When Marvel wrapped up the Infinity Saga in Spider-Man: Far From Home, it culminated over a decade of intricate storytelling across 23 different films. From Nick Fury's appearance in the post-credits scene of Iron Man to Thanos' debut in the tag of The Avengers, all the way through the epic finale of Avengers: Endgame, Marvel pulled off the seemingly impossible by building an overarching storyline around the Infinity Stones and landing it in a significant way. However, Marvel Studios never intended the Infinity Saga to be the only piece of the MCU, as Phase Four has seen stories continue on the big screen and Disney+.
The premiere of Ms. Marvel marked the 12th project of Phase Four, and since the new phase began, fans have been trying to figure out what's tying the stories together. The majority of the Phase Four titles have operated in their own space, leading to many questions about what the next major MCU storyline will be. With the next Phase Four film only weeks away from premiering, Marvel boss Kevin Feige is teasing that more information about where the MCU is heading next is coming soon. Ahead of Thor: Love and Thunder, Feige told Total Film that before the end of the year, fans will have a better idea about what's in store for the MCU's future:
"I think there have been many clues already, that are at least apparent to me, of where this whole saga is going. But we'll be a little more direct about that in the coming months, to set a plan, so audiences who want to see the bigger picture can see a tiny, tiny, tiny bit more of the roadmap."
What Will Be the Next Main Saga of the MCU?
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When looking at the Phase Four projects that have been put out, the most common thread that links multiple stories is the multiverse. Films like Spider-Man: No Way Home and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, and Disney+ series such as Loki and What If...? directly explore the multiverse and how it can impact the main MCU timeline. Loki also set up the full introduction of Kang the Conqueror, who may end up being the next Thanos-level big bad the Avengers have to take on. What remains to be seen is if the other stories of Phase Four will weave into the multiversal saga, as many of the other projects have been very self-contained.
The rest of the Phase Four slate will seemingly follow the same formula, as upcoming films like Love and Thunder and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will more than likely not introduce a singular threat that will eventually bring all of Marvel's heroes together. The next film which could do so will more than likely be Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, which will feature the official debut of Kang. Quantumania may fully get the ball rolling towards the next big team-up event, but that project will likely not be coming until 2024 at the earliest. Marvel's calendar is filled up nearly through 2023, meaning the next Avengers film is still a few years down the line.
As Feige revealed, the picture should become clearer in the near future, which means all eyes are now turning to D23 in September. The Disney expo recently announced that Marvel Studios would have a presentation at the event, which would be the most logical spot to announce what Marvel's outline is past next summer. Hopefully, the road ahead for the MCU will start to take shape in the next few months.