Marvel Studios Is Talking About Phase Four and Beyond

We are just weeks away from Captain America: Civil War kicking off Marvel Studios’ Phase Three, but the studio, and Entertainment Weekly, have started talking about Phase Four…and beyond.

In an online companion to the magazine’s Summer Preview issue, on newsstands now, EW asked Kevin Feige how long the Marvel Cinematic Universe will go on. This was his reply:

“I think you look at comics as a guide.” Feige tells EW. Although certain titles may get relaunched or rebooted, the narrative exists on a never-ending continuum.

“I think there will be a finality to moments of Phase Three, as well as new beginnings that will mark a different, a very different, a distinctively different chapter in what will someday be a complete first saga made up of three phases,” Feige said.

So, the first three phases are just the first saga of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. There are many other sagas to come, and Phase Four will be the begin of the next saga.

EW seems to think that Phase Four will begin after Avengers: Infinity War-Part 2 in 2019. However, this means that Phase Three will have nine films (ten if you count the Inhumans film, which is scheduled after the last Avengers flick). Phases One and Two had six films each. So Phase Three will be the biggest Phase of the MCU.

As for what comes after, Feige didn’t say. EW speculated that Phase Four will have sequels to Guardians of the Galaxy,  Doctor Strange, Black Panther, and Captain Marvel. You could add another Ant-Man sequel to the list as well. There’s also likely to be films featuring Marvel characters heretofore unmentioned in the MCU, as well of the possibility that characters such as Black Widow and Winter Soldier might get a film as well. No word as to when we will find out for sure.

Captain America: Civil War opens May 6, 2016.