With the release of Ant-Man, Marvel’s Phase Two, which featured the studio’s heaviest hitting films to date, has now concluded.
Iron Man 3 made Iron Man cool again. Captain America: The Winter Soldier was a thrilling spy film about the stakes of massive organizational corruption. Guardians of the Galaxy was a space opera which brought together a ragtag group of heroes including an anthropomorphic raccoon with a rocket launcher and a talking tree, which totally worked. The phase’s final film, Ant-Man, went through production hell, yet it still turned out to be a fine heist movie with more humour than anything else Marvel’s ever done.
The biggest film in Phase Two was Avengers: Age of Ultron. Grossing near a billion and a half dollars, the film saw our favorite Avengers pitted against Tony Stark’s own creation, the sly Ultron. No, it wasn’t as good as the genre-defining The Avengers, but it was a serviceable set-up for things to come.
Marvel managed to build a cohesive movie universe, where every movie was somehow connected in a way that made sense. That’s not easy to do. So what’s next? Time for an updated group of heroes.
One of my favorite parts of AoU was the introduction to several new characters.
Scarlett Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) brings magic into the series, which is a huge part of what’s to come. Her character is a valuable asset to The Avengers, and her motivations have never been clearer following the death of her brother. Vision (Paul Bettany) also fits nicely into the universe, as he was a calm force of nature in AoU. He’s in possession of the Soul Gem, one of the Infinity Stones that Thanos desperately seeks. Expect some serious battles. We also know that familiar faces Falcon and War Machine are now part of the team.
Also joining the team is… Spider-Man.
The newest version of the web-slinger has been cast, as British teenager Tom Holland will be playing the iconic Marvel character. How sweet it is that we finally get to see a variation of Spider-Man join The Avengers on the big screen. Marvel and Sony’s agreement also means the upcoming reboot will technically be a part of Phase Three, so expect more Spider-Man and Avengers team-ups.
(Image via Io9)
Hopefully, this is the start of a blossoming relationship in which more Marvel characters whose rights are at other studios find their way into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. For instance, it would be disappointing if the movies made it to the “Infinity War” storyline and a character like Dr. Doom — who plays a huge part in the comics, but is tied up with Fox — was nowhere to be seen.
The first appearance of Peter Parker will be in Captain America: Civil War, which is pretty much an Avengers movie with Iron Man, Hawkeye, Black Widow, Ant-Man and more set to appear. Anthony and Joe Russo are set to take over the franchise from Joss Whedon, so don’t expect a drastic quality drop-off, as the Russos proved with Winter Soldier that they’re right for the job.
Spider-Man isn’t the only new addition to the MCU. Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) is getting his own solo movie in 2016. He’s a very important player in the Infinity storyline, so expect his role to be sizable. New characters getting their own solo movie also include Black Panther (2018) starring Chadwick Boseman, and Captain Marvel (2018). There’s also been talk of a possible Black Widow movie, but nothing has been announced. Not only is the MCU expanding, but it’s getting more inclusive.
Along the way, we’re also getting sequels for Guardians of the Galaxy, Thor and previously mentioned “Infinity War” Avengers two-parter.
The Marvel franchises have been getting shellacked online for their lack of a suitable villain, but that’s likely going to change with of one of the biggest baddies in Marvel history soon to join the series: Thanos. We’ve been teased to his presence at the end of The Avengers, in GotG and in the post-credit scene of AoU, where it was made clear he wasn’t happy with how his henchman were doing in the search for the Infinity Gems. His introductions have been small, but the table has been set for upcoming chaos.
Thanos, played by Josh Brolin, is going to be doing things himself, and that doesn’t bode well for The Avengers.
For those who have read the Infinity Gauntlet saga, you know Thanos wants all the power the gauntlet brings — not only for control purposes, but to impress Death, who he’s madly in love with, yet won’t give him the time of day. Will the MCU include Death? I hope so, otherwise Thanos’ intentions will have to change.
(Image via Business Insider)
Thanos eventually does get all the gems, and The Avengers are rendered useless. What’s been lacking in the MCU is a villain who can defeat our heroes, and while Thanos is still years away from being properly introduced, it’s an exciting development.
It wouldn’t be fair to not mention Marvel’s TV universe, as it’s also a big part of what’s to come.
Daredevil was a smash success, while easily being Marvel’s most gritty franchise to date. With Jessica Jones premiering sometime within the next year, and Luke Cage and Iron Fist eventually culminating in The Defenders, it should become much clearer what Marvel intends to do with its Netflix shows in relation to the MCU. Unlike DC’s properties which steer clear from its TV versions, it’s likely we’ll see these series cross over with the films more so than just the subtle hints we’ve been given. No complaints from me if Daredevil and Iron Fist somehow become Avengers.
Marvel’s Agent Carter faced cancellation, but survived and will air for at least one more season. Expect more tidbits and hints at the future of the MCU in the show, plus good news as Dominic Cooper’s Howard Stark is set to reappear as Tony’s dad in the series.
Agents of Shield retooled itself following the events of Captain America: The Winter Soldier and now stands on its own, as opposed to being in the shadows of the film franchise. With the inclusion of Inhumans, which is set to have its own standalone film following the Infinity saga, you can bet it’s a good idea to be up to date on the show. Plus who doesn’t want to see more Lance Hunter and Bobbi Morse?
Marvel’s upcoming movie slate is noisy but exciting. The stakes are only going to get bigger. With DC bringing up the rear, Marvel has upped the ante and ready to show that it’s the dominant force in the comic book movie world. The studio has already established an impressive universe, now it’s time to hit the gas and show what it’s got.
