The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special was the second Marvel Special Presentation. It was released a month after Werewolf by Night.

Major Spoilers Follow

The plot of the special saw Mantis (Pom Klementieff) and Drax (Dave Bautista) go to Earth to get Kevin Bacon and bring him back to Knowhere as a Christmas gift for Star-Lord (Chris Pratt). The special also featured Nebula (Karen Gillan), Rocket (Bradley Cooper), Groot (Vin Diesel), and Kraglin (Sean Gunn). It also introduced Cosmo the dog (Maria Bakalova). Yondu (Michael Rooker) appeared in a few animated sequences.

This served as the finale of Phase 4 following Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. I enjoyed The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special a lot when it premiered. I liked it just as much the second time around. It is a fun special and is a great Christmas special. Mantis and Drax got to shine in this. Kevin Bacon was very enjoyable playing himself. This is a fairly stand alone special but still fits within the bigger MCU. The events of Kevin Bacon being kidnapped by Mantis and Drax is referenced in a newspaper in the end credit scene of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. The special also revealed that the Guardians bought Knowhere from the Collector (Benicio Del Toro) which officially revealed that The Collector is still alive. It was speculated that Thanos (Josh Brolin) had killed The Collector when he got the Reality Stone. It had the introduction of Cosmo who was part of the team in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.

The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special is a great addition to the MCU and is a fun finale for Phae 4. It really is pure joy, which is very important since Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 had a much darker story. This was the second Special Presentation, and I am curious if there will be anymore Marvel Special Presentations or if this will be the end of that. Time will tell what Marvel does next.

What If? was the first Marvel Animated series. It is considered cannon to the MCU given most of the voice actors played the characters in the MCU. There are a few exceptions. Robert Downey Jr. and Scarlett Johansson do not reprise their roles as Iron Man and Black Widow. Neither does Tom Holland as Spider-Man or Chris Evans as Captain America. Here is a recap of all of the episodes. MASSIVE SPOILERS FOLLOW.

What If… Captain Carter Were the First Avenger?

The Watcher (Jeffrey Wright) is introduced and is the narrator of each episode. Peggy Carter (Haley Atwell) becomes Captain America instead of Steve Rogers (Josh Keaton). Peggy rescues Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) and the Howling Commandos. She faces off with Red Skull (Ross Marquand). Peggy and Steve part ways when the only way to save the world is for Peggy to sacrifice herself by entering a portal while fighting off a monster Red Skull was trying to release. The episode ends with Peggy returning from the portal in the present where she sees Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) and Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner).

What If… T’Challa Became a Star-Lord?

Yondu (Michale Rooker) and the Ravagers abduct T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman) instead of Star-Lord. In this world, Star-Lord is famous. Star-Lord has his own team which consists of Nebula (Karen Gillan), a reformed Thanos (Josh Brolin), new member Korath (Djimon Hounsou), and the Ravagers which include Kraglin (Sean Gunn) and Taserface (Chris Sullivan). Nebula and T’Challa have a romance and Nebula and Thanos have a better relationship. T’Challa is the one who convinced Thanos to drop his quest for the infinity stones to wipe out half of humanity. They face The Collector (Benicia Del Toro) and the Black order who are his security team. The episode ends with T’Challa returning to Wakanda and reuniting with his family and Ego (Kurt Russel) pays a visit to Peter Quill (Brian T. Delaney).

What If… the World Lost its Mightiest Heroes?

Nick Fury cannot form the Avengers when someone is killing all the candidates for the initiative. Tony Stark (Mick Wingert), Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo), Clint Barton, Natasha Romanov (Lake Bell), and Thor are murdered. Loki (Tom Hiddleston) shows up to avenge his brother’s death. It is revealed that Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) is the one behind the murders. He lost his daughter Hope and blamed Nick Fury and SHIELD for her death. The episode ends with Loki ruling Earth. 

What If… Doctor Strange Lost His Heart Instead of His Hands?

Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) loses his girlfriend Christine Palmer (Rachel McAdams) in a car accident. He becomes the Sorcerer Supreme and goes down a dark path in order to go back in time to undo Christine’s death. This is the first episode where The Watcher interacts with a character. He has an interaction with Doctor Strange. Doctor Strange is unable to bring Christine back and he has destroyed his world by practicing dark magic.

What If… Zombies?

Bruce Banner is sent to Earth to alert everyone about the impending arrival of Thanos. He winds up on a different earth where a zombie virus has wiped out most of the world including The Avengers. Bruce teams up with the remaining survivors which include Spider-Man (Hudson Thames), Bucky Barnes, Kurt (David Dastmalchian), Sharon Carter (Emily VanCamp), Happy Hogan (Jon Favreau), and Okoye (Danai Gurira). They wind up at an abandoned base where they find Vision (Paul Bettany). The zombies have been kept at bay because of the Mind Stone. They find Vision has kept his zombie bride Wanda in containment and has been feeding her. Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) who was believed to be dead, is alive. He was cured of the zombie virus and is a talking head. T’Challa is found alive after disappearing. The remaining survivors leave and head toward Wakanda. It is revealed the zombie virus has spread to Wakanda and zombie Thanos has arrived with the infinity gauntlet.

