The Multiverse Saga: In Kevin Feige I Trust

The Multiverse Saga. Courtesy of Marvel.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is in good hands as Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige leads the way through The Multiverse Saga.

For anyone thinking that Phase 4 doesn’t have any sort of direction, they couldn’t be more wrong. Kevin Feige always has something up his sleeves and this weekend shows what it is. While some shows appear to be one-offs like Moon Knight, others are focusing in on the Multiverse. Ms. Marvel had double duty when it streamed on Disney+. Not only did the series have to set up The Marvels but it officially brought mutants into Earth-616 in the MCU. I would love to see Marvel giving Inhumans another go at it. However, Anson Mount is going to be pre-occupied with Star Trek Strange New Worlds for a while. Would they go with the same cast or entirely reboot the franchise? They could always bring Inhumans back by way of a Fantastic Four movie?

The biggest announcement this weekend isn’t just the Phase 5 and Phase 6 slates. We’re getting a pair of Avengers movies with the culmination of Phase 6: Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars. I’m thinking back to the comments that Feige made during Marvel Studios Assembled: The Making of Eternals earlier this year on Disney+. During the documentary, Feige explicitly commented that Avengers: Endgame was “the final Avengers movie.” Feige probably would have been better off using a different phrase instead. Regardless, there’s still a bright future ahead for Marvel. Given how many of them have been introduced so far, I would love to see a Young Avengers movie or series. Maybe that announcement is coming down the line.

One thing is for certain as we navigate the next few years: Disney is going to be making a ton of money on both their films and Disney+ streaming service. There are a few questions that I find myself asking as a result of the SDCC announcement in Hall H on Saturday:

  • Where are the X-Men?
  • What about Deadpool 3?
  • Will Deadpool officially enter the MCU or will it remain its own thing and stay something of a one-off?
  • Is Kevin Feige reserving some announcements for the upcoming Disney D23 convention in September?

This also doesn’t even begin to take into account the animation slate. The major X-Men announcement this weekend focused on X-Men ’97. The series will follow X-Men: The Animated Series and stay within the 90s timeline. Spider-Man: Freshman Year is coming in 2024 and will follow Peter Parker on his path towards becoming Spider-Man in the MCU. We know that Tom Holland–as of now–is not returning. I’ll be curious to see how they incorporate events from the MCU as a whole into the series. What If…? is coming back for a second season in early 2023. Given the popularity of the series, it certainly is no surprise that it’s going to come back for a third season. The series is also getting a spin-off in the form of Marvel Zombies.

With the MCU focusing on The Multiverse Saga, one wonders if What If…? will tie into the movies. We’ve already seen Captain Carter (Hayley Atwell) make her live-action debut. Could we see more of her exploits in live-action? Of course, you could not do that without Chris Evans. Perhaps this is a way to get Steve Rogers back in the MCU?

We have two more titles remaining in Phase 4. She-Hulk: Attorney-at-Law will lighten things up with a comedy series. I’m curious to see what happens. Things will end on a somber note with Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.

Marvel will release She-Hulk: Attorney-at-Law on August 11, 2022.

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Danielle Solzman

Danielle Solzman is native of Louisville, KY, and holds a BA in Public Relations from Northern Kentucky University and a MA in Media Communications from Webster University. She roots for her beloved Kentucky Wildcats, St. Louis Cardinals, Indianapolis Colts, and Boston Celtics. Living less than a mile away from Wrigley Field in Chicago, she is an active reader (sports/entertainment/history/biographies/select fiction) and involved with the Chicago improv scene. She also sees many movies and reviews them. She has previously written for Redbird Rants, Wildcat Blue Nation, and Hidden Remote/Flicksided. From April 2016 through May 2017, her film reviews can be found on Creators.