Just this year alone in the MCU, Wanda and Vision got married, Sam Wilson became Captain America, and Loki broke the Multiverse and set Kang the Conqueror free. If someone were to have read that sentence back in 2008, they would never have believed it.
Yet here Marvel Studios is. On top of the two films and another show-and-a-half set to air this year, the next few years will double the size of the MCU in under half the time it even took for Iron Man to reach Avengers: Age of Ultron. That means the entirety of the Infinity Saga could have been made in 3-4 years if those storylines had started in today's landscape.
It all had to start somewhere, in places such as Tony Stark turning his life around, Thor visiting Midgard, and Captain America becoming the First Avenger. All of that seemed larger than life at the time, but now looking at where the franchise is, and what the Infinity Saga became, that first phase of films seems so insignificant in the grand scheme of things.
But as the saying goes, it's important not to forget the past, a sentiment that Marvel agrees with, as the company is releasing brand-new variant covers paying tribute to the first films in the MCU.
NEW INFINITY SAGA COVERS
Marvel has revealed six brand-new variant covers for upcoming comics that pay tribute to phase 1 of the Infinity Saga.
The first cover, based on Iron Man, is for Iron Man #14 and is drawn by Marco Checcetto. The comic goes on sale on 11/17.
The next is a cover by Joe Bennett, depicting the events of The Incredible Hulk, which is for Hulk #1. The comic goes on sale on 11/3.
This variant cover is drawn by Taurin Clarke for Captain America/Iron Man #1 and shows the events of the climactic act of 2010's Iron Man 2. Fans can purchase this on 11/24.
Thor's first appearance in the MCU is drawn by Ema Lupacchino as a variant cover for Thor #19. The issue is set to hit shelves on 11/17.
The First Avenger's WWII epic gets the spotlight in another variant cover for Iron Man/Captain America #1, which is drawn by Adam Kubert. The comic can be purchased starting 11/24.
Finally, fans can pick up the variant cover for Avengers #50 on 11/17, whose cover is drawn by Arthur Adams, and depicts The Avengers teaming up against Loki's invasion of NYC.
CELEBRATING THE PAST
Watching the first Avengers film was a once-in-a-lifetime experience—or so many people thought; until countless movies, years later, successfully replicated the immense joy and exhilarating excitement that the 2012 team-up film first brought to life.
The same things have been said about Avengers: Endgame, that the experience can't be replicated; but if there's anything Marvel has proven, it's that anything can happen in the MCU.
Remembering the past is important, but so is taking time in the present, and looking to the future. In just a few weeks, audiences around the world will be introduced to a brand-new hero who will likely one day join the ranks of the Avengers in the form of Shang-Chi. After that, Eternals is set to bring an entirely new understanding to the MCU at large.
Looking past this year, things like the Young Avengers and the Dark Avengers are being set up behind the scenes, as is an entirely new corner of the MCU with characters such as Moon Knight and Blade. The list goes on and on, but to put it simply, it's never been a better time to be a fan of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
