As we get deeper into Phase 4 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, there are many who are wondering where the next Thanos-level threat is that not only hung over the Infinity Saga, but gave a greater sense of connectivity between the projects. According to Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige, we won’t have to wait much longer for the next big saga to begin to reveal itself.
Feige spoke to Total Film (via GamesRadar) for its Thor: Love and Thunder cover story and shared that this next big saga will begin to reveal itself in the “coming months.”
“As we’re nearing the end of Phase 4, I think people will start to see where this next saga is going,” Feige said. “I think there have been many clues already, that are at least apparent to me, of where this whole saga is going. But we’ll be a little more direct about that in the coming months, to set a plan, so audiences who want to see the bigger picture can see a tiny, tiny, tiny bit more of the roadmap.”
If we look at what’s coming up in the MCU in 2022, we have Thor: Love and Thunder, I Am Groot, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, an untitled Halloween special, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, and The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special. In 2023, we will be treated to Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, The Marvels, and X-Men ’97.
Beyond that, we also know Blade and Fantastic Four are on their way, as well as a Secret Invasion series, Armor Wars, Ironheart, Echo, a Wakanda series, Captain America 4, Loki season 2, and much more.
This tease could come from anywhere, and it very well may be linked to Jonathan Majors’ Kang the Conqueror, whose variant was first introduced in Loki’s first season and who is set to make his big debut in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.
We also could be headed towards a bigger focus on the Young Avengers comic storylines, as there have been a handful of younger heroes getting the spotlight in Phase 4, including Kate Bishop, Kamala Khan, America Chavez, Kid Loki, Billy and Tommy Maximoff, and more. Kang also has a link to the Young Avengers in the comics, which could fit nicely into the MCU’s plan.
Avengers: Endgame directors Joe and Anthony Russo also previously revealed that a Secret Wars movie could convince them to return to the MCU, as “the ambition of it is even bigger than the ambition of the Infinity Saga.”
Either way, we won’t have to wait too much longer to start finding out some of the answers, as Thor: Love and Thunder will arrive in theaters on July 8, 2022, and will be followed by an endless wave of projects in 2022 and beyond.
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Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.