Smoky Cinema- A Look at Marvel Phase 5

I did an article in 2023 about Marvel Phase 4, and I’ve gone back to watch several of the series from that phase. I still have my criticisms of the final episode of Falcon and the Winter Soldier, but overall, my re-viewing has led to me have even more positive outlooks on the Disney+ shows, especially Loki Season 1, Moon Knight, and Hawkeye. With that in mind, Phase 4 comes off as a pretty good showing for the MCU, with films like Black Widow holding up surprisingly well thanks to the solid performances of Scarlett Johansson and Florence Pugh. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings might be the better film, but it feels forgotten about at this point thanks to the lack of follow-up.

In general, this is the biggest downside of Phase 4 outside of the obvious oversaturation of content. Some fascinating things are set up in Eternals, Shang-Chi, Spider-Man: No Way Home, and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, but very little of those post-credit sequences or plot threads have had any meaningful follow-up in subsequent films. And so it has fallen to the TV shows to either build into or build from the larger Marvel Universe. So many of these shows deal directly with the fallout of Infinity War/Endgame, and thanks to the pandemic, it felt like the MCU couldn’t move on from that giant event for about 4 years, when Phase 5 came out and really closed up those hanging threads for characters like Ant-Man and Gamora from Guardians of the Galaxy.

While I genuinely like the films and most of the shows from both Phases 4 and 5, it is undeniable that the box office magic isn’t nearly as consistent as it once was, which I think might have always been inevitable. That’s not to say that audiences have abandoned the franchise completely, with Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 and Deadpool & Wolverine making tons of money. Time will tell if a new Avengers films can win back some fans, but for now, let’s go through Marvel Phase 5. SPOILERS AHEAD!!

The Films

I won’t dwell too much on these first two films since I talked about them both at length last time I wrote an MCU article. Last time around, I was much more positive on Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, and I still don’t think it’s bad. I do think that it can be difficult to invest in the film because of cartoonish the landscape is, even when it does look aesthetically pleasing. There’s just something artificial about it, and the main positive- the introduction of Kang the Conqueror- is, in hindsight, a bit of a dropped ball, given the fact that the powers that be have moved on from the character after the actor Jonathan Majors has gotten into legal and public relations hot water.

With the abandonment of the Multiverse Saga’s Big Bad, the entirety of Phase 5 felt a bit adrift. Of course, Phase 2 didn’t really have a singular unifying villain, but it did give us more information about Thanos who would go on to be a fan-beloved villain. And so, each film had to stand on their own. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is the best example of this, leaving the rest of the MCU behind to give our favorite Mavel found family the send-off they deserve. The film has quite possibly still my favorite ending and, as I discussed in a previous article, even contained something of a meta message that it was okay for fans of the MCU to move on. Seriously, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is up there with the very best of the MCU, and the main reason why is that the franchise has allowed these characters to grow and thus the team a chance to evolve. It’s an emotional dissection of Rocket Raccoon, a tale of family growing apart, and the ability of our past to transform our present in positive and poignant ways.

After that heaviness, we got The Marvels, the biggest financial loser of the mega franchise. Given that Captain Marvel grossed over a billion dollars, this was a bit surprising to me, but it really reflects the lack of interest fans have in some of the characters of the MCU without hooking them into a larger story that connects them to more beloved or established heroes. Indeed, if you hadn’t watched Ms. Marvel, there’s an entirely new character complete with her own supporting cast who all are featured prominently.

Luckily, I’m a huge fan of the show and character, so for me, The Marvels was just a complete joy from start to finish. The much-anticipated meeting between Carol, Monica Rambeau, and Kamala Khan didn’t disappoint, and their training montage to figure out how work with their entangled powers is definitely a highlight. The action is also fun, with each character having a unique powerset, and the inclusion of Nick Fury- and his babysitting of Khan’s family- is a comedic treat. Monica getting her big damn hero moment was great, and a bit shocking as she is cast out from this universe and into one populated by the X-Men, including Kesley Grammar’s Beast making a return. The post-credits sequence of Kamala going to recruit Kate Bishop from the Hawkeye show is a blast as well, just giving us a slight tease at a Young Avengers team that we have only so far seen in material on a Disney Cruise. I can see why not everyone would vibe with it- especially the sequence on the musical planet. But for me, The Marvels was an absolute win.

