Avengers: Endgame wrapped up what is known as “The Infinity Saga,” which apparently comprises every movie in the MCU thus far. Endgame marked a watershed moment for the story, since we will now think of these movies as pre-Endgame and post-Endgame, but the only character arcs it really wrapped up are Iron Man’s and Captain America’s. Everyone else is still out there, fighting the good fight across the cosmos (or just Earth). So, while the future of the MCU and the Phase 4 slate remain unclear, here are 10 Infinity Saga Movies That Should Still Get Sequels In Phase 4.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
The first Guardians of the Galaxy movie got the titular team together, but they were joined by some new members in the second movie and then went on an incredible journey together in the last two Avengers movies, so it seems like Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 could be the best one yet. The plot could see them joined by Thor or searching the multiverse for Gamora – or both. Vol. 3 is on the way, but since writer-director James Gunn was fired and then hired again, we’ll have to wait for him to finish The Suicide Squad, the DCEU project he committed to in the interim.
Avengers: Age of Ultron
Despite Joss Whedon’s best efforts, Avengers: Age of Ultron failed to make Ultron the formidable foe that he is in the comics. It was all hype with very little payoff. All throughout the movie, we were led to believe he was unstoppable and he was plugged into the world and he could control anything, but all he did was make an Eastern European city float. Shortly thereafter, he was defeated by Vision. Spider-Man: Homecoming teased the return of Ultron. Phase 4 should see the bigger and better reign of Ultron, with the man who created him no longer alive to shut him down.
The Incredible Hulk
Although the Hulk goes by “Professor Hulk” now and there’s not much “incredible” about him, the MCU should still follow up The Incredible Hulk with another Hulk solo movie. Edward Norton’s 2008 outing is one of the weaker movies in the Infinity Saga – and it’s also been mostly ignored by the later movies.
This is mainly because Norton isn’t playing the Hulk anymore, so there was a lot of sequel setup that got swept under the rug. But it’s about time Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk got his own movie. Whatever form that takes with the rights issues and everything, Ruffalo will undoubtedly do an outstanding job with it.
Thor: Ragnarok
Taika Watiti’s Thor: Ragnarok was the third chapter in the Thor solo trilogy, but it might as well have been the first chapter of an entirely new story. It established its own very unique tone – an overtly comedic one with bright, colorful, insane visuals and Zeppelin on the soundtrack – and set up an ass-kicking team with terrific chemistry: Thor, the Hulk, Valkyrie, and Loki. The chance to see that dynamic back on the big screen together is too tantalizing to pass up. Since Thor has now joined the Guardians of the Galaxy and Valkyrie is the ruler of New Asgard, this could be an interesting one.
Doctor Strange
Scott Derrickson’s 2016 Doctor Strange movie wasn’t the best installment in the MCU, but it simply suffered from the trappings of the origin story. In a sequel with no backstory to establish, Derrickson will be able to go really trippy with the plot and the visuals. We could see Strange take on Nightmare or pull the fabric of reality back together in the wake of Thanos’ finger-snap ripping open the multiverse. Benedict Cumberbatch has proven in the last couple of Avengers movies that he can have plenty of fun with the character without making him a Tony Stark rip-off like he appeared in his first solo movie.
Captain America: Civil War
Steve Rogers won’t be the MCU’s Captain America anymore. But unlike Iron Man, who likely retired from the MCU when Tony Stark died in Endgame, someone else is taking up the mantle of Captain America: Sam Wilson. He’ll most likely be getting his own solo movie to pay that off. We never saw the Sokovia Accords storyline of Civil War get resolved, and since then, the Avengers’ actions have opened up a multiverse, so General Thunderbolt Ross will probably have a thing or two to say about that. These two narrative arcs could be combined in another Captain America solo movie (about a different Captain America).
Ant-Man and the Wasp
Peyton Reed’s Ant-Man and the Wasp wasn’t for everyone. The light, jokey tone and comparatively low stakes felt like a bit of a comedown in the wake of the cataclysmic events of Infinity War. However, those characters are all so lovable. Paul Rudd and Evangeline Lilly are always fantastic as the titular heroes, while supporting characters like Hank Pym and Luis make the Ant-Man solo movies a hilarious delight. Now that Ant-Man is more closely ingratiated into this group of superheroes, maybe Ant-Man and the Wasp can tackle a bigger threat in their next adventure, possibly with the help of some other Avengers.
Black Panther
This one’s a no-brainer, given the tremendous success of the first one. Letitia Wright is eager to take up the Black Panther mantle, so there could be a second act twist where T’Challa takes ill and Shuri has to become the Black Panther in order to save him.
Alternatively, with the X-Men finally joining the MCU, Storm could marry T’Challa and become the Queen of Wakanda like she famously did in the comics, giving the Marvel universe one of its greatest power couples. There are any number of directions that the sequel could take, but whatever happens, Ryan Coogler has to return to helm the sequel.
Captain Marvel
We got introduced to Captain Marvel so recently that Brie Larson actually shot her first scenes as the character for Endgame and not for her own solo movie. But that solo movie set up a whole internal universe: the Skrulls, the Kree, Monica and Maria Rambeau, three decades of empty Captain Marvel timeline. Plus, the movie was one of the MCU’s biggest hits with a worldwide gross of over $1 billion – one guy liked it so much that he went to see it more than 100 times at the theater. So, it’s far too early to say goodbye to her.
Avengers: Endgame
Avengers: Endgame ends with a sequence that has been dubbed “the Battle of Earth,” so it would be pretty difficult to top. However, MCU fans have always loved the anticipation of all the disparate superheroes they’re watching in solo movies banding together in a later installment. No movie in recent memory has been more highly anticipated than Endgame. It doesn’t matter how excited fans get for superheroes’ solo movies – they’ll always be more excited for the event movie where they all team up to protect Earth from a threat that none of them could handle on their own. The Avengers may have disbanded, but a new Avengers roster should take their place.
