Though it was less than a year ago that Phase 3 of the MCU ended, it now feels like ages ago. This marked the end of an epic chapter of storytelling in the ambitious shared universe. Now seems like a great time to look back on Phase 3 before the next chapter of the MCU begins.
Phase 3 introduced plenty of exciting new characters to the MCU while further exploring some of the already established heroes. As with every stage of the MCU, Phase 3 had its ups and downs, but how did it land overall? Here are some reasons Phase 3 of the MCU is the best era and some reasons it is the worst.
10 Best: True Shared Universe
The idea of a shared universe was a big question mark in Phase 1, and even in Phase 2 they were still working out the kinks. But by Phase 3, the MCU really did feel like this massive cinematic playground unlike anything seen before.
The universe started to have a lot of fun with how it could connect. The events of Captain America: Civil War had huge effects on several solo films. We had fun references and in-jokes to the larger world. The world of the comic books truly came to life on the big screen.
9 Worst: Continuity Errors
Few franchises could stand up to nitpicking from fans but the MCU does get a little more scrutiny because of its massive size. Remarkably, with 23 films so far, the MCU has managed to maintain a pretty solid continuity. Unfortunately, Phase 3 broke it in some big ways.
In Spider-Man: Homecoming, we get a prologue set just after The Avengers. We then cut to eight years later for the setting of the film. However, in the other continuity, Spider-Man would have only occurred a few years after The Avengers. They have subsequently had to ignore this small error that broke everything.
8 Best: Diversity
Superhero films had always been criticized for their lack of diversity and that was becoming a more blatant issue in recent years. Thankfully, the MCU took that criticism to heart and Phase 3 is when we really started to see progress in that area.
Heroes like Black Panther, Captain Marvel and The Wasp got to step into the spotlight while celebrating the diverse nature of these characters. Black Panther alone became a very significant pop-culture milestone. Despite what some think, diversity always leads to more interesting stories being told. Though these were small steps, it got the ball rolling on some interesting new characters to come.
7 Worst: No More Small Projects
In Phase 1 of the MCU, solo films could exist and feel like they are totally standalone adventures. That is no longer possible in the MCU at this point. While the solo films in Phase 3 were able to tell bold stories, they were never free from the overall MCU.
This is the price that needs to be paid for having such a large connected cinematic universe. Each story has to exist in the world that has already been established by all the movies that came before. The results can be fun, but they can also feel stunted.
6 Best: Filmmakers' Voices
The MCU has long been criticized for not giving their filmmakers the creative freedom for their projects. This led to many filmmakers stepping away from the franchises they started. In Phase 3, behind the scenes changes allows Kevin Feige to give more control to talented directors with great results.
James Gunn was able to fully embrace his weirdness in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. Taika Waititi was able to take Thor in a whole new and exciting direction. Ryan Googler was able to tell a powerful story about African heritage. It all made for more exciting projects with unique voices.
5 Worst: Humor Over Drama
Part of the charm of the MCU has been the humor that is infused in these movies. Some superhero franchises have embraced the darkness of their characters, but the MCU has always felt their world works better with a light approach.
However, in Phase 3, it began to feel like the humor was taking priority over the dramatic storytelling. Several of the movies could fully be considered comedies and some powerful moments were undercut by the constant quips and gags.
4 Best: Villains
Phase 1 and Phase 2 of the MCU were plagued by what became known as Marvel's villain problem. With the exception of Loki, the MCU had failed to deliver any memorable villains and it was beginning to hurt their movies.
Phase 3 finally recognized the problem for what it was and really stepped up the villain game. Michael Keaton and Kurt Russell delivered some fun villain turns. Erik Killmonger was a stunning creation of a sympathetic villain. And then came Thanos who became an iconic cinematic villain who was well worth the wait.
3 Worst: New Avengers
As Phase 3 came to a close, the MCU not only began closing the chapter on their storytelling so far, but they also began setting the stage for what's to come in the future. However, one of the things they failed to do is focus on the new heroes who will be stepping into the spotlight.
Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame provided a solid farewell to the original six heroes. But heroes like Black Panther, Captain Marvel, and Doctor Strange were sidelined. These characters don't feel ready to take over for the icons that came before them.
2 Best: End Of The Chapter
Avengers: Endgame had a massive task of bringing the so-called Infinity Saga to a fitting end after nearly two dozen films. with expectations at an all-time high, the film managed to deliver a thoroughly satisfying end.
The way the entire story was wrapped up was so expertly done while also providing a thrilling individual story that left fans emotional and elated. And even though we had to say goodbye to some favorites, their finales were handled perfectly. It was the fitting crowning jewel on the MCU to this point.
1 Worst: Overstuffed
By the time Phase 3 began, the MCU was established as an unstoppable franchise. The reputation might have led to them getting a little carried away with how many projects they were throwing at fans.
Phase 1 consisted of six films. Phase 2 was also six films. Phase 3 was eleven films over the course of three years. This overloaded output could be the reason some people feel that Marvel is oversaturating the cinematic landscape and it could develop into Marvel fatigue.
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