In 2024, a big change was made to the MCU. Namely- only one film was released. This appeared to be a recognition of the oversaturation. The film in question is also the only (so far) MCU release to be rated R, and Deadpool & Wolverine certainly earn that rating. It’s a fascinating piece of blockbuster entertainment, since its inclusion would be the first time that characters from another piece of well-established canon- The Fox X-Men Universe- would lead a film as an official MCU release. This Deadpool is the same one we’ve followed for two previous non-MCU movies (and was a reboot of sorts of the character featured in another non-MCU film) and the inclusion of Wolverine is necessitated in-story because of the events of Logan. It’s thankfully not too much homework for the audience, and the fourth-wall breaking allows to simply enjoy the ride without thinking too much about “oh wait are all the X-Men films now part of the MCU?”

And so Deadpool finally gets to team with Wolverine to save his universe from destruction, thanks to the multiversal triage being performed by the TVA (the time/multiverse authority established in the Loki show) because Logan- established as an anchor being- has died. It’s extremely funny, with a few good emotional beats, and some great action. It’s also a love letter and meta-goodbye to the Fox Marvel films, with plenty of cameos to give that corner of Marvel history a proper send-off. The mid-credits montage of the behind the scenes footage of these films brought a legitimate tear to my eye and undoubtedly sent the message that this great big MCU we love as fans simply would not be here without these films from Fox laying the groundwork.

It also stands as the only film in the phase to try and deliver on the Multiverse promise, outside of the post credits scene for Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania and the mid-credits sequence of The Marvels. But again, Phase 5 seemed more or less directionless on the big screen. But the one-two punch of Captain Amera: Brave New World and Thunderbolts* would change this. The fourth Captain America film was certainly nowhere near as good as its predecessors, but it nevertheless had its own merits. Sam Wilson has fully embraced his role as Captain America, and now he has to contend with being at odds with the OTHER symbol of America- the newly elected President of the United States, Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross.

Through the film, we get to peel back the layers of a conspiracy in which Ross is the center. Of course, the marketing would spoil the finale- as Ross turns into the Red Hulk to engage in a physical fight with Cap. As a fan of The Incredible Hulk, the elements in the Brave New World that tie into that film work for me, but it makes the film more of a sequel to The Incredible Hulk than the fourth installment of the Captain America franchise. The movie does serve the core purpose of furthering Sam’s arc as the new Cap by leading him to the conclusion that he needs to assemble his own Avengers to lead. And so, for the first time since 2019, it finally felt like Earth’s Mightiest Heroes were going to factor into the MCU.

The biggest problem with Brave New World is that it cost so much due to multiple reshoots and rewrites, a problem that plagued several MCU films including The Marvels. These ballooning budgets not only make it difficult for the movies to turn a profit, but the messy production doesn’t produce the most cohesive blockbusters. It really feels that Marvel felt burned after The Eternals took creative chances, and thus the studio began to become more controlling of their products to the detriment of the quality of their flicks.

These problems do not plague Phase 5’s final film- Thunderbolts*. The phase closed with a true highlight, as a team of Marvel’s side characters from several projects united to save the day. A consistent theme of the movie is that there are no Avengers (so I guess Sam hasn’t quite gotten his band together) and in that absence- or void- the world has become a more cynical place where would-be heroes are either hired or created by the head of the CIA. There is definitely a meta-narrative here about the lack of Avengers films in the last five years, and it feels like the first MCU flick made for those who were really young when the first Avengers movie hit the big screen or at the very least hold that experience in very high personal regard.

But the real reason why Thunderbolts* works is because of Florence Pugh’s Yelena, who gives the film its emotional core. Her struggle with depression and loneliness resonated with me on a personal level, and her performance truly carries the film through its thematic journey. Perhaps her best dance partner on the screen, outside of David Harbour’s Red Guardian, is Bob AKA The Sentry played by Lewis Pullman. The character always feels like he’s one bad conversation or doubt away from spiraling, and his belief that the world would be better without him is certainly one that those who with suicidal ideation have struggled with. Overall, this might be the best acted film in the entire franchise.

