Marvel Cinematic Universe Phase 4 could be massive shake-up for the series

Kevin Feige hints at big changes to come

With the release of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 next week, the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) will comprise 15 films, six TV shows, five short films, two digital series, and multiple comic books.

That’s a lot of content, and with nine further films, multiple new TV shows — including The Inhumans, Cloak and Dagger, and New Warriors — fans can’t get enough of their beloved superheroes. No wonder, then, that CEO Kevin Feige can’t do an interview without being asked about future projects.

Intriguingly, he’s spoken somewhat puzzlingly about Phase 4, which will come after the as-yet-untitled Avengers: Infinity War sequel, hinting that the entire MCU could be about to change for good.

Speaking to Collider, Feige spoke about how actor’s contracts have had little impact on their future plans so far, saying: “We’ve had people under contract for certain films, then we’ve had new ideas and new directions like Civil War like we wanted to do, and we’ve been lucky enough to make new contracts.

“So it really does, right now, all start with where we want to take the stories. Certainly, as we get to Infinity War there is a sense of a climax if not a conclusion to, by the time we’re at untitled Avengers 4, the 22 movies that will have encompassed the first three phases of the MCU. And what happens after that will be very different. I don’t know if it’s Phase 4, it might be a new thing.”

Adding how Marvel generally is not talking about Phase 4 — which so far only includes Spider-Man: Homecoming 2 and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 — Feige hinted how the idea of Marvel’s ‘Phase’ system could go altogether.

“We have an idea [of what the MCU looks like post-Infinity War], and it’s going to be very, very different,” he told the publication.

What exactly that means, we likely won’t find out until Phase 3 concludes 3 May 2019. Meanwhile, Guardians 2 reaches UK cinemas 28 April 2017.