Is Phase 4 Of The MCU Really THAT Bad? | Geek Culture Explained
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- Опубліковано 4 лип 2024
- Is the MCU Phase 4 really that bad? It seems like the growing sentiment amongst long time Marvel and MCU fans is that the MCU Phase 4 has contributed to a perpetual decline of the universe overall. But is MCU Phase 4 really all that bad? In today's video, "Is Phase 4 Of The MCU Really THAT Bad?" I give my thoughts on how I feel about Phase 4 and breakdown what I think is happening in regards to the quality of content and what the fans of the "Old MCU" are feeling. What do you guys think? Has Phase 4 of the MCU been a disappointment in your eyes? As always, let me know down in the comments below!
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Is Phase 4 Of The MCU Really THAT Bad? | Geek Culture Explained
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Some huge differences of opinion in the comment section. Do you think Phase 4 has put the MCU in trouble? I'm not convinced...
In "trouble?" Not yet, but people are starting to losing faith In their storytelling ability 🤔
Phase 4 with the exception of Spider-Man NWH has been poorly received by audiences due to the *The* *Message* 🤔 Even women are roasting She-Hulk on UA-cam and Twitter 🤭
Phase 1 goal was make it to the next movie and hopefully people will still be paying attention. It worked 🤷🏿♂️
Other than NWH and maybe MoM, I haven't enjoyed phase 4 and I'm experiencing HEAVY burn out. Idk about u guys...
I consider myself a fan of comics, not necessarily reading too many but I've watched a fair bit of Comics Explained for both Marvel and DC outside of their movies. I used to wait for every MCU movie with baited breath to go see it in theaters, but now I feel like I don't really care? I'm just wishing that DC put in the work to make their own movie landscape, rather than rush to catch up with Marvel, so maybe now we could at least be getting some cool Justice League or Bat-Family or Green Lantern shenanigans.
I don't think they care tbh it's like they are trying I mean how do u ruin the mighty Thor story arc while trying to push women empowerment turn cancer into a joke and ruin God butcher storyline that is hard to do then this she hulk crap smh n watch the excuse will be they were all skrulls it wasn't them what skrulls are writing directing and bankrolling this crap to smh
Rob hit the nail on the head. Chadwick Boseman was 100% going to be the flagship/face of the MCU and he had the charisma, acting chops, popularity, and the character was amazing. That's part of what makes his passing so tragic, and I really don't know what they will do going forward.
I think his death definitely put a wrench in there plans and now they’re scrambling to figure out what to do
Ask yourself if he hadn't died, would you still feel that way about the character and baseman?
cool chracter but didnt have the charisma of a tony, steve, banner, or even thor when hes written well. very cool guy but this is strictly about bp.
Wasn't he hiding he had cancer for a while? I feel like they wouldn't have built him like that as much if they knew that
Reed Richards ? Seems like the next logical choice, or Prof. X
I remember Feige in an interview around the time between Infinity War and End Game stating that Phase 4 would be something like this where it wasn’t all about the big picture and more of projects being their own thing.
The Mcu definitely has a direction it just seems to be telling more than one story simultaneously. And just like comics will all run together at some point but there has to be a way for them to introduce characters in a way that’s universally accepted
I've been reading comics for almost 50years, not all comics tie in to each other, they do build the world around them and they build characters that can be used later in other projects and it can pull a lot of viewers that would possibly not watch your project, actually give it a shot. Kinda of like the crossover events in the comics, sometimes they don't interest you, until you see your favorite character is front and center...now you give it a chance
Yeah, and the way I see it, Phase Four is a rebuilding of the MCU after "Avengers: Endgame"
To me, Loki seems to be the flagship character of Phase Four
I would say it's mostly just about world-building, which is needed if they're going to do something as big as secret wars properly.
Well done.
Yep exactly.
They shot their load with Endgame and are struggling along until Kang Dynasty
Personally as a dude in his 30's, so far I've enjoyed phase 4 both Cinema and TV. Most of the shows are just fun to watch. Getting to see more different characters that might not have a major plot use any time soon, is honestly fine with me. The shows are just fun to watch and relax to, and I think a lot of people seem to forget that a show can just be fun, that it doesn't have to be world-remaking.
I get that. I mean, I love Moon Knight, WandaVision, Falcon and Winter Soldier, and Ms. Marvel when a lot of people don't like it, but I feel like it was how degrading She-Hulk was that made a lot of people look at these shows and movies of Phase 4 differently. Cause let's be honest, She-Hulk wasn't that good story-wise.
Edit: And what I mean mainly about the Phase 4 movies is that they feel the same (aside from No Way Home). The premises may be different, but the tones, setups, and climaxes all usually feel the same. And even though I like the Comedy that the MCU grew into, there were some movies that shouldn't have that much as it did, like Multiverse of Madness. I feel like they got the balance of comedy and seriousness down with Moon Knight due to the dynamic between Marc and Steven. Steven was a lovable goofball whereas Marc was the serious straight man. And Marc rarely had any comedic moments until the whole dreamscape thing him and Steven were having in the afterlife (specifically when they were both screaming in terror at the hippo lady XD).
Woke garbage
Chadwick’s death hits me so much harder now that I am learning that he was supposed to be the next leader.😢
Phase4 was mostly a build up for me. Thor was so horrible it made me appreciate Dr strange 2.
I enjoyed Thor more than the overpowered Mary Sue Wanda
I think that it's chaos by design, it makes it more likely that Kang will catch everyone by suprise and combine that with secret war. The shows on Disney plus helps with character development, that on shows can.
I think the shows have been introductory/origin stories for the new characters. To me makes sense. Some of these characters are not as mainstream so a small screen intro is fitting.
I love your level headed approach to this it's so refreshing to see on UA-cam Man
I actually kind of feel like phase 4 is a second childhood of the mcu where they're giving us a bunch of origin movies that are linked but not overtly so. I think as we move into phase 5 we will see more of that mcu magic we've come to expect.