What If… Killmonger Rescued Tony Stark?

Eric Killmonger (Michael B. Jordan) saved Tony Stark (Mick Wingert) instead of Tony getting captured by the Ten Rings. Killmonger killed Tony and killed T’Challa. Killmonger went home to Wakanda and became the new Black Panther.

What If… Thor Were an Only Child?

Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and Loki were never brothers and Thor went to Earth to party. Thor met Jane Foster (Natalie Portman).

What If… Ultron Won?

Ultron (Ross Marquand) gets Vision and gets the infinity stones. Natasha and Clint have to try to stop Ultron who becomes very powerful. The Watcher (Jeffrey Wright) faces off with Ultron.

What If… The Watcher Broke His Oath?

The Watcher seeks help from Thor, Doctor Strange, Gamora (Cynthia Kaye McWilliams), Black Widow, Black Panther (Eric Killmonger), Star-Lord T’Challa, and Captain Carter to stop Ultron from destroying the multiverse.

What If season 1 was highly enjoyable the first time around and is still that way the second time around. The animation is well done, and it has good episodes. I really enjoyed season 1 and am very excited to watch season 2.

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier was the second Disney Plus show following WandaVision. It sees the return of Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson aka The Falcon and Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes aka The Winter Soldier. Sam and Bucky deal with life after the Blip and the absence of Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) aka Captain America. Emily VanCamp returns as Sharon Carter and Daniel Bruhl reprises his role as Baron Zemo. Here is a recap of each episode.

MASSIVE SPOILERS FOLLOW

New World Order

Sam gives Steve’s shield to the government and attends a ceremony to honor Steve. Sam has a conversation with Rhodey (Don Cheadle) about why he didn’t want to keep the shield. This also would have been Skrull Rhodey. It was revealed in Secret Invasion which aired after The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, that Rhodey was being impersonated by a Skrull and it suggested a Skrull took over years prior to the events of Secret Invasion. Sam has been working with Jaquin Torres (Dannay Ramirez) on missions. Sam was working on mission where he stopped Batroc the Leaper (Georges St. Pierre). Torres investigated a group called the Flag Smashers. Bucky is in therapy and trying to adjust to being in the world again. He is also working on making amends for all the wrongs he had done while he was the Winter Soldier. The episode ended with the reveal that John Walker (Wyatt Russell) will be the new Captain America sanctioned by the government.

The Star-Spangled Man

Bucky and Sam reunite after the news about John Walker becoming the new Captain America. Bucky introduces Isaiah Bradley (Carl Lumbly) to Sam. It is revealed that Isaiah was a super soldier like Steve. The difference was that Isaiah was in prison for thirty years and it has been kept a secret the entire time. John Walker gets acclimated as Captain American and his friend Lamar (Clea Bennett) joins him as Battlestar. John and Lamar show up to help Sam and Bucky fight the Flag Smashers and their leader Karli Morgenthau (Erin Kellyman). Sam and Bucky don’t want to team up with them. Bucky tells Sam the person to help them is Baron Zemo.

Power Broker

Bucky breaks out Zemo from prison and doesn’t tell Sam about it. The three of them head to Madripoor to find the scientist who created the serum. They reunite with Sharon Carter who reveals she has been in hiding ever since the events of Captain America: Civil War. John suspects that Bucky and Sam are the ones who broke Zemo out of prison. The episode ends with Bucky reuniting with Ayo (Florence Kasumba).

The Whole World is Watching

Ayo and the Dora Milaje are in town to get Zemo. John and Lemar face off with the Dora Milaje in an attempt to get Zemo. Zemo escapes. Sam tries to reason with Karli. John doesn’t want to wait and interferes. It leads to a massive showdown and Karli kills Lemar. In a rage John kills one of the Flag Smashers with his shield and a dozen onlookers filmed the whole thing. The episode ends with John standing with his shield covered in blood.

Truth

John has a showdown with Sam and Bucky who take the shield back. John is dishonorably discharged and is stripped of being the new Captain America. He meets Contessa Valentina De Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfuss). Sam meets up with Isaiah and has a heart to heart about taking on the shield. Sam makes a decision to become Captain America. Bucky gives Zemo to Ayo and the Dora Milaje. Zemo goes to the Raft. Karli puts her final plan into motion to stop the GRC Vote on new legislation and Batroc returns. In the credit scene, John builds his own shield.

One World, One People

Sam becomes Captain America. Sam, Bucky, Sharon, and John deal with the Flag Smashers. Sharon is revealed as the Power Broker and that she hired Batroc to keep an eye on Karli. Sharon kills Batroc. Karli has a final showdown with Sam and Sharon kills Karli. Sam returns home to Louisiana and Bucky provides closure to Yori (Ken Takemoto). Valentina gives John a new suit and gives him a new name, US Agent. In the credit scene, Sharon gets a full pardon and is offered her old position back. She makes a phone call about all the access she now will have to tech, government secrets, and more.

