AVENGERS 4 Likely Won't Be The End Of Avengers Movies, But Marvel Is Planning To Launch A New Franchise Soon
While Avengers 4 may be end of the team as we've come to know them, it sounds like Disney isn't exactly ready to rule out more Avengers films. Plus, Marvel is expected to launch a new franchise in Phase 4!
With Avengers: Infinity War kickstarting the endgame and next year's Avengers 4 expected to bring these first ten years to an epic close, many have been wondering where exactly Marvel Studios plans on going after this run of unprecedented cinematic dominance and whether or not we'll ever see Earth's Mightiest Heroes suit up again on the big screen after 2019.
While we await word on Marvel's slate for 2020 and beyond, Disney CEO Bob Iger shared an interesting nuggest yesterday, which seemingly suggested that the studio may have already mapped out Phase 4, 5, and 6 - assuming, of course, that they stick to their current four years per Phase model, "We meet on a regular basis with our Marvel team, and we've plotted out Marvel movies that will take us well into the next decade." During the same earnings call, he also added that Marvel is looking to introduce a new franchise in Phase 4 that may serve as an Avengers-level event film, but that doesn't necessarily mean Avengers 4 is the last we'll see of the studio's flagship franchise. "I'm guessing we will try our hand at what I'll call a new franchise beyond Avengers, but that doesn't necessarily mean you won't see more Avengers down the road. We just haven't made any announcements about that."
While the X-Men or Fantastic Four quickly jump to the front of our minds due to Disney's impending acquisition of 20th Century Fox's film and tv assets, it's hard to imagine Iger would be referring to properties that he has yet to acquire, which means he's likely referring to a Marvel title that the studio already has in their vast catalog of film rights. So, what potential new franchise could he be referring to? Well, the Eternals would probably be a strong guess and Kevin Feige himself did recently confirm that the film was indeed in development.
Bringing the conversation back to Avengers 4, Iger reiterates that it's highly unlikely that it would serve as the final Avengers movie, "Given the popularity of the characters and given the popularity of the franchise, I don't think people should conclude there will never be another Avengers movie." However, he does also affirm that it would "have a significant conclusion" for the ten-year journey that began with 2008's Iron Man.
Disney CFO Christine McCarthy was also on the call and shared an interesting tidbit about Infinity War's profitability and how it relates to the relatively smaller-scale solo adventures. "I think the outstanding performance is nothing short of stellar," but "there is one difference in this movie … that's the size of the cast. ... Because of the size of the cast involved and the cost of the movie, the scale, the magnitude, while this film is going to be very profitable, it may not be on the same return level as some of the other films, because of the sheer scale of it."
At the moment, Phase 4 remains a complete mystery with the only confirmed film being the Untitled Spider-Man Sequel, which is expected to swing into theaters on July 5, 2019. Untitled Marvel Movies have then been set for release on May 1, 2020; July 31, 2020; November 6, 2020; May 7, 2021; July 30, 2021; November 5, 2021; February 18, 2022; May 6, 2022; and July 29, 2022. While it remains unclear which films will ultimately occupy these dates, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 and Black Panther 2 are expected to be two of initial Phase 4 releases.
So, what do you guys think? Which franchise would you like to see Marvel launch next? Sound off with your thoughts below!
DISCLAIMER: ComicBookMovie.com is protected under the DMCA (Digital Millenium Copyright Act) and...
[MORE]
ComicBookMovie.com, and/or the user who contributed this post, may earn commissions or revenue through clicks or purchases made through any third-party links contained within the content above.