Kevin Feige Says Phase Four Has Already Dropped 'Many Clues' About The MCU's Future
Following the end of the Infinity Saga with "Avengers: Endgame" and "Spider-Man: Far From Home" in 2019, Marvel Studios had to take a short break in 2020 due to the ongoing pandemic. But this delay barely rattled Marvel president Kevin Feige and the House of Ideas: They returned in 2021 (after a few small tweaks to the release schedule) with four feature films and five Disney+ shows. Since then, Phase Four has been in full swing, most recently with "Ms. Marvel" currently airing on the Mouse House's streaming service and "Thor: Love and Thunder" hitting theaters in a few weeks.
However, these two projects basically mark the halfway point of this chapter in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. And with all the seeds that have been planted for the future of these fan-favorite characters, Marvel's head honcho is taking some time to tease where the story could be going in the coming months and years.
Unphased
The first half of Phase Four has introduced (or re-introduced, in some cases) a number of things to the MCU that have raised some interesting questions for the future of this franchise. There's the Red Room, the Ten Rings, the Tracksuit Mafia, and various other criminal organizations. The Multiverse and incursions have become a major talking point. And don't forget about Celestials, Eternals, and all sorts of gods. While many True Believers seem to have things figured out, there are so many roads that these stories could lead down.
But according to Feige, the map showing the way should be more clear very soon. In the latest issue of Total Film (via Games Radar), the Marvel Studios president shares that those anxious to know what's going on will get some more concrete answers shortly.
"As we're nearing the end of Phase 4, I think people will start to see where this next saga is going. I think there have been many clues already, that are at least apparent to me, of where this whole saga is going. But we'll be a little more direct about that in the coming months, to set a plan, so audiences who want to see the bigger picture can see a tiny, tiny, tiny bit more of the roadmap."
Obviously, Feige has to stay vague when he says stuff like this. Even the smallest taste is still appetizing, but just when and where can we expect to get to the main course?
Navigating the map
Even though this interview is part of the cover story about Taika Waititi's next film featuring the God(s) of Thunder, there's still plenty of other places where Feige and Marvel Studios can be "a little more direct" about where the next MCU saga is going. I feel like "Secret Invasion" and "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania" (thanks to the events of "Loki") are strong candidates for projects that could expose the roadmap.
But then again, who knows what James Gunn has in store for "The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special" or "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3"? "The Marvels" could also be a contender for major plot points, since whatever happening there requires three powerful heroes (Captain Marvel, Monica Rambeau, and Ms. Marvel) to join forces.
Personally, I think one of those last two could expand on the incursions discussed in "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness." While we don't necessarily feel any changes on Earth, it's possible that Universe 616 could be seeing the effects on other planets that Thor, Carol Danvers, the Guardians, or Nick Fury and the Skrulls might have come across. And if that's the case, then "Secret Wars" could surely be on the horizon. But as we wait for confirmation about that Marvel Comics storyline making the jump to the big screen, we'll just sit back and enjoy the road trip.