Marvel’s Phase 4 Crossovers Show It Doesn’t Need Avengers 5

Phase 4 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe is set to see a lot of exciting crossovers between various MCU superheroes, showing there’s no reason for The Avengers 5 to happen in the next few years. 2019’s Avengers: Endgame brought the journey of the original Avengers to a close, with Iron Man sacrificing his life to save the universe, and Captain America choosing to stay in the past with Peggy Carter. Of course, many of those heroes will return in Phase 4, with further outings planned for Black Widow, Thor, and Hawkeye, but nonetheless there’s already a lot of talk about the lineup for the next Avengers team.

When Kevin Feige unveiled Marvel’s Phase 4 plans at San Diego Comic-Con 2019, then, there was some surprise that no announcement about Avengers 5 was made. After all, each Phase of the MCU so far has largely built up to – and been defined by – its own Avengers team-up movie. As it stands, Phase 4 is bucking the trend by not bringing together any version of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, but that’s actually a smart decision on behalf of Marvel Studios, and its plans for the next couple of years help show why.

Marvel movies have long seen superheroes crossing over from one project to another, be it Hulk in Thor: Ragnarok, Iron Man in Spider-Man: Homecoming, or almost everyone at the time converging in Captain America: Civil War. Phase 4 of the MCU is not only continuing that but taking it further, and making this interconnectivity an even bigger part of the MCU. With a roster of Marvel Disney+ shows now set to dovetail with MCU movies, there’s a much greater chance to see more heroes together more often, which in turn means there’s less of a need for fans to see a major superhero team-up like The Avengers 5.

So far, plans that are either confirmed or at least rumored include Scarlet Witch in Doctor Strange 2 (with Loki linked as well), the Guardians of the Galaxy in Thor 4, Bruce Banner turning up in She-Hulk, and even branching out beyond the MCU, with Morbius (and perhaps Venom) linking to Spider-Man, potentially for Spider-Man 3, all of which should be very enticing to fans. The possibilities run beyond that too: Ms. Marvel can setup an appearance in Captain Marvel 2, Black Widow could feature a number of cameos from past MCU characters (beyond those confirmed), likewise Falcon & The Winter Soldier, and so on. More than ever, almost every Marvel Phase 4 project – across movies and TV shows – has a real chance of featuring other MCU characters, whether in main or supporting roles, or simply cameos.

This throws up numerous opportunities for great MCU crossovers in Phase 4. As the universe has expanded, the Avengers movies have relied more on various sub-groups anyway, especially in Infinity War and Endgame, rather than just a smaller core being together. Phase 4 can continue that, with most movies and shows potentially featuring some kind of fun crossover that may otherwise be reserved for The Avengers 5. In turn, this gives the actual team a longer, much needed break. It’d be difficult after Avengers: Endgame, which carried with it the weight of the MCU thus far, to have another Avengers movie just 2-3 years later. By filling Phase 4 with an even greater range of crossovers, Marvel is able to really hit pause on its flagship franchise, and still deliver the team-ups fans want to see.