Phase five got off to a shaky start, but there’s more variety than ever

via Marvel Studios

The knives are already deployed and are being plunged directly into the mass’s center of gravity area Marvel Cinematic Universe‘s Phase Five after the grim reaction to Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumaniawhich has many questioning whether the franchise is finally running out of steam.

Obviously it’s far too early to tell given that Scott Lang’s latest theatrical release only hit theaters yesterday, but a last-minute delay The wonders and rumors of widespread Disney Plus delays have done nothing to quell the panic. On the plus side, we can at least guarantee that the Multiverse Saga will break new ground as the MCU’s most diverse expansion to date.

In fact, unless more projects are added to the list at the last minute – which seems unlikely when Disney top executives are urging Kevin Feige to slow down its production – the only property that has two installments from the start of phase four until to deliver is the end of the sixth phase avenger saga, with The Kang Dynasty And Secret Wars Release one year apart in 2025 and 2026.

Spider-Man, Doctor Strange, Black Panther, Ant-Man, Guardians of the Galaxy, Captain Marvel, and Deadpool are all getting sequels, with Blade and the Fantastic Four being rebooted, while Black Widow got a prequel and audiences (or will ) first introduced to Shang-Chi, the Eternals, and the Thunderbolts.

Variety may be the spice of life, but is it enough to halt the worryingly rapid demise of a comic book monolith that’s spent its first decade trying to be nearly bulletproof? Only time can tell.