It should come as absolutely no surprise that my first blog back this semester is going to be about the MCU, and for good reason. At Comic Con Marvel finally gave us an in depth look at Phase Four, and boy does it look exciting. Traditionally I would have loved to blog this in July, but I didn’t have access to the blog outside of school at the time, and screw it I’m just as hyped up as I was in July so let’s do it. Phase Four will consist of five cinematic releases per usual but also will include five streaming releases, to be seen exclusively on Disney+ (just take all my money Bob Iger). Anyway let’s get into it.

Black Widow (May 1st 2020)

Strangely enough Marvel’s opening of their new book moving away from the Infinity Sage and the OG 6 Avengers will focus on, well, one of the OG 6 Avengers in a prequel that takes place during the Infinity Saga. Essentially how it’s been described is that it’s going to be a prequel that will take place both in the late 90s/early 00s and also have scenes that take place post Civil War pre Infinity War during the time when Natasha was on the run with Steve Rogers and Sam Wilson. Signed onto the movie to play alongside Johannson are David Harbour who will be playing Red Guardian (essentially the USSR version of Captain America, super soldier serum and all) and Florence Pugh who will be playing Yelena Belova who in the comics is a fellow Red Room alumni with Natasha, and a rival of sorts who in the comics actually picks up the title of Black Widow for a period of time herself. The villain of the film will be Taskmaster, who for those of you who do not know is a villain in the comics who essentially can copy and reenact heroes moves and fighting styles, essentially giving him the ability to use their powers against them. Honestly, this movie may be coming out six years too late (A 2013 post Avengers 1 BW movie would have made perfect sense), but I am excited for it, it’s giving me great Jason Bourne feels to it and maybe we get a Clint Barton cameo and finally figure out what the hell happened in Budapest!

Falcon And The Winter Soldier (Fall 2020)

Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes are back for the first non cinematic release in MCU history (Netflix shows don’t count especially with Blade casting), and I am PUMPED. This is one of the releases that isn’t getting that much buzz in Phase Four but for me it’s easily in the top three. These two have great chemistry together, Daniel Brühl is returning to play Baron Zemo, with footage of him in the classic comic costume, and Emily Van Camp is coming back to play Sharon Carter who has been criminally underused in the MCU thus far. So take four great characters then add John Wick creator Derek Kolstad to the mix as the writer and this should be insane. Not many plot details have been discussed but maybe we get a little more on the super soldier stuff from Civil War which would be awesome, and I’m sure there will be a lot about picking up Cap’s mantle as the biggest side plot. Overall awesome stuff.

The Eternals (November 6th 2020)

Richard Madden. Richard Madden. Richard Madden. Richard Madden. If you have been reading my blog you know that Richard Madden is my boy. I love The Bodyguard and Robb Stark was my favorite character on Thrones for the first three seasons (fuck you Walder Frey). Kumail Nanjiani and Angelina Jolie starring too, plus the recent addition of Kit Harrington as Black Knight gives this film essentially a murders row of a cast. As far as plot goes, I explained it in a previous blog from last semester so I will just quickly recap that The Eternals are super-enhanced humans who were created in the beginning of the universe’s existence by The Celestials and traditionally fight their evil counterparts the Deviants and occasionally go at their creators too (Ego is one celestial we have met thus far). If I had to guess what storyline the MCU will do with them I would put my money on one of the ones that takes place around our time where The Eternals or at least some of The Eternals have forgotten who they are and are living amongst humans. I think that would make sense why Black Knight is going to be in the film. However Marvel did that type of plot recently with Captain Marvel so I am not sure that they’d head down that road again. Overall I am pretty stoked for this movie because it is going to be different and weird and people from Marvel are saying it’s the second most important film in MCU history behind Iron Man, probably in regards to the fact that it’s opening up the new look MCU to the world. Oh did I mention Richard Madden is in it?

Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings (February 12th 2021)

The next cinematic release for the MCU will be a mere three months after The Eternals, and will introduce us to Shang Chi. Honestly I don’t know much about this film yet except Simu Liu is playing the titular character, Awkwafina is playing an undisclosed role, and we are FINALLY getting the real Mandarin and The Ten Rings… This is another movie people are really sleeping on and I don’t think people understand how well this is going to do, especially internationally. This movie is going to make a billion dollars so fast your head will explode. If your not excited for it just remember that we’re finally getting one of the best villains in Marvel history with the Mandarin and that a Shang Chi movie means we’re also getting some insane hand to hand combat scenes.

