Marvel Studios stole the show once more in San Diego during Comic Con 2022 as we were able to see more and more movies and shows getting added to the MCU slate. Of course, the announcements of these upcoming movies allowed us to understand where both Phases Four and Five of the MCU are headed after we were left wondering about the direction of the MCU right after Endgame.
This is where the Multiverse Saga, the collection of the Phases Four, Five, and probably Six movies that comprise the MCU after the events of Avengers Endgame and Spider-Man: Far From Home. There were plenty of movies and shows that were announced at the San Diego Comic Con, and all of these new films are part of the Multiverse Saga. With that said, let’s look at all of the different movies in the Multiverse Saga and how this new era in the MCU compares with the Infinity Saga.
Every Movie And Series In The Multiverse Saga
WandaVision (2021)
Not a lot of people are aware that WandaVision actually started Phase Four of the MCU. In this Disney+ series, Wanda ended up putting an entire town under a reality-altering spell while she was grieving for Vision. This ended up turning the town into a sit-com-style reality as Wanda was able to live with Vision and their children. The series also gave birth to the Scarlet Witch and introduced Agatha as an MCU character that could very well become more important in the future.
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (2021)
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier explored the events related to the titular characters, who both became the legacies of Captain America. Both of them struggle to move on after Steve Rogers retired as they try to live up to the massive shoes that Captain America left behind. This series also allowed us to see how Sam Wilson was finally able to find the resolve to step into Steve Rogers’s shoes to become the new Captain America.
Loki Season 1 (2021)
Loki is the series that truly allowed the multiverse to happen because, prior to the events of this Disney+ original, there was only one timeline called the Sacred Timeline. This is also where we met a variant of Kang called He Who Remains, who was the one who instituted the Sacred Timeline. The death of He Who Remains was what allowed the timeline to split and create the multiverse.
Black Widow (2021)
While Black Widow is set in 2016, just after Civil War and before Infinity War, this storyline still belongs to Phase Four because it introduced new characters that could very well play a big role in the future of the MCU. The movie introduced Natasha’s younger sister Yelena, who could play a big role in a future MCU crossover event.
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021)
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is the first true standalone movie in Phase Four as it introduced a new character in the form of Shang-Chi, a mystical martial artist. At the end of the movie, he inherited the Ten Rings from his father. He also learned from none another than Bruce Banner himself that the Ten Rings are cosmic in nature.
Eternals (2021)
Eternals introduced the Eternals, a group of cosmic beings that have been on Earth for thousands of years and have been involved in the evolution of mankind. The movie also allowed us to understand why the Eternals never got involved in the entire Infinity Saga. And this movie allowed us to see how the Celestials could play a bigger role in the future of the MCU.
Hawkeye (2021)
Hawkeye is a Disney+ series that explored the life of Clint Barton right after the events of Avengers: Endgame. This was also the introduction story of Kate Bishop, who is set to become the inheritor of the Hawkeye mantle as she was able to meet Clint, who quickly became a mentor to her and a father figure that she never had.
Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)
The first true multiversal movie in Phase Four happened in Spider-Man: No Way Home as a botched Doctor Strange spell opened the floodgates for villains from other universes to enter the MCU. Of course, the other versions of Spider-Man also entered the MCU as this is only one of the few examples of how big the multiverse is and how the MCU could further explore it in the future.
Moon Knight (2022)
Moon Knight is the first standalone Disney+ series that introduces a new character starring in his own series without relying on any past MCU character. We get to meet both Marc Spector and Steven Grant in this series as they are two personalities sharing the same body, which happened to be serving the Egyptian God of the Moon named Khonshu. This is the first MCU series that explores the supernatural side of Marvel as Khonshu and the other Egyptian deities seem to dwell in an entirely different dimension.
Doctor Strange In the Multiverse of Madness (2022)
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness took what was started in both WandaVision and No Way Home to make it bigger. The movie introduced America Chavez, a girl capable of traveling between dimensions and universes. It also allowed us to see an unhinged Scarlet Witch as the antagonist as she was trying to take America’s powers as her own. Multiverse of Madness also gave us a hint of what the future of the MCU could be due to something called an Incursion, which is when two universes collide with one another.
