceptance takes a very long time. Feige, who is always the smartest person in the room, is intentionally giving the audience that time. When Feige brings Stark and Cap back, wishful thinking, if he brings them back, it would be so epic and all would be forgiven. But all will also be forgiven when Feige connects the chemistry among these disparate movies. But we're still connected to the Infinity Saga. So the deep emotional connections to the OG MCU are underrepresented in the new MCU largely because it seems silly to even acknowledge or discuss them. Yet these FEELINGS for imaginary characters remain VERY real regardless.
This means that the only true Feige failure is not the new strategy but a simple oversight: Not having characters in each movie in Phase 4 mourn the loss or update the whereabouts of OG MCU characters. Talk about Stark. Talk about the sacrifice Black Widow made. New Cap should talk about missing Old Cap more. Shang-Chi commenting on Captain Marvel. She-Hulk saying she's a lousy replacement for He-Hulk. Having the new characters mirror our own angst and confusion and sense of loss and sharing our likes and dislikes as they relate to the OG MCU is not only what's missing, but would connect us emotionally to them.
I think the next main anchor is going to be Reed Richards and the fantastic four and the X-men to an extent. The problem is, we’ll be like 3 years into Phase 4 before we meet our new anchors
I would say also with Chadwick Boseman dying that impacted things. He was popular and could have continued to be that thread.
its saturation and fatigue. Eternals aside phase 4 stuff has been pretty decent. I personally liked Hawkeye even though it seems alot of people didn't.
But i just think the MCU is hitting an over saturation point and its hard to re invent it of keep it fresh
Ironman and Cap are my two favorite mcu characters but I'm ok with their ending in endgame. As many of people have said in the comments Black panther was supposed to be the leader in the mcu. I do believe that the mcu should have recasted t'challa because we don't have that leader right now.