The problem is - the MCU doesn't seem to have a big ensemble movie to cap it off.
Phase 1 was all build up - introducing new characters, culminating in Avengers which kicked off the Infinity Saga. Phase 4 doesn't appear to have anything like that since the final film of Phase 4, BP2 looks like it'll be focussed on Wakanda.
Thor and doctor strange are not origins tho
@@niceandflyy Doctor Strange was - for America Chavez.
The problem is - none of the new characters in Phase 4 are anywhere near as compelling as those in Phase 1.
Can America Chavez, Shang Chi or any of the Eternals lead the MCU like Tony Stark and Cap did - I just can't see it myself.
Dr strange was for America and thor was for Love
And as far as leading the mcu, I expect the next couple phases will be ultimately led by Reed Richard's, and after that by Xavier, and despite our anticipation, we really don't want those characters rushed
I have faith that everything will work out and make sense in the end.
I hope you make more videos like this in the future I like them alot man
That was dope as hell at 2:39 !!!! Nice work
I'm just not feeling it. There is so many amazing shows on these streaming platforms that I just moved on. I will come back if they right-the-ship. I feel the Marvel shows aren't Marvel but Disney shows. That's just not for me. And that's ok. I am just not the target audience anymore. Great video, Rob.
Rob, I respect this view and take, I respect you for this video you hit all the major points and are very self aware. MAJOR PROPS
👏
I’m kinda just going along for the ride. It seems like they’re world building and laying Erne foundation for big things for the next phase so I don’t have a problem with it. I feel like everything is gonna seamlessly tie into one another as we go deeper into the lore.
I don't think it's that bad. It very much feels like filler or an interlude to something greater. It's best to think about the TV shows as standalone comics.
Omg that what it feels like freaking anime filler. Never could put my finger on it until just now.
Yeah they're limited series like with comics. They give it a short run and depending on fan reception they do a volume of a series that lasts as long as it sells. They give new creators a place to try out before they hit the big league. Most comic creators start that way with limited series, one shots, back up stories, or annuals. And as with all these stories no one likes carol Danvers captain marvel no matter what they do. Lol
25 million an episode is pretty expensive filler.
@@BattleDamageProps They make that back through the toys.
Absolutely this. After a Cosmic event you have to let the storyline breathe with some filler, while the main event is brewing in the background.
As marvel fan/mcu fan, I'm able to give phase 4 a chance because I already knew the landscape would be very different after the events of Endgame; meaning that a unite force like the Avengers would need more time to come together again or it wasn't going to happen at all. Marvel needs to experiment with their tv shows and movies to find a formula that can work again; sure the obvious answer is Secret Wars but even then it can be argued that's going to take the same amount of time as it took for us to get to Endgame if not longer. I may not like everything about phase 4 but not all of it is as bad as people are making it out to be. Not everything is going to appeal to all of us all the time.
This right here is the proper answer!
What did people expect? “Avengers Assemble Again” I actually enjoy phase 4. It’s like watching side quest missions instead of the main mission
No they are joking too much . In every title almost every scene has a joke to finish it off.
My issue is the writing. The writing hasn’t been good and the jokes have either been misplaced or bad.
Nothing wrong with experimenting and building up to something big again. But I can’t excuse bad writing
What are you talking about... The new shows have untalented writers that got bullied in school and it's translated into the worst box office and fan scores for the most recent movies and shows. The bait and switch that Loki and Dr Strange were *ahem* I mean Sylvie and America Chavez show and movie. LoL its just trash.
Gorr the God Butcher chooses love? It's bad writing my friend, nothing else.
Bro awesome comment I feel the exact same way
I heard you mention Mariah and I smiled because man I was so glad when you got with someone who genuinely showed you how much you deserved to be loved....man I was rooting for yal heavy
Also been subscribed for like 12 since I was in middle school your punisher videos are my favorite u get so hyped when u talk bout him
I hope to see different groups of hero’s that go off and do their own thing. Rob has talked a lot about Midnight Suns, Young Avengers, Thunderbolts, The Marvels, etc.
I expect these groups will form, do their own thing, and then another huge event like Kang, Secret Invasion, etc will occur, and it will be the catalyst that brings heroes together and creates the Illuminati/Battle World event.
It's Midnight Sons
@@mickeymouse7726 thank you! Going off the little knowledge I have.
Secret Invasion is going to be a show, not a movie.
@@shawn092182 I did not realize that.
for the flagship character, i think it really has to be reed richards or a cap/iron-man variant. My money is on reed richards.
On that note I hope they pull the rug out on us and Doom is the flagship. It works perfectly with his role in Secret Wars, that we are getting Thunderbolts and that things seem to hint at a possible turn towards Dark Reign. Also it would finally break the MCU kills villains trope and Doom is such a compelling and popular character.
I love the build up and can't wait to see where they take the franchise. Keep up the great work Rob. You are killing the game son!
This review has been the least biased and the most honest review I have seen in the Internet. He definitely seeing things in a bigger perspective beyond just his own opinion. A lot of reviewers are making it seem as if their opinion is the only valid one. Thank you Rob for giving us a breath of fresh air.
I want to like Phase 4, there's a lot of cool stuff so far, but it misses the mark. I am excited for what is to come though as long as they don't mess it up. Especially the X-Men.
For the love of God, if Rob got a spot as a consultant or something for the MCU X-Men I'd effing cry tears of pure joy
Man, Chadwick wouldve been so cool to see as the face of the MCU. The Black Panther character had so much going. He's smart, regal, fierce, and we'll respected among the super hero community. He was a King, so the writing and dialogue between him & other characters would hold a lot more weight.
Thanks!
I always looked at the shows as just great mediums to setup and introduce and flesh out characters that are new/and not as big, or popular. Once you do that you don’t have to worry about a movie with them and you can place them wherever and if they’re popular enough that’s all the better.