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier is a solid show and one of the better ones. I know it has had mixed reviews, but I enjoyed it the first time around. I enjoyed it the second time around. It feels very much in the spirit of the world of Captain America. It dealt with themes and topics the way the Captain America movies have. It gave ample screen time to Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes. It got to go a little deeper with both of them. There was a lot more of the Sam and Bucky dynamic that the films have given bits of. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier feels like it’s part of the MCU. Besides the title characters, it saw the return of Baron Zemo and Sharon Carter who were both introduced in the movies. Rhodey and Ayo made appearances which added more connections to the bigger world. There was even a flash back scene to Bucky’s time in Wakanda. It also introduced a lot of things for the future. Valentina De Fontaine was introduced, and she went on to appear in Black Widow and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. It was announced she will be in the Thunderbolts movie which will also have John Walker and Bucky Barnes. Rhodey went on to be in Secret Invasion and he will star in his own movie, Armor Wars. Isaiah Bradley and Joaquin Torres will be in Captain America: Brave New World which will be Sam’s first movie as the character. There was world building and it had a good story. This was a good a follow up to WandaVision. It had great fight sequences. I am looking forward to seeing these characters again and where the stories will go next.

WandaVision was the first Marvel Show to debut on Disney Plus. All prior Marvel shows were not cannon to the MCU including the Netflix shows and Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. WandaVision was the first project of Phase 4 and took place after the events of Avengers: Endgame. There are Massive Spoilers ahead.

WandaVision saw the return of Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen), Vision (Paul Bettany), Agent Jimmy Woo (Randall Park), and Darcy Lewis (Kat Dennings). The show also introduced a grown-up Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris). WandaVision was a unique show that covers multiple genres. It was a romance, a mystery, a sitcom, and an action show. Each episode went through different decades eventually leading into what Marvel does best. There was heavy speculation and fan theories to every little detail including the speculation that Mephisto would be making his MCU debut. That proved to be false. Mephisto has not arrived yet, however there is speculation that Sacha Baron Cohen will be playing the character in the upcoming show, Ironheart. Here is a quick rundown of the episodes.

Filmed Before a Live Studio Audience

The premiere episode is set in black and white similar to I Love Lucy and The Dick VanDyke Show. The episode was filmed in front of a live studio audience. It showed Wanda and Vision moving into Westview and them trying to fit in while being an unusual couple. Wanda has magic while Vision is an android. This episode introduced Mr. and Mrs. Hart (Fred Melamed & Debra Jo Rupp) and noisy neighbor Agnes (Kathryn Hahn). Mr. Hart was Vision’s boss and he and Mrs. Hart had dinner with Wanda and Vision.

Don’t Touch That Dial

This episode moved to the 60s and was modeled after Bewitched. It introduced Geraldine (who was really Monica Rambeau) who befriended Wanda. Wanda and Vision did a magic act part of the talent show for Westview. By the end of the episode Wanda became pregnant and the episode transitioned from black and white to color

Now in Color

The first episode fully in color it centered on Wanda giving birth to twins. The episode also was set in the 70s having a similar style to The Brady Bunch. Geraldine helped Wanda deliver. Geraldine referenced Piatro (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), Wanda’s dead twin brother and Ultron (James Spader) an AI who the Avengers faced. Those events led to the death of Piatro. The episode ended with Wanda throwing Geraldine out into the real world revealing a bunch of agents who worked for SWORD and that Westview was in a bubble or hex that was the term later used.  

We Interrupt This Program

This episode broke out of the sitcom setting and focused on Monica Rambeau as well as Jimmy Woo and Darcy Lewis. Jimmy and Darcy were working with S.W.O.R.D. as was Monica. It also was the first project to show what happened when half the universe returned from the Blip that happened in Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame.

On a Very Special Episode

Set in the 80s, Agnes was acting weird which Vision started to notice. The twins went from babies to five-year-olds to ten-year-olds. The episode ended with Evan Peters showing up as Piatro, Wanda’s deceased brother. Evan Peters played Piatro in the FOX X-Men movies. Darcy even pointed out that Wanda had recast her brother.

All-New Halloween Spooktacular!

Set in the 200s, the Halloween episode paid homage to Wanda, Vision, and Quicksilver’s classic costumes. Agnes was dressed as a witch. Vision set out to leave Westview which led to Wanda expanding the Hex she created around Westview. Darcy and many S.W.O.R.D. agents got stuck in the Hex this time.

Breaking the Fourth Wall

Set in the 2010’s Monica returned to Westview and got her abilities. Vision and Wanda were separated, and Vision teamed up with Darcy to get back to Wanda. The episode ended with the reveal that Agnes was really Agatha Harkness. Agatha was a witch, and it was revealed it was “Agatha All Along.”

