Although it’s been delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic, Phase Four of the Marvel Cinematic Universe is coming. The first three phases have been lumped together under the banner “the Infinity Saga.” Phase Four will act as the first phase of a new saga, setting up storylines that will carry on in the next decade of superhero epics.
In addition to starting new storylines that will culminate in an Endgame-sized cinematic smackdown at the end of Phase Six (or whatever Feige and co. have planned), there are a few unresolved plot threads from the Infinity Saga that Phase Four should continue.
Peter Parker’s Identity Crisis
It seems like a given that the third MCU Spidey movie will follow up on its predecessor’s shocking twist ending, but it deserves a mention as one of the most exciting prospects for Phase Four.
The threequel is shaping up to be one heck of a finale. Peter’s identity being revealed blows the storytelling possibilities wide open, while the casting of Jamie Foxx as Electro teases both the introduction of the Sinister Six and a live-action Spider-Verse.
The Ten Rings
Based on the title Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and the fact that Tony Leung has been cast to play the real Mandarin (after the crushing disappointment of Iron Man 3’s fake-out), it’s safe to say that Phase Four will be continuing this storyline.
The Ten Rings are a shady terrorist organization lurking in the shadows of the Marvel universe. They’ve been teased as the group that abducted Tony Stark in Iron Man and a Ten Rings tattoo can be seen during the Yellowjacket auction, but Phase Four needs to stop beating around the bush and just dive headfirst into this dark storyline.
The Creation Of Adam Warlock
One of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2’s many mid-credits scenes saw the Sovereign creating an artificial being capable of killing the Guardians and naming it “Adam.” This teased the introduction of Adam Warlock, one of the only Marvel characters whose strength can rival that of Thanos and Captain Marvel.
However, in Infinity War and Endgame, Adam was nowhere to be seen. James Gunn has even hinted that he won’t follow up his own tease in Guardians Vol. 3. It has to happen sometime!
What Happened When Cap Returned The Infinity Stones?
The story of Captain America traveling across the spacetime continuum alone, armed with his vibranium shield and Thor’s hammer to return all six Infinity Stones to their original locations, has the potential to be an Endgame-sized epic.
If Chris Evans would be willing to reprise his role following Endgame’s perfect conclusion to his arc, this could be an awesome self-contained story — and it could still continue Steve’s arc, as he’d have to confront Red Skull again.
Sif
The sidelining of Lady Sif in the MCU is as baffling as it is frustrating. Sif is one of the greatest characters in the Thor comics; Jaimie Alexander is both a terrific actor and enthusiastic about the role; and there’s a ton of narrative potential in Sif protecting the Nine Realms when Thor isn’t around.
Chris Hemsworth intends to stick around as Thor for a while, and reviving Sif as one of his closest ing characters could be a great way to prolong his arc.
Gamora’s Whereabouts
A deleted scene from Avengers: Endgame sees Gamora quietly slinking off the battlefield after Tony Stark’s death. A scene in the movie shows Quill using his ship’s computer to try to find her location.
If the search for Gamora doesn’t feature prominently in the third Guardians movie after this intriguing setup, it’ll be pretty disappointing.
Nova
Nova is one of the most popular Marvel superheroes who has yet to show up in the movies. But the Infinity Saga set the stage for his introduction. Nova is the last survivor of the Nova Corps after its destruction. Thanks to Thanos’ search for the Infinity Stones, Xandar has been blown up.
Everything about Nova’s origin story has been depicted in the MCU except for the actual appearance of Nova himself.
Ultron’s Rogue Head
Just as the Shang-Chi movie is about to redo the Mandarin after Iron Man 3’s disappointing portrayal, the same could be done for Ultron in a future MCU movie. Spider-Man: Homecoming confirmed that all the Ultron tech is just sitting in a warehouse somewhere.
Ultron’s return could capitalize on James Spader’s incredible voice acting, but fix what Joss Whedon got wrong about the genocidal A.I. and get more Isaac Asimov with the character and less Michael Bay.
Adrian Toomes And Mac Gargan In Prison
In the mid-credits scene of Spider-Man: Homecoming, an imprisoned Adrian Toomes is asked for Spidey’s real identity by Mac Gargan, who claims he has people on the outside waiting to kill him.
Toomes protects Peter’s identity, but it’s not clear if he does it as a favor to Peter for saving his life or because he wants to deal with Peter himself. This plot point might actually be expanded in Sony’s Marvel franchise, based on the surprise appearance of the MCU’s Toomes (wearing his prison jumpsuit, no less) in the Morbius trailer.
Asgardians Of The Galaxy
At the end of Avengers: Endgame, as the Guardians of the Galaxy were jetting off into the farthest reaches of space, Thor ed them, naming the alliance “the Asgardians of the Galaxy.”
While no one actually wants the name “Asgardians of the Galaxy” to become permanent, there is a lot of storytelling potential in a Thor/Guardians team-up. The Guardians have been confirmed to appear in Taika Waititi’s Thor: Love and Thunder, but that might just be a cameo appearance.
