No Way Home managed to slice through the thorny issue of previous Spider-Man universes, all while simultaneously tapping into the sudden ferocious demand for 2000s nostalgia. It was the concept of the multiverse, the idea that an infinite number of universes with slight variations existed, that allowed Marvel’s brave new world to thrive. Doctor Strange and Thor sequels were successes and Spider-Man: No Way Home not only became the highest grossing movie of the COVID era, it also unlocked the unlimited potential of the multiverse. Cracking open the multiverseĭespite some stumbles, much of the Phase was still anchored by the safety net of its biggest names. In Wanda’s extreme case, that even amounted to what felt like two oscillating versions of the same character showing up just a year apart. Rushed CGI has been a constant complaint since Endgame and the lack of time between projects – as evidenced by WandaVision and Multiverse of Madness filming back-to-back – meant plot threads were left dangling for far too long (will we ever see Hercules again?). Black Widow and Eternals struggled, while the tightly-packed schedule of productions led to problems elsewhere. As the MCU reached critical mass, the scattershot approach to superheroes – also not helped by Phase 4’s seeming lack of overarching narrative – led to some notable disappointments. Sure, smaller scale stories were now able to be told in longform format and one-shot specials such as Werewolf by Night found a home on the streamer, but it undoubtedly led to the acceleration of Marvel fatigue. Disney’s streaming service changed all that, meaning some years there were only weeks between new projects. In the past, Marvel movies felt like massive events, exclusively consigned to the box office and (if you’re lucky) getting three MCU entries a year. The new Phase also heralded the start of the Disney Plus era. Some of these are the tiniest of baby steps – and things to build on for Phase 5 and 6 – but are welcome additions nonetheless. LGBTQ representation has also improved with Eternals’ Phastos, Thor’s Korg, Wakanda Forever’s Aneka, She-Hulk’s Nikki, and confirmation that Loki is bisexual. Phase 4 also saw the emergence of the first solo female director in the MCU as Cate Shortland helmed Black Widow, plus Letitia Wright’s Shuri became the franchise’s first Black female lead in Wakanda Forever. Marvel finally got their chance to shine in what had been, up until now, a pretty homogenous lineup. It has been a sustained period of firsts: Chinese and Pakistani heroes in Shang-Chi and Ms. Phase 4 continued that fresh approach as many of its big hitters took a back seat in favor of new, exciting, and (crucially) underrepresented heroes.
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