WandaVision (Spring 2021)

Uhhh okay? First off what a fucking terrible title. Why is it one word? If it’s some stupid pun about wanda having a vision and well Vision I swear to god I riot. That being said, despite a ridiculous name and two B List characters I actually am somewhat excited…ish? This will be Disney+’s 2nd streaming property. I love Elizabeth Olsen’s Wanda Maximoff and I am really glad that she’s getting her own project to dive deeper into one of the most criminally underused heroes ever. I mean seriously she has powers from a goddamn infinity stone… like she almost held 6 stone Thanos back from Vision but hey let’s use her to give Cap a lift into a building then fight henchmen in Civil War but I digress. Rumors say it’s gonna start like a sitcom and then become epic, pulling from many classic sitcoms (one example was the Dick Van Dyke show). Like I guess it sounds cool? Big thing though is that apparently it leads right into Doctor Strange ATMUM.

Doctor Strange And The Multiverse Of Madness (May 7th 2021)

Yup. Yup. YUP. Everything about this looks awesome. We’re getting an actual multiverse, Wanda will be in it, there are rumors that Nightmare will be the villain, and it is going to be the MCU’s first scary movie. This is dope. I thought Doctor Strange 1 was okay, but I loved him in Infinity War and during his brief Ragnarok cameo. A horror movie in the MCU sounds awesome and supplemented with the trippy effects of the multiverse it should be insane.

Loki (Spring 2021)

I’m just going to come right out and say it. I don’t care…. Now I know everybody is going to be angry at me for saying that, but don’t come at me for not being excited, because I love Loki and I am sure this will be good, but does not take place in the main MCU! It’s just Loki in a parallel timeline doing a bunch of hood rat shit and messing with history, which don’t get me wrong sounds hilarious and great but really not needed. He had a great character arc. We don’t need to see a 2012 pre developed Loki who’s at his most evil going around in a parallel universe! To put into perspective this is Loki before Dark World when he starts his anti hero path, a mere hours after trying to destroy Earth. I just don’t get it. Maybe he travels back into main MCU by the end and is in Thor 4?

What If… (Summer 2021)

Hey remember when I said I didn’t care about Loki because it was a character who already had his time in a parallel universe doing things that didn’t affect the main MCU at all so it didn’t make me excited? Well…uhhhh… I am all in on What If. Show looks dank. Now I know I am a hypocrite for this. I absolutely am. It doesn’t help that they came right after each other, but listen to this: What If is an animated show that each episode deals with each movie in the MCU and how it could have gone different. That’s not beating a dead horse like Loki is (literally) but instead refreshing and new to the MCU. The first episode is What If Sharon Carter got the super soldier serum and Steve Rogers joined the war using an Iron Man suit built by Howard Stark. That sounds fun to me.

Hawkeye (Fall 2021)

Jeremy Renner comes back (RIP Jeremy Renner app) to play Clint Barton and train Kate Bishop in this Disney+ show. Probably just a Young Avengers lead in. I’m 80% sure this will just be Arrow season 1 and I haven’t even seen Arrow season 1.

Thor: Love and Thunder (November 5th 2021)

This name and logo is so metal I fucking love it. Watiti directing, Natalie Portman back and playing Lady Thor, Tessa Thompson back, and of course the last of the trinity Chris Hemsworth BACK. This has got to be my number one most anticipated project of phase four. Feige said that it’s going to be “big” and I don’t doubt him as Love and Thunder is the film wrapping up Phase Four. The plot is underwraps but I think maybe it could be based around the Midland Serpent because that was thrown around as a plot for Infinity War, and I think also we’ll see the comic accurate Lady Thor where Jane Foster is battling cancer but everytime she turns into Thor she is healed but the longer she stays in that phase the worse her cancer becomes when she turns back (Jesus that’s really dark now that I am typing it). Either way Ragnarok was awesome and I bet this will be even better and I presume have huge stakes to wrap up Phase Four.

Other Announced Projects

Although they do not have dates films for Blade and The Fantastic Four have been announced and at D23 a Black Panther sequel and streaming series for She Hulk, Ms. Marvel (cast Naomi Scott) and Moon Knight have been announced. I presume we get one of the first two films plus Black Panther and GOTG3 in 2022 along with one streaming show. I plan on actually doing a blog with a dream casting for F4 soon so be on the lookout for that. What a time to be a Marvel fan!