Summary
- Phase 5 introduces a new generation of heroes, reminiscent of Phase 1, setting up the excitement of learning about these new characters.
- A new hero team, the Thunderbolts, will be formed with a twist, drawing inspiration from the formation of the Avengers in Phase 1.
- Phase 5 takes note from Phase 1's release schedule, slowing down its release schedule and focusing on grounded and human stories, bringing the franchise back to its roots.
Though every phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe is unique in its own way, there are several ways that Phase 5 repeats elements of Phase 1. Starting in 2008 with the release of Iron Man, Phase 1 of the MCU was key in setting up the now iconic franchise. With a total of six films, the plots in Phase 1 have set up storytelling beats that are still relevant now in Phase 5.
From the introduction of a new generation of heroes to a bigger threat looming in the universe, Phase 5 has many similarities to Phase 1. After a bit of a lull in Phase 4, the MCU has the chance to return to its former glory with this next era, and the beginnings of the Multiverse Saga. Though Marvel’s budget has grown exponentially since 2008, Phase 1 remains iconic for a reason, and Phase 5 is taking notes on many of its integral aspects.
1 Introducing Brand New Heroes
The beginning of the MCU meant introducing beloved comic book characters to the big screen. Phase 1 included the origin stories of Iron Man, Hulk, Thor, and Captain America, leading up to their first official team-up in The Avengers. Though the MCU is constantly introducing brand-new heroes, Phase 1 was definitely key in solidifying the original Avengers core.
After Endgame, the Avengers team entered a new era. Many of the original Avengers have moved on, meaning that Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars will showcase a team of new heroes. Some heroes making their MCU film debut in Phase 5 include Ms. Marvel and Photon in The Marvels, and Blade in the Blade reboot. Ironheart and Echo will also get their origin stories fleshed out in their Disney+ shows. Reminiscent of Phase 1, the true excitement of Phase 5 will be learning about all of these new heroes.
2 A New "Hero" Team Will Be Formed In The Thunderbolts
Phase 1 culminated in the MCU’s first crossover movie, taking the characters from the five previous films and putting them into one film. The beauty of The Avengers was that every one of the heroes had an integral role, and the film was truly focused on team synergy. Phase 5 will also see a new team coming together with a twist.
Each member of the confirmed MCU Thunderbolts team has already been introduced in some capacity in the MCU. Thunderbolts will see them come together for the first time under the guidance of Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, just like the Avengers did under Fury. The dynamic of the Thunderbolts will be much different than the Avengers - as the team of anti-heroes could be seen as the good or bad guys - but the formation of the team takes inspiration from Phase 1.
3 Phase 5 Takes Note From Phase 1's Release Schedule
The MCU started at a slower pace with only a maximum of two films released per year. There were even full year-long breaks in between some projects. When the MCU started to pick up steam in the mainstream, film releases started coming more frequently. The saturation of MCU content has only increased since the implementation of Disney+ shows, and Phase 4 was a prime example of how the releases can be too much.
Phase 5 is taking note from Phase 1 by slowing down its release schedule. Though there is still quite a bit of content slated to release in 2024 and 2025, this feels more well-spread out than Phase 4 was, potentially in part as corse correction after criticisms regarding just how much released closely together for the MCU in recent history. However, this is mostly thanks to the WGA and SAG strikes, which delayed production on projects all across Hollywood, and has moved several release dates as a result. Even if the studio didn’t plan for a slowed-down release schedule, the delays are making for a much better Phase 5 timeline.
4 Stories Are Grounded And Human Again
Phases 3 and 4 explored the endless possibilities that the MCU holds. Thanks to the Marvel Comics source material, there is a whole world in the galaxy that the MCU has been able to adapt. While it’s always exciting to meet new species and discover new planets, what originally made the MCU so successful was its human stories. Phase 1’s films were all grounded stories that took place on Earth, and Phase 5 will return to those roots.
Secret Invasion was Phase 5’s first Disney+ series, and it took the MCU back to some of its strengths. Though Skrulls were the main focal point of the espionage thriller, the series remained on Earth and explored a lot about human behavior. Captain America: Brave New World and Thunderbolts are just two more of the Phase 5 stories that are guaranteed to follow in its footsteps, even with some of the more unusual figures within their respective casts. After an era of extraterrestrial threats and big space battles, it will be refreshing to have more grounded stories again.
5 Individual Heroes Will Establish Themselves As Leaders Of The Avengers
Phase 1 introduced the key MCU players, but it also set up specific heroes to become leaders of the franchise. Both Tony Stark and Steve Rogers’ solo stories built up their characters to take charge in the first Avengers film, giving some much-needed guidance and cohesion to the team of heroes. With Phase 5 being crucial to establishing the new generation of Avengers, the MCU will once again have to see certain characters step up into the leadership role.
