The build up to Avengers 4 is proving to be an almost excruciating experience for Marvel fans, but not without good reason. Infinity War left everyone on a terrifying cliffhanger with half the universe in ashes, and with several Marvel mainstays set to depart the franchise for good, Phase 4 could be considered a make or break moment for the franchise.
Of course, that doesn't mean Marvel haven't been preparing for this moment. The day was always going to come where a changing of the guard would have to take place, and with the Marvel Studios method having proven to be extremely lucrative, we can expect the series to continue as usual by taking inspiration from a variety of different comics, each designed to serve the franchise's overarching narrative in some form or another.
But what storylines will be on Kevin Feige's reading list? With talk of certain characters making their debut, as well as prequels and sequels aplenty, finding the perfect balance between old and new will likely be what makes Phase 4 find its footing. Here are the comics most likely to make a splash in it, one way or another.
WhatCulture's very own resident movie guy, Ewan has been working in the content creation biz for over 10 years now, having started as a freelance contributor to WhatCulture Gaming all the way back in 2015. After graduating with a First-Class Honours in History from Northumbria University in 2017 (where he won a prize for a totally killer dissertation on the Watergate years), Ewan took on the role of Comics Editor at WhatCulture and quickly developed WhatCulture Comics into one of the biggest superhero-focused channels on YouTube. He followed this with a brief hiatus at Screen Rant in 2021, where he worked across the Gaming and Film sections as a writer and editor, before returning to WhatCulture as a Senior Content Producer / Presenter in 2023. He started his own podcast, We Love Dad Movies, in 2022, and has contributed several written pieces to the Eisner-nominated comics website Shelfdust as well.
In his current role, Ewan incorporates his love of cinema, comic books, and history into written pieces and video essays for WhatCulture's Film & TV channel, as well as WhatCulture Gaming and WhatCulture Horror, with a particular focus on nineties-era Dad Movies, old school Westerns, and Golden Age Hollywood Noir. John Carpenter is his fave, and he thinks Batman Beyond should never have been cancelled. If that's your vibe, you'll probably like his stuff.
