A rough era in the Marvel Cinematic Universe will officially be coming to a close on July 1 once the final installments of a current MCU project are released. The MCU has not been the same since Avengers: Endgame. Even fans who defend the Multiverse Saga until they are blue in the face will agree that the franchise feels different. For some, the most recent era of the MCU has been the roughest, but that is all about to change.
The final three episodes of Ironheart will be released on Tuesday, July 1, officially bringing a rough and tiring era of the MCU to a much-needed end. When Ironheart's last episodes air, Phase 5 of the MCU will be over, and the franchise will be ready to blast off into Phase 6 with the theatrical premiere of The Fantastic Four.
As mentioned, the franchise hasn't been the same since Avengers: Endgame, but that doesn't necessarily make the MCU rough. Phase 5 was generally considered the roughest phase the MCU has ever seen, simply due to how divisive some of its projects were, and how it seemed as though the quality would drastically change from project to project.
For example, Phase 5 kicked off with Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania. Quantumania was supposed to be a heavy hitter that set up the remainder of the Multiverse Saga since it featured Jonathan Majors' Kang the Conqueror (who was going to be an even bigger villain than Thanos) in a major role. However, the movie was not well-received by fans, and it then became one of the least essential films in the entire franchise after Majors was arrested, fired by Marvel Studios, and had his character (Kang) scrapped.
Another Phase 5 release that received a lot of criticism was Secret Invasion. Once again, many had high expectations for Secret Invasion, but it simply did not deliver, causing a lot of longtime fans to deem it one of the worst MCU projects.
However, for as many lows there were in Phase 5, there were also the same number of highs. For instance, while Quantumania, Secret Invasion, and The Marvels were viewed as poor releases, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, Loki Season 2, and Deadpool & Wolverine were praised for being amazing additions to the ever-growing universe.
So, while just looking at quality and fan reception, Phase 5 was a rough era for the MCU because it simply was not consistent. A lot of the projects (whether fans thought they were good or bad) simply felt as though they weren't a part of the same universe and weren't focused on a point that would cause each project to intersect.
It is also worth mentioning that Phase 5 wasn't as much of an anchor at the box office as other phases of the MCU have been for Marvel Studios and Disney in the past.
Yes, some films like Guardians 3 and Deadpool & Wolverine made a lot of money. However, the other four did not, and The Marvels even became the lowest-grossing MCU movie ever released.
Altogether, Phase 5 broke an MCU record, but not in a good way. Of all five phases, it grossed the least amount of money ($3.6 billion), coming in just under Phase 1 ($3.8 billion).
So, with Ironheart bringing Phase 5 to a close, Marvel Studios can look in the rearview mirror, let out a sigh of relief, and learn from its mistakes moving forward.
How Phase 6 Can Fix the MCU
While Phase 5 was a bit of a dud for Marvel Studios and the MCU, Phase 6 is already primed to get the franchise right back on course.
Phase 6 already has something that no other MCU phase has ever had before, and it is something that almost definitely ensures that the new era will start off with a bang — The Fantastic Four is kicking it off.
The Fantastic Four has to be one of the most anticipated MCU films of all time. Behind the Avengers flicks and probably Deadpool 3, it is hard to think of another movie fans have ever been more excited for.
As if The Fantastic Four wasn't enough to give the MCU a shot of adrenaline with Phase 6, fans will also be treated to two Avengers movies (which will feature the returns of Marvel movie legends such as Robert Downey Jr., Ian McKellen, and more) and a Spider-Man film.
Even if those were to be the only four films in Phase 6, it would be safe to assume that Phase 6 could gross an incredible amount of money. Both Avengers films should make well over $1.5 billion, and it would not be surprising if both comfortably passed the $2 billion mark.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day (which will include one character from Daredevil: Born Again) will also safely cross $1 billion, and could also join the Avengers flicks in the $1.5 billion club, depending on what the story is about and which characters show up in the film.
So, while Phase 5 was a rough patch for the MCU, the stars are perfectly aligned for Phase 6. If, for some reason, Phase 6 does not perform well, then it will be time for Marvel Studios and Disney to take a few steps back and completely reevaluate the entirety of the MCU and its future, which is something the companies are already doing for Phase 7.
