10 Most Shocking MCU Phase 5 Reveals So Far

Following the release of The Marvels, MCU Phase 5 is officially past the halfway mark and has already played host to some pretty shocking reveals. While MCU Phases 4 and 5 have bucked the trend of the franchise punctuating each phase with an Avengers movie, they have instead been slowly setting up some pretty big stakes for the eventual release of Avengers: The Kang Dynasty with various consequential surrounding circumstances being revealed in MCU movies and Disney+ series alike. All the while, Phase 5 has helped to answer some of the biggest questions of previous MCU phases.

With two more cinematic releases on the horizon and a slew of Disney+ series, it is worth revisiting exactly what has happened in MCU Phase 5 so far. The shocking reveals have either wrapped up the stories of some of the MCU’s biggest stars or opened up a can of worms that future MCU installments will now have to deal with. With that in mind, here are the 10 most shocking reveals of MCU Phase 5 (so far).

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10 The Million Skrull Reveal Totally Changes The MCU

Secret Invasion (June 21, 2023)

While Secret Invasion drew criticism for not going very far with its premise, the unresolved plot thread – namely, that a million Skrulls inhabit Earth – has some monumental implications. This was frustratingly left hanging as Nick Fury wiped his hands of the situation before heading back up into space alongside his wife, Varra. It did, however, set up a state of affairs that surrounding MCU installments will now have to wrestle with, since the Skrull presence on earth may affect the events of Armor Wars and even Thor 5, as Valkyrie has since taken in a host of Skrull refugees.

9 The Council Of Kangs Is Introduced

Ant-Man And The Wasp: Quantummania (February 17, 2023)

It took a while for the Multiverse Saga’s big bad to rear his head only to be bested by one of the weakest Avengers, but his disappointing defeat at the hands of Scott Lang and Hope Van Dyne was tempered by the post-credits reveal that Kang the Conqueror (aka “The Exiled One“) was just one head of a seemingly insurmountable hydra. In a terrifying demonstration of the implications of the newly formed multiverse, the Council of Kangs comprising countless Kang variants was revealed as the true threat facing the Avengers – not just the one exiled to the Quantum Realm. The Council has yet to reappear, but they are certainly looming.

8 The Harvest Serum Sets Up MCU’s Strongest Hero

Secret Invasion (June 21, 2023)

Should the Avengers find that they’re struggling to stand up to the might of countless Kang variants, then they could do worse than enlist the help of G’iah, who seemingly possesses all of their combined powers. Watching G’iah and Gravik duke it out in New Skrullos with the full arsenal of superpowers previously confined to individual Avengers was mind-boggling to say the least. The effects of having one individual that can switch between the almighty powers of Captain Marvel and the insurmountable strength of Hulk on a whim remain to be seen, but the presence of a Super Skrull isn’t something that can be easily ignored.

7 Nick Fury Collected Avengers DNA After Endgame

Secret Invasion (June 21, 2023)

Nick Fury is the king of all things clandestine, but one of his most morally questionable acts in the name of furthering Earth’s interests was to direct the Skrulls to collect the DNA of several super-powered individuals in the wake of the Battle of Earth in Avengers: Endgame. While Fury has always ostensibly been one of the Avengers’ closest allies among Earth’s upper echelons, the idea that he secretly harvested the DNA they shed in their battle against Thanos likely wouldn’t sit well with any of them. Even more shocking was his misjudgment, which came too close to the effects of the Harvest benefiting Earth’s enemies.

6 Kelsey Grammer’s Beast Exists In The MCU Multiverse

The Marvels (November 10, 2023)

The moment everyone had been waiting for finally came in the post-credits scene of The Marvels, as the X-Men were revealed to be in the alternate universe in which Monica Rambeau found herself trapped. The fact that it was Kelsey Grammer’s Beast was a welcome surprise that carried some significant implications. Namely, that the X-Men of the multiverse – at least for now – look suspiciously similar to the ones portrayed in Fox’s X-Men franchise, and that the X-Men will, most likely, join the MCU through multiversal means rather than through events on Earth-616.

5 Rhodey Has Been A Skrull “For A Long Time”

Secret Invasion (June 21, 2023)

When Rhodey was rescued from New Skrullos in Secret Invasion, he was told he had been there for a “long time.” This vague statement has given rise to a plethora of theories surrounding just how long “long” was. One of the most convincing is that the Skrull named Raava assumed his identity after the events of Captain America: Civil War since the real James Rhodes is seen wearing the same hospital gown as when he was undergoing treatment following the clash between Avengers. This could mean that Rhodey is yet to learn of the death of his best friend, and that Stark’s heroic final moments occurred alongside a Skrull impostor.

4 The Lives Of Mobius, B-15, Casey, And Ouroboros On The Sacred Timeline

Loki Season 2 (October 5, 2023)

Among the many big reveals of Loki Season 2 came the details of the TVA’s finest employees’ lives on the Sacred timeline with each being more shocking and poignant than the last. Ouroboros was revealed to be science fiction writer A.D. Doug, whose eccentric ideas set him in good stead to write the mind-boggling TVA handbook. The once ruthless Hunter-B15, meanwhile, was revealed to be a compassionate pediatrician called Verity Willis, while the hapless yet good-natured Casey was revealed to be cunning Alcatraz escapee, Frank Lee Morris.

Mobius’ life on the sacred timeline was perhaps the most heartbreaking, however. As Mobius dodged the question of discovering what his “previous” life looked like before having his memory wiped, his love of jetskis was vindicated by the reveal that he was once a sales agent named Don at a watercraft store. Later on, however, it was revealed that he was a struggling yet loving single father of two young sons. The scene in which Loki re-recruits Don to save the TVA was an especially poignant revelation of what exactly Mobius had left behind on the Sacred Timeline, explaining his subconscious reluctance to revisit what he had lost.

3 Darren Cross Becomes MODOK

Ant-Man And The Wasp: Quantummania (February 17, 2023)

MODOK’s involvement in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantummania was already apparent after the trailers for the movie dropped, showing the distinctive villain hovering around with his face concealed behind a metal mask. The reveal that it was Darren Cross – aka Yellowjacket from Ant-Man – was incredibly unexpected and baffling in equal measure. In the end, the MCU leaned into the ridiculousness of MODOK as a villain, with Cross embodying one of the biggest doses of comic relief in the movie. The CGI rendering of Cross’ magnified face crammed inside his weapon-laden shell only helped to compound the shock value.

2 Rocket’s Tragic Origins Are Finally Unveiled

Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3 (May 5, 2023)

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 ended up veering away from the norm when it came to the levity of the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise. Instead, it finally detailed the origins of Rocket as one of many tortured test subjects victim to the megalomanic whims of the High Evolutionary. Part of this revealed that Rocket was, in fact, a raccoon before being given sentience by the evil mad scientist whose designs were to keep Rocket imprisoned and subjugated indefinitely. Rocket’s successful, yet harrowing escape attempt showed just how much of a prodigy he had always been, setting him up to become the leader of the new Guardians.

1 Loki Finally Understands His Glorious Purpose

Loki Season 2 (October 5, 2023)

While Loki’s incredible redemption arc saw him turn from a somewhat sympathetic villain to one of the MCU’s most beloved heroes, the idea that he would become the most powerful being in the multiverse was particularly unpredictable. The reveal in Loki that he was destined to become the dutiful God of Stories remains one of the most satisfying and consequential in MCU history and is a fitting testament to Loki’s character. The final shots of Loki season 2 were poetic, and among the most memorable scenes in the MCU as his new godlike attire manifested around him, cementing the notion that this was where he belonged all along.