I think Phase 4 was all about building out the peripheral elements of the MCU, basically laying out a much broader foundation because let's face it, the comic book world was always made for people to be able to play favourites. But in film and television there's always fear that people watch absolutely everything and get burned out. It says a lot that Loki and What If were my favourite projects in Phase 4 and are very important for setting the tone for what to expect in the MCM.
I agree with you on this.... You do get the sense that phase 4 is primarily world building for the MCU. Marvel seems to be building up a roster of character and properties that come with those character, which they can pull from further down the line..... Like for example, you need a throw away villain to go up against Dr. strange in the future? Boom Donny Blaze (from She-Hulk) get himself tangled in some magic he couldn't handle and Dr. Strange has to fly in and save the day. My only gripe is with the current shows is that they feel kinda throw away which started with Wandervision, we know we will never get a wandervision 2.....if there isn't a moon night 2 it doesn't change much in the grand scheme of things. The only exception to this would be Loki it is the only one of those shows that had real genuine impact and influence on the grand scale.
and what about the dogshit rushed VFX and the fact the movies visually looks worse than movies made in the early 2000's?
Yeah, Phase 4 is just World building only for them to try and destroy it with Kang.
We were just happy to have awesome super hero movies looking like the comics. Some of us have been waiting our whole life's for this to become true
I agree with what you said about it feeling scattered because there’s no clear leader…. BUT there’s also no actual team still left for there even to be a leader for…. All the heroes are really off doing their own solo thing for now…. They’re currently building towards a new group so they’ll give us an obvious leader or two of a main group and probably get 2-3 maybe 4 sub-groups of heroes where you’ll have multiple leaders of multiple groups
I've got no problems with the MCU as it is right now. One thing I've always appreciated from the comics is how different each series can be. As long as the shows and movies keep telling good stories I'll be fine
I would most definitely pick you as the “Kevin F.” For the X-Men run through the MCU. I have watched your channel for a long time now and the way you explain the story lines in comics is brilliant, especially when you explain the X-Men. I’ve read a lot of X-Men comics and your explanations are so good I often have to go back and re-read a few issues just to experience the story again but this time, in HD. Anyone that has read any story of the X-Men knows, that under your guidance, the X-Men franchise would be flat out incredible. The X-Men is what made me pick up a pencil and draw for the first time. The reason I like to read at all. The reason my son and I have a fun hobby and common interest in. I can tell how much this team means to you too. And for that reason to all those at the MCU offices, if ya’ll wanna print money, please give this man a shot. #specialthankstoRobComicsExplainedJefferson
Why Marvel hasn't tapped into superfans like him is beyond me. Fans could brainstorm, condense, and write things a thousand times better than anything being put out right now.
I don't think Disney can do justice to Xmen like the FOX movies did. They treated those characters with respect, and portrayed them much more maturely than the MCU. They weren't making constant quips/jokes. They let the drama actually land. I loved those movies.
I think she hulk is great and I like it as a stand alone so far, a couple fight scenes would be great. I feel the only way the could create a great flagship character is by getting the fantastic 4 out sooner and introduce Reed Richard.
Rob is one of the best things that happen to UA-cam, his explained channels are top notch.
I think this phase is intended to let creators create for a bit....think about it. You had 10 years of building toward a singular event with no real wiggle room so now they have an opportunity to build up some other characters before going back to a major event.
create what? frustration with the fans? lmfao
@@njuoergiubeg1857 the only fans who are frustrated are soyboy cucks who only really care about cool action movies and not the characters themselves.
yeah they're creating alright, creating garbage. and as the top dude pointed out, frustration within the fans. you know why phase 1-3 worked so well? because they didn't just let creators do whatever the hell they wanted to. yeah they had creative freedom but a set storyline was set, and good buildup was put in place. she hulk so far is doing nothing, Loki is the only show that set up kang. Dr strange even though it wasn't even focused on Dr strange somewhat set up incursions and whatnot. We won't even begin to talk about the clusterfuck Thor L&T was, and falcon & winter soldier did what? set up the power broker? what? no one even knows what that is.
Ahh the haters. Right on schedule.
Yea but she hulk and Thor 4 just suck. Like it just sucks
I actually like the disconnected feel of the TV shows. It feels we get to see excerpts of a variety of lives in the MCU. Different characters, different genres, different target groups, but all pretty good stories. I feel like other franchises try too hard to be the MCU, but now the MCU is being what the other franchises should be. That is, right now, the MCU is a Shared Universe - to mention something I just came from, it feels a little bit like the varied nature of SCP.
But maybe Marvel is a little scatter-brained, but I think they are using this "shared universe" feel to bring in enough pieces to form a board for the future. Maybe they will find a lead as they gather the pieces, and I hope they do, but we will see how things will shake out.
Personally, I am hoping the Thunderbolts gives the lead to Bucky and Yelena, because I love Bucky and Yelena strikes me as a great franchise lead on the feminine side.
...Or give us Young Avengers. Including Wiccan and Speed, somehow.
This is great! 11:26 Also yes, Kevin Fegie should hire you! 🙏🏽💪👏
Also, I think She-Hulk is okay. What makes me continue to watch this series is the fact that Daredevil is going to make an appearance and Tatiana Mansley is an incredible actress. Love her in Orphan Black. However, the first episode was a bit hallmarky and on the nose. But the performance was good. The writing could of been better. 7/10. The second episode was better, but the pacing was all over the place and it felt short, but the Wolverine easter egg put a huge smile on my face. 8/10. The third episode was better, but not spectacular. It had better pacing and the jokes weren't to much. 8.5/10. Episode 4 was not good to me. The jokes didn't land, and some of the writing felt lazy, but it wasn't completely terrible. 7.5/10. The current episode was better, but it was to short again. However, love the Daredevil easter egg and hope he has his cameo next week. 8/10. I hope the other episodes gets better and stay good 🙏🏽
I'm enjoying what they are doing for the most part. I will say the lack of a direction and, as you mentioned, a key figure like stark or cap to kind of latch onto has mad it a bit tougher to get into somethings.
