The incredible success of Spider-Man: Brand New Day has reignited excitement around the MCU to levels that haven’t been seen since the build toward Avengers: Endgame. As a result, the current slate of projects, Phase 6 of the franchise, is off to a tremendous start, with all eyes on Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars to see if they can stick the landing. The plans for the MCU after that point have also been confirmed, as Kevin Feige announced several films that will stretch into the next saga of the franchise.
On paper, a lot of it sounds great with new iconic characters being brought to the big screen, major sequels on tap, and some big stars set to join the franchise. However, some aspects of the MCU’s upcoming plan leave a reason for us to be cautious, as it goes against something that has worked wonders for them throughout their history. When Kevin Feige announced the directors for the future of the MCU, it exclusively included filmmakers who have already worked in the MCU. It’s a good idea in theory, and it’ll likely be a success for the MCU, yet it’s almost too safe, and not a strategy that has led to their best films.
One element that Phase 6 of the MCU and its future projects all share is that the directors working on them have already helmed movies or TV shows in the franchise. The Fantastic Four: First Steps was from WandaVision director Matt Shakman, Spider-Man: Brand New Day is from Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings director Destin Daniel Cretton, and Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars come from The Russo Brothers, who were behind several past MCU films, including Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame.
Feige’s recent announcements for the future include Black Panther III from Ryan Coogler, who helmed the first two installments (and produced two TV shows, and Ghost Rider from Shawn Levy, who handled Deadpool & Wolverine. In theory, this is a smart move because you know what you’re going to get from these filmmakers that have proven themselves. The MCU hasn’t been consistent during the 2020s, so it makes sense to put the immediate future into the hands of people who have done it before with success. Even the untitled X-Men movie that everyone’s excited for is coming from Jake Schreier, who directed Thunderbolts*. But is Marvel playing it too safe?
As interesting as the upcoming slate of MCU projects is, I can’t help but feel that I’d be more excited if the MCU went back to what worked best for them. Many of the best movies in the MCU came from directors who had never tried their hands at superhero projects in the past. It allowed the filmmakers to get creative and try something new, and the MCU often chose directors who had worked on smaller indie films. They were able to coax strong performances from the cast and give the movies a personal, intimate feel while the action elements were always going to be there in a Marvel project. It made for a perfect mix.
James Gunn with Guardians of the Galaxy is a prime example of this, as is Taika Waititi taking over Thor: Ragnarok and breathing new life into the character. Even Ryan Coogler with Black Panther, Destin Daniel Cretton with Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, and The Russo Brothers in Captain America: The Winter Soldier all also brought their charm and quirks to their projects while keeping the large-scale Marvel aspects of it all.
The same goes for the most underrated MCU movies like The Marvels from Nia DaCosta and Shane Black’s Iron Man 3, the latter of which was a billion-dollar hit for Marvel. While it is risky to put these big-budget films in the hands of unknown entities, it has a proven track record of bringing out the best in the franchise.
Ultimately, the plan for Phase 6 and beyond of the MCU is very likely to be a success. Spider-Man: Brand New Day shattered box office records, and it looks like Avengers: Doomsday is going to be a massive hit. The Black Panther franchise is sure to give us another major film, while bringing in Ryan Gosling for Ghost Rider should make that movie a big deal as well. Even so, it does feel like the MCU is playing things a little too safely.
Handing the reins to directors without superhero experience has usually worked, though there are some misses like Academy Award winner Chloé Zhao’s Eternals and Julius Onah’s Captain America: Brave New World. The MCU is hoping to avoid that, but these types of risks are still worth taking. Thunderbolts* is a clear example of this working. Alas, the MCU’s decision to play things safe for its future should work; it’s just that taking risks is usually when they’re at their best.
