10 Big Changes The MCU Could Introduce In Phase 4
What could lie beyond Infinity?
A veil of secrecy surrounds Marvel Studios' Phase 4 plans and fans are feverishly speculating about what the post-Infinity War MCU might look like.
The cosmic showdown between Earth's superhero alliance and Thanos's invading forces will span the next two Avengers movies and bring a decade's worth of successful comic book adaptations to a head. The end of an era is fast approaching, but the cinematic universe will endure in one form or another.
Next year's mysteriously untitled Avengers 4 will usher in a new dawn for the franchise, though nobody outside of the Marvel circle knows exactly what it will entail. Two Phase 4 films have been set in stone: Spider-Man: Homecoming's 2019 sequel and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, with more said to be at the planning stage.
Homecoming 2 - or whatever Marvel ends up calling it - will pick up immediately after Avengers 4, but further details about Spidey's next solo outing are thin on the ground, and it's a similar story where Guardians 3 is concerned.
Marvel Studios chief Kevin Feige has claimed these movies and the rest of Phase 4 will be radically different to their predecessors, and that could mean many things...
10. The Old Guard Is Ushered Out
Iconic superheroes Iron Man, Captain America, Thor and the Hulk are the pillars of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but their time within it might be coming to an end. Who survives the events of Infinity War and its untitled sequel remains to be seen, though that will be irrelevant if the actors behind these characters decline contract renewals.
Robert Downey Jr, Chris Evans and Chris Hemsworth's deals expire after Avengers 4, and whether they will be entering new ones is up in the air right now.
There's every chance these stars will take this opportunity to bid their characters farewell and pursue other projects, while Marvel may also wish to usher them out so it can bring a new generation of heroes to the spotlight in Phase 4 and beyond.
From a storytelling standpoint, some could be killed off while others disappear into the sunset. Another possibility is phasing them into the background. Tony Stark, for instance, could become a Nick Fury-type figure who makes cameos going forward.
With Infinity War casualties a certainty and contract situations uncertain, there's a real possibility the Avengers founders will retire after Phase 3 has wrapped up.