The movie also caused some buzz at the reveal that the asterisk in the film’s title is because this team is actually the New Avengers. I might not be the biggest fan of spoiling that fact in the marketing, even if the above poster is pretty cool, but I cannot deny that this is a brilliant play by the real villain of the piece- Valentina Allegra De Fontaine, who has been seeded as a villain since the post-credits scene of Black Widow. Granted it’s kind of weird that the team seems to be okay working with her because it puts them in a position of being able to keep her in check given her crimes. But the team, and film, are all about second chances and the ability of those who have failed in the past to rise to the highest levels of herodom in the Marvel Universe. It’s inspirational stuff, the very thing that the MCU has been missing, at least in-universe.

And so the films of Phase 5 come to a close. The post-credits scene teases the giant event of Phase Six and gives us a proper look at our New Avengers. We get a glimpse of a potential conflict between these guys and Sam Wilson’s team of Avengers and most importantly a ship coming from space bearing the Fantastic Four’s logo. For the first time since Phase 3, it feels like the MCU has direction. Now, Thunderbolts* didn’t light the box office on fire, which is frustrating given its high quality. But both the advent of streaming and the relative obscurity of these characters simply cannot rely on the MCU branding anymore. It seems sequels to well-established franchises and event films like Deadpool & Wolverine are destined to obtain the mega-success the MCU used to experience regularly. Nevertheless, Phase 5 was a huge success in my book, steering the universe in clear direction while continuing to involve the Multiverse prominently, especially in its streaming offerings.

The Disney+ Shows

The first series on Disney+ is probably one of the weakest products in the MCU and one of the most disappointing shows. Secret Invasion is a fun, pulpy comic miniseries in which the Skrulls reveal they have infiltrated all levels of government and superhero organizations, striking with a real invasion while the heroes are busy trying to figure out who to trust. The comic story ends with all of the heroes and villains teaming together to defeat the Skrulls. Suffice to say, the series was never going to go that big, but the promise of a follow-up to Captain Marvel’s Skrull story led by Samuel L Jackson’s Nic Fury was super exciting. Unfortunately, the show disperses with its tension quickly, revealing some of its Skrull infiltrators- like James Rhodes- early on. Some other baffling decisions, like killing off Mariah Hill, make for a frustrating experience, and the entire series feels like an overwrought origin story for a Super-Skrull instead of the paranoid spy thriller the first episode indicated.

There’s still some interesting moments and themes in Secret Invasion. The idea that Fury used the Skrulls to rise to the top levels of SHIELD is one that complicates the character, especially when it is revealed some of the Skrulls were children at the time of their secretive work. It’s also a very fun idea to show that Fury is married to a Skrull, and Ben Mendelsohn’s Talos returns to provide the series some of its better moments. But the climax is a tonal mess and just abandons any notion of a spy thriller in favor of a straight up superhero fight. The ending indicates a new status quo in which the world is thrust into paranoia, killing anyone they think might be a Skrull and catching innocent Skrulls and humans in their crossfire. That is an interesting story, but one that the universe has seemed to abandon. Indeed, Fury’s next appearance in The Marvels feels like the deeply personal story in Secret Invasion never happened, making the whole show feel like a waste of time.

Next up is the only second season (so far) of any live-action Disney+ show- Loki Season 2. This season follows up the excellent first with a more concentrated story focused on the origins of the Time Variance Authority and He Who Remains/Kang. The only real downside to the story is in the meta-sense because of the scandal regarding Jonathan Majors leading him to be dropped from the MCU and his Avengers showdown being replaced with a Doctor Doom focused flick. It makes the Kang story a little hollow knowing that it was meant to build to a blockbuster climax that will never be.

However, the show does the character justice as we get to see the innocent version of Kang- Victor Timely (paying off the post-credit scene from the third Ant-Man film). Most importantly, we wrap up Loki’s arcs with his new best friend Mobius and the love of his life Silvie. The time slipping is a fun visual device too, as it allows for the story to be told out of order like a time travel puzzle box. By the end of the series the multiverse is clearly defined and Loki takes his place as the being tasked with holding it all together while finally sitting on his throne. It is a poignant end for the character, at least for the time being. The series may drag a bit a times, but the finale makes the season a must-watch.

