It’d be no overstatement to suggest that fans have been conflicted about this new MCU era ever since the Infinity Saga came to a close with Avengers: Endgame. After a viral debate on social media led many folks to wonder if Kevin Feige and co. are still at the top of their game, some Marvel enthusiasts are now rushing to its defense by reminding everyone of some very clear denominators in all of Phase Four projects.
As Richard Newby of THR points out in his original tweet that spawned the latest debate, we’re only a few years into the next era, and it took Marvel four years to set up the Infinity War in 2012’s The Avengers. So, we should probably exercise our patience for the time being.
Newby wasn’t alone with this sentiment, of course, as many fans used this opportunity to express their own optimism and hot takes. One person noted that when you consider them all together, every project is at least partially connected to something else.
Besides, why does every project need to tie into some bigger story arc in the first place? Some fans seem content with just enjoying whatever’s in front of them at the moment.
While it may look like Marvel has been hopping about with seemingly no clear goal in mind, this could just be the introduction phase to another 10-year story arc like the Infinity Saga.
One user brings up another interesting point in the discussion, detailing why all Marvel projects don’t necessarily have to connect. Perhaps a rather erroneous presupposition is that MCU had a concrete plan in the Infinity Saga due to some brief post-credits scenes, but that hardly seems to be the case when you look at the timeline of the movies and the creatives attached to it.
Wherever the story’s heading next, it’s becoming increasingly apparent that Marvel will need to give its fanbase something more than surprise cameos to keep the box office floodgates open. Let’s hope they take the hint.