We’re officially closer to the end of Phase 4 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe than the beginning and if you still have a ton of questions, well, that may just be the point.
The transitionary period for the film franchise has seen us say goodbye to series stalwarts Tony Stark, Steve Rogers, Natasha Romanoff and a few other fan favorites—or at least variations of those favorites. As Phase 4 continues exploring the multiverse, we’ve gotten a glimpse at what life could’ve been like had events played out a little differently.
But Phase 4 hasn’t brought us that much closer to another Thanos-level threat that requires a franchise-spanning team-up. Or maybe it has.
MCU mastermind Kevin Feige recently told Total Film the studio is closing in on its next phase and viewers should begin seeing some common threads develop:
“As we’re nearing the end of Phase 4, I think people will start to see where this next saga is going. I think there have been many clues already, that are at least apparent to me, of where this whole saga is going. But we’ll be a little more direct about that in the coming months, to set a plan, so audiences who want to see the bigger picture can see a tiny, tiny, tiny bit more of the roadmap.”
Obviously the first thread is already out there: The Multiverse.
That might just be a means to the next Big Bad, however, and not the MacGuffin the Infinity Stones were. So we put on our best, non-descriptive baseball hats and put together (entirely fictional) odds for who—or what—will cause the Avengers to assemble next.
With six films left on the Phase 4 docket, including Thor: Love and Thunder here’s a look at who’s most likely to rival Thanos’ arrival in the MCU.
Note: This list veers into some of the newer MCU projects, so if you aren’t caught up, read with caution.