The next live-action series Disney+ launched was Echo, and it seemed with the release schedule that the studio had sort of forgotten about the spin-off of Hawkeye. Rather than releasing the series weekly, Echo was released all at once as the first- and to date, only- show under the Marvel Spotlight banner. The episode count was a paltry 5 installments, with the first episode spending a significant portion of its time recapping and reusing scenes from Hawkeye. Structurally, Echo, well, echoes the flaws of several Disney+ shows- mainly that it would work better as a film.

However, the series has several positive attributes including incredibly creative scenes depicting the creation of the Choctaw people and the traditional game of stickball that work to tie the character Maya Lopez to the history of her people. It also takes place believably in Oklahoma and features several cast members from one of my favorite shows of all time- Reservation Dogs. There’s a fun Daredevil fight and the plot furthers Kingpin’s MCU journey while tying the universe more explicitly to the Netflix series Daredevil and that entire section of Marvel streaming. By the end of the season Maya’s new powerset isn’t quite well defined and the series has its fair amount of filler. But the authenticity thanks to the collaboration from the Choctaw nation and the much-welcome inclusion of diverse stories makes Echo good enough to check out at least once, even if it doesn’t leave a lasting impact.

Disney+  would continue to release pseudo-sequels, this time in the form of Agatha All Along, a direct follow-up to WandaVision. Right of the bat, Agatha All Along feels more like a TV show than perhaps any other property except for WandaVision. The stellar first episode plays out like a detective show until Agatha breaks the spell The Scarlet Witch placed on her. From then on, Agatha and a mysterious teen gather individuals to form a coven of witches in order to summon the Witch’s Road and face the subsequent challenges. This gives the series a solid format where each episode can focus on a character and aesthetic specific challenge.

Almost everyone in the coven gets a small chance to shine, but Lilia Calderu is probably the best new witch played with gravitas and subtle emotion by Patti LuPone. Her episode in particular is a highlight, as is the installment which shockingly reveals the origin of the Witch’s Road, tracking the tragic story of Agatha Harkness as she tries to protect her son from her own lover- the personified version of Death. This is the episode that likely garnered Kathryn Hahn’s performance as Agatha Harkness a well-earned Golden Globe nomination. The series adds to the lore of magic in the MCU by revealing how witches fit into a world filled with sorcerers like Doctor Strange. Oh and it also reveals that Wanda’s child Billy had his soul find its way into the body of a dead teen! Big implications for a potential Young Avengers project, Joe Locke’s Billy makes an instant impact and the finale of the season gives us a tantalizing status quo of Billy searching for his brother with the help of the spirit of Agatha. Maybe it’s the Halloween lover in me, maybe it’s the use of music, or perhaps it’s just because I loved WandaVision so much, but whatever the reason, Agatha All Along remains a favorite of mine.

While Agatha All Along had a few years of hype, Daredevil: Born Again arguably had a decade of it. For ten years, since the premiere of the Netflix series, fans have been excited to see what it would look like for the character to be fully integrated into the MCU. With Born Again, we got our best look, and overall it was fairly promising. I just reviewed the series so I will refer back to what I thought-

“There are a few standout action sequences, some absolutely shocking violence, and the final two episodes really hit their stride, delivering a clear vision of how Born Again should work. But this show belongs to Fisk and Matt, and both Vincent D’onofrio and Charlie Cox carry the series on their backs, something that they have proven more than capable of doing. Overall, it is a bit disconnected, with an uneven supporting cast. But Daredevil: Born Again is nevertheless a successful effort in stitching two very different takes on the character. Whenever Matt or Kingpin are on screen, and especially when they share it, the series truly shines. The action scenes don’t quite match up to the Netflix seasons, but they do get better, and the new status quo promises a more exciting second season.”

