Many thought that Avengers: Endgame would serve as the conclusion to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). But post-Endgame, Marvel revealed a lot of upcoming films and television series. So, will Marvel ever end?
We’ve had many films and television series after Avengers: Endgame, which is why fans have pointed out that Marvel seems to be focusing on quantity rather than quality.
Marvel released 10 films after Avengers: Endgame, the latest one being Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. We have gotten eight Marvel television series and three more for this year: Secret Invasion, Loki Season 2, and Echo.
Additionally, upcoming Marvel projects include Captain America: Brave New World, Agatha: Coven of Chaos, Daredevil: Born Again, Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, Avengers: Secret Wars, and many more. So, will Marvel ever end?
How Long Will the MCU Last?
In a February 2023 interview with Entertainment Weekly, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige said that he intends for the studio to be around for “80-plus years”, just like Marvel Comics.
“It's like when people go to the comic shops. There's Spider-Man and the Avengers and the big title ones. And sometimes you pick up a one-off or an experiment from an artist or writer that you're a fan of. That's why the comics have been around for 80-plus years, and I want Marvel Studios to be around that long, if not longer. So, we have to continue to do different types of things,” Feige said.
Additionally, Marvel Studios producer Nate Moore said in a November 2022 interview on The Town with Matthew Belloni (via The Direct) that Marvel movies can “go for a long time:”
Belloni: “Can Marvel go forever? Everyone around town wants to know, when is this thing gonna freaking end? When are Marvel movies gonna finally end?”
Moore: “I mean, I think it can go for a long time. I think we have to continue to… We can’t sit back on our laurels. We can’t think we have the answers. We have to continue to push the envelope as far as genre and what we’re willing to explore. But to me, Marvel movies are just movies. Our source material is just… It’d be like saying, ‘Hey, are movies about books gonna go on forever?’ Probably.”
So, will Marvel ever end? Given that the studio may be around for 80-plus years, and Marvel movies could go on for a "long time", we can expect Marvel not to end anytime soon.
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How Many More Phases Will the MCU Have?
In 2022, it was revealed that Phase Four to Phase Six would be called the “Multiverse Saga”, and that plans for the MCU go up until 2032.
Currently, the MCU is in Phase Five, with Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania as its first film and Blade (2025) set to be its last film.
Phase Six is set to be concluded by Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars, which are set to be released in 2026 and 2027, respectively. So, with Phase Six ending in 2027, there could still be more phases for the MCU after.
Most likely, there would be three more phases as Feige said that three phases make up a saga.
"We work in about three phases at a time. Yeah. Which, three phases together, as we all know, make a saga," said Feige at a press conference for Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (via /Film).
So, it’s safe to say that Phase Six is not the last phase of the MCU and that we can expect three more MCU phases after the Multiverse Saga.
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What’s After the Multiverse Saga?
Fans of Marvel Comics know that there is still comic book source material that can be adapted, like Avengers vs. X-Men.
In the past, we have been teased with the existence of mutants in the MCU. So, Phases Seven, Eight, and Nine could be the MCU’s Mutant Saga.
In Ms. Marvel, we learn that Kamala Khan’s genes have some kind of “mutation”. In Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Namor tells Shuri that he is a mutant.
In WandaVision, Evan Peters' Quicksilver from the X-Men movies appears, although his character was later revealed to be Ralph Bohner. And in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, we see Patrick Stewart’s Charles Xavier/Professor X, who’s also from the X-Men movies.
These circumstances have led to questions as to when the X-Men will join the MCU. Even She-Hulk’s Jennifer Walters asked this question to the robot K.E.V.I.N.
While there are no official announcements yet as to when the X-Men will join the MCU, Feige did give a hint during the San Diego Comic-Con 2022.
Brandon Davis of Comicbook.com asked, "Phase 10, is that gonna be Phase X?", and Feige replied: "You wanna wait ‘til Phase 10 for the X-Men?... Alright, that’s longer than I wanna wait".
Additionally, asked by Deadline in October 2022 when the X-Men will arrive in the MCU, Feige said:
"That's what Jennifer Walters just asked the robot in the final episode of She-Hulk, and I'll give you the same answer that he gave, which was -- I don't remember, no answer is what I think he gave. But Deadpool and Wolverine, you know, we’re getting close.”
So, while we don’t know yet exactly when the X-Men will arrive in the MCU, we could hope for them to be the highlight in the MCU after Phase Six, as the next three phases could possibly deal with mutants.
But for now, the closest thing we have with mutants and the X-Men is Deadpool 3, which forms part of Phase Five of the MCU.
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Will Marvel Ever End?
Given that Marvel Studios could be around for 80-plus years, and there may be more MCU phases after Phase Six, we can expect Marvel not to end anytime soon.
Even after Avengers: Endgame, Marvel has shown that there’s still more story to tell in the MCU. There’s a lot in store for us in Phase Five and Phase Six of the MCU, and we can expect more to come after the Multiverse Saga.
And while there are still more character arcs that could be explored and stories from Marvel Comics that could be adapted, we can expect more Marvel films to be made.
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