I think that the universe has gotten so big that they are showing how different things are for each character. Also I think that marvel is team building, because secret war will be so big that it won’t focus on individual characters.
I’ve enjoyed phase 4 for the most part but it does feel like something is missing. Maybe the best way to describe it is as a excitement hangover from Endgame. I think Marvel have earned the right to experiment and we should be willing to be patient for at least one phase. #trustinFeige
People basically mad that we have to go back through rising action lol
You miss the point entirely regarding Carol Danvers. The Captain Marvel movie has a poor reputation because of internet trolls who hate women in positions of power, and they hate Brie Larsen because she calls out asshole men for what they are. That's the explanation. PERIOD. Don't confuse that with any rational talk about the character or her appearance in the movies.
Captain Marvel would be a poor leader of any Earth-bound character group because she's a f'n Super Saiyan who can fly through space. Having her fight with Spiderman against Doc Oc would be stupid. She needs to have her own intergalactic storylines.
Rob I need to know where to get those posters
I'm actually really enjoying phase 4. If I'm honest, I'm actually enjoying the inconsistency of it. It feels like they're branching out into new genres and styles of storytelling. It's like they're using the shows to experiment and potentially being in new viewers while being more consistent with the movies. Falcon and the Winter Soldier was more about political intrigue. WandaVision dealt with grief through sitcoms. Loki set up the multiverse. Ms. Marvel showed us the MCU through the wide eyes of a fanboy child. And She-Hulk is a straight up comedy. Some of that will resonate with traditional MCU viewers, some wont, but Marvel has enough clout to try it...and I'm loving it.
I'm especially loving She-Hulk because it's light-hearted. I work as a hospital chaplain in a level 1 trauma center. I hear so many fans talking about wanting "darker, grittier" stories...but I'm burnt out on dark and gritty because I live it. As viewers we get to see the fictional violence and cheer. But I see the aftermath of the real violence. We cheered when the punisher took out some goons...but my job would be to support their families. So I LOVE being able to watch my heroes and get to laugh. (Sorry to get so serious back there.)
One last point. I think Rob's right. The lack of a flagship "face" of the MCU is also adding to its inconsistency. I think that flagship will return later with the Fantastic Four. We'll see....
You keep your head up, and never stop fighting for the injured.
I would proudly stand behind you.
In this world that is on fire, I will always watch these movies and shows because they always give me hope.
She hulk’s a comedy? Has it made you laugh?
@@poofbah431 Every episode so far
@@Joeybamillion72 thank you
@@poofbah431 still fun to watch
yeah I feel like the recent installations have been lacking in quality, story and content wise. Both movies and shows(the shows are more underwhelming). With the exception of No Way Home, I was underwhelmed by Eternals, Multiverse of Madness and Love and Thunder, I liked the former 2 but they didn't live up to the hype. On the show side I liked Loki and Moon Knight the most. the rest have kind of been okay.
I think this new phase has shown that the balance of leadership is no longer there. The people that truly cared and paid attention to the little details either left or were replaced. I'm not gonna just trust Feige, not gonna just trust the plan and get excited for the next product. You can have great ideas, but what does it matter if you can't actually pull it off.
Yooo was that shots fired at The Quartering?! I love all you guys man.
I think the multiverse idea also helps the MCU should one of the actors do something like one with DC. The multiverse gets people used to the idea of seeing a famous character be played by different actors. Now, if someone acting in Marvel movies quits/retires, dies or does/says something waaaaay outside their wheelhouse that can hurt the franchise they can find a way to switch them out.
I couldn't put a finger on how I felt about things until you mentioned it. When Nick Fury and Iron Man started popping up in movies I was excited about what was coming next. When Thanos popped up I knew Infinity War was on the way and everything was leading up to that.
Now it feels like they're just doing their own thing and setting up movies/ tv shows just for the sake of it.
Feels more like a content dump vs a cinematic universe now.
🎯
People who say things like this want linear storytelling that leads to a specific event and not a broad expanding cinematic universe. Phase 4 can set the groundwork for the major saga ending event but there are set ups for 2 to 3 other minor character defining events along the way. More characters to root for for different areas of the audience is a win/win for building more generational fans moving forward because these characters have a live action shelf life that the studio is up against. It took 10 years to get to Thanos. They have outlined a complete saga in 6 this time. The cinematic universe is stronger now than the 1st decade.
@@DanBillBishop nah bro your just a fanboy this phase has been trash. It's been scattered with convalutted storylines nothing at all to follow. Just as the one guy said content dump just to make money with nothing special at all
@@robkerr9930 you said with nothing to follow. Because you want a linear story. You don't want a wide cinematic universe where there are characters across the spectrum that don't have anything to do with one another and they're just telling their own stories introducing characters to the audience. Like phase 1 was. There's 2 Avengers movies in 2025, a Thunderbolts movie that the D+ series have been setting up. And there are still unannounced projects for phase 6.. Sounds like you impatient for the events and don't care about the characters. That's fine, doesn't reflect on the phase that's setting the foundation for the next 2 phases.
Nailed it!
I largely agree, especially with the point on them needing some flagship character. I'm not sure that Strange couldn't work as one, just because the magical side of things is so important now, and I don't think leading an official avengers team is what is required for that at this point. I think the only thing required to be a flagship character is to have the main focus of the teamup movies. Also, Wong is really starting to feel like a Coulson type with how much he's in everything. And considering that Strange will probably be Sorcerer Supreme one day, I really worry he's going to die.
