10 Things To Expect From Marvel Cinematic Universe Phase 4

10. Recasting/Replacements

By the time Phase 4 kicks off (again, presumably in 2020), some of the longer-tenured MCU actors are going to crave an exit from the franchise. For one, Robert Downey Jr. will be in his mid-fifties by then, and may be considered too old to play Tony Stark, and Chris Evans has expressed a desire to hang up the Captain America uniform down the line to pursue a directing career.

Whether it's these two specifically or other actors, there are inevitably going to be re-casts down the line, and while the principal players are all locked in until the end of Phase 3, beyond that is anyone's guess.

It'll be an incredible trick for Marvel Studios to pull off, but in Phase 4 we will almost certainly end up with a few core heroes being played by new actors. Could this end up bursting the bubble as audiences reject a replacement for Downey, for instance? At least Captain America can easily be replaced with either Bucky or Falcon, and fan reception should be just fine.

It's going to be fascinating to see how it's all handled either way.