MCU Phase 4 Review/Marvel SDCC Highlights

I am back with my MCU film reviews! It has been a while since I did these because I paused on doing any MCU content due to the actors and writers strikes last year. We are going to pick up with Phase 4 of the MCU which is the start of the multiverse saga. Now I got to say that this phase was interesting because I thought we wouldn’t get any of these movies due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Once these films started releasing, they kind of went all over the place, and I will explain why at the end. This phase was also the first to include shows on Disney Plus making it the longest phase of the MCU. However I already reviewed those shows in a separate post, so I won’t be covering them here. Before I start the review, please note that these ratings are solely based on my opinion, so please don’t come after me if my rating is different than yours. At the end, I will also be briefly covering highlights from Marvel’s presentation at San Diego Comic Con this year.

Black Widow (2021)

I was really anticipating this movie to be the big comeback for the MCU after the pandemic. However, it really didn’t get a standing ovation for a few reasons. I really liked the backstory of Natasha’s “family” and how they were all brought together, but I would’ve liked to see more of how she became the Black Widow we all know. I understand it was shown through some flashbacks in Avengers: Age of Ultron, but I would’ve liked to see a more expanded origin of what happened in the Red Room just so I could understand the plot more. Honestly, this movie would’ve worked better if it was released after the completion of Phase one rather than after her death in Endgame because there wasn’t really that much interest for a Black Widow solo movie now. The villain was also very mediocre like most of time, I forget they are supposed to return for the upcoming Thunderbolts* movie. I just wished there was more action fights between Natasha and Taskmaster since that trailer really gave me false hope. Furthermore, it didn’t help that this movie was released onto Disney Plus (with an additional fee) the same day it premiered in theaters which really hurt its box office performance. It eventually led to a lawsuit filed by Scarlett Johansson against Disney, but it did get settled.

(https://variety.com/2021/film/news/scarlett-johansson-disney-lawsuit-settled-1235078355/) Overall, I wished I had more hype for this movie, but at the same time it was both underwhelming and underrated.

 Rating: 7/10

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021)

This was another pandemic MCU film that was underrated, but it was better than Black Widow. First of all, the story was very compelling and full of heart as it dealt with family trauma. I really felt what Shang-chi had to go through as a child only for it to come back to haunt him as an adult. The other thing I liked about this film were the visuals. I mean, a lot of the background scenery was incredible showcasing the vast realm of Ta-Lo along with the special effects shown like the movement of the water. I just wished it took home the Oscar for best visual effects. I also enjoyed a lot of the fight choreography as it was non-stop. Overall, this didn’t feel like a Marvel movie in a good way and props to everyone who came together to bring this stunning film to life. I also noticed some mask-wearing in the background actors which looks like this was probably filmed during the pandemic. I hope we see Shang-Chi in another project or the sequel to this movie very soon. Also, I want to point out that the director for this film is from the same hometown as me, but on a different island.          

 Rating: 9.5/10

Eternals (2021)

I am just going to cut to the chase, and say that this movie was very forgettable. Most of it was uninteresting, and it was very slow-paced. I didn’t like how it kept going back and forth between flashbacks and the present day. Plus, by the end of the film, there was only a few of the main cast members left. In my opinion, the eternals aren’t really a popular group among all the Marvel characters like you don’t hear anyone asking who their favorite eternal is. This should’ve have been a Disney Plus show to flesh out the characters more and the pacing would’ve worked better. Also, no other MCU project has acknowledged why there is part of a celestial sticking out of the earth besides in a headline in She-Hulk (But if you’ve seen the trailer for Captain America: Brave New World, it does tease that Tiamut will finally be shown). Honestly, I don’t want to see a sequel to this film because I am not sure how it fits into the overall Multiverse saga.

