The first three phases of the Marvel Cinematic Universe were very well defined. Phase Four? Not so much. We have a feeling the same won’t be said about Phase Five, though, which kicks off next month with the release of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.
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Marvel Studios just released a new featurette on the film, which hits theaters on February 17. In it, stars Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Jonathan Majors as well as Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige talk about why Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is starting Phase Five, and begin to hint about what the events of this film set in motion. Check it out.
Everyone here talks a good game and we’re certain that whatever happens in this movie, especially with Kang the Conquerer, is going to have major ramifications moving ahead: The Kang Dynasty, Secret Wars, etc. But let’s rewind a bit. Feige here is semi-conveniently talking about Phase Five without really acknowledging Phase Four. Phase Four was very weird and, unlike everything before it, did more to complicate the legacy and saga of Marvel than anything else.
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Do you realize there were 17 new pieces of storytelling in Phase Four (including movies, shows, and specials), almost all of which added brand-new, seemingly crucial characters or concepts into the fabric of the MCU without linking back? That’s almost as much as the first three phases combined. Plus, it happened over the course of basically 18 months. The first three phases were 11 years. You don’t have to be great at math to realize a new hero or concept introduced about once a month nonstop for a year and a half doesn’t have the cohesion or impact of what basically amounts to two movies per year before that.
All of which is to say, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania could be a blast. But it’s carrying a lot of weight in terms of putting the Marvel Cinematic Universe back on the rails again.
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