Ms. Marvel (2022)
Ms. Marvel is a series that also introduces a new MCU character in the form of a young high school girl named Kamala Khan. The series serves as an introduction to the new character before she makes an appearance in the upcoming The Marvels movie. Ms. Marvel also has multiversal ramifications due to how it explores the existence of the Light Dimension.
Thor: Love and Thunder (2022)
Thor: Love and Thunder is the first standalone Marvel movie to have four films as it explores Thor’s newest adventure while he also rekindles his love with Jane Foster, who inherited Mjolnir’s powers and became the Mighty Thor. While it doesn’t have multiversal ramifications, Love and Thunder does allow us to meet all of the other gods throughout the Marvel universe as they may have a role to play sometime in the future.
She-Hulk: Attorney at Law (2022)
She-Hulk: Attorney at Law is an upcoming Disney+ series that will explore the origins of Jennifer Walters, who is actually Bruce Banner’s cousin. The series will allow us to see the events that led to Walters becoming She-Hulk. Of course, there are also legal ramifications here because the series will explore the legal side of superheroes existing on Earth.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022)
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is the final stage of Phase Four and will allow us to see the events surrounding Wakanda after T’Challa’s death. At this point, we don’t know a lot about Wakanda Forever, but it will introduce Namor and the Atlanteans into the MCU. It could also be the movie that will introduce a new Black Panther, who is still unknown as of this writing.
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023)
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania will be the first Phase Five film and will be the movie that will introduce Kang the Conqueror into the MCU. While we already met a Kang variant, Quantumania is going to introduce the “true” Kang himself as this villain is set to become one of the greatest threats in the MCU in the future.
Secret Invasion (2023)
Secret Invasion is an upcoming Disney+ series that could very well follow the Secret Invasion storyline in the comics. The series will star the Skrulls, who are the shapeshifting aliens that were introduced in Captain Marvel. At this point, we don’t know a lot about this series, but it could allow us to see how the Skrulls have been involved in the events of the MCU for a long time.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023)
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is set to show what the Guardians were up to after the events of Thor: Love and Thunder. There was a trailer shown in Comic Con 2022 as Peter and the Guardians saw the Gamora that came from the past. The movie is also set to introduce Adam Warlock as a possible villain.
The Marvels (2023)
After the post-credit scene of Ms. Marvel, it became clear that both Ms. Marvel and Captain Marvel would be working together in the future. The Marvels is the movie where both of these characters would team up to fight a common enemy. At this point, we don’t know a lot about this film but what we do know is that it will allow Kamala Khan to meet and work with her favorite hero, Carol Danvers.
Echo (2023)
We met Echo, a deaf character, during the events of Hawkeye. The people over at Marvel Studios loved her so much that they were willing to give her a standalone series. As of now, the details regarding Echo are minimal, but it’s nice to see more representation in the MCU.
Loki Season 2 (2023)
Loki will be the first MCU series to have a second season because a lot of things were left unanswered during the events of the first season. It is likely that season 2 will explore the things that happened in the separate timeline that occurred after the death of He Who Remains. And we might end up seeing Kang the Conqueror in this series after he makes his MCU debut in Quantumania.
Blade (2023)
The classic Blade Trilogy of the 2000s was such a favorite among vampire fans because Wesley Snipes was so badass in his portrayal of the titular character. After the Blade movie rights reverted back to Marvel, it was only a matter of time until an MCU version of the character was going to be introduced. We don’t know how vampires will play into the MCU, but we do hope that this new Blade movie will be worth the hype.
Ironheart (2023)
Ironheart is an upcoming Disney+ series that will follow the storyline of Riri Williams, who is a young inventor that was able to create her own mech suit that rivals Tony Stark’s own Iron Man suit. At this point, we don’t know a lot about what this series is about, but it could very well play a role in the youth movement of the MCU, considering that younger characters are getting introduced more and more.