 Rating: 2/10

Spider-man: No Way Home (2021)

I really wanted to see this movie in theaters, but my brother wouldn’t let me see it in the same theater with him. I was still able to see the movie online, but I will not forgive my brother for that action. Back to the review, this movie did the impossible which was tell a compelling story of a conclusion to a trilogy, and pay homage to the past Spider-man movies from Sony. It shows that Tobey and Andrew Garfield Spider-man movies are still loved by fans despite Tom Holland being the current Spider-man in the MCU. You don’t need to watch all of the Sam Raimi and Andrew Garfield Spider-man films to know the different variants in this movie, but I did because I never got the chance. Each character really got their moment in the spotlight, even if it was only for a few lines of dialogue. There were also a ton of easter eggs and callbacks to the past Spider-man films. I did notice that this film is similar to Phineas and Ferb: Across the Second Dimension since they both include: a secret identity being revealed, seeing different versions of characters from different universes, an epic final act battle, and everyone losing their memory of said secret identity. Overall, this film was a celebration of all things Spiderman and I hope to see the Tom Holland Spider-man in the MCU after what he went through.

Rating: 10/10

Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness (2022)

This film has received mixed reviews. Originally when it was announced it was going to be a horror movie, I was a bit worried because I am not a fan of that genre. However, it wasn’t that scary when I saw it. If you are a die-hard fan of horror, then you might be a little bit disappointed. I did actually enjoy this movie despite the horror element. Wanda stole the show in this film that it actually felt like it was her movie despite Doctor Strange being the lead. This movie actually intrigued me to compare the Scarlet Witch to Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West that I even wrote a post about it. I also liked the graphics and visual effects, and even the music which made it into a cult film. However, I do have some questions: why did Wanda not look for Vision? That was like the main plot of WandaVision that it revolved around. Also, remember in the post credits scene of that show when Wanda was looking through the Darkhold and we hear her kids shouting for help why did she not look for that universe instead of the 838 version we saw? I also wished that we saw Billy and Tommy use their powers which is what we saw in the final episode of WandaVision, and that we explored more universes instead of going through about 20 different ones in 10 seconds. Overall, the movie should’ve given us more of the multiverse aspect, but again I really enjoyed it. I hope that we see the Scarlet Witch in the future because if they actually confirm that she is dead, then they really did her dirty.

Rating: 9.2/10

Thor: Love and Thunder (2022)  

After having a lot of MCU films (and TV shows) revolve around grief and trauma, we get a little break with this latest film in the Thor franchise having a lot of comedy. That may have been a disadvantage based on its box office performance and negative reviews. It is also one of the shortest films in the MCU that so much of it had to be cut. Gorr the God Butcher (played by Christian Bale) was completely underused when he is normally depicted in the comics as more or a graphic murderer. In the film, he was shown killing only one god onscreen with the rest of the plot dedicated to kidnapping children which did not make sense with his overall plan. He only became a villain because the gods did not help him, and acted like jerks instead. This film even destroys all of Thor’s character building he has developed from his first film all the way to Endgame. In fact, Chris Hemsworth even admitted that his character in this film “didn’t stick the landing” and that he “became a parody of himself” (https://variety.com/2024/film/news/chris-hemsworth-thor-4-failure-frustrated-marvel-1235986778/). It did have some music and good action scenes, but sadly it was overpowered by a lot of cringy comedy and screaming goats. I also don’t know why the Guardians of the Galaxy were marketed so much considering how they only show up for like 20 minutes of this film. There are talks of making another solo Thor film, but I think they should just let the man rest until the next Avengers film.