I don't mind the "lack of direction" people talk about, and I think the direction of the first saga is often overstated. Yeah, some movies had infinity stones, but many of the ones people consider the best were just focused on individual characters who were then written to tie in in the crossovers because they wanted to figure it out. Black Panther wasn't some masterpiece stepping stone to infinity war. They could easily have changed it so T'Chaka died for some other reason, or they just had T'Challa established as the Black Panther before, or many things, and infinity war could have used a different location than Wakanda. There were teamup movies, but there are teamups now, and people should remember that while there've been many projects, phase 4 only started a year and a half ago, that's not a long time.
The biggest thing that made me pessimistic about the MCU was actually their comic con announcement. I've always thought that a repeat of infinity war would require at least 10 years of buildup, even with more projects now than before. But now it's moving through the multiverse saga so fast, that we're not sure there's any character that will get more than 1 movie in this saga. The only one to me that's pretty certain is Spider-man, and given how NWH ended, I want to see even more, like getting through a whole new trilogy for him, before Secret Wars, and then using the Multiverse shenanigans of Secret Wars to give him back Ned and MJ and give him a happy ending. If all of that happens after Spider-man 4, I think it'll be too soon. But then no other character will get their own trilogy before Secret Wars, which really makes the idea of a flagship character hard to picture. I think the point I'm making here is they have more projects per year, but they also have more characters and because of that they still ought to take their time going to Secret Wars. A slow build where we focus on the individual characters is what should matter most.
This video perfectly summarizes all that I have felt about Phase 4. I've enjoyed the shows and some of the films but I have no idea what its all building up to and maybe that is the problem. We've gotten used to expecting a build up to something that enjoying something has been difficult.
I’m not mad at phase 4 because I understand what it takes to make a movie and build a story properly and marvel is doing something never done before by building a story across multiple different movies/TV shows, I think like you said people are more so confused cause we don’t have a iron man or cap rn but I also think people are forgetting we didn’t know anything about phases until we were already in an avengers movie, at first we were just watching flicks and enjoying so remember that we are still in the build up phase, we are still establishing a whole new group of people for us to get hype about again, also robs correct they had to do some major shuffling with Chadwick Boseman passing and rightfully so, so we can’t be mad at this especially when we’ve seen other franchises so FAR worst
Rob needs to be in charge of the MCU going forward. I would trust him 100%
I approve this message
Definitely need him on the creative team! I've believe that after the first 10 videos I seen.
Honestly though!
Shirt is dope!
Rob you deserve that credit so much! You WILL save the MCU. Get in there man we believe in you!
Cringe
Man, I’m kinda loving the fact that all these shows are so different. Not every comic connected to every other story. I know it’s a change from what the MCU was beforehand. But to me, I can find entertainment in these standalone series and hey for all we know the tie ins and connections will come later. We’re obviously being teased with young avenger teammates in a lot of these early shows, I’m sure that will be an inevitable project. Honestly I’m just along for the ride.
idc if series are standalone, but they should be good. Most of them have been average to just plain bad
I agree. And for the most part I enjoy the new series. All but the moon knight finale. It was pretty good until then. All the others I like, even Ms marvel and she hulk. It's more than enough to hold my excitement at how they'll twist what was in 616 comics or ultimate universe to bring it to the screen. That being said Thor 4 sucked and black widow was meh.
I’m with you. Falcon and the Winter Soldier was the weakest for me. I’m loving She-Hulk. It really helps break up the MCU fatigue. It’s kinda nice to see the lower level heroes with lower stakes deal with life. I have my complaints about Multiverse of Madness and Love and Thunder but I will say I had a good time in the theater so I’m not complaining…too much.
@@rudesword2852 what!? That finally was better than the whole of ms marvel, and phalcon and bucky, and hawkeye.
I totally agree that they are trying to get a larger demographic into Marvel with other projects like Ms. Marvel and She Hulk and it's totally ok. I don't think it's fair that everything needs to be geared to young men. We were just spoiled because of all other phases being so well interconnected and also I'm sure that the pandemic didn't help with shooting either.
It's fine to aim for another demographic but how about don't make every male character Homer Simpson or evil incarnate?
@@alucard21-17 Right or just have better writing. Why are we not holding writers accountable
Just sad how they keep pushing out this woke bs
@@10blackguys66 Yeah and they're gonna use Chadwick as a cash grab preying on grief. Disney is a monster but Mainstream media won't admit it
@@10blackguys66 not even that its woke it's that they lack any amount of subtlety when they talk about anything. Every important topic sounds like a college student's last minute essay.
For me the direction of phase 4 and it's goal was crystal clear, dealing with the aftermath and the grief of Infinity War and Endgame and slowly building the heroes we love back up, and at the same time rebuilding the Avengers via introducing new heroes, and to me phase 4 was far from terrible or even bad, yes it's scattered but I believe Marvel wanted it to be that way, after the infinity saga the heroes and everyone was scattered themselves, they had no direction and they wanted a break, but they kept getting thrown into these conflicts, realizing that villains and enemies will always be there, and not just the world but the universe will always need them, so they will heal and become those heroes again, they likely realize they will one day need to reunite to fight off another Thanos type threat, and this time they'll need to be prepared, they'll need more avengers, and they'll need to grow stronger, phase 5 will probably continue this trend but I believe it'll show a direction of introducing this next big villain in Kang, and it will also start showing us our Avengers coming back stronger than ever, showing that they are ready for Kang, or not because Kang is a legit menace but at least they'll be more ready than they were for Thanos, anyways, while Phase 4 was definitely not without flaws, with it's identity politics and quantity over quality, if you look past that, you can see where they are attempting to go, while yes Thor Love and Thunder, She-Hulk, and for most people Ms.Marvel are major disappointments, they did accomplish what they needed to, just not in a satisfying way, but Marvel is starting to realize their mistakes and will start fixing it, I don't think it's time to give up on Marvel, patience is key and eventually it will all pay off, besides, when there were good stuff in phase 4 it was phenomenal, there is no arguing that, so in conclusion, no, phase 4 was not that bad at all, if you have an open mind and look past it's flaws, and lets face it every phase in the mcu has it's flaws, then you'll see that phase 4 was actually pretty good and had a soul of it's own and it did have goals, and also, yes, it doesn't specify the new face of the mcu or leader of the avengers, I believe that is the point, but if I had to guess, it would have to be Dr.Strange or Sam Wilson's cap, for obvious reasons, Dr.Strange is immensely powerful and more capable of handling multiversal threats than anyone else, and he was one of the soul reasons the Avengers beat Thanos, and, we have cap, it's Captain America, and Steve must have chosen him for a good reason, and I trust that Anthony Mackie will do a fine enough job at standing in his place.
