Marvel Cinematic Universe Phase 4 featured divisive projects, but it actually fixed some of the Infinity Saga's biggest criticisms. After some scheduling issues due to COVID-19, MCU Phase 4 has finally reached its end with Ryan Coogler's Black Panther: Wakanda Forever closing things out. As a transitional period for the franchise following the culmination of the Infinity Saga with Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, Marvel Studios focused on rebuilding, while also fast-tracking its expansion with the launch of its Disney+ content. Several of its projects received mixed reviews, however. Despite that, the MCU Phase 4 proves that it's on the right track by addressing Infinity Saga's issues.

As beloved as they are, the first three Phases of the MCU, aren’t without flaws. Thankfully, Marvel Studios seem to have learned their lesson as they address them in Phase 4. Firstly, there's the criticism that the MCU is formulaic, using the three-part storytelling format in all of its films. This results in an expected ending which typically features a big climactic fight between the hero and villain. Secondly, the majority of Infinity Saga films also featured forgettable antagonists. Aside from standouts like Loki, Killmonger, and Thanos, most bad guys from the Infinity Saga were one-offs, with their motivations either poorly established or downright bad.

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Phase 4 Is More Filmmaker-Driven Than The Infinity Saga

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The Infinity Saga's formulaic criticism has effectively been addressed in MCU Phase 4 which is the most filmmaker-driven era in the franchise thus far. After Avengers: Endgame, Marvel Studios took more risks in terms of their storytelling which reflected on each project's distinct format, not to mention visuals. Chloé Zhao's Eternals felt and looked very different from Jon Watts’ very successful Spider-Man: No Way Home. Meanwhile, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness was distinctively a Sam Raimi-directed project.

This bold approach to their projects was also evident in Marvel Studios' Disney+ endeavors. WandaVision, Moon Knight, and Ms. Marvel, in particular, offered something uniquely their own and something that hadn't been seen in the universe before. If anything, only Black Widow, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, and Hawkeye felt very similar to what MCU was doing before in the Infinity Saga.

As Marvel Studios maintains MCU's status as a successful franchise, it has also endeared itself to high-profile filmmakers. Despite rumors that Kevin Feige keeps a tight leash on his filmmakers, those who have worked with him claim that they are given complete creative control over their projects. This helps Marvel Studios' image as a filmmaker-friendly entity that could help entice more filmmakers to work on the franchise. The fact that MCU Phase 4 has prolific directors such as Zhao, Raimi, and Coogler is a testament to that.

Phase 4 Has Better Villains Than Many Infinity Saga Movies

Wenwu in the opening scene of Shang-Chi

Aside from the Infinity Saga's formulaic storytelling, another big MCU waterloo is its weak villains. While Phase 4 still has a few of them like Black Widow's Dreykov and even the Tracksuit Mafia on Hawkeye, which were both underwhelming, most of the franchise's recent bad guys are not one-dimensional characters who are easily forgotten. This shows that Marvel Studios is trying to actively address the problem, despite still having some slips.

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings' Wenwu is motivated by his undying love for his wife making him empathetic despite his destructive ways. Thor: Love and Thunder's Gorr the God Butcher, although significantly underutilized was also a standout, primarily thanks to Christian Bale's terrific performance. The same can also be said with Doctor Strange 2 villain, Wanda Maximoff, who was forced to do despicable things in the hopes of reuniting with her sons, Billy and Tommy, who were taken from her after the WandaVision finale.

Some MCU Phase 4 villains, on the other hand, fall in the middle of the spectrum making them neither bad nor good. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier's Flag-Smashers are the perfect examples of that. That being said, even when the Disney+ series barely had the chance to properly establish and fully explore Karli Morgenthau and her group's motivations and morals, they were still much more interesting than Thor: The Dark World's Malekith the Accursed or Guardians of the Galaxy's Ronan the Accused. This means that the villains themselves weren't the problem, but the way they fit into the storytelling.

Phase 4 Suggests The MCU Is On The Right Path Despite Having Divisive Projects

Kate Bishop, Moon Knight, Yelena Belova, Shang-Chi, Namor

It's no secret that MCU Phase 4 has been divisive. There have been projects that ended up being underwhelming amid the high expectations from the public. Couple that with the VFX community airing their grievances against Marvel Studios for subjecting artists to untenable working conditions, and it's difficult to not be worried about the trajectory of the franchise. There have been arguments that the MCU peaked with Avengers: Endgame and has been all going downhill since then.

That being said, the aforementioned points about Marvel Studios addressing the Infinity Saga's biggest issues in Phase 4 proves that the universe is still on the right path. Taking bolder risks despite the potential failure is still so much better than playing things safe, especially now that the franchise is already midway through its second decade. Trying new things is also integral in sustaining the MCU for years to come.

All in all, these prove that Marvel Studios are listening to the criticisms lobbied at the MCU. Despite its continued success at the box office, the franchise is still frowned upon by some, with notable directors like Martin Scorsese and Francis Ford Coppola criticizing its quality and blaming it for the supposed decline of cinema as they know it. Instead of being defensive about it, however, Marvel Studios focuses on addressing the biggest MCU criticisms as seen in their Phase 4 storytelling.

At this point, it’s difficult to predict how the rest of the Multiverse Saga will pan out. For context, Marvel Studios’ plans for the Infinity Saga didn’t become clear until Avengers: Age of Ultron. Given that, it’s best to wait for the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s ongoing era of storytelling to finish before passing any judgment. In any case, it isn’t going to be long before that happens with Avengers: Secret Wars set to release in 2026.

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