Rating: 4/10

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022)

This film is more emotional than the first one due to the passing of Chadwick Boseman. I commend everyone who worked on this film who had to go through that tragedy along with delays due to the pandemic. It isn’t as connected to the other MCU movies, but that is a good thing to properly pay tribute to Chadwick. Once again, the film does a great job showing the culture of Wakanda as well as the world of Talokan which was a completely underwater world. The music is well executed especially Rihanna’s song, “Lift Me Up” which should have won the Oscar for Best Original Song. Speaking of the Oscars, Angela Basset should’ve also won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress since she did a phenomenal job as Queen Ramonda who had to lead Wakanda after the passing of T’Challa. A few criticisms I had were that I wish the film didn’t include the subplot between Everett Ross and Val since it wasn’t a pivotal part of the film. That should’ve been saved for a separate movie. I also wish they didn’t reveal that T’Challa died of an illness since it felt too on the nose for how Chadwick passed away, and people could easily assume it as cancer or something worse. I really enjoyed the part of Shuri taking up the mantle of the Black Panther, but I wished I saw more of her in that role rather than saving it for the third act. Overall, this film was a great conclusion to Phase 4 in addition to paying tribute to Chadwick Boseman.

Rating: 9.5/10

That is my review of Phase 4 MCU movies. Overall, this phase was mainly up and down with the films ranging from mostly mediocre to a few high ratings, which is a slow start for the multiverse saga. This is due to a number of factors: obviously there was the pandemic that really shook up the release dates of these movies. There is also the fact that these movies were being produced at the same time as the Disney Plus shows which really overwhelms the production, especially the VFX artists (also published a post on this issue). Compared to other phases of the MCU, this phase is not consistent meaning it doesn’t build up to anything. We don’t even know who is part of the Avengers, or the main threat they are facing. Unfortunately, this inconsistency continues into Phase 5 as of now (I haven’t seen Deadpool and Wolverine at the time this is written). The next two Avengers movies aren’t until Phase 6, and I have no idea how the current and upcoming films are going to be connected to them. Speaking of which, I will now switch gears and talk about highlights from this year’s Marvel’s Hall H presentation at San Diego Comic Con.

This is Marvel’s first San Diego Comic Con presentation since 2022 due to the actors and writers’ strike that occurred last year. The last time they had a presentation, there were so many projects announced and a lot of them still have not been released due to production delays, and Marvel’s main goal of creating quality over quantity projects. This year’s presentation only covered three of their upcoming films: Captain America: Brave New World, The Thunderbolts*, and Fantastic Four: First Steps. Only exclusive footage was shown at comic-con, but the biggest moment of the presentation was an update on the next two Avengers films. The fifth Avengers film is now going to be called, Avengers: Doomsday instead of its original title: Kang Dynasty in light of the Jonathan Majors situation, and Ant-man and the Wasp: Quantumania underperforming at the box office. That film is going to come out in 2026 followed by Avengers: Secret Wars in 2027. Both of those films are going to be directed by the Russo brothers who previously directed Avengers: infinity War and Endgame both of which were successful. As for the new big bad villain, Doctor Doom is going to be played by none other than Robert Downey Jr. This was a move no one saw coming for the MCU, and especially wasn’t on my 2024 Bingo Card. I mean so many people know RDJ as the iconic Iron Man, and the fact he is now going to play a villain is mind-blowing. I hope this is the right move for Marvel Studios as it looks ahead to the future. I also hope the movies that were discussed at the presentation do well at the box office despite so much going on behind the scenes. A major component that wasn’t shared at this year’s comic-con were its Disney Plus shows. Next month, Disney will have its annual convention known as D23. I am expecting Marvel is also going to have some sort of a presentation, but it’s going to be focused on their upcoming shows like Agatha: All Along, What-If season 3, and X-men 97 season 2. Hopefully the shows deliver as well when they are released.

I hope you enjoyed this post of an incursion between MCU Phase 4 Review and Marvel SDCC highlights. I will be back with more Marvel content such as Phase 5 review, another Disney Plus shows review, and possibly highlights from D23 Marvel announcements. If you also didn’t know, I am currently on social media hiatus to avoid spoilers for Deadpool and Wolverine as I have not seen the movie yet. Once I have seen the movie, I will be back on social media. Until then, no spoilers for those who haven’t seen Deadpool and Wolverine!