There are strengths and weaknesses in just about every creative decision in the palpable universe; indeed, there’s no denying that the Marvel Cinematic Universe is an egregiously impressive storytelling phenomenon, with its decades-long ability to connect individual stories of so many beloved characters into a larger narrative, to say nothing of the cultural impact that it’s had in the process.
But, there’s downsides as well; the promise of continuity can be a pitfall for some audiences, who may disregard the value of the story currently being told as they look forward to the teases of what comes next. The unfulfilled rumors of Mephisto rearing his head at the end of WandaVision comes to mind.
But evidently, there’s a flipside to this downside, as so many more fans take this promise of continuity and let their imaginations run wild with a childlike exuberance that everyone, admittedly or not, is at least a little bit jealous of. But even this can get laughably out of hand, as the keenest theorists of r/marvelstudios have thrown all restraint to the sharks as they speculate what could come after 2026’s Avengers: Secret Wars.
Naturally, the X-Men wound up being a big part of this thread’s collective imagination, as they seem primed to take over the Avengers as the MCU’s premier ensemble. Galactus was also a popular choice to follow Thanos and Kang as the overarching antagonist for whatever the next saga ends up being, with a certain chrome lynchpin to boot.
But others took a dive into worst-case scenario territory.
Of course, we still have to wrap up Phase Four before plowing through the other two pieces of the Multiverse Saga before any post-Secret Wars theory can begin to take proper shape; so for now, let’s just see what Wakanda and Namor have in store for us when Black Panther: Wakanda Forever releases to theaters on Nov. 11.