The Marvel Cinematic Universe has brought us some outstanding programming. Previously on GeekDad, we’ve reviewed Phase 1, Phase 2, and Phase 3. But in 2021, the MCU has moved on to Phase Four—the first phase to consist of both films and streaming TV content. We’ve already seen WandaVision, which I personally loved. And we’ve seen Falcon and the Winter Soldier, which was also very good. But did you know that we have another eight installments of Phase 4 content coming this year? Let’s take a look.
Loki
On June 11th, Disney+ will give us the first of the six episodes in the Loki series. This Loki is a “time-variant,” created when Tony Stark and Scott Lang traveled in time back to the events at the climax of The Avengers to steal the Space Stone. Loki ended up getting ahold of it and teleported out to parts unknown. It seems that there’s an organization charged with keeping the timelines safe and that Loki has been pressed into service in their ranks. I don’t know where the storyline in these six episodes is going to go, but I’m all in for it.
Black Widow
The Black Widow film has been delayed over and over on account of the pandemic, but it’s currently slated for July 9th, and we’ll be able to see it either in the theater or on Disney+ as premium content. This one explores the character’s backstory and introduces some new characters. Personally, I’ll be hoping that we finally find out what actually went down in Budapest.
What If…?
While it’s an animated feature, What If…? is my personal most-looked-forward-to MCU content of the year. As an anthology series, it will have ten episodes, each of which will feature the story answering a different “what if?” question, such as “What if Sharon Carter became the first super-soldier?” or “What if T’Challa became Star Lord?” I’m looking forward to seeing Sharon Carter as Captain Britain, looking forward to Marvel Zombies, and we’ll get to see it all this August.
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
This is one of the new properties this year, and not much is yet known about Shang-Chi. We have seen the Ten Rings twice before in the MCU: first in Iron Man when they kidnapped Tony Stark, and again as part of the excellent Marvel one-shot Hail to the King. When this film comes out on September 3rd, perhaps we’ll get to see the actual Mandarin.
Ms. Marvel
I’m very excited to see Iman Vellani as Kamala Khan. There have been a lot of rumors about her being the first Inhuman in the MCU outside of Agents of SHIELD, and I’m eager for more information. But most of all, I’m eager to see Kamala Khan’s powers on-screen. While I can’t imagine them looking anything other than silly, Marvel has proven many times that they can take something that should never work in live-action (such as Captain America) and make it look fantastic. Like Falcon and the Winter Soldier and Loki, Ms. Marvel will be six episodes.
Eternals
Another mysterious new property, Eternals is coming to theaters on November 5th.
After an unexpected tragedy following the events of Avengers: Endgame the Eternals—an immortal alien race created by the Celestials who have secretly lived on Earth for over 7,000 years—reunite to protect humanity from their evil counterparts, the Deviants.
The aforementioned tragedy sounds like something caused by the events of Avengers: Endgame. I can’t wait to learn more.
Hawkeye
There have been rumors that the storyline for this series will be based on Matt Fraction and David Aja’s Hawkeye run. While I haven’t read the books, I’ve heard enough about them to make me excited for the prospect. It’s already confirmed that the series will include Lucky the Pizza Dog, so that alone is exciting.
Spider-Man: No Way Home
Right at the end of the year, we get to see what I expect to be the biggest Marvel film of Phase 4. The rumors about this film have been bonkers. The inclusion of Alfred Molina’s Doctor Octopus and Jamie Foxx’s Electro are all but confirmed, and we may even see Tobey McGuire make an appearance. If these are the bits we’ve heard, how much is there that we yet haven’t?
Beyond 2021, we have a ton more to look forward to. In the theaters, we’ll be seeing Thor: Love and Thunder, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, and The Marvels. At home on Disney+ in 2022, we’ll get Moon Knight, She-Hulk, and Secret Invasion. Later, we’ll also see Armor Wars, Ironheart, I Am Groot, and the Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special.