Sorry for the long read, but I thought I'd put my thoughts out, I love phase 4, and I'm willing to embrace what else Marvel has in store with open arms.
Love that you called out The Quartering! That's hilarious! I love it! 🤣🎃
You said it yourself Rob, things weren’t pulled together until the first Avengers. Before that was setup, which is where we are now.
P4 is the setup/introductory phase and the shows allow origin stories and character setup without using a movie slot.
I think Phase 4 will age better once we start to see the big picture. It seems like there's 3-4 storylines being build right now. Incursions (Dr strange, No way home, what if, wandavision), Kang (loki, ant man), thunderbolts/new avengers (F & WS, Hawkeye, black widow) and something cosmic (Shang chi, Ms. Marvel, and the marvels). All pieces that will be useful in secret wars
Phase 4 was all about building back up to the big event secret wars and setting characters up so they can eventually be on their own or come together as a stronger force. I hope they do recast Black Panther role rip Chadwick tho
They are world building this phase which they should do if they want to pull off Secret Invasion properly. This time around they got some really talented actors and actresses mainly Florence and Hailey.
I think I actually miss all the time between projects, like waiting 7-12 months for the next movie. The 1-3 month wait until the next project doesn’t feel healthy for the quality of the franchise in my opinion.
Naw because that still doesn’t guarantee its goin to be good..we can wait all that time and still get a bad movie
I don’t think people are going to have payoff or be able to understand the connective tissue the issue being created until we get deep into phase 5. Seems people don’t have patience for allowing the vision to take shape.
I think these people have short memories. Critics and even some fans were claiming the MCU wouldn’t work as soon as Incredible Hulk came out and it didn’t stop until the first Avengers. Hell, even after that we had people claiming the MCU was doomed because “who wants to watch a Guardians of the Galaxy movie?”. In other words,
@@xthelegend89 word!!
Rob as a MCU consultant. I'm down for it
Out of all the new characters they've introduced lately, I'm interested in the Abomination the most. He finally got the visual representation he deserved and has a funny character development while still having the potential to be a pretty good villain who's just making fools out of the good guys with his yoga-reformed shtick. I really hope they put him in the Thunderbolts or at least make him the villain of the She-Hulk series. Like, her first successfull job coming back to bite her in the ass and to show her that being a good lawyer is not enough, she needs to be a superhero. It would be great.
My issue with Phase 4 ultimately comes down to the quality of the story telling and it just isn't the same anymore. I used to care about every Marvel project and now I don't anymore. I think that's really a indicator of how the quality of the stories have gone down. WandaVision, Loki and Spider-Man No Way Home had the best stories of phase 4 but all the other projects just aren't on par with those 3. So yeah I'm just not feeling it as a whole and I'd never thought I'd ever say that about the MCU.
People seem to be ignoring this and if you don't feel a show they just think you hate the lead or think it's because of tone. THE STORY TELLING IS BAD for some of us, why can't rob and other people see that.
@@thabomsiza2502 Exactly I completely agree. The storytelling has declined in quality and we are noticing it
@@thabomsiza2502 to answer your question, alot of us have invested decades of our lives to reading this stuff and then they started making movies about our childhood heros and fantasies. And then those movies turned out to be good. That first Iron Man is unforgettable, The hair still stands up on my neck when spiderman appears in the airport fight scene in civil war, tears of Joy during Avengers Endgame, and many many more memorable moments. Like any relationship that has turned sour and is failing, we stay because we remember the good times and hope that things can go back to being the way they were. We make excuses for bad behavior and normalize it, where any one on the outside would be wondering why we put up with such garbage. Rob isn't there yet. I suspect when they Butcher the Xmen, that's when he'll have that wake up call. It's no longer about telling a tight well connected story, it truly feels like product being churned out. We are no longer watching cinema, we are watching product. Yhr Disney plus shows have been more misses than hits (even Wanda Vision had some serious missed moments and tone deafness, Wanda was the villian, the director of sword was right to do what he did, who was the engineer? Ralph Boner, Agatha Harkness i was rooting for. The visions talking out their issues was pretty neat. Zero mephesto was a bad call).
Ms Marvel and Moonknight had very personal, emotional stories with so much character progression and amazing visuals. As far as the tv shows go..there really hasn’t been many misses.
@@DJ-my2sh you have a point
I've unashamedly loved everything Phase 4 has had to offer so far
4:46 I'm so glad you said it Rob.
I do think the reason for the scattered feeling is what you said in the video and that Marvel is trying to sort it out while continuing the MCU simultaneously.
That being said though it feels really appropriate to me that it is this scattered.
From a story perspective they just finished this long series of world and universe altering events at great cost to them. The main players have pretty much all stepped down and the handful that are left are still dealing with some personal stuff that got thrown to the wayside in the process of saving everyone. It just makes sense that there’s no one left to man the wheel for the bigger events right now. They’ll build up like they did before and someone will take the wheel and pull a team together. Will it feel the same as the OG MCU Avengers, no, but that’s a good thing. Otherwise it’ll be stale.
