MCU: 10 Reasons Why Phase 4 Has Failed

Casting troubled leading man Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man was Marvel's first step on the road to the MCU becoming the biggest franchise ever. Prior to his superhero debut, Downey had a well-publicized battle with addiction that almost tanked his career. In fact, his behind-the-scenes behavior was so notorious, Marvel found it difficult to insure him for the role. That gamble paid off, though, and Downey Jr.'s star wattage turned Iron Man into a hit.

Marvel doubled down on bringing in big name stars to fill out its roster. Chris Evans, Scarlet Johansson, and Chris Hemsworth upped the big name ante, with respected veteran actors like Mark Ruffalo, Gwyneth Paltrow, and William Hurt filling in supporting roles.

As the MCU progressed, casting rumors became a part of fan discourse, but after Endgame, the well of big Hollywood stars is running dry. Angela Jolie and Salma Hayek co-starred in Eternals, only to be consigned to bit-part players in support of a cast of relative unknowns. Simu Liu broke out in Shang-Chi, but Florence Pugh made less of an impression in Black Widow.

Phase 4's lack of star power failed to build buzz, and the box office and reviews suffered for it.