When Marvel Studios begins Phase 6 later this month, it will break a trend running for over 17 years in the MCU. Since Marvel Studios began building its expansive cinematic universe, the brand has clumped its releases into Phases with each typically revolving around a narrative arc. Three phases will then typically form a Saga, with the Infinity Saga culminating in Avengers: Endgame, and the current Multiverse Saga expected to end with Avengers: Secret Wars.
Phase 6 will be the beginning of the last phase in the Multiverse Saga, and to start things off, Marvel Studios is going back to a tradition held in Phase 1. The first ever MCU film was Iron Man, which introduced the world to Robert Downey Jr.'s Tony Stark. More importantly, Iron Man was an origin story. The origin stories for several other Marvel heroes followed in Phase 1, such as Captain America: The First Avenger and Thor. Since then, Marvel Studios has not opened a single phase with an origin story film.
That will change on July 25, when Phase 6 opens with The Fantastic Four: First Steps. While The Fantastic Four: First Steps won't be a typical origin story for Marvel's first family, it will be the first instance that audiences have met the core four heroes.
It's also not a direct sequel to any other MCU film (although the Fantastic Four will have a big future in other Marvel Studios projects).
The MCU has still had plenty of origin stories throughout the Multiverse Saga, introducing new heroes in movies like Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and Eternals. However, none of these have been selected to open a phase, with Marvel opting to use sequels as starters instead.
This means The Fantastic Four: First Steps will break a four-phase-long trend in the MCU as it launches the cinematic universe into a new era by going back to the origin story format.
All the Films That Have Started an MCU Phase
Phase One: Iron Man
The film that started it all, Iron Man, launched the MCU and the story of one of Marvel Comics' most iconic heroes. Jon Favreau's superhero film set the tone and bar for the MCU, balancing humor, action, and larger-than-life characters.
Iron Man tells the origin story of philanthropic billionaire Tony Stark, who altered the direction of his father's weapons company and turned himself into the ultimate weapon with an iron suit of armor. Right from the start, Iron Man laid the groundwork for expanding a cinematic universe, with Marvel Studios' first post-credits scene hinting at the future.
Phase Two: Iron Man 3
After establishing other heroes like Thor, Hulk, and Captain America in Phase 1 (which culminated in 2012's Avengers), Phase Two of the MCU began with the third movie in the Iron Man trilogy.
This was Downey Jr.'s last solo film in the MCU. It followed Tony Stark as he dealt with the fallout of Avengers and a new threat in the mysterious Mandarin.
Phase Three: Captain America: Civil War
Phase 3 of the MCU effectively began with an Avengers film as Captain America (Chris Evans) and Iron Man picked sides in reaction to the government's introduction of the controversial Sokovia Accords. The heroes gathered their Avengers colleagues into two faction that ended with friends fighting friends. The film also introduced several key MCU heroes like Tom Holland's Spider-Man and Chadwick Boseman's Black Panther.
Phase Four: Black Widow
It took four phases for Scarlett Johansson's Natasha Romanoff to receive her own solo film. Still, after the hero's sacrifice in Avengers: Endgame, Marvel Studios seemed to think it was time and set Black Widow as the opener of Phase 4. While Black Widow technically explores Romanoff's origins, the film is more of a prequel, with the majority of the action taking place after the events of Captain America: Civil War but prior to Avengers: Infinity War.
Phase Five: Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania
Similar to Phase 2, Marvel Studios opened its fifth Phase (which recently ended with Ironheart), with a trilogy-capper, Ant-Man's third movie, Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania. Despite featuring Paul Rudd and Evangeline Lilly's Avengers, Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania was more anticipated for introducing the Multiverse Saga's big bad, Kang the Conqueror.
However, this ultimately did not amount to much as the controversy around Kang actor Jonathan Majors led to a late-stage re-work of the saga, with Robert Downey Jr.'s Doctor Doom becoming the new overarching villain instead.
Phase Six: The Fantastic Four: First Steps
Phase 6 of the MCU will begin in late July when The Fantastic Four: First Steps releases and introduces the world to Reed Richards (Pedro Pascal), Sue Storm (Vanessa Kirby), Johnny Storm (Joseph Quinn), and Ben Grimm (Ebon Moss-Bachrach).
The quartet is famously referred to as Marvel's first family and will be introduced in an alternate Earth in their solo film, before the events of the movie somehow propel them towards the main timeline for their next appearance in Avengers: Doomsday.