While The Thunderbolts* will likely bee seen by most as the end of Phase 5, it must be noted that the final project is indeed Ironheart, giving us a direct follow-up to the character Riri Williams from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Much like Echo, it seemed the studio wanted to sweep the show under the rug, this time opting to release the first three episodes one week and the last three installments the following week. Like so many Disney+ series, this may have worked better as a film. But the performance from lead Dominique Thorne as well as supporting actors like  Alden Ehrenreich help elevate  Ironheart a bit. The action sequences are quite fun too, with the armor effects holding up quite well, never taking the audience out of the scene.

It was super fun to see magic and technology clash, but I would have liked to see more of the connection explored. The magic-infused armor at the end is still rad, and new witch Zelma helps bridge the gap between the magic side of Marvel and the science aspect of the universe. But while these themes- along with a strong critique of capitalism the somewhat insidious way AI can parrot the living and even the dead- give the show a bit of meat, the heart is exploring Riri’s grief at losing her stepfather and best friend. Her isolation and tendency to spiral emotionally give the character some much needed nuance so when she makes a big mistake- like making a deal with (!!!!) Mephisto- it’s actually consistent with her characterization. The end of the season promises steep consequences for our lead and while it may be a bit late, Riri’s story is one of the most intriguing and one worth following up.

The Real Multiverse of Madness- The Animated Shows

Last time around, I reviewed What If…? along with the other shows. But this time around I decided to carve out another section since we didn’t have any special presentations in Phase 5. We got not one but two seasons of What If…? and much like the first, both seasons have their ups and downs. The opening of the second season- a Blade Runner inspired story about Nebula and the Nova Corps- and the installment introducing a brand new hero Kahhori are among the highlights. Kahhori in particular is interesting given Echo’s exploration of Indigenous cultures. Hela finding the Ten Rings is an unexpectedly emotional story, and the final two episodes tie the season to the climax of the first.

In season 3, the highlights are fewer and farther between, although it was nice to see the Eternals, Mysterio, and Riri get a spotlight. The best episode is probably the one where Darcy marries Howard the Duck since it introduces their kid Byrdie voiced by Natasha Lyonne. The ending of the season reincorporates this character and even adds X-Men member Storm, and by the climax, Uatu the Watcher’s philosophy is tested and validated. I am not sure if the series taken as a whole is consistent, but it is the project within Multiverse Saga that most thoroughly explores the multiverse, so I give it full credit for that.

If anything, Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man shows us the value in exploring these alternate realities with greater detail rather than just spending a single episode in the strange status quos. This timeline makes a key change in making Norman Osborn the mentor and benefactor of Peter Parker, a change seemingly caused by a time loop created accidentally by Oscorp. The attention the series pays to lesser-known villains like the Unicorn and Big Donovan is a breath of fresh air, and the cameo from Daredevil voiced by Charlie Cox is a great action highlight.

But perhaps the most surprising element is Peter’s new best friend Nico Minoru from the Runaways comics. It is this relationship along with Peter’s growing friendship with Harry Osborn, his crush on Pearl Panagan, and the tragedy of Lonnie Lincoln that form the emotional backbone of the series. The show has great action, ties in well with known elements of the MCU like the Sokovia Accords, and it just GETS Spider-Man. Normally, I wouldn’t consider it part of the MCU but the studio does, so I can certainly chalk it up to another Multiverse story. But If Disney were to force to me include a list of great projects in the MCU, it’s one of those highlights that I cannot recommend enough.

I am Groot also continued into this phase, but those episodes are only a couple of minutes long, so I don’t want to put too much effort discussing them. While this brings us to the end of the official content in the phase, the streaming service Disney+ has decided to include X-Men ’97 in the MCU section despite not being announced as such. This makes me feel inclined to include it, plus the show is phenomenal. And, like Deadpool & Wolverine, the series is a continuation of stories told in a completely different universe so there is precedent.

