10 Rumors We Hope Are True About MCU Phase 5 (And 10 We Hope Aren't)

[Nergal]

 

We have an idea of what's coming in Phase 4 of the MCU, but Phase 5 is a blank slate. Curious about what's in store for the MCU? Read these rumors.

 

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It’s now been more than a month since Avengers: Infinity War was released in theaters. Now that the shock has worn off and the initial heated debates about its implications have died down, we can start looking ahead to what might come next for the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

However, we don’t want to look ahead at Phase 4, we want to really look ahead to Phase 5.

We already know some of what Marvel has greenlit for Phase 4: we’ve got sequels for Spider-Man: Homecoming, Black Panther, and Doctor Strange in the pipeline, as well as a last Guardians of the Galaxy movie to finish out the trilogy.

Phase 5, on the other hand, is more of a question mark. How is Marvel going to move forward, keep things fresh, and draw audiences to theaters after what by then will be nearly fifteen years of superhero films?

They’re definitely going to have their work cut out for them, and since nothing has been announced yet, rumors are flying about what Phase 5 of the Marvel empire will look like.

Fans have been sharing what they want to see in this phase for months, but it’s going to be a long time before we get any major hints from Marvel.

Until then, we’ll just discuss all the best rumors and educated guesses. Spoilers ahead for...everything.

Here are the 10 Rumors We Hope Are True About MCU Phase 5 (And 10 We Hope Aren’t).
 

20 HOPE IS TRUE: DEBUT OF THE X-MEN

 

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This is probably the biggest rumor that’s come up about Phase 5 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Although before the characters were owned by different studios -- with the Avengers at Disney and the X-Men at Fox -- that barrier was knocked down by Disney’s $66 billion deal to buy Fox.

Once that deal is complete, one studio will have the rights to all of the characters. Could we see the X-Men join the brightly colored MCU?

As soon as the Disney deal was announced, fans started clamoring for the characters to be added to the MCU somehow.

As long as the character introductions are handled with the same type of care that has been shown so far over the course of the MCU, this could actually work.

Phase 5 is currently far enough in the future that Marvel and Disney have plenty of time to strategize and figure out how to best incorporate these characters. Maybe a Secret Wars movie to close out Phase 5, in a film that might even rival Infinity War?

Seeing characters like Deadpool and the X-Men in the MCU could be a breath of fresh air and a great way to reboot Phase 5 without some of the iconic characters we’ve come to know and love over the last decade of movies.
 

19 HOPE ISN’T: REMOVING SPIDER-MAN

 

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By the time that Phase 5 rolls around, we will have seen Spider-Man in two of his own stand-alone movies as well as Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War, and (we’re assuming) the still untitled Infinity War sequel.

At that point in the MCU, it wouldn’t be surprising if Marvel execs decided to go in a different direction and leave the founding members of the cinematic superhero team behind.

We’ll talk about that more below, but if Marvel is removing characters, we hope that Spider-Man isn’t one of them.

His character hasn’t been around since the MCU’s inception in 2008, so he wouldn’t feel overused by Phase 5 if his storylines are managed well.

Plus, with Tom Holland, we finally have a portrayal of Spidey that feels accurate to the comics. Holland is young enough, has fantastic energy, and really seems to understand the character. It would be a shame to have to let that go when we’re still enjoying the character and his story.

Sony gave Tobey Maguire three movies and Andrew Garfield two, so let’s hope that Tom Holland’s Spider-Man is given a trilogy like some of the other MCU heroes. Fingers crossed there’s at least one Spidey movie in Phase 5.
 

18 HOPE IS TRUE: INTRODUCING DOCTOR DOOM

 

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Another possibility from the Disney/Fox merger is bringing the characters from Fantastic Four into the MCU. They’re nicknamed “Marvel’s First Family” for a reason -- they were the most recognizable characters before Marvel Studios started pumping out movies in 2008.

Not only would this be a great opportunity to finally see those characters represented well on screen, it would also represent a chance to introduce a great villain -- Doctor Doom.

If there’s one major flaw with the MCU as a whole, it’s that it tends to have an issue with its villains. They’re either forgettable and one-dimensional (Ronan) or rehabilitated to the point where we forgot they were a villain in the first place (ahem, Loki).

Killmonger and Thanos are notable exceptions, but they’re recent additions to the MCU canon. One easy way to fix this would be to add one of the greatest comic book villains of all time.

Doctor Doom is best known for being the archenemy of the Fantastic Four, but there’s already a comic book precedent set for him coming into contact with characters like Spider-Man and Black Panther.

Introducing this character would be exciting and could even give us an overarching antagonist for Phase 5.
 

17 HOPE ISN’T: KEEPING THE SAME CHARACTERS

 

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While there are lots of calls for new characters to be introduced, there are also rumors swirling around that Marvel might end up keeping the same core cast of heroes -- just not in the way we might expect.

Instead of keeping around actors like Robert Downey, Jr. and Chris Evans, who are clearly hoping to be able to move on from the MCU and expand their bodies of work, new people would step in to play the roles.

Rather than re-casting the roles, which would not go well, other characters could step up -- like Bucky taking on the role of Captain America in the event of Steve Rogers’ passing.

This wouldn’t be completely unheard of since there’s a precedent set for situations like this in the comics. It’s part of how storylines can stay relevant and fresh while still (kind of) keeping the characters that audiences love.

For the MCU, though, it would be an incredible waste of an opportunity. The current cast of heroes is great, but there are endless opportunities for new characters and storylines that are already within the Marvel canon.

