MCU Phase 4: 8 Reasons Why It Must Look To The Past

It's hard to believe that the Marvel Cinematic Universe is nearing its tenth anniversary, and yet that'll be the case come next May.

With Phase 3 gearing up for a spectacular finale in Avengers: Infinity War, and with big changes being promised, it's clear that Phase 4 will offer a 'distinctly different' kind of MCU than what fans have previously been used to. Big characters are due to depart, team reshuffles are inbound and, most exciting of all, new heroes are set to enter the fray. But what kind of approach will Marvel be taking?

We know for a fact that Captain Marvel will be set in the nineties and feature the Skrulls (a genius move on their behalf), and that Ant-Man and the Wasp will feature a bunch more Cold War flashback sequences, but it's equally true that Marvel are yet to really tap into the historical potential of their universe. Captain America was introduced to us all in a breakneck WWII thriller, but we've seen little of Marvel's past since.

We all want stories that carve out a new path in the MCU, but it's equally true that, whether implicitly or otherwise, Marvel have managed to build a really intriguing past, one filled with espionage, war, and plenty of Motown Classics. Now, more than ever, it's a theme they should exploit.