Phase 5 will be huge in setting up the culminating Avengers team-ups in Phase 6, Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars. To ensure a strong team dynamic, the MCU will surely identify clear leaders of the group. Characters like Sam Wilson and Carol Danvers are already established in the MCU yet haven’t had their true chance to shine as leaders, and Phase 5 would be the perfect time to establish them as such with their dedicated films.
6 Nick Fury Is A Key Player
Nick Fury is an iconic MCU character. Originally introduced in Phase 1, he is still a major player in the franchise to this day. Though he has no powers of his own, he is incredibly logical and strategic, shown outsmarting more powerful figures through intellect and sheer determination. This resulted in him bringing the original Avengers together in Phase 1, though he’s since played a more ing role in later phases. Phase 5 will be a resurgence for Fury and the start of a new character arc for him.
Secret Invasion was specifically marketed as a long-awaited Fury solo series, and it did not fail in developing the character much more than the earlier phases did. After the events of Secret Invasion, Fury will have no choice but to stay a huge part of the MCU going into Phase 5. Though Fury is not confirmed to be appearing in any of the slated Phase 5 projects outside of The Marvels, the fallout regarding Nick Fury’s Harvest will surely be addressed at some point when Earth's heroes discover the betrayal. As such, just like Phase 1, Fury will be hugely relevant once again.
7 Loki Is The Reason Behind The Avengers Team-Ups
Loki has become somewhat of an MCU fan favorite ever since his introduction in Phase 1. The God of Mischief may be considered more of an anti-hero now, but he started as the MCU’s first villain. The whole premise of The Avengers was the group banding together to stop Loki from terrorizing Earth, and heroes will team up once again in Phases 5 and 6 to stop a problem Loki directly had a hand in causing.
Though Loki had good intentions when getting involved with the TVA, he inadvertently caused the biggest threat to the MCU to date, by bringing Sylvie to meet He Who Remains, who she would then kill, removing his influence and allowing the multiverse to take shape once more. As a result, reminiscent of Phase 1, Loki has a direct hand in the main conflict of Phases 5 and 6. Phase 5 will set up the new generation of Avengers as they find a way to clean up Loki’s mess once again - though this time, he may end up being their ally in this venture, instead of their enemy.
8 Phase 1 Characters Are Returning
In one of the most obvious ways that Phase 5 takes from Phase 1, several characters from Phase 1 are returning after a long period of absence. The MCU has shown recently that there’s always the possibility for any character to come back, like the Red Skull appearing in Avengers: Infinity War and Darren Cross playing MODOK in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. That trend looks set to continue into Phase 5.
The second official entry in the MCU, The Incredible Hulk is a film that’s often forgotten due to the eventual recasting of Bruce Banner. However, loyal MCU fans who have been around since Phase 1 will be rewarded in Phase 5 with the return of two Incredible Hulk characters. Liv Tyler and Tim Blake Nelson were confirmed to reprise their roles as Betty Ross and Samuel Sterns respectively in Captain America: Brave New World, which is both of their first MCU appearances since 2008.
9 Thaddeus Ross Can Be A Villain Once Again
Thaddeus Ross is a complex character, as he’s not an outright evil figure, but is definitely a figure who opposes MCU protagonists in the franchise. For the most part, he was one of the main villains in The Incredible Hulk. It was because of him that Bruce Banner turned into the Hulk, and he spent most of the film trying to fight Bruce rather than help him.
He has since shifted into a more neutral role to reflect the responsibility of his government position, but Phase 5 could see him become a villain once again. With Harrison Ford coming in to play Thunderbolt Ross in Captain America: Brave New World, there are several theories that the character will get a new arc. If the theories that Ross will become the Red Hulk are true, Ross can go back to the villain role that he had in Phase 1.
10 There’s A Looming Problem To Consider
With the plethora of projects slated to come out in Phase 5, there are going to be numerous ongoing storylines. From the forming of the Thunderbolts to catching up with Agatha in Westview, the Phase 5 films and shows will all have their own problems to deal with. However, just like Phase 1, there will be a big looming threat that will eventually intertwine all of their stories.
Though he only made a brief cameo in Phase 1, Thanos was the unspoken villain that the heroes were unknowingly working to defeat. Most of the events that happened in Phase 1 were set up for Phases 2 and 3, when the Avengers took on Thanos head-on. Though not every Marvel Cinematic Universe Phase 5 story will be explicitly about the multiverse, Kang and his variants are undoubtedly the unspoken threat that the heroes will work towards defeating. Each character’s story should eventually intertwine with Kang’s, which would then culminate in Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Secret Wars.
