Captain Marvel 2 is playing the role Marvel originally intended for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. After years of speculation, Marvel Studios finally announced their Phase 4 slate at San Diego Comic-Con and D23. It's changed a lot since, in large part because of the coronavirus pandemic, which has forced even Marvel to push back their movies' release dates. The decisions were a lot harder for Marvel because every single delay has a ripple effect on the MCU for years to become, but in the end it became inevitable.
Marvel Studios may have a reputation for playing the long game, but the studio is actually quite adaptable. The Marvel Phase 3 slate changed considerably after its initial announcement in 2014. There were two reasons for these changes; an unprecedented deal between Marvel and Sony brought Spider-Man into the MCU, and in 2015 a major corporate restructure placed Kevin Feige in charge of the franchise, allowing him to make further adjustments. Phase 4 was initially supposed to start with Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, but those plans had to be ditched when Disney fired writer-director James Gunn after some of his old social media messages resurfaced. Gunn has since returned, but a new release date has yet to be set for the threequel.
Most viewers haven't realized it, but the delay of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 actually had a massive effect on the MCU. It forced Marvel Studios to conduct a major course-correction, albeit one largely concealed by the veil of secrecy Marvel cast over the Phase 4 slate. Looking at quotes from James Gunn, however, it's possible to figure out how things changed and surprisingly, what role Captain Marvel 2 now plays in the MCU.
The closing scenes of Avengers: Endgame clearly set up Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, with Thor (Chris Hemsworth) leaving New Asgard with the Guardians, and Star-Lord (Chris Pratt) focused on finding the new version of Gamora (Zoe Saldana). Whatever story James Gunn had planned from this, Marvel originally intended to tell it at the very beginning of Phase 4. What's more, according to Gunn, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 would have served as the launchpad that developed the cosmic portion of the MCU. "When we're talking about Guardians of the Galaxy 3, and that story, that's a story that will lead to other stories," Gunn explained in one interview back in 2017. "It's innate to the DNA that that's the end of a trilogy but it's the beginning of a whole other element of the Marvel Cosmic universe." He claimed the scripts were already in the works as early as August 2017, featuring a whole new range of cosmic characters, but long-term plans spanned through the decades. When Gunn's film was delayed, all these plans appear to have been held back as well. The final Phase 4 slate bears no resemblance to Gunn's remarks, with an emphasis on secret kingdoms and the Multiverse rather than space. The current Phase 4 is essentially a backup plan.
Marvel never cancelled Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3; rather, they merely delayed it, perhaps hoping things would work out somehow. If so, they were right; Disney execs were impressed by the genuineness of Gunn's repentance, and he was rehired. Unfortunately, Gunn won't be working on Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 until he's finished with The Suicide Squad, which he agreed to in the interim. As a result, Marvel has yet to announce a release date; most viewers expect it to come out in 2023. It's reasonable to assume all the associated cosmic plans have been pushed back as well, to be launched in Phase 5.
All this means the cosmic is largely absent in Marvel Phase 4. Eternals may feature ancient aliens, but according to an official synopsis they've been living on Earth in secret for millennia; set photos show countless historic locations, meaning any cosmic sections appear to be minor in terms of runtime. The Guardians of the Galaxy are expected to turn up in Thor: Love & Thunder; Thor has headed into space with them after all, and Groot actor Vin Diesel confirmed he's been in talks with director Taika Waititi about incorporating the Guardians into the film. Regardless, though, the cosmic won't be a major part of that; rather, the bulk of the narrative looks more concerned with New Asgard, and the human Jane Foster becoming the new Mighty Thor. All the other Phase 4 films - Black Widow, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Spider-Man: Homecoming 3, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, and Black Panther 2 - are entirely Terrestrial.
In Captain Marvel 2, however, Brie Larson's Carol Danvers stands in a unique position, one shared only by Star-Lord; she is a human who has flourished among the stars. In contrast to the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise, though, Captain Marvel's appears to stand with one foot in both worlds - the Earthbound MCU and the cosmic. Little is known about the film so far, but assuming its themes continue, it may well follow Spider-Man: Far From Home's post-credits scenes. Carol Danvers could well be working with Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) and the Skrulls, potentially on an organization named SWORD, who protect the Earth from potential extraterrestrial threats.
There is no doubt Captain Marvel 2 was always going to be told; the first Captain Marvel grossed over $1 billion in the global box office. But its placement - at the tail end of Phase 4, potentially even the beginning of Phase 5 - is no coincidence. It serves an important purpose in the overarching narrative of the MCU. 2021 and 2022 are largely Earthbound adventures, but Captain Marvel 2 raises viewers' eyes towards the heavens once again. It reminds audiences that there is far more to the MCU than Earth and its secret kingdoms and that Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) may have unlocked the Multiverse, but there are still adventures to be told among the stars. Thematically, Captain Marvel 2 prepares the way for Marvel Studios to revisit the cosmic, getting people ready for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 and everything that is to launch off the back of James Gunn's movie. Viewed through that lens, Captain Marvel 2 may well be the most important project in the works right now.
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