Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige seems to have things all figured out when it comes to the future of these massively popular comic book movies. Well, at the very least, he's extremely adept at making it look like he has it all figured out. As a result, the Marvel Cinematic Universe (which now includes their new Disney Plus shows like The Falcon and the Winter Soldier and now the rather "out with a whimper" series Loki), has a pretty clearly defined future as it powers through its 4th phase of projects, and it turns out they'll be sharing a bit of a theme.
While the Marvel Cinematic Universe hasn't always been under the same leadership, it's always been divided into phases right from the start. From the first Iron Man in 2008 all the way to Avengers: Endgame and beyond, every phase begins with some standalone films and ends with a big ensemble blowout with quips and banter aplenty. Phase 4's main difference so far is that it launched via several TV shows before premiering its first movie (the prequel film Black Widow), but now that it's in full swing, things are ready to really begin.
RELATED: Kevin Feige Reveals How Shang-Chi Will Do The Mandarin Justice
In a recent interview with Rotten Tomatoes, Feige clarified what he believes is the overarching theme of the MCU's current phase. "Truthfully, Phase Four was always about continuing in new ways and new beginnings," he explained. "Even with films that seemingly are concluding storylines, there are new beginnings within them." After 3 phases largely revolving around the same core cast of characters with the occasional newbie joining the fray, focusing entirely on the new kids might be exactly what the MCU needs to keep things fresh going forward.
The thing is, Feige normally doesn't subscribe to the idea of phases among the Marvel movies. Sure, they're rather clearly defined and tend to be unavoidable when there are so many stories being told. After all, when these many characters come together, there has to be some kind of order to the chaos in order for any of it to make sense. But his focus seems to be more on the stories themselves rather than the bigger picture. Even so, he acknowledges the undeniable fact that these new upcoming films will share a common theme.
While there have been plenty of longer-running franchises out there, Marvel as a whole has all the others beat when it comes to the sheer volume of projects under its banner. To put it in perspective, imagine if every single James Bond movie ever made had come out in the span of just over a decade rather than the 60-year history it currently boasts. Even then, Marvel would quickly have it beat, with highly anticipated movies like Shang-Chi and similarly awaited shows like She-Hulk looming on the horizon.
Even though Marvel is pretty much as mainstream as it gets nowadays, it's still accomplished one heck of a feat (or several, if each phase is its own feat, because getting annoyingly technical is fun). Some might be experiencing some burnout on the series, but the idea of focusing almost entirely on new beginnings, as Feige said, might be exactly what the franchise needs to keep people interested. If not, then there's always Star Wars for those who'd rather complain about other things.
MORE: Kevin Feige Can Apply These Lessons From The MCU To Star Wars
Source: Rotten Tomatoes/YouTube