16 HOPE IS TRUE: A FULL REBOOT OF CHARACTERS AND STORYLINES



With that in mind, one rumor we really hope is true is that we’ll get a complete reboot of characters and storylines.

Phase 4 will still be dealing with the fallout of the two Infinity War movies, so we’ll see most of the same characters from Phases 1-3 return to the big screen.

Depending on how Phase 4 is resolved, though, there might be a good narrative opportunity to start the MCU over again from scratch.

The Infinity War sequel will probably be the vehicle for some of the “founding members” of Marvel to make their clean exits from the franchise.

The surviving members of the Avengers (aka the characters introduced in later movies) will still have some stories left to tell, as we can see from the scheduled movies for Phase 4. However, after that... there’s a real opportunity for Marvel to do something completely new.

Starting over would give the writers more creative freedom to introduce new characters and stories into the universe.

If they tried to do that now, it would be far too bloated -- it’s a miracle Infinity War worked with how many characters that needed screen time.

Keeping a few characters from early phases, like Spider-Man and Black Panther, could provide continuity and give audiences some familiar faces to look forward to.

15 HOPE ISN’T: SOLO BLACK WIDOW MOVIE



In the past, fans were clamoring for a solo Black Widow movie. She’s got a backstory that would make an incredibly exciting movie, and she’s so well-established in the Marvel universe that even casual viewers at least recognize her character.

She’s played by Scarlett Johansson, who’s an established star in her own right and would finally be able to show her full acting range in a Marvel movie for once. There are a lot of positives.

However, a Black Widow origin movie would have fit well in the earlier phases of Marvel, back when executives kept teasing her story but were clearly waiting to see if a female-led superhero film could bring in the cold cash.

By the time we get to Phase 5, though, we will have moved onto a new stage of the story and hopefully a new cast of characters.

Since she was introduced at the very beginning of the MCU, it might be time to let her go and focus on bringing other female characters to the screen -- starting with Captain Marvel next year. Besides, the film seems to be stuck in development hell.

Let Scarlett Johansson and her wigs take a break. It’s better to have no Black Widow movie than a movie that turns out like the SNL parody.

14 HOPE IS TRUE: INCLUDING MORE SUPERNATURAL HEROES AND FANTASY ELEMENTS



For the most part, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has tried to stay more in the realm of science fiction. Iron Man, the character who they chose to kick off the entire universe, doesn’t have any powers at all -- just a brilliant mind and fantastic technology.

Many of the other characters are similar: Black Widow, Hawkeye, Falcon, and War Machine, for example.

Even some of the characters with powers have scientific explanations. Captain America and the Hulk were both injected with serums (with mixed results), Spