Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige has finally cleared up one of the big mysteries surrounding Phase Four of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).
The popular superhero franchise recently outlined plans for the next two phases of its interconnected film and TV releases.
Phase Five will begin in February 2023, and will incorporate films such as Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania and a new Fantastic Four film.
Phase Six, meanwhile, will feature two Avengers movies: Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, which is scheduled for release in May 2025, and Avengers: Secret Wars, out 7 November 2025.
The two Avengers films will be the first in the series since 2019’s record-breaking Avengers: Endgame.
With the Avengers franchise representing the most popular arm of the MCU, fans have spent the last few years questioning the absence of a new Avengers release.
Speaking to MTV News, Feige has now explained why it was deemed neccessary to wait until Phase Six to return to the Avengers.
Chris Evans in ‘Avengers: Endgame’
(© Marvel 2019)
“The truth is, when we were doing Phase One, Phase Two, and Phase Three, there were less projects over more years,” he said. “They were smaller projects and individual character stories, and it felt appropriate at that point, that after every two or three years that it took for a phase, we would do an Avengers film.
“As [Phase] Four, Five, and Six were coming together, there are more projects in less years – because of all the amazing stuff we’re now allowed to do on Disney+, and getting characters from Fox, Fantastic Four, and Deadpool — that it felt like, certainly after Infinity War and Endgame, that we thought Avengers movies aren’t cappers.”
“So many of our movies now… Multiverse of Madness, what you’re about to see in Quantumania, all our big team-up films introducing big parts of the mythology… Avengers films really should be the capper to a saga.”
The next MCU property to be hitting screens is the Disney+ series She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, out next month.
Star Jameela Jamil, who plays the series’ villain, recently addressed criticism from Marvel fans of her character’s appearance following the release of a promotional image.
