The Marvel Cinematic Universe's Phase 4 is well underway with four films and five streaming series under its belt. Phase Four has continuously pushed the boundaries of the MCU, taking audiences to new and exciting places.
While expanding the lore and overall future of the franchise, Phase 4 has also introduced viewers to spectacular new locations that have made the overall MCU a cooler place as a result. These locations are either central to a character's story, the future of the franchise, or simply so visually spectacular that they must be properly appreciated.
The Red Room
Black Widow finally explored the origin of Natasha Romanoff in the MCU, explaining her childhood and how she came to be a Black Widow assassin after training in the mysterious Red Room, which, in the years since her absence, had been transferred to a flying base in the sky.
Fans had heard about the Red Room for years but had only ever seen brief shots of the Soviet training quarters in flashbacks. Finally, viewers were able to see the treacherous training of the Black Widows, in one of the coolest bad guy lairs of all time. Seeing the base crumble and fall from the sky was just an added bonus, making for yet another epic action sequence.
The Time Variance Authority Headquarters
The Time Variance Authority was an intriguing addition to the MCU in Marvel's despite their leaving several time crimes within the MCU uninvestigated.
The various sets built for the TVA headquarters evoke a bygone era of analog systems and office drones buzzing from room to room mixed with a futuristic vibe involving time travel and high-tech gadgets. The setting contributes greatly to the overall whacky yet foreboding tone of the series itself, and is sure to be explored with greater depth in Loki season 2.
The Westview Hex
As the story of WandaVision begins to unfold, it becomes clear that the sitcom-styled dream life that Wanda had been living with Vision and her children was all an illusion. In reality, Wanda had taken over an entire town, Westview, New Jersey, in order to create the world she so desperately wanted.
Despite the horrific reality behind Westview, the actual world that Wanda created looked quite fun and immersive. Everyone moved about complex and often hilarious storylines, living in a real-life sitcom. If the residents of Westview hadn't been forced to follow Wanda's whims, the Hex might have actually been a terrific place to live.
New And Improved Statue Of Liberty
major implications for Spider-Man's future, as well as the future of the MCU as a whole. One detail of the film that has often been discussed is the new-and-improved Statue of Liberty, now outfitted to be holding Captain America's signature shield in her hand.
While few would ever advocate making any changes to the real-life Statue of Liberty, there is something peculiarly perfect about the MCU's Lady Liberty wielding Cap's shield. It adds a flavor of individualism to the universe, something distinctive to the MCU. Unfortunately, the renovations to the statue were destroyed in the final battle of the film, with no indication as to whether or not they will be replaced.
World Forge
Marvel's Eternals explored the origin of several mythological entities, including the surprising revelation that the main cast of the film were actually synthetic beings forged by the Celestial known as Arishem the Judge, who built his own Eternals in something he called the World Forge.
Audiences only get to see a glimpse of this location in Eternals but the visuals make up for the lack in screentime. The aesthetic makeup of the breathtaking birthplace of both the Eternals and the Deviants is truly astounding and remains one of the most visually pleasing sets in the entire film.
Madripoor
At long last, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier introduced the fictional location of Madripoor to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The city is unique to Marvel Comics, has been a major location in several storylines involving the X-Men, and is expected to play a large role in the future of the MCU.
Madripoor is depicted as a seedy location filled with all sorts of undesirable folk, including some of the worst criminals in the world. Though it isn't exactly the perfect vacation spot, fans can only theorize as to what nefarious schemes might hatch as a result of clandestine meetings in this lawless city.
Kang's Fortress
The season finale of Loki saw the titular god of mischief and his female variant Sylvie enter the fortress at the end of time, which was later revealed to be the palace of He Who Remains, a (mostly) benevolent variant to the villainous Kang the Conqueror. It is in this fortress that He Who Remains reveals the truth behind the multiverse and the TVA.
Merely the location of Kang's fortress adds to its atmosphere, existing at the very end of time, deep in the void that is guarded by the mysterious Alioth. The inner chambers of the building are quite eerie as well, with several key details hidden within that may hint at the future of Kang's character in the MCU.
Tiamut's Emergence
The final act of Eternals saw the titular team of all-powerful beings attempt to halt the Emergence, the birth of the celestial Tiamut, which would simultaneously destroy Earth. As the celestial protrudes from the ground, the Eternal Sersi turns the colossal being to stone, but not before its head, upper torso, and left arm peak out from the ground, reaching up into the stratosphere.
Though the Eternals managed to save the Earth, the fact remains that there is now a giant stone celestial protruding from the planet's surface, a fun visual representation of just how insane the MCU's Earth has become since the emergence of super-powered beings. Fans will have to wait to see if this spectacular location is ever revisited in future movies.
The Multiverse
The multiverse has played a large part in Phase 4 of the MCU, especially in titles such as What If...?, Spider-Man: No Way Home, and Loki. The concept is sure to be explored more in Multiverse of Madness, especially with the introduction of a multiversal Illuminati.
The visual representation of the multiverse is best shown in What If...?, with the Watcher's domain depicted as infinite shards of glass that may come together into a beautiful pane... or shatter into a million pieces. While we still have much of the multiverse to explore, what Marvel has shown us so far has truly been breathtaking.
Ta Lo
Ta Lo is the pocket dimension that was home to Xu Shang-Chi's mother before she left her community in order to marry Xu Wenwu, the Mandarin. The dimension guards the Dark Gate, which keeps the Dweller-in-Darkness and his demons from escaping into the free universe.
Ta Lo is a mythic location, filled with fantastical beasts from ancient Chinese lore, and populated by a community of people who have learned to harness their inner abilities in order to become brilliant peacekeepers. When Shang-Chi 2 inevitably comes out, fans can only hope for more of Ta Lo to be explored.