Just sticking to the heroes we already know and love would be limiting.

With how much power Marvel has, they have the power to introduce new characters without worrying too much about their bottom line.

16 HOPE IS TRUE: A FULL REBOOT OF CHARACTERS AND STORYLINES

 

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With that in mind, one rumor we really hope is true is that we’ll get a complete reboot of characters and storylines.

Phase 4 will still be dealing with the fallout of the two Infinity War movies, so we’ll see most of the same characters from Phases 1-3 return to the big screen.

Depending on how Phase 4 is resolved, though, there might be a good narrative opportunity to start the MCU over again from scratch.

The Infinity War sequel will probably be the vehicle for some of the “founding members” of Marvel to make their clean exits from the franchise.

The surviving members of the Avengers (aka the characters introduced in later movies) will still have some stories left to tell, as we can see from the scheduled movies for Phase 4. However, after that... there’s a real opportunity for Marvel to do something completely new.

Starting over would give the writers more creative freedom to introduce new characters and stories into the universe.

If they tried to do that now, it would be far too bloated -- it’s a miracle Infinity War worked with how many characters that needed screen time.

Keeping a few characters from early phases, like Spider-Man and Black Panther, could provide continuity and give audiences some familiar faces to look forward to.
 

15 HOPE ISN’T: SOLO BLACK WIDOW MOVIE

 

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In the past, fans were clamoring for a solo Black Widow movie. She’s got a backstory that would make an incredibly exciting movie, and she’s so well-established in the Marvel universe that even casual viewers at least recognize her character.

She’s played by Scarlett Johansson, who’s an established star in her own right and would finally be able to show her full acting range in a Marvel movie for once. There are a lot of positives.

However, a Black Widow origin movie would have fit well in the earlier phases of Marvel, back when executives kept teasing her story but were clearly waiting to see if a female-led superhero film could bring in the cold cash.

By the time we get to Phase 5, though, we will have moved onto a new stage of the story and hopefully a new cast of characters.

Since she was introduced at the very beginning of the MCU, it might be time to let her go and focus on bringing other female characters to the screen -- starting with Captain Marvel next year. Besides, the film seems to be stuck in development hell.

Let Scarlett Johansson and her wigs take a break. It’s better to have no Black Widow movie than a movie that turns out like the SNL parody.
 

14 HOPE IS TRUE: INCLUDING MORE SUPERNATURAL HEROES AND FANTASY ELEMENTS

 

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For the most part, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has tried to stay more in the realm of science fiction. Iron Man, the character who they chose to kick off the entire universe, doesn’t have any powers at all -- just a brilliant mind and fantastic technology.

Many of the other characters are similar: Black Widow, Hawkeye, Falcon, and War Machine, for example.

Even some of the characters with powers have scientific explanations. Captain America and the Hulk were both injected with serums (with mixed results), Spider-Man was bitten by a radioactive spider, the list goes on.

Characters like Thor, Doctor Strange, and Scarlet Witch, whose powers are more fantastical, are in the minority.

That’s not for lack of options in the comics. Incorporating more supernatural heroes and fantasy elements into the universe could open up a lot of options for stories, new characters, and new directions that the overarching story can take.

Now that we’ve established that magic is part of the MCU, the movies could make space for characters like Blade and Ghost Rider. Ghost Rider has made an appearance on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D, and Marvel owns the cinematic rights to Blade, so this actually could be a possibility.
 

13 HOPE ISN’T: INTRODUCING THE SILVER SURFER AS A VILLAIN

 

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Audience members who don’t read the comics are likely only familiar with the Silver Surfer from the 2007 movie, Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer.

It was the second movie in the Fantastic Four franchise, and the Surfer was introduced as the villain attempting to destroy Earth.

Eventually, the characters find out that he doesn’t actually want to be evil, he’s forced to destroy planets by Galactus because otherwise, Galactus will destroy his home planet. By the end of the movie, he has joined the Fantastic Four against Galactus.

Given that younger Marvel audiences will likely have no memory of the Fantastic Four movies by the time the MCU version of the Silver Surfer would hit theaters, they could technically tell this story over again. However, this wasn’t the Surfer’s last appearance in the comics.

After being trapped on Earth by Galactus, he joins the Fantastic Four to fight against evil. He even joins up with the Hulk and Namor to form their own group, the “Titans Three.”

We’ve already seen the Silver Surfer as a villain, and there are so many great opportunities to include him in the MCU as a hero. Let’s not stay in the past.
 

12 HOPE IS TRUE: INCLUDING THE ETERNALS

 

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The Eternals were first introduced back in the seventies as an evolutionary offshoot of human beings. Their “classification” should give you a hint about one of their powers -- rather than being homo sapiens, they are ‘homo immortalis.’

They existed before humans and can live for millennia since they were originally intended to be the guardians of the Earth. (Not the galaxy.)

They were created by the Celestials, who also created the Deviants. The Eternals spent most of their time defending humans from the Deviants. Their history pulls from Greek mythology, but within Marvel comics, they also intersect with the Kree, the Titans, and the Inhumans.

Although you might not realize it, we’ve actually seen one Eternal already. Some Eternals are affected by the Deviant Syndrome, a genetic mutation. Most notably, one of those individuals is Thanos.

There are lots of ways that The Eternals could be introduced into the MCU, especially since so many connections could be quickly established within MCU canon.

Kevin Feige has said that they’re actively trying to figure out a way to bring them into the universe, but nothing is set in stone as of yet. We’ll just have to wait and see when that actually happens.