Previously On

Agatha’s origins were revealed in the opening of the episode which took place in Salem, Massachusetts 1693. The rest of the episode centered on Wanda’s journey through key events in her life. It revealed that Wanda had a love for old sitcoms that she would watch with her parents and Piatro. That answered the show’s sitcom setting. It also showed Wanda’s interaction with the Mind Stone when she was experimented on. It also hinted that Wanda and Piatro had their abilities long before the experiments and that the Mind Stone just awakened their powers. It also revealed that SWORD had Vision’s body and dismantled it. Wanda was angry and she stormed out. Out of grief Wanda created Westview and her Vision. The episode ended with Agatha calling Wanda the Scarlett Witch marking the first time the name has been used in the MCU. The credit scene revealed that SWORD reconstructed Vision as White Vision.

The Series Finale

Evan Peter’s Piatro was revealed to be Ralph Bohner. He was under the control of Agatha. Wanda became the Scarlett Witch. Wanda released everybody from Westview and trapped Agatha as Agnes. Wanda said goodbye to Vision and her kids. Vision battled White Vision and gave White Vision his memories back. In the midcredit scene Monica got a visit from a Skrull who said an old friend wanted to see her in space setting up Monica’s role in The Marvels. The final credit scene showed Wanda with the Darkhold setting up her role in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.

When I first saw WandaVision, I thought it was a great show and a great launch to Phase 4. After rewatching it, I still feel the same. I think WandaVision is truly unique. There has been mixed reception from fans over the current saga of Marvel. WandaVision is one of the strongest projects of Phase 4. It is one of the best shows on Disney Plus from Marvel. I think one thing that may have helped WandaVision was the main cast was already established. The show starred Wanda Maximoff and Vision who audiences already knew from the movies. Wanda and Vision were a fan favorite couple, and audiences were heartbroken during the events of Avengers: Infinity War. Darcy Lewis and Jimmy Woo were in prior films. The last time audiences had seen Darcy was in Thor: The Dark World. It had been years since seeing her. She had a substantial role in this. Jimmy Woo quickly became a fan favorite when he was introduced in Ant-Man & The Wasp. Monica Rambeau was seen in Captain Marvel. The only difference was she was a little girl and is now an adult. WandaVision had connections to the larger universe. A lot of the links were to Infinity War and Endgame. A common complaint for Phase 4 & 5 has been that the movies and shows don’t feel connected to the bigger world. WandaVision is one of the few projects that does feel part of the MCU.

WandaVision had a lot of intrigue and mystery during its run. Why was it set in a sitcom style? It got answered in the penultimate episode. Is Mephisto behind all of it? No. It was Agatha all along. That was one fan theory that did prove to be true. Many believed Agnes was really Agatha Harkness. Agatha became a fan favorite, and she is getting her own show in Agatha: The Darkhold Diaries. The show has already had three titles. WandaVision also got to showcase the spotlight on characters who would not get the same spotlight in the movies. Darcy and Jimmy Woo were supporting characters in their respective films. They were still supporting characters in this, but they got a lot of screentime. The audience got to see more of them, and they also made a good team with Monica. Wanda and Vision got to take center stage in this. In the films they were never the sole focus. They mostly appeared in Avenger movies where they had to share the spotlight with Iron Man, Captain America, Black Widow, etc.

One other thing I think worked for WandaVision is the fact that most of the group has already been seen again or will be seen again. Some of that was known when this aired during its initial run. Wanda went on to star in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Vision will headline his own show VisionQuest. There have not been many updates regarding that project or if it is still happening. The twins were also in WandaVision. Agatha will be starring in her own show and the residents of Westview will be reprising their roles as well. Jimmy Woo briefly appeared in Ant-Man & the Wasp: Quantumania. Darcy briefly appeared in Thor: Love & Thunder. Monica was just seen in The Marvels. Another complaint that did not start surfacing until later on was all of the shows and movies were starting to introduce characters who have not been seen again. A lot of things from WandaVision have been resolved. A hint of the fractured relationship between Monica and Carol Danvers (Brie Larson) was dealt with in the Marvels. Wanda’s decision to use the Darkhold was a major part of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.

There are still some questions that have yet to be answered. Who was the informant that Jimmy Woo was looking for? Where did White Vision go? Does WandaVision have any barring on the Multiverse Saga? That remains to be seen. Agatha told Wanda that she had no idea what she just unleashed. Hopefully at some point it will be revealed what that was. WandaVision is one of the greats of Phase 4 and it holds up just as well the second time around.

Werewolf By Night was the first Marvel Special Presentation that premiered on Disney Plus. It is pretty much a TV special or TV movie. The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special was the other one that aired a month after Werewolf by Night premiered.

