MCU Phase 4: 10 Comic Book Panels That Must Be Recreated

Bucky in the Cap suit? You know you want it.

by Ewan Paterson
Guardians of the Galaxy Adam Warlock Nova Annihilation
Marvel Comics

The fourth phase of Marvel's soon-to-be decade-long cinematic universe is almost upon us, and compared to phases one-through-three, it looks as though it's going to have a lot to deal with.

We already know that Avengers: Infinity War is going to boast a hefty bodycount, and that - for better or for worse - the next phase of the MCU is going to represent something of a departure compared to its predecessors. James Gunn has spoken of the universe following a whole new story, and - apart from Guardians 3 and a sequel to Spider-Man: Homecoming - we know not yet what the future holds for Marvel's flagship franchise.

That doesn't mean we can't speculate though, and with sequels to Doctor Strange and Ant-Man on the horizon, there are certain moments from the comics that Marvel simply have to be looking to replicate on the big screen, irrespective of their own individual scale. We saw as much in Captain America: Civil War (when Tony blasts Cap’s shield), and it looked spectacular, and even Doctor Strange got in on the action with a homage to Brian K. Vaughn's 'The Oath'.

With it looking increasingly likely that Infinity War will herald a brand new start for the MCU, it's clear that the universe is going where no other superhero franchise has gone before. Here's hoping it'll pick up some tips from the comics along the way.

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Content Producer/Presenter

WhatCulture's very own resident movie guy, Ewan has been working in the content creation biz for over 10 years now, having started as a freelance contributor to WhatCulture Gaming all the way back in 2015. After graduating with a First-Class Honours in History from Northumbria University in 2017 (where he won a prize for a totally killer dissertation on the Watergate years), Ewan took on the role of Comics Editor at WhatCulture and quickly developed WhatCulture Comics into one of the biggest superhero-focused channels on YouTube. He followed this with a brief hiatus at Screen Rant in 2021, where he worked across the Gaming and Film sections as a writer and editor, before returning to WhatCulture as a Senior Content Producer / Presenter in 2023. He started his own podcast, We Love Dad Movies, in 2022, and has contributed several written pieces to the Eisner-nominated comics website Shelfdust as well. In his current role, Ewan incorporates his love of cinema, comic books, and history into written pieces and video essays for WhatCulture's Film & TV channel, as well as WhatCulture Gaming and WhatCulture Horror, with a particular focus on nineties-era Dad Movies, old school Westerns, and Golden Age Hollywood Noir. John Carpenter is his fave, and he thinks Batman Beyond should never have been cancelled. If that's your vibe, you'll probably like his stuff.