While every MCU movie is a superhero flick and has that typical humor, each one tends to be in a different genre, and they each share the same DNA as iconic movies from the past. Between an espionage thriller, a Jet Li sci-fi flick, and the blueprint for all comedy horrors, Phase Four's classic movie counterparts prove that it's the weirdest and most inventive phase yet.
Black Widow - The Bourne Ultimatum
While Natasha and Yelena Romanoff are great siblings and make a fantastic team, the former works great alone. Black Widow is an intelligent and athletic super-spy who has essentially been following orders her whole life, just like Jason Bourne. Black Widow and The Bourne Ultimatum both follow the two spies looking backward instead of forward and trying to uncover the evil entities that made them who they are.
After two incredible but question-raising action movies, The Bourne Ultimatum sees all those questions finally getting answered. The film even has Jason find out how he turned into a killing machine. And while Natasha already knew a lot about her troubled upbringing and being trained to become a super spy, she's looking for a lot of the same answers as Jason. Not only that, but both films are high-octane espionage thrillers with snappy fight choreography.
Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings - Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is undoubtedly steeped in Chinese culture. Between the dragon-filled mythology, the jaw-dropping martial arts, and, of course, the language, the superhero movie is almost a love letter to China. There's no denying that the movie has licks of old-school Jackie Chan movie influences, along with Jet Li films, the newer Ip Man series, and even Kung Fu Hustle.
But the classic film that Shang-Chi shares more similarities with than any other is the romantic epic Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Shang-Chi is surprisingly romantic, as it sees Xu Wenwu desperately trying to reunite with his deceased wife, reminiscent of the 2000s movie, which sees a Chinese warrior fighting valiantly for the one he loves. Casting Michelle Yeoh in the 2021 superhero flick is even somewhat paying homage to Crouching Tiger, in which she plays the protagonist.
Eternals - Lawrence Of Arabia3
Lawrence of Arabia is based on the true story of T.E Lawrence, who was an influential figure during World War I, as he fought alongside Arab forces in the Middle East. Needless to say, there aren't many alien invasions or supernatural beings in the 1962 classic. However, no other classic is more similar to Eternals in terms of ambition, tone, or feel. Lawrence of Arabia was shot on location in the Middle East, which is clear from the very opening shot — an almost panoramic vista full of sand dunes.
While Eternals was far from positively received, one thing that it was endlessly praised for was its on-location shoot. Director Chloe Zhao insisted on filming on location, and it feels real, natural, and earthy compared to its green-screen-filled peers. Both Eternals and Lawrence of Arabia take advantage of their settings, are hugely ambitious, and the result makes for two truly immersive and beautiful films.
Spider-Man: No Way Home - The One
In the past few years, loads of great multiverse movies have cropped up and it's becoming an increasingly popular trend, especially with superhero fare. Spider-Man: No Way Home was the first live-action movie to fully embrace the idea of multiverses, and it sent audiences into a frenzy when Andrew Garfield, Tobey Maguire, and Tom Holland all appeared onscreen together as their respective Peter Parkers. But another movie did that first and long before it became popular in the mid-2010s.
2001's The One follows a cop who must face off with a version of himself from another universe, and that doppelganger just so happens to be trying to kill every single version of himself in every universe. Though it wasn't well-received when it was first released, The One has since grown a cult following, and it might be that it was made at the wrong time, and audiences weren't prepared for such a head-spinning premise. If it was released today, it'd certainly perform much better at the box office.
Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness - Evil Dead II
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness has been criticized by some for not having enough multiverses or madness. The newly released movie includes a sequence that sees the sorcerer falling through several different universes, but that only lasts for around a minute. However, while the movie lacks wild sci-fi effects, it more than makes up for it, as Doctor Strange 2 has many horror tropes. The movie is directed by Sam Raimi, the elder statesman of comedy horror, and he got his start with the classic Evil Dead series.
There are so many parallels between the two movies, and being the old school director that he is, Raimi still uses mostly practical effects and make-up in Multiverse of Madness that he perfected in Evil Dead II. And at one point in the 2022 superhero movie, Pizza Poppa gets into a fight with his hand that seemingly has a mind of its own. That's exactly what happens to Ash in Evil Dead II. Not only that, but Ash and Pizza Poppa are played by the same actor, Bruce Campbell.