Major Spoilers Follow

Werewolf By Night was the first Marvel project to fully open up the Monster sector of the MCU. It introduced Jack Russell (Gael Bernal Garcia) who is the Werewolf by Night, Elsa Bloodstone (Laura Donnelly) the daughter of Ulysses Bloodstone (Richard Dixon), and Ted (Carey Jones) who is Man-Thing. The special itself pays homage to the classic Monster movies from the 40s such as Dracula, Frankenstein, The Wolfman, etc. The special is predominantly in black and white as well.   It is fairly isolated with a few Marvel references to the bigger world. It’s really just the opening scene that makes mention of the heroes.

It has been said that Werewolf by Night is a key to opening up a new part of the MCU and there are big plans for the future. The only known project that this probably helped set up is the upcoming Blade movie. It is not known at this point if any of the characters such as Jack, Elsa, or Man-Thing will appear in Blade. The fact this introduces the existence of monsters opens up the premise of Blade who deals with monsters.

Werewolf by Night was well received by audiences and was one of the better Phase 4 projects. I enjoyed Werewolf by Night a lot the first time around. Rewatching it a second time, I enjoyed it just the same. I liked that it was something different. I hope Marvel will explore more of the horror side as well. The closet thing before Werewolf by Night was Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness which had horror aspects. It also had a solid story. It is one of the stronger projects in the new era of Marvel and I look forward to seeing where these characters go. There is a lot of potential for Jack Russell, Elsa Bloodstone, and Man-Thing. Elsa Bloodstone comes from an important family that are monster hunters. It seems she has no interest in following in their footsteps so it will be interesting to see where she goes from here. The Bloodstone which belongs to Elsa’s family was a major part of the special. The Bloodstone is now in the hands of Elsa. It will be interesting to see how this will impact the future of the MCU. Not much is known about the Bloodstone in the MCU. It seems to have magical properties since it was used to transform Jack into his werewolf self. The Bloodstone could be seen in Blade especially if Elsa winds up appearing in the movie. It would be interesting to see Elsa and Blade (Mahershala Ali) interact since Elsa is more sympathetic to monsters than Blade. In the comics Werewolf by Night has had dealings with Moon Knight (Oscar Isaac). There was speculation if Moon Knight or Blade would show up in the special which did not happen. If Moon Knight gets a second season, maybe he would meet Jack Russell. Another character who has huge potential for the future is Man-Thing. In the comics Man-Thing has an important role being a guardian of the Nexus of All Realities. It is possible he could have an important role as the Multiverse Saga continues especially once Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars happens.

I am excited to see more of the monster sector of the MCU and I look forward to seeing these characters again.

In honor of Season 2 starting, as well as the Multiverse Saga moving forward, I have gone back to revisit season 1 of Loki. I will also be revisiting all of Phase 4 as well. Here is a rundown of the episodes of Season 1. MASSIVE SPOILERS FOLLOW.

Glorious Purpose

The Series Premier was off to a great start. This episode seemed very important for establishing the plot as well as what was to come for the rest of the season. There were a lot of key things in this episode. Miss Minutes (Tara Strong) gave an introduction to the TVA (Time Variance Authority) and the first multiversal war. Loki (Tom Hiddleston) met Mobius (Owen Wilson) and learned about his future. The whole purpose of the show stemmed from the scene in Avengers: Endgame where 2012 Loki didn’t go back to Asgard and took the Tesseract and escaped during the Time Heist done by the Avengers. This Loki learned everything including the death of his mother Frigga (Rene Russo) and his father Odin (Anthony Hopkins). He also saw his own death by the hands of Thanos (Josh Brolin). There were also a lot of cool references including a Skrull briefly seen when Loki was first taken to the TVA. The premiere also introduced Judge Renslayer (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) and Hunter-B15 (Wunmi Mosaku). 

The Variant

This is the episode that introduced Sylvie (Sophia De Martino) the only female Loki. It has also been heavily speculated that Sylvie is the MCU’s Enchantress.

Lamentis

The first episode that heavily deals with the dynamic of Loki and Sylvie. This episode was a little slower compared to the rest of the season but there were still some nice moments. This episode revealed that the TVA agents including Mobius and Hunter B15 were not created by the Time Keepers but are variants themselves.

The Nexus Event

Loki and Sylvie were taken back to the TVA. Loki revealed to Mobius that he is a variant and the TVA lied to everybody. Loki was put in a time loop where he got punched repeatedly by Lady Sif (Jamie Alexander). This was Lady Sif’s first appearance since Thor: The Dark World. A lot went down in this episode. Mobius confronted Renslayer about the truth regarding the TVA and Mobius was pruned. Sylvie showed Hunter B15 what her life was actually like. The Time Keepers were revealed to be fake and they were really androids. Renslayer pruned Loki and the mid credit scene revealed that Loki was sent somewhere else where he saw other Lokis.

