Uproxx recently had the opportunity to sit down with Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige to discuss what comes after Phase 3 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and he made it clear that for the time being, the studio's focus is on Phase 3 and the story which will conclude with Avengers 4 in 2019.
"Well, all I’ll say is the films we are working on now – which take us through to the Avengers Untitled in May of 19 – that’s really all we are focusing on," he revealed. "And we are focusing on bringing, by that point, an unprecedented, 22-movie, continuous shared fictional narrative to a conclusion in a satisfying way." That sounds very final and it's clear that whatever comes next will be very different.
Feige continues, "And where we go beyond that? Of course we will go places beyond that. And, of course, we have ideas of where we go beyond that. But, really, it is all good stories. And as the series finale of Star Trek: The Next Generation said, ‘All good things must come to an end.’ And part of what makes them special, there is a finite quality to the best of fictional stories through history. And we wanted to do that at the end of our first three phases and 22 movies. How we start anew and wherever we go beyond that is a story for another time. This is really about 10 years on, bringing something to a head in a satisfying and unexpected way." So, will The Avengers be disassembled?
With so many other heroes in the MCU, a new iteration of the team could exist as we move into Phase 4 but it's clear that Avengers 4 will bring the story of Captain America, Iron Man, and Thor to an end.
As for why we haven't had any major announcements since that Phase 3 event back in 2014, Feige explained: "I think it is. I also think that was a particular event to really announce and showcase Phase Three and I guess set up the expectation of doing something like that every few years. But the notion we are sitting here talking and we have, what, six films yet to be released? That’s more than almost any other single production entity in town has on the docket. That should be enough."
What do you think Phase 4 will look like? Share your theories with us in the comments section below.