For those who may not be aware of the specifics of MCU‘s phase four, it began with WandaVision, which was a fantastic introduction to Marvel’s Disney+ journey, and ended with Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. With the pandemic setting back a lot of Marvel’s original slate, it was unclear how this would affect the story of the overall phase.
Usually, each MCU phase ends with, or around, an Avengers movie but this phase didn’t include a wrap-up event movie. However, set photos from the projects such as Thor: Love and Thunder, Spider-Man: No Way Home, and The Falcon & The Winter Soldier had all MCU fans talking. The MCU Phase 4 was the biggest of any phase so far in the franchise. That is because there were not just movies on the docket, but also several Disney+ shows that kept fans tuning in week by week to see more of their favorite heroes and villains. There were also several new heroes introduced, from She-Hulk and Ms. Marvel to a new Hawkeye and U.S. Agent. While much of the Phase was singular movies setting up a giant universe, there was still some interconnecting with some of the shows and movies, and that is where the leaked set photos really excited fans. While these set photos hinted at things to come, they paled in comparison to what the MCU finally gave fans in this latest phase.
Falcon & Winter Soldier – Bucky Barnes’ New Look
The last time fans saw Bucky Barnes, he was sitting watching his best friend hand over his shield to Sam Wilson. Everyone was waiting in anticipation for the new buddy-cop-like Disney+ series The Falcon and The Winter Soldier. The set photos (via Just Jared) gave fans a first look at Bucky Barnes post-Endgame sporting much shorter hair and his newly acquired Vibranium arm.
It was a solid peak at what The Winter Soldier in fact looked like in the series, as he set out to find atonement for his sins. By the end of the movie, he and Falcon stopped a terrorist organization, but things look dim for Bucky in Phase 5 as he is set to join the Thunderbolts.
No Way Home – ‘New’ Spidey-Suit
Marvel is known for changing up the suits for its titular heroes, having gone through 50 new Iron Man suits by the end of Avengers: Endgame (only around 10 of which Tony wore himself). Marvel promised fans that Tom Holland’s MCU Spider-Man suit was going to be different but classic, and they delivered. Set photos from Spider-Man: No Way Home (via Just Jared) shows Tom Holland’s new suit with a few minor changes such as a much more pointed detail just under Holland’s stomach.
Fans loved the MCU’s Iron-Spider suit, and Spider-Man brought it back again when he first battled Doctor Octopus. There were several Spider-Man costumes in the movie, worn by three different Spider-Man heroes, so this sneak peek was just a hint at what was to come in Marvel’s most successful Phase 4 movie.
Thor: Love & Thunder – Set The Asgardian Stage
In Thor: Ragnarok fans were graced with Matt Damon and Luke Hemsworth’s retelling of the events of Thor: The Dark World. It seemed like fans were in for a similar side-story in the upcoming Thor: Love and Thunder thanks to photos (via Daily Mail). The set photos, although showing no cast members, show what appeared to be an Asgardian stage, presumably located in New Asgard, Norway.
This is exactly what happened, but in a much more humorous re-telling that embellished history. Melissa McCarthy joined the fun as Hela and the play was telling how she broke Mjolnir and ended when everyone was swept to Asgard.
Thor: Love And Thunder – Kraglin & Nebula
Fans knew the Guardians of the Galaxy were going to appear in Thor: Love and Thunder but were unsure of how big of a role they would play. Even though the set photos didn’t let on to the size of the Guardians’ role in the film, they give fans a look at their new suits. The photos (via Daily Mail) show Kraglin with his fin and the Yaka arrow, previously owned by Yondu, and Karen Gillan’s Nebula with a slightly updated look as well.
With all the updates, the Guardians mostly just watched from the background as Thor dealt with the villains they were on the planet to stop. Nebula did get some great lines in the new movie, but it was mostly Thor and Star-Lord before the Guardians left and never returned.
WandaVision – S.W.O.R.D
Before the show was available to stream, the photo (via Just Jared) showing an agent of S.W.O.R.D was very telling. For those who are still unsure, S.W.O.R.D is essentially the S.H.I.E.L.D of space, protecting Earth from extra-terrestrial threats. This introduction seemed to hint that maybe Skrulls and other alien races might play a larger role in the future of the MCU.
That is now obvious, Monica Rambaeu will return, likely representing S.W.O.R.D. in The Marvels as one of the most important characters moving forward in the MCU. S.W.O.R.D. will also almost surely play a role in Secret Invasion when Nick Fury makes his return. WandaVision was just a teaser of what is to come.
Thor: Love And Thunder – Matt Damon & Luke Hemsworth
Reports started surfacing that Matt Damon landed in Australia and many fans started speculating that he was going to have a role in Love & Thunder. Well, those speculations paid off as the set photos (via Daily Mail) revealed that Matt Damon and Chris’s brother Luke Hemsworth would reprise their roles as theatre versions of Loki and Thor to tell the story of Thor: Ragnarok.
However, it was more than just that. Not only did the two return as the stage actors, but they even got to show up later out of their theatre costumes. The two had the gall to ask if they could make a new play based on the abduction of the children. One hopes that if Valkyrie gets another movie, they make yet another return as the oblivious stage actors.
Falcon & Winter Soldier – John Walker
For many fans, Steve Rogers is Captain America and always will be. But the storyline of Falcon and Winter Soldier will showcased someone else holding the shield, and it wasn’t Bucky or Sam. The photos (via WGTC) show John Walker in a red and blue suit, holding the shield.
Comic book readers knew what was coming, and no one was surprised when John Walker failed to become the new Captain America. He was nowhere near one of the best new heroes in MCU’s Phase 4, but he was the most complicated. However, the important thing to note is that this was the introduction of the U.S. Agent, who will be back in Thunderbolts in Phase 5.
No Way Home – Missing Kids
As filming continued for Spider-Man: No Way Home, a set video made its way onto the web showing multiple posters of missing kids on a billboard among other posters (via YouTube). It seemed many people supported Mysterio from Far From Home. There were some fan theories that the kids linked to the lack of kids within the Hex in WandaVision but that isn’t what happened.
As a matter of fact, No Way Home had nothing to do with missing kids. Instead, the thing to note was that the people had started turning on Spider-Man, and that would haunt him until he made his fateful decision at the end of the MCU Phase 4 movie.
Thor: Love & Thunder – Natalie Portman’s Thor
Ever since it was revealed that Natalie Portman was going to return to Thor: Love and Thunder, fans wondered how the female version of Thor in the movie would differ from the comics. Just because something happens in the comics, does not guarantee that it will happen in the movie. That being said, it seemed as though Portman took the female-god role very seriously as she sported toned arms in the set photo from Thor: Love and Thunder (via Delaney King/Twitter).
By the time the movie rolled around, Portman more than redeemed herself to fans who felt she phoned it in when she last appeared in the Thor movies. She looked incredible and more than held her own fighting alongside Thor against Gorr the God Butcher.
Thor: Love & Thunder – Thor & Star Lord
It seemed like fat-Thor was no more as these photos made their way onto the web from the Thor 4 set. The photos (via Daily Mail) not only showed Chris Hemsworth sporting the more familiar ripped Thor physique, but he was also alongside Chris Pratt in his new suit as Star-Lord.
As the movie showed, Thor got rid of the Dad Bod and returned to the God Bod in the opening narration by Korg. As for Star-Lord, the two had some nice quips for each other, with Thor proving he was even more ridiculous than Star-Lord himself.