Journey Into Mystery

A big part of this episode was set in the Void. It was revealed that when variants get pruned, they don’t really die. They go to the Void. The Void was full of references including Thanos’ helicopter from another world. This was also a reference to the comics where Thanos had a helicopter. Throg (Chris Hemsworth) a Frog Thor was briefly seen amongst many other references. Sylvie pruned herself to find Loki. Sylvie and Mobius reunited with Loki and met the other Lokis including Alligator Loki, Kid Loki (Jack Veal), and Classic Loki (Richard E. Grant). Mobius returned to the TVA while Loki and Sylvie set out to go to the End of Time. Classic Loki helped them defeat Alioth, a smoke monster that was guarding the End of Time, by sacrificing himself.

For All Time. Always

The finale that changed everything including the future of the MCU. He Who Remains (Jonathon Majors) was revealed to be the one behind everything including the TVA. It was also revealed that Miss Minutes was working with He Who Remains. Mobius confronted Renslayer about the truth and Renslayer went through a portal to search for answers. Hunter B15 found Renslayer in the real world who was a teacher which also revealed that Judge Renslayer is a variant as well. He Who Remains revealed a lot of information to Loki and Sylvie and gave them two options. One option was they could take over his job or they could kill him and start up another Multiversal War. Sylvie didn’t believe He Who Remains and was determined to kill him. Loki was trying to stop her but then Sylvie kicked him out and sent him back to the TVA. Sylvie killed He Who Remains, and the Multiverse opened up. When Loki returned to the TVA, he saw a statue of Kang who now controls the TVA.

Loki is a very important show to the Multiverse Saga. Rewatching it a second time reaffirmed a lot of my initial thoughts. It was different rewatching it now after having seen the rest of Phase 4 as well as Phase 5. What I like about Loki is the show makes the audience think. Every Marel project leads to speculation and analysis, but Loki seemed to have the most of it. There seemed to be a lot of clues in the dialogue especially in certain scenes including most of the finale with He Who Remains. Rewatching Loki Season 1 has reaffirmed to me that every project is connected, and it may just take time until all is revealed. A big takeaway from the show is that He Who Remains has written the story. At the beginning of the finale Miss Minutes told Loki and Sylvie that they could be reinserted back into the timeline and He Who Remains was making some creative decisions to make that happen. That alone could explain why Phase 4 and Phase 5 (thus far) has felt a little discombobulated and less connected than the past phases. He Who Remains could have written it so. Later on, when He Who Remains was explaining his purpose to Loki and Sylvie there were references to Kang the Conqueror and the other Kangs. It is possible that Kang had planned everything including the death of He Who Remains. Kang knows all and has seen many things. In Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, Kang’s main goal was to be free from his prison in the Quantum Realm. By Sylvie killing He Who Remains, that freed Kang and the other Kangs to wreak havoc on the Multiverse. This could have been one component Kang needed in order for him to be free. Kang may have known the only way for him to be free was that Sylvie had to kill He Who Remains. He Who Remains also mentioned that if he is killed, a new multiversal war would start and he would be reincarnated. What if Kang was really He Who Remains the whole time and his reincarnation would be him as his true conquering self? The one we saw in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania? It is something to think about. Another thing that has gotten me thinking is when He Who Remains said that “We crossed the threshold.” Once that happened, is that also the same moment where Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) became the Scarlett Witch in Wandavision and Spider-Man (Tom Holland) and Doctor Strange’s (Benedict Cumberbatch) multiverse shenanigans happened in Spider-Man: No Way Home?

There are so many questions, and it gives a lot to think about. I am very excited for season 2. I hope some of these questions will get answered in the new season. There will be a new Kang variant, Victor Timely. It will be interesting to see how that adds to the bigger picture, especially since the end credit scene of Quantumania was with Victor Timely. There have been rumors that Kang himself could show up in Season 2. If that happens, what answers will that bring? Season 2 will be the first major project to really push the Multiverse Saga forward. This is looking to be a very big and important chapter.

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is only days away from opening and launching Phase 5 of the Multiverse Saga. Before Quantumania comes out, I want to look back at Phase 4 which was the first phase after the conclusion of the Infinity Saga.

Phase 4 has mixed reactions from the fans for various reasons. Some say the phase did not have a point to it. Others felt it was discombobulated. The list goes on. Phase 4 was different than the first three phases. Phase 1 introduced the Avengers and concluded with Avengers. Avengers also revealed the bigger picture in the mid credit scene where it was revealed Thanos was behind the Attack on New York.  Phase 2 furthered the stories for the characters and made some bold choices including dismantling S.H.I.E.L.D. in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Phase 3 really hit its stride leading into Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame concluding The Infinity Saga with Spider-Man: Far From Home. Phase 4 took some bold steps. Phase 4 was the first phase to add Television to the mix. Through Phases 1, 2, and 3, TV shows were not necessarily cannon to the MCU. The Netflix series did not connect to the films. Cloak & Dagger from Freeform and Runaways from Hulu were on their own although Cloak & Dagger did guest star on Runaways in its final season. Even Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. wound up veering from the MCU in the later years. To this day there is still question if Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is cannon or if it does not count. Agent Carter had it slightly easier since it was a period piece. However, there is question to how that fits in given how Endgame ended for Captain American and Peggy Carter. Phase 4 not only introduced TV shows to the mix, but it also introduced Special Presentations as well. All TV shows and Special Presentations are on Disney Plus.

