What Will Marvel do After Avengers 4?
After Avengers: Infinity War, Ant-Man and the Wasp, and the upcoming Captain Marvel comes what everyone has been waiting for - Avengers 4. Like Avengers: Infinity War, there's a lot of secrecy around it, due to Marvel wanting to avoid spoilers as much as possible. There hasn't even been an official title revealed to the public yet. But, despite all of this, the public (specifically Marvel fans) are expecting an amazing movie that would live up to its anticipation.
Thanos surprised everyone when he actually won and killed (or "enlightened") half of the universe which cost the lives of some of our favorite heroes. Despite his (presumably) temporary success, the Avengers and the Guardians are expected to make a comeback in Avengers 4 being released in the UK on April 26, 2019, and in the US on May 3, 2019. a year after Infinity War where Avengers 4 will pick up where it left off. A few updates before we answer the article's question: Russo brothers say that the movie will have a different tone compared to that of Infinity War. A time travel plot is rumored. So is the first Avenger's last appearance.
Whats going to happen after Avengers 4?
After Avengers 4, where the Josh Brolin's Thanos is expected to be defeated, the big baddie of the MCU and the man (or alien?) behind many MCU threats like Loki's borrowed Chitauri army and Ronin the Accuser. With Marvel stacking up Phase 1, Phase 2, and ending Phase 3 with said movie, this is a great buildup. All the heroes that Marvel has earned and told the story of through the years will make their all-out and, to some, final stand here, thus marking the end of a Marvel era. Movies following Avengers 4 have already been announced. But, the problem is, if the final villain is finally defeated in a final battle ending the final phase of an era, then what is the point of other Marvel movies set in the MCU? I asked this question to some of my friends (and fellow Marvel fanatics). Here are some of their suggestions and my explanation.
1. A new era with new heroes will come facing off a new ultimate villain
Now, this is an interesting insight. A new set of beings following the footsteps of fallen or retired heroes. Possible but, most probably, ineffective in terms of writing.
This strategy has been used by many franchises. Most notably, Star Wars. The franchise, one that is equal in quality of script and quantity of fans to that of the MCU, disappointed quite a lot of loyal fans when it released Star Wars: The Force Awakens. It was just basically the previous episodes with younger versions of the original characters. This strategy may be fun to watch for first-time viewers, but that's it.
2. Thanos doesn't get defeated and is still evil
This, intrigued me a bit. What if the Mad Titan lives on and continues his pursuit against the Avengers? Maybe the Infinity Stones get scattered again. Maybe Thanos wants revenge. The more important thing though: Will Thanos keep his status as the ultimate villain. If so, then Marvel will take a turn similar to that of the first possibility above except with the same villain. If not, then Marvel could tell an interesting story. I'm having a scene in my mind where Thanos, instead of being a universal threat, would become a husk of what he used to be. Just a minor annoyance occasionally causing mischief serving merely as a warmup for the Avengers before another threat arrives. A new perspective. A new angle. But to make a whole new phase of equally entertaining movies out of it, well, not so sure.
3. Dormammu, I've come to bargain.
In the Doctor Strange movie directed by Scott Derrickson, Baron Mordo talks to Doctor Strange about Dormammu's mission with the dark arts, taking over planets and everything. But, what attracted me the most is the line "He hungers for Earth most of all". That line to most wasn't much of an important and was probably easily forgotten at the end after all the action. The villains were defeated and all that, but the reason why Dormammu wants earth the most was never even brought up. Perhaps in the following phase of movies, Dormammu has some involvement. An interesting possibility that may hold up and maintain Marvel's success streak.
It has to end somewhere
I love Marvel and everything, but it has to end somewhere. There's a lot that Marvel has done. Its created so many heroes and stories that have moved us. But, I'd want the MCU to end when people still love it and not when no one watches anymore. So, how do you think Marvel's going to manage Phase 4 of the MCU?
