Black Panther
Marvel ’s Phase 3 has been a tremendous success - but in narrative footing , it could have been improved importantly . Phase 3 of the MCU was the ultimate in serialized storytelling , with each movie taking its heroes one whole tone closer to their final face-off with Thanos . It ’s about to make out to a head inAvengers : Endgame , and rooter have been conducting rewatches of the MCU to celebrate the journeying .
In hindsight , though , the truth is that Phase 3 was n’t completely uniform . The ongoing narrative hopped through the timeline with impunity ; 2017’sSpider - Man : Homecomingwas rig a couple of months afterCaptain America : Civil War , and 2018’sBlack Pantherjust a week later . Tonally , phase angle 3 range from the Oscar - succeed drama ofBlack Pantherto the slapstick superhero clowning ofThor : Ragnarok , and yet , oddly , that variation was n’t truly celebrated . The witticism was concentrated in 2017 , withGuardians of the Galaxy Vol . 2,Spider - Man : Homecoming , andThor : Ragnarokall coming out in quick succession .
concern : How & Why Marvel ’s Phase 3 Slate alter So Much
So , as a thought recitation , let ’s run through the MCU ’s Phase 3 and guess an substitute lodge of release ; one that works more effectively from a narrative gumption , and that really does permit the MCU to bosom its potential .
2016 - Captain America: Civil War & Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
form 3 plain off withCaptain America : Civil War , with the Avengers deplumate apart . This was a deliberate scheme , continuing the cognitive operation of deconstructionism that Marvel had begun when they had Steve Rogers tear down S.H.I.E.L.D. inCaptain America : The Winter Soldier . This could only perhaps come about at thebeginning of Phase 3- as it postulate both Captain America and Iron Man to function - and it set up the scene for everything that would follow . New heroes like Black Panther and Spider - Man were introduced ahead of their solo films , while Steve Rogers was sideline for the next few old age , forced to operate from the shadows . SoCaptain America : Civil Warhas to be a set up point in all this , staying in 2016 .
But from this item on , our aim edict begins to change , withGuardians of the Galaxy Vol . 2releasing in 2016 as well . This could easy film concurrently withCaptain America : Civil War , given there ’s no overlap between the cast of the two films . What ’s more , it would n’t really push writer - director James Gunn too hard - he start out writing the script within a month of the first one ’s release in 2014 . In strategical term , placingGuardians of the Galaxy Vol . 2at this point accent that Phase 3 shares the focus on the Earth - bound and the cosmic . It also spreads out the humor , preventing it all being concentrated in 2017 .
2017 - Doctor Strange, Black Panther, & Spider-Man: Homecoming
The good 2017 slating would plausibly seem very different to the one Marvel actually unfreeze . Doctor Strangewould come first , pushed back byGuardians of the Galaxy Vol . 2 . Again , this could easy be filming whileCaptain America : Civil WarandGuardians of the Galaxy Vol . 2were in production , give there ’s no overlap between the cast of characters .
In this ideal scenario , it would then be fall out byBlack Panther , which would have part output as soon as Chadwick Boseman had eat up up onCivil War . The two - twelvemonth break betweenCivil WarandBlack Pantherhad always seemed singular , generate that close releases would surely have maintained the hype more effectively . moreover , placingBlack Pantherhere means there ’s a straightforward business of persistence between 2016 and 2017 ’s films . One final advantage is that Marvel would be able to recite how wellBlack Pantherwas performing in the box seat office , potentially allow them to adjust the script forAvengers : Infinity Wara little to take reward of it .
come to : Black Panther ’s Oscars Show Superhero Movies Still Have A retentive Way To Go
Finally , there’sSpider - Man : Homecoming . It ’s reasonable to assume thatthe Marvel / Sony contractstipulated a 2017 waiver date , but Marvel would be smart to push it back towards the end of the class . Doing this would foreclose issues further down the line ; Marvel likes to retain the same kind of slot for all picture show within a enfranchisement , and in 2019 the summer release ofSpider - Man : Far From Homehas been rather problematic , given how penny-pinching it is toAvengers : Endgame .
pageboy 2 of 2 : MCU ’s Phase 3 In 2018 & 2019
2018 - Thor: Ragnarok, Avengers: Infinity War, & Captain Marvel
That brings us to 2018 , the 10 - class anniversary of the MCU . In this ideal button agenda , Thor : Ragnarokwould drop in February 2018 , with itspost - credits scene setting upAvengers : Infinity War . This would do to avoid the film ’s persistence issues ; althoughRagnarokis apparently set in 2017 ( the Hulk has been on Sakaar for two years ) , its post - credits scene is in 2018 , bare second before Thanos attacks the Asgardian refugees . In tonal terms , this meansRagnarokis move by from the other more comedic movies , ensuring there ’s more multifariousness to the slate .
Avengers : Infinity Waris one of the prepare points of this timeline . However , Marvel would have been wise to swapAnt - Man & the WaspforCaptain Marvel , in big part because the latter was congeal up by the post - credits scene ofAvengers : Infinity War . Marvel would then have been devoid to use Brie Larson ’s Captain Marvel in their merchandising forAvengers : Endgame .
2019 - Ant-Man & the Wasp, Avengers: Endgame, & Spider-Man: Far From Home
All this would mean thatAnt - Man & the Waspwould release in February 2019 . Structurally , this would stand for bothAvengers : Infinity WarandAvengers : Endgamewere preceded by more blithe films . It would also have a major vantage from a marketing position ; Marvel has attempted to keep the secret plan ofEndgamea closely - guard arcanum , to the extent that all thetrailers and TV spots only tie upon the first 20 minutes . There ’s abundant evidence that the plot of ground involves clock time travel of some kind , andAnt - Man & the Waspsets that up . In its post - credits scene , Scott Lang is stranded in the Quantum Realm , and his one way of life out may well be the mystic " fourth dimension vortex " that Janet Van Dyne mention . By holdingAnt - Man & the Waspback for immediately beforeAvengers : Endgame , Marvel would ensure fourth dimension traveling supposition built up at just the right time . They ’d be able to check the narrative just a little bit more .
relate : avenger : Endgame Recap : The Most Important thing To think From Each Movie
Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige has recently noted that he considersSpider - humankind : Far From Hometo be the end of Phase 3rather than the beginning ofMCU ’s Phase 4 , so it ’s worthy of mention here as well . Spider - Man : Far From Homeis essentially an prolonged epilog toAvengers : Endgame , set up mere moment afterwards . For all that ’s the face , though , pushing it back to a later handout appointment would be a chic move . The narrow gap betweenEndgameandFar From Homehas get out Marvel and Sony in something of an uneasy spot , wary of giving away too much in the trailers and TV smear simply because it would spoilEndgame . A ulterior discharge would think marketing forFar From Homewould be at a much former stage .
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All this is n’t to say Phase 3 was a failure , of course ; in truth , the MCU has been an unprecedented achiever , and Marvel deserve deferred payment for successfully reinvent long - form storytelling for the big screen . But Phase 3 was a hard challenge , in large part because it needed to wrap up everything that had go on in the MCU over the course of the last decennium . Moreover , no rather did Marvel firm up their plan than they reached an agreement that brought Spider - Man into the MCU , and had to alternate thing up . Given that ’s the case , it was always inevitable there ’d be some issues .
More : Every Phase 4 MCU Movie In Development