As fan of the 90s show, I was still a bit hesitant at what I felt like was going to be nostalgia bait. I was happy to be wrong, as the show contained its own slightly more matured identity, picking up where the original left off but content in telling its own story influenced by decades of comics. The action is crisp, with Cyclops in particular getting  a chance to shine, and the first few episodes explore some familiar territory with a fun twist- Magento is given the school and the X-Men thanks to Charles Xavier’s will. We get a quick version of the birth of Nathan Summers/reveal of the cloned Jean Grey before the show moves onto its highlight- and honestly one of the best things Disney+ has on the whole service. Remember It is a celebration of the mutant nation of Genosha before it abruptly becomes one of the most harrowing episodes of television. The genocide is unflinching and terrifying, but most importantly heartbreaking. Gambit- never one of my favorite characters- gets a fantastic hero moment, and the final line just packs an emotional wallop. The rest of the show exists to bring a sense of justice to this moment, and while off-screen scandals may rob fans of a worthy conclusion to the series, I can safely say that X-Men ’97 is worth every minute you will spend, and the show is smart enough not to make the audience feel like they have to do a bunch of homework by watching five seasons of a decades old series in order to enjoy the continuation.

Phase 5 Assembled

And so Phase 5 comes to a close. It has been debated whether or not Phase Four needed some kind of Avengers film to feel like it mattered. I’ve certainly gone back and forth, but I cannot deny that the emergence of the Thunderbolts* as the New Avengers hits so well thanks to this delayed gratification. It makes the formation feel all the more important to the universe overall. It helps end the phase on an exceptionally high note, but the entirety of Phase 5 is still very good. Between the closure of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3, the surprisingly touching meta-celebration of the Fox Marvel era that is Deadpool & Wolverine, the pure joy of The Marvels, and the inspirational Thunderbolts*, the films run the gamut of emotions. If Guardians Vol 3 told fans that it was okay to leave the MCU, Thunderbolts* told them that the universe can produce greatness even in its darkest moments. It may sound cheesy or even like I’m describing an unhealthy relationship with media, but the Thunderbolts* especially at times seemed to speak to an audience who felt abandoned by the MCU, telling them that the point of the Avengers is to inspire them to be the heroes.

I think it’s worth taking stock a bit of the material that has had meaningful follow-up. Loki Seasons 1 and 2 along with Quantumania give us a pretty good understanding of Kang, but again it seems like that will not get the closure we were promised. As is, Loki Season 2 is not an awful place to leave that part of the story. Another fun story that has emerged is the journey of Wanda and Vision from their post-Endgame positions, taking us through WandaVision, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, and Agatha All Along, with the upcoming Vision Quest looking to add more to the saga. In addition to giving us some fun lore about magic and Agatha Harkness, Agatha All Along gave us a new Billy/Wiccan to add to the plethora of younger heroes.

The tease at the end of The Marvels sets up a young Avengers/Champions team with Kamala meeting Kate Bishop from Hawkeye and mentioning Cassie Lang/Stature from Quantumania. Add to this the fact that a Disney Cruise video teases America Chavez from Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and Riri Williams forming a team with Stature and even off-handed dialogue from an episode of Daredevil: Born Again, and you have the threads needed to pull the trigger on the official crowning of the team. In short, these young heroes, along with Yelena’s New Avengers and Sam Wilson’s Avengers, have been seeded over several shows, films, and phases.

Yes, there are things that have not had any follow-up. We have dropped exploration of multiversal incursions, although Loki S2 could have a few clues. Likewise, we’ve seen no more She-Hulk or Moon Knight or teased characters like Hercules and Eros in the sacred timeline, although we finally got an exploration of that Celestial in the sea. It is shame that so many of these dropped teases happened in the films with the highest profiles. But by and large, we have seen the universal connections with progressing stories, just not in the films. The Disney+ series have become almost too integral to the storytelling of the phase.

If anything, sometimes the connections made expand the MCU a bit TOO much, including every Fox Marvel project and the Sony Spider-Man films into at least the multiverse of the MCU. But the core of these phases, in hindsight, are exploring a world without Avengers. And now that time seems to be over. I think both Phase 4 and Phase 5 have felt a bit aimless, but they have taken commendable swings creatively. The stage is now set for the introduction of the Fantastic Four and their inevitable team-up with two different Avengers rosters. Then, perhaps, we could be marching towards the ultimate reunion flick and maybe a satisfying conclusion to the universe that has brought so much joy over the past two decades. While the box office magic has left the franchise, I sincerely believe that output is far better than the financial success indicates. The MCU still shines brightly at times, and even some of the more middling bits of content cannot completely dull it.