Is Phase 2 On Track And Where Is It Going Next?
I think by now general audiences are familiar with the direction Marvel is going in. In a way, phase 2 has been an easy win. Three of the four pre-Avengers films are sequels. Regardless of the content,
Iron Man 3,
Thor: The Dark World and next year's
Captain America: The Winter Soldier were/are going to get big audiences. It's easy money. Fortunately, two great films have ensured that Marvel hasn't lost its touch yet. If anything, they've both delivered on raising the stakes for our heroes and giving audiences more than they got in phase 1. The new trailer for
Captain America: The Winter Soldier shows a new direction again, with a political action thriller that is vastly different from dark elves or super soldiers. It's actually the one that has me most excited. Can phase 2 fail? Well, it's unlikely. We'll need a few bad films for the franchise to fall apart. That being said, like Thor in phase 1,
Guardians Of The Galaxy seems to be the most 'out there' film on the horizon. Positive reviews and big box office numbers have shown that Thor can still prove accessible even when so much of the story was set away from Earth. Let's see how that holds up next year with Guardians. And with Joss back for
The Avengers: Age Of Ultron... frankly, I can't wait to see what he does next (and who he'll kill off because Joss... well, he's evil isn't he?). And as far that little TV show? I think the most it can be is disappointing. It's certainly the one element of phase 2 could fail to light up audiences. But as I said... we need to give it time and hope that it finds an identity of its own than outside of being just a TV spin off. In the meantime, let's keep watching. I like not knowing everything that is to come, though I can appreciate the buzz that comic book fans must feel when long-enjoyed characters finally make it to the big screen. I think phase 2 is definitely delivering, certainly on the film front and
hopefully on the small screen.
I'm certainly enjoying the ride. Are you? Feel free to comment below and let us know what you think.