MCU: 10 Reasons Why Phase 4 Has Failed
4. No Central Protagonist
Tony Stark's noble sacrifice in Avengers: Endgame left the MCU with no clear protagonist to tie its numerous films together. When WandaVision premiered, it seemed like Wanda might take up the mantle of Marvel's new central figure, with the series giving Maximoff an arc that took her from a grief-stricken villain to a hero.
Unfortunately, Multiverse of Madness wound back Wanda's arc, turning her into a one-dimensional villain who perished in the film's finale. Many fans felt Maximoff's villainous turn disrespected the character and only added to the general frustration fans had with Marvel's most recent slate of pictures.
Early in Phase 4, Benedict Cumberbatch's Doctor Strange also appeared to be a character who would lend cohesion to Marvel's new films. Strange popped up in Spider-Man: No Way Home to explain the concept of the multiverse, and a trailer for Multiverse of Madness aired at the end of No Way Home's credits, suggesting that the two films would be connected from a narrative standpoint. Instead, the events of No Way Home had little impact on Multiverse, and Strange became a co-lead with Wanda, suggesting his role in the MCU's larger story will be a secondary one.