The Multiverse Saga will continue to explore new horizons in Phase 5, but the MCU can't forget the secret formula that made Phase 4 so groundbreaking. Throughout its first 23 movies, the MCU managed to create an interconnected movie franchise of unrivaled proportions. Each story boosted anticipation around the next, and each chapter of the Infinity Saga led to an epic conclusion in Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. While this formula is still Marvel Studios' engine, the MCU is constantly finding ways to reinvent itself.

Phase 4's new ventures include the release of Disney+ shows and the concept of the multiverse, the latter of which allows the MCU to bring back actors and characters from pre-MCU Marvel movies. Both are innovative changes of pace for the MCU's post-Endgame era, but there's at least one more change that sets Phase 4 apart from everything that came before it. And despite the fact that Black Panther: Wakanda Forever officially ended Phase 4, this change could continue to make each installment of the Multiverse Saga a one-of-a-kind release.

Related: Secret Wars Can Outdo Endgame’s Portals Scene With One Trick

Phase 4's Best Movies & Shows Experimented With Unconventional Ideas

She-Hulk, Captain Carter, and Scarlet Witch in MCU Phase 4

Phase 4 retained the MCU's signature humor and action combo but also took major risks with its format. Kicking off the Multiverse Saga, WandaVision played with various TV formats, emulating all the technical and narrative tropes of real-life sitcoms throughout the decades. It even went as far as changing the screen's aspect ratio as Wanda shifted eras. Loki played with the concept of time itself, culminating in a finale where the protagonists' actions affected not only their story but possibly every universe in the MCU multiverse. This experimentation needs to continue in Phase 5.

Other Phase 4 titles conducted different experiments. For instance, Marvel's What If...? created a fully animated anthology, Spider-Man: No Way Home united three different Spider-Man franchises into one, Moon Knight made viewers question reality through Marc Spector's fragmented perspective, Werewolf By Night homaged classic horror, and The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special featured the Guardians chasing the real-life Kevin Bacon. She-Hulk even came out of the Disney+ menu and invaded the Marvel Studios offices to talk with a Kevin Feige stand-in.

The MCU Can Continue Experimenting In The Multiverse Saga

Quantumania, New World Order, Coven of Chaos, and Loki Season 2

Phase 4's experiments don't erase certain storytelling flaws, but they do keep the MCU far away from stagnation, as Marvel Studios could have perfectly tried to repeat the Infinity Saga beat by beat, only with different characters. Phase 5 seems to be just as ambitious, starting with Kang the Conqueror's surprisingly early introduction. Considering his status as the franchise's next big villain, his main antagonist role in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania promises a major difference from Thanos' character arc in the Infinity Saga. Similarly, various upcoming MCU movies and shows have the chance to break the rules in one way or the other.

The very concept of the multiverse provides such opportunities, and most of Phase 5's titles lend themselves to wild experiments with their plot and format. For instance, Thunderbolts will likely be the first Avengers-like crossover movie starring a team of anti-heroes, Blade may walk the line between action and full-fledged horror; Deadpool 3 could be the MCU movie with the most mature humor, Agatha: Coven of Chaos can put a new twist on WandaVision's sitcom format, and Avengers: Secret Wars could feature almost every Marvel hero introduced. Just like that, it can become part of the MCU's charm to keep the audience guessing its next bold move.

Next: How MCU Phase 6 Can Avoid Recycling Endgame

Key Release Dates