Phase 4 consisted of Wandavision, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Loki, Black Widow, What If? Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Eternals, Hawkeye, Spider-Man: Now Way Home, Moon Knight, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Ms. Marvel, Thor: Love and Thunder, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, Werewolf by Night, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, and The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special. All projects are in release order. That is 17 projects in Phase 4 making it the biggest phase yet and the quickest launching in 2021 and concluding in 2022. Phase 3 was the biggest prior with 11 films. Phase 4 has 7 films, 8 TV shows, and 2 special presentations.

One big complaint is that fans feel Phase 4 does not connect to the bigger picture. I think it is way too early to know for sure. Phase 5 has not started yet. We won’t have a full answer until Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars come out. Only then we will know how everything connects. I do believe that Phase 4 matters and that it is all connected. We are in the Multiverse Saga. Right off the bat, Wandavision, Loki, Spider-Man: No Way Home, and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness have kicked off events that have opened up the Multiverse. Even the animated series What If? deals with the Multiverse. That premise of the series is all about the multiverse. The only glimpses of Phase 5 we have gotten up to this point are the trailers and commercials for Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, the trailers for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 and a trailer for Secret Invasion which is a limited series for Disney Plus. Quantumania is the big one because it is kicking off Phase 5 as well as it properly introduces Jonathon Majors as the main villain of the Multiverse Saga, Kang the Conqueror. As with any footage for any Marvel project, Marvel fans study and analyze the footage and look for clues. There is a part in the trailers that suggest a connection to the Rings from Shang-Chi and the bangle that Ms. Marvel wears. We won’t know if they are connected until Quantumania comes out unless the movie makes us wait for an answer. My hope is that Quantumania will provide the answers to how Phase 4 fits in specifically the relationship between the events of Quantumania and the events of the season finale of Loki. More on that a little later.

Here are my thoughts on all the projects in Phase 4.

Wandavision

I loved Wandavision. I thought it was bold and brilliant. I was invested from the first minute as were many Marvel fans. I liked that each episode covered a different decade, and it was a sitcom. I should say it started out as a sitcom and then by the finale moved into what Marvel does best. The show played homage to many different sitcoms of the eras. The first two episodes were in black and white. The show had Kathryn Hahn as the nosy neighbor Agnes similar to Gladys the nosy neighbor in the 60s sitcom Betwitched. Fans went nuts with theories and analyzed everything.  They analyzed the dialogue. Agnes says, “The Devil is in the details,” prompting everyone to think Mephisto was coming. He did not. They analyzed visuals such as Agnes wearing a witch’s hat in the Halloween episode prompting fans to believe she was really Agatha Harkness. She was. Wandavision was about grief and was a love story for fan favorite characters Wanda Maximoff and Vision. Wandavision gave us many twists and turns and it was a wild ride. It concluded with an explosive finale that set up a lot for the future. Monica Rambeau, who was introduced in the show and is the daughter of Maria Rambeau will be in the Marvels with Captain Marvel. Agent Jimmy Woo will be in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. Agent Woo was first introduced in Ant-Man and the Wasp. Agatha is getting her own show Agatha: Coven of Chaos which will also see a lot of the residents of the town Westview that Wanda and Vision lived in return. We got the return of Darcy, the intern from the Thor movies. I loved Wandavision. I thought it was a great start to Phase 4. The show heavily led into Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Several characters from the show went on to appear in the movie including Wanda.

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier

This show was divisive amongst the fans. I enjoyed it. I don’t really understand why people did not like it. I generically know the reasons. I just don’t get it. The show was a fun show that connects to the bigger picture. A lot of the characters from the show will be appearing in the movie Captain America: New World Order and the Thunderbolts. The show set up a lot of future projects as well. I like the dynamic between Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes, the Falcon, and the Winter Soldier respectively. It had cool action scenes, and it was nice and grounded compared to the heighted Wandavision mostly since Wanda has powers whereas Sam and Bucky do not.

Loki

I loved Loki. This is the show that really kicked off the Multiverse mostly because of the events of the season finale. Also, Jonathon Majors first appeared in the season finale as He Who Remains. I personally want to know when Quantumania takes place and once the film ends, where that will line up in relation with how season 1 of Loki ended. I hope there will be an answer to how these events line up. I enjoyed every aspect of Loki. I loved the characters. Loki is the first show to get a second season which will be premiering later this year. I cannot wait and I hoping to see Jonathon Majors again.

Black Widow

Black Widow was the first Phase 4 movie. I thought the movie was good. To be honest, I don’t remember it that much. I have only seen it once when it first came out. I watched it on Disney Plus because I was not ready to go back to the movie theater yet.

What If?