Agatha: Coven of Chaos (2023/2024)
Agatha: Coven of Chaos is set to be a dark comedy Disney+ series starring Agatha Harkness, who made a huge splash in her debut in WandaVision. We did know that Agatha was left powerless after the events of WandaVision, and that means that it is possible that this series will take place before she meddled in Wanda’s affairs. But it could also be set after WandaVision, considering that Agatha still lives but was forced to reprise her role as the nosey neighbor.
Daredevil: Born Again (2023/2024)
The introduction of Charlie Cox’s Matt Murdock in Spider-Man: No Way Home made it obvious that Daredevil was finally going to become a part of the main MCU after he made a big splash in the Netflix Daredevil series. It is possible that Born Again will continue from where the Netflix Daredevil series left off.
Captain America: New World Order (2024)
Captain America: New World Order will be the first Captain America movie starring Sam Wilson as the titular character after he had already accepted his new role as the next Captain America. We don’t know for certain what the movie will be about, but there is a possibility that it could explore the world trying to accept a Black Captain America. The movie could also explore the introduction of the New World Order, which is a villainous group from the comics.
Thunderbolts (2024)
Thunderbolts will be the final film in Phase Five as there won’t be an Avengers movie to wrap up both Phases Four and Five. In this movie, it is possible that the anti-hero group called the Thunderbolts will be introduced. This is a group composed of reformed villains or characters we can describe as anti-heroes. Of course, a prominent name in the form of Baron Zemo could play a role in this upcoming Avengers-like movie about reformed villains.
Fantastic Four (2024)
We are finally going to see the Fantastic Four in the MCU as this is the first movie in Phase Six. After Disney acquired Fox, it was only a matter of time until Marvel’s first family was going to make its appearance. We did see Reed Richards, the Illuminati member, in Multiverse of Madness. While we don’t know whether or not John Krasinski will reprise his role as Mister Fantastic, there is a lot of hope for this movie, especially because the Fantastic Four has always been one of the most popular Marvel groups in history.
Avengers: The Kang Dynasty (2024)
Avengers: Kang Dynasty is basically Avengers 5 and will be the first Avengers film since Endgame. That means that we are going to spend more than two phases building up the different characters and villains for the next Avengers movie. This is good news because we want Kang’s character to get built up more and more before he becomes the big bad of the MCU. And Kang Dynasty promises to be a good one that could follow the Kang Dynasty storyline in the comics.
Avengers: Secret Wars (2025)
Finally, we get to see Secret Wars quite possibly in 2025 as the sixth Avengers movie. Secret Wars is one of the most popular Marvel Comics storylines because of how it involves multiple characters. This is probably where the concept of the Incursion comes in as a plot mechanism that will allow multiple universes to collide into one so that we get to finally see the Fantastic Four and the X-Men in Universe-616.
How The Multiverse Saga Compares With The Infinity Saga
At this point, it is tough to compare the Multiverse Saga with the Infinity Saga because we are looking at a storyline that is yet to reach its halfway point and comparing it to a finished product that has already become historical in terms of how it has affected culture.
However, there are some things that we would like to point out here. In the Infinity Saga, it was already clear as early as the first Avengers movie that Thanos would end up becoming a big threat to the universe. That became true as the individual MCU movies proceeded with their stories and as Thanos continued to get built up.
In comparison, Phase Four doesn’t seem to have a direction as far as the Multiverse Saga is concerned, even though it introduced the entire multiverse concept. It does have a direction, but it doesn’t seem as obvious as the direction of the Infinity Saga.
Nevertheless, what we do know about the Multiverse Saga is that it will be much bigger than the Infinity Saga because of the fact that the threats are going to be multiversal in terms of their possible effects. In comparison, Thanos was a universal threat. In that regard, the Multiverse Saga introduces a lot of different opportunities that could very well make the MCU much bigger than it already is, but it is better to wait a few more years for the finished product to develop before we truly compare it to the Infinity Saga.