From a content perspective they did the safe stuff and plaid into some big comic moments everyone loved. They’ve established a huge brand that they’ll be able to use to make money for a long time. Now it’s time to branch out and be experimental. The last 3 years or so all I kept reading was that Marvel was getting stale and the formula was too obvious. Now they’re mixing it up and getting complaints about it lol. They need to keep trying new things. Moon Knight was good and the way they handled the multiple personalities was awesome. Ms. Marvel was a lot of fun and it was really refreshing to get a new perspective from a different type of hero both in terms of culture and abilities. She-Hulk has been a refreshing change of pace too. No it’s not contributing directly to huge events in the MCU but it’s already dropped nods to Hulk going to Sakaar and is going to help bring Deredevil back into the fold. Also I love cop and court procedurals so getting some discount law and order in my MCU has been nice. Werewolf by Night looks amazing! Also Loki was both a great mystery story and a great way to renew Loki into a mix of what makes him great, the secret desire to be accepted and loved all while still being the god of mischief. Oh and What If was so damn good!
Hopefully they will keep experimenting, especially with the shows. They’ll start to weave it all into a cohesive plot for the movies next year with Quantimania so I’m not worried about the direction of the movies. The shows are getting to tell more individual stories that are related but not completely involved with the movies and that’s a good thing. Not everything has to be about the end of the world.
I'm enjoying the marvel ride so far, just having trouble connecting the dots...I'm so used to one thing leading into another that it's a little strange not having that...or seemingly not having that. I'm still holding out hopeful that there will be references that stand out when I re-watch some of these shows in the future.
Easter eggs bro, easter Eggs
I get why people say this. But I think phase 4 is the “new beginning” phase or phase 1 2.0. They’re introducing new characters and setting up new stories. People need to remember that it took 4 years to from Ironman 1 to avengers 1.
@@jedtheblerd i don’t know dude. In the end of the day a turd is a turd. There is so much mediocre stuff they have released. At least in phase 1 it was all about the set up and they had an “End Game”. Apart from lacking direction Marvel/Disney is clearly showing they want to cash as much and quickly as possible. Such a shame
@@monjet1801 if you don’t like it that’s fair. We’re all entitled to our own opinions. I’ve enjoyed most of phase 4 so far while acknowledging not every movie or show is going to be on infinity war or endgame’s level. It just can’t be done. Not everything in the mcu is going to be a hit but they’ve certainly had more hits than misses IMO. The only phase 4 product I can say I honestly hated was Eternals. But everything else I’ve enjoyed for the most part.
6:29 Another thing that's unrealistic, even for a court comedy, is the fact that in every single case, there's no opposing counsel or cross examination....that's like having a court case without a judge, you can't lol that's not how it works! But I'm loving She-Hulk nonetheless, that's just an observation 🧐
The writers already admitted that they know nothing about law so thats why the courtroom stuff is vauge and bland
@@mrforrester488 clearly lol But, writing a court comedy while knowing nothing about law is a bit problematic, don't you think? 🧐
@@awashington8447 im just letting you know they couldnt be assed doing research and they admitted it also the writer wrote the show diffrently and marvel made her change it
You really should watch more Screen Crush videos. This is all ground work and background being laid for secret wars. The Multiverse of Madness was a test run for how you can use history from the shows and out it in the movies.
The question is "what character is as solid and as popular as cap or iron man ....." THEN marvel can start building a new "flagship" ..... what character can hold that weight?
Hmm, I agree and disagree. The tv shows are definitely more experimental but they are all leading to something. And that something is eventually being a part of the broader MCU. She hulk absolutely is setting something up. It’s likely setting up world war hulk and potentially the plot points for the thunderbolts. Ms Marvel set up the marvels, Hawkeye set up echo etc. Feige always has a plan
Aint it a kick to the crotch that they are hinting at what's next for the Hulk which is what everyone has been jonesing for and they hid it in a show that people say is aimed for a specific audience. Like why would they do that? Why not put that stuff in a movie or a series that was for those who have been wanting the Hulk to get his own movie or show. That's not the way to do it. Some people watched She-Hulk for the connections. Just don't put stuff like that in shows that's not for the broader audiance.
@@heathkirk1 I tend to disagree, because like it or not, most marvel fans will watch she hulk and don’t have an agenda and pre conceived narrative about what the show is about. Not only that, but it’s she hulk. It literally has the word hulk in the title. She’s Bruce’s cousin. I couldn’t think of a more suitable series to set up something hulk related.
For the most part, I'm enjoying Phase 4. My only gripe really is with Thor: Love and Thunder. We got Natalie Portman to come back and I feel that both her Mighty Thor story, King Valkyries and Gorr were wasted because the gravitas of their complexity was brushed over. I enjoyed Eternals but I feel that the story could've been better focused with a smaller cast. The TV side of things to me is off to a great start as no two series are the same.
Taika wasted more Thor storylines than Zack Snyder did with BvS
I feel like Valkyrie in particular is such a useless character. She doesn't have an interesting personality and character arc. She's just there for the sake of it. I personally didn't enjoy Eternals. None of the characters were interesting (Sersi especially, considering she's the protagonist), and the overaching story was kinda boring.
I still feel King Valkyrie and Jane Foster should’ve had a Disney Plus mini series to really flesh them out if they weren’t going to spend much time on them. Have it be all about Jane becoming worthy of Mjolnir and figuring out how to become Thor.
Thor Four was trashy. Worse than Thor 2, MCU's peak cringe.
This is the best thing coming out of DC Rebirth
I appreciate your objective perspective and being able to be rational about this stuff. I really like the TV shows but admittedly they’re… cool. Like some are better than the the others and none IMO are really bad, in comparison to the Star Wars shows where only the Mandalorian really shines (not counting the animated series which are the best). But I’m cool with the shows, yeah I do wish there was… more but I almost feel like we’re watching these shows only to see what the hint to next just to get to next to see what’s next. I wish there was more of letting these things just be really good with a connected thread to the next but could still live on its own. So, I agree with you for the most part but it bugged the hell out of me when you said twice that there were no fight scenes in She-Hulk when there is literally one ever episodes, like unavoidable in your face ones. Could they be more, sure but as a filmmaker there is nothing else to literally call people punching things. But keep up the good work, your content is an objective and non-hating just to be hating breath of fresh air.
