What Is Marvel Planning for MCU Phase 5?

Where is the Marvel Cinematic Universe heading? That’s a question on the minds of many fans, and the answer may be unveiled sooner than you think. It was recently announced that Kevin Feige would finally reveal more about Phase 5 of the MCU in the near future; in the upcoming months in fact!

But according to the Marvel Studios boss, it shouldn’t be much of a surprise for those who have been paying attention. He told Total Film in an exclusive interview, “I think there have been many clues already, that are at least apparent to me, of where this whole saga is going.” So, what’s already been hinted at in previous projects, and where do we think Phase 5 might be going based on that info?

From new teams to major comic book arcs, and threats beyond the scale of Thanos, the next era of Marvle might be the wildest yet!

Thunderbolts

Whether it’s the Thunderbolts or the Dark Avengers, it’s obvious that a slightly more sinister unit is being built throughout Phase 4. Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) has made her presence felt in both Black Widow and The Falcon and the Winter Soldieradding to her potential team in the process.

John Walker is basically a signed-up member at this stage, taking on the new mantle of US Agent. Yelena Belova seems to have been manipulated into working with the Contessa, and it seems likely that she’ll suit up as White Widow as part of the group. The groundwork has also been laid for the Abomination (Tim Roth) to join the team, with clues ranging from his surprising return in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, to his unexpected role in She-Hulk.

Who else might join the team remains a mystery, but former antagonists like Zemo, Ghost, and Taskmaster are all prime candidates. Valentina obviously has a much larger plan, and she might not be working by herself. Phase 5 will surely unveil what her strategy is, and see the debut of this unpredictable team together. They may even be disguised as heroes, just like the original comic book run, playing off of the pre-established themes of Walker’s turn as Captain America.

Young Avengers

Even if an ensemble of Avengers enemies is being brought together, that doesn’t mean that an additional team uniting the Earth’s Mightiest Heroes isn’t also in the works. One of the most obvious directions that the MCU appears to be going in is the creation of the Young Avengers, a hugely popular group in the comics.

There has been a wave of younger heroes joining big and small screen MCU projects, often learning from their older mentors. Kate Bishop as Hawkeye, Kamala Khan as Ms. Marvel, and America Chavez as Ms. America have already suited up for the superhero cause. The future Speed and Wiccan, Tommy and Billy Maximoff respectively, have entered the MCU, alongside Eli Bradley the future Patriot, and Cassie Lang, aka Stature.

While there are a few missing components, including Theodore Altman as Hulking and Iron Lad (who will be mentioned further later), it’s fairly clear that the Young Avengers are going to have to assemble. The question is, how will the grown-ups deal with this unexpected and potentially reckless emergence, and will they be dubbed with their usual moniker or classed as Champions instead? The passing of the torches has already begun and will continue to play out.

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