Spoilers throughout.
Really.
Really, I’m going to just straight up spoil what I'm pretty sure happens at the end of two Phase 3 movies.
I’m not joking. If you’re going to get mad at me later, stop now, this column is on the internet, it’ll be accessible forever.
Avengers: Age of Ultron introduces a new group of Avengers lead by Captain America. Still think Hulk’s gonna be in space.
Captain America: Civil War exposes that Bucky killed Howard Stark, Iron Man and Captain America fight, Tony Stark is discouraged (I’m vague on how he ends up at the moment), Black Panther is introduced, Crossbones kills Steve Rogers at the end of the film, giving us a nice big cliffhanger from Marvel Studios’ two most profitable characters (Iron Man and Captain America). Since I’m so vague on what happens to Iron Man, but I’m pretty sure he can’t be flitting in and out of other Phase 3 movies without reducing the impact of his future return, let’s just say he’ll also be in space.
“In space” is going to be my character placeholder, as it’s obviously Marvel’s - OOOOOH! BURN!
Doctor Strange hits and I really think Marvel will avoid polluting this movie with too much crossover as they have to introduce the Astral Plane. But I do think Doctor Strange is on the short list for who will lead the New Avengers in Cap’s absence.
Thor: Ragnarok will kill a lot of Asgardians, resurrect some of them, and Thor will end up in some sort of prison (described to me as a “galactic prison,” but I don’t know if that means not in Asgard or what).
Cap’s dead, Thor’s gone, there are still Avengers, we take a break from the Earth’s problems for Guardians of the Galaxy 2, then return for Black Panther. It’s interesting that we’re going to need a new leader for The Avengers and the Black Panther is going to be introduced in a movie where The Winter Soldier’s dirty laundry will be aired. I’m not saying I know anything about this movie, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it includes more Avengers than the title suggests. They mystic nature of the Black Panther also allows Strange to pop up here if they want. But a New Avengers is being formed (not THE New Avengers from the comics, just SOME New Avengers).
Which brings us to May 4th, 2018 - Avengers: Infinity Wars Part 1. Here's what I understand: Steve Rogers is not in this movie. He is dead. Thor is not in this movie, he is imprisoned. Spider-Man IS in this movie, the Sony deal went through.
I don’t have the exact details nor a paper trail, but I’m told we’ll see an MCU Spider-Man in Infinity Wars Part 1, as that was the next logical place to insert him after they missed the window to logically include him in Civil War.
It’s sounding like Infinity War Part 1 will be the first true test of our New Avengers team (line-up still pending, but here are the potentials: Quicksilver, Scarlet Witch, Vision, Black Panther, Dr. Strange, Ant-Man, Wasp, Captain Marvel, Luke Cage, Daredevil, Iron Fist, Jewel/Power Woman, ANY of the New Inhumans, ANY of the classic Inhumans, ANY of the Guardians of the Galaxy and ANY Cosmic Marvel characters Guardians chooses to send to Earth...oh, and Spider-Man). However, Infinity Wars Part 1 won’t include any of our classic Phase 1 and 2 Avengers because…
...they’ll all return in Infinity Wars Part 2.
Yup, even freaking dead Steve Rogers it looks like.
This all seems like super-smart storytelling (letting characters go out on top, then bringing them back years later), and it’s made even more ingenious by the Spider-Man insurance policy. If people aren’t hooking into a Black Panther, Bucky Cap or Strange-lead team: HEY! Here’s history’s most profitable comic book character.
Now I’ve gotta spend my nights trying to figure out if Sony’s announced November 11th, 2016 Spider-Man movie is going to be a co-production or simply scrapped. Here’s hoping for co-production.