Me personally, I'm *LOVING* She-Hulk, however, phase 4 has been very inconsistent in terms of quality smh Phase 4 doesn't seem to have a plan and there aren't any stakes. The MCU feels more and more like the CW with every new show, the jokes are cringey and forced, no compelling villains, and random encounters of the third kind lol Life is all about Balance, there's room for satire *And* adult themes, but it seems like jokes and quips are taking priority and people are starting to feel that the MCU has lost the ability to tell compelling stories 😬
We knew what the goal of phase 1 was... it was to unite The Avengers
I’m open minded on seeing where they go with it
Great video. Honestly I don't think they ever thought they would get this far. After Endgame they told their story and now they have to come up with a new story but I'm enjoying phase 4.
So my thoughts are that this phase is deliberately designed to confuse us and lull us into a false sense of security and think that things don't make sense. Just look at the sheer amount of content each of these recent phases have had. It's way more than the first 3. They are setting up a very deep and interconnected story. We're all looking at this from a micro level. Get macro! Nothing was random or out of phase with the first phases, it all tied in. Each of the first phases dealt with progressively darker storylines then we got the snap. Things were as dark as we thought it would never get. Then Endgame happened. So now in the rebuilding years, or peacetime if you will they are getting us introduced and attached to the next generation of heroes and villains and before we know it, the jokes are gone. It's serious. If you know comics, you know just how dark this rabbit hole can get. People are going to die. Things are going to move quick. They're not doing the long term contracts anymore. The foundations are laid. They just need interchangeable characters now. Introduce them. Attach us to them. Have them die. Rinse and repeat. It's about to be Game of Thrones in this piece. Plot armor runs out eventually....lol.
I can agree, but we have to get attached to characters otherwise, we won’t care much about what happens to them
@@KIP22 exactly! I believe that's where the shows come in, the "lesser" characters that a movie wouldn't necessarily work for, we get the shows to get to know them and to flesh the roles of other characters that a show wouldn't work for. Take Wong for example, never been a leading character in a movie or show, he's been an important one in everything he's been featured in but never the main star. However, if something were to happen to Wong, we would all be distraught. Just the few minutes of screen time that he has, has been enough for us to be attached. Cuz let's be real, if you add up all the times Wong has been on screen, it would probably be close to an hour or so.
@@jeffjohnson1966 And we def care for Wong. His role as been necessary. Characters' whose role isn't necessary, feels unimportant, though, the source material suggests otherwise. I care more for characters like Shuri - the tech genius, Dora Milaje - protectors of Wakanda, but Shehulk - idek. Hence, her show just seems like comedy and as just explained, we just not the audience for it.
Yes. Yes, it is that bad.
Thank you I didn't think anyone would actually address this, I'm 42 and lived long enough to know how full if sh*t some people are
It may be a long shot but I think Charlie Cox could easily be the new face of the MCU. He has the entire package of a leader and role model. Plus we all love him. Its a no brainer in my opinion.
I agree that this phase hasn’t been as focused, but I love all the weirdness that’s coming along with it. To me, phase 4 has really been the most comic book like of the entire MCU. All of these characters just doing their thing, sometimes interacting with other heroes, but often just sticking to their own story. I do think it starts to tighten up quite a bit as we approach Kang Dynasty and Secret Wars. Like you mentioned, by then it becomes a much more serious tone. I’ve enjoyed everything in Phase 4, maybe I haven’t loved it, but it’s all been a good time. Can’t wait to see how things progress.
I completely understand that I'm not the target audience for She-Hulk and Ms Marvel and it's good they are doing different things. The issue is I don't know what is going to become relevant to the main plot later on. Therefore I feel obliged to watch everything so I don't miss out. You say She-Hulk isn't connected but they've introduced the inhibitor and also Bruce going back to Sakaar so that will be relevant later. With comics it's a lot easier to just focus on your favourites.
I've like every TV series thus far, including She-Hulk. I agree there is no direction where it's going currently but at the same time it's actually refreshing to me. I love me a good action movie, but sometimes when I just wanna sit back and relax it's nice to have the She-Hulk, Hawkeye, WandaVision to watch.
The "front man" situation will fix itself in time whether is be one of the Eternals, or someone completely unseen yet. As much as it feels like there is a rush for a front man, there is no rush for a front man. Assemble your team and a natural leader will present itself.
It would be strange but I feel like they’re trying to make daredevil the flagship character. They know how popular the netflix show was/is, and just look at all the projects he’s rumored/known to be in. He’s most likely going to link the tv shows together and further link it to the movies (I hope).
If that ends up being true, itll be really strange seeing him take charge against kang 🤣
As a whole, I've enjoyed phase 4. Not in a "the stories are awesome" way, but more of a "where is this ride going". The only time I've thought about giving up on the MCU for a bit is She Hulk. I agree with Rob, the show isn't geared towards my demographic, but as someone that assumes the show is going to be female empowering, I don't know how you do that this far into a show that seems to keep killing the protagonist's self-esteem.
In comparison im old enough to remember not many ppl likeing phase 1 apart from iron man and the avengers... Incredible hulk was split. Iton man 2 was panned as worse then the 1st and is still ranked very low for a lot of people. Thor was paned for being too slow and boring and 1st avenger has the worst cgi and graphics...
It only took off because Avengers slapped so hard.
Also the flagship for saga 2 is deff my boi wonggers
Thats what I've been saying. People are acting like everything before phase 4 was godtier.
@@Cy2o9 phase 2 started off even worse... IM2 and TDW lol. Luckley the russos made Winter Soldier slap hard af.
Hi Rob, I have a candidate for the "leader" of the future. Like, somebody that people would like as a character and as an actor : Charlie Cox's Daredevil.
Strangely enough, I thought this was one of your better videos. I’d like to see some more opinion pieces.