The Marvel Cinematic Universe transform into a transmedia multiverse. The ongoing story is now told in multiple mediums; there are movies, TV shows, and even recent Special Presentations. This expansion means Phase 4 has more hours’ worth of content than Phases 1-3 combined.
Phase 4 began in the aftermath of Avengers: Endgame and the Infinity Saga, and many of the films and Disney+ TV shows have explored the consequences of that film – the biggest event in the history of the MCU to date. But Phase 4 also serves as the launchpad for the Multiverse Saga, unlocking a phenomenal range of alternate dimensions. Meanwhile, a number of other Marvel productions have revealed the secret history of the MCU, introducing new societies, civilizations, and even alien races who have been living on Earth for thousands of years. Here are all the ways the MCU has changed in Phase 4.
11 Eternals Revealed The (True?) Celestial Origin Of The Universe
history of the Celestials. According to an extended flashback, the Celestials are the race who brought light and life into the universe, weaving galaxies and stars together. They are not benevolent, however; they do this as part of their own life cycle, because they implant Celestial seeds within the worlds they create, seeds that feed on a planet’s life-force. One such Celestial seed was planted within the Earth, and would have cracked the world like an egg-shell had its matter not been transformed by the combined power of the Eternals. This being now stands as a mysterious giant statue in the Indian Ocean.
Eternals presented this as fact, but Celestials were seen at Omnipotence City, the mystical place where the gods gather. This seems to imply the Celestials should be seen as simply another pantheon, which would mean the Eternals were recounting their own creation myth rather than the definitive origin of the universe. The MCU doesn’t seem in a hurry to clarify this point.
10 Loki Variants Unleashed The MCU’s Multiverse.
He Who Remains, established the Time Variance Authority to ensure only one timeline existed, thus preventing the war beginning again. The multiverse has now been reborn, however, as a result of the actions of two variants of Loki; one Kang the Conqueror has even taken over the TVA.
9 Mutants Were Confirmed To Be Part Of The MCU
Disney purchased the bulk of Fox's film and TV empire back in 2019, and the film rights to mutants were therefore regained by Marvel Studios. The MCU has wasted little time introducing mutants into the MCU, revealing they've been there all along. The approach the studio has taken has been a surprising one, all the same, because the She-Hulk: Attorney at Law introduced a surprising number of characters who are mutants (or mutant-adjacent) in the comics, and implied super-powers are a lot more common in the MCU than anyone had previously realized. That particular Disney+ TV show even included a subtle nod to Wolverine, with mention of a bar-room brawler with metal claws.
8 The MCU’s Phase 4 Revealed The Truth Behind The Mandarin & The Ten Rings
Iron Man’s MCU origin is tied to a terrorist organization known as the Ten Rings. The Ten Rings had remained active throughout history, with Wenwu secretly orchestrating many of the world’s greatest conflicts.
Wenwu’s family had fallen apart after the death of his beloved wife, Ying Li. Grief-stricken, he fell under the influence of an entity known as the Dweller-In-Darkness, a creature that manipulated him into launching an attack on the otherworldly, mystical realm of Ta Lo. He was defeated by his son, Shang-Chi, who took possession of the Ten Rings weapons. The organization was taken over by his daughter, Xialing, who seems to be reforming it.
7 The MCU Revealed The Underwater Civilization Of Talokan
Namor the Sub-Mariner, a mutant who was still in his mother’s womb when she ingested the plant. Namor is the only Talokanil who can easily breathe both in the air and in the water, and he possesses tremendous power. He is, however, deeply hostile towards the people who live on the surface, and he hopes to eventually gain an ally in the historically-isolationist nation of Wakanda.
6 Monsters & The Supernatural Became An Established Part Of The MCU
Another secret aspect of the MCU was introduced in Ulysses Bloodstone, bearer of a cursed bloodstone that he used to enhance his physical abilities and help him recognize monsters. His death led some of the most prominent monster hunters to gather in his honor, with a hunt designed to prove which one was worthy of wielding the Bloodstone. Most of the hunters were slaughtered when this went wrong, and the bloodstone was instead ed to Ulysses’ daughter, Elsa. She is now the de facto leader of the monster hunter community.
5 Spider-Man's Life Was Changed Forever
Phase 3 ended with Spider-Man's secret identity revealed to the world. In Spider-Man: No Way Home, Peter Parker persuaded Doctor Strange to use magic to try to put the genie back in the bottle. It all went terribly wrong, nearly causing an incursion that could have destroyed Earth-616, and the disaster was only averted by a team-up with multiple Spider-Men. Peter paid a terrible price, though; his Aunt May died, killed by another universe's Green Goblin, and he was eventually forced to ask Strange to erase all memories and records of his civilian identity. Aunt May's dying words were of power and responsibility, revealing that everything Spider-Man has faced in the MCU to date is essentially his origin story. He has now become the true Spider-Man at last, but tragically it means he has lost all his friends - for they can no longer he even exists.
4 Wanda Maximoff Became The Scarlet Witch, And Destroyed The Darkhold
Wracked with grief over Vision's death, Wanda Maximoff tapped into the power of Chaos Magic and became the Scarlet Witch. According to the Darkhold, an ancient book of dark magic created from the spells and prophecies of the first demon Chthon, the Scarlet Witch was destined to destroy all existence. Scarlet Witch fixated on America Chavez as a way to traverse the multiverse and connect with variants of her loved ones. Scarlet Witch's Chaos Magic allowed her to cut a bloody swathe across the multiverse and ravage Kamar-Taj, but she ultimately managed to regain her humanity. Scarlet Witch used her Chaos Magic to erase the Darkhold from the multiverse, along with Mount Wundagore, the source of its magic.
The post-credits of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness revealed something in these events had triggered an incursion - a collision between different realities. This presumably involves Earth-616 and Earth-838, with Scarlet Witch slaughtering Earth-838's greatest heroes. Doctor Strange departed to the Dark Dimension with Clea to put matters right. An incursion has the potential to destroy both timelines, so this could be one of the most important developments in Phase 4.
3 Sam Wilson Accepted The Mantle Of Captain America
Steve Rogers chose Sam Wilson as the new Captain America in the final scenes of Avengers: Endgame, but he didn't really believe he was worthy. Sam initially gave the shield back to the U.S. government, and watched in horror as they appointed a new Captain America in his place. Their choice, John Walker, soon proved to be a mistake; unable to deal with the pressure, he took a dose of super-soldier serum and became mentally unstable. Sam took up new wings courtesy of the Wakandans, and reclaimed the shield. He is officially the MCU's new Captain America.
2 Wakanda Lost King T'Challa, But Gainted A New Black Panther
The tragic death of King T'Challa shook Wakanda to the core. Matters were worsened by the fact Killmonger had destroyed all stocks of the Heart-Shaped Herb - meaning the Wakandans could not create a new Black Panther. Queen Ramonda ruled Wakanda for a year, before she was assassinated during the war between Wakanda and Talokan. Ironically, Shuri was able to become Black Panther through vibranium-enriched plants from Talokan. She chose not to take the throne, however, instead traveling to Haiti to stay with Nakia. There, she learned T'Challa's line had not come to an end after all, because he and Nakia had a son before his death - Toussaint, perhaps destined to become a future Black Panther. Shuri allowed M'Baku to claim the throne in her place, as she sought to find her own path.