What If? is an animated show, the first for Marvel. It was a fun show and had great episodes. The title of the series says it all. It has great animation. It is yet to be seen how cannon this is to the MCU. A huge chunk of the voice cast are the same actors who portray the characters in the movies. There are some exceptions. Scarlett Johnson, Chris Evans, and Robert Downey Jr. do not voice their characters for the show. What If? is also getting a second season which is due to premiere sometime this year. I cannot wait.

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

I loved this movie when I saw it. This was the first origin movie of Phase 4. Black Widow was a long awaited solo movie for the character. I loved Shang-Chi a lot. It was visually stunning and had great actions sequences. It had a great cast of new characters, and it had a good story. I am looking forward to seeing more Shang-Chi in the future.

Eternals

Eternals is not the most liked by Marvel fans. When I saw it, I enjoyed it. I liked that it was different than other Marvel movies. Eternals is an intimate movie. It plays a little like an indie movie on a big budget. The movie is also one of the longest Marvel movies clocking in a little over two and a half hours. It also has a big cast with 10 main characters. It made sense to me why this movie was long so it can give the audience a chance to get to know everybody. The future for the Eternals is not known but I am looking forward to and am hopeful in seeing the Eternals again.

Hawkeye

I enjoyed Hawkeye a lot. It was a great holiday show since it was set during the holidays. It was funny and exhilarating, especially the season finale. It was nice for Hawkeye to finally get a solo project. I am hopeful we will get to see Hawkeye again.

Spider-Man: No Way Home

Best Spider-Man film yet. This heavily focuses on the Multiverse and features Doctor Strange. There were a lot of rumors and speculation prior to the movie coming out. Some of the rumors were proven true while others were not. Regardless, I thought the film was very rewarding. No Way Home changed the game for the character, and I am very excited to see what will happen to Spider-Man next.

Moon Knight

Moon Knight made some bold choices. The show is still part of the MCU even though it is pretty much a self-contained series. I liked the show. I liked that Marvel took a risk with it. There have been rumors of Moon Knight getting a second season but none of that has been confirmed at this point. I hope we get to see Moon Knight again and I look forward to seeing where he’ll turn up next.  

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

I liked the movie but I was a little disappointed. I had high expectations for this since there was so much hype for this movie. It was said that Wandavision, Loki, and Spider-Man: No Way Home would lead into Multiverse of Madness. While watching the movie, I did not see where some of the connections were. Wandavision was obvious since Wanda Maximoff is in the movie. There were no references to the events of Loki and there was only a brief reference to No Way Home. The thing that disappointed me a little bit was that I was expecting more. With a title like Multiverse of Madness, I was expecting Multiverse shenanigans. I was expecting a lot of Multiverse of Madness. I was expecting to see a lot more Multiverse. Instead, they only really went to two other worlds. There is a sequence where they go through a bunch of other worlds before they land in one. That was a quick sequence. I also was expecting to see more variants of the characters.

Ms. Marvel

I thought Ms. Marvel was a good show. I binged the whole series in one night because I was behind when the episodes were dropping. I like the character and I am excited to see her in the Marvels with Captain Marvel and Monica Rambeau. Since I binged the whole series, it’s kind of is a blur so I don’t remember everything specifically.

Thor: Love and Thunder

This movie is one where I also felt a little disappointed. I felt the movie should have been a little longer. Some parts seemed a bit rushed through the movie. It is still a good movie. I do think Thor: Ragnarok was better.

She-Hulk: Attorney at Law

This show was polarizing for a lot fans. I enjoyed it. She-Hulk was the first true sitcom for Marvel. Wandavision started out as a sitcom but eventually went the same direction the films go in. I thought She-Hulk was enjoyable and funny. It made me think of the Deadpool movies especially since both characters break the fourth wall. I am hopeful to see the She-Hulk cast again.

Werewolf by Night

I loved it. It is one of the best Marvel things yet. I liked how Werewolf by Night played homage to classic monster movies. It is also the first true horror Marvel project. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness had horror aspects. I liked that Werewolf by Night was black and white. It had a great story. I hope to see the characters again sooner than later.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

Wakanda Forever is considered the Phase 4 finale. It is the last movie for Phase 4. The Guardians Holiday Special is technically the finale to Phase 4. Wakanda Forever is a brilliant movie. It has everything. It has action, emotion, story, and it is game changing for the future. It has a great story and beautifully played tribute to Chadwick Boseman’s T’Challa. The movie is

visually stunning and has beautiful costumes and Wakanda is a great world.

The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special

This is considered the true finale of Phase 4 and it is a good one. It is pure joy. Given it was already stated and proven by the trailers, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is going to be a heavy and darker movie. Given what is to come, it was very enjoyable to see the Guardians in a fun Christmas special. The special does set up things for the upcoming movie and the special introduced Cosmo the Dog who will be in the movie. Also, the special had some great music.

Overall, I think Phase 4 is a good phase. Some of the projects are better than others. I love Marvel and I am looking forward to how it all will connect to the bigger picture. I am planning on revisiting Phase 4 where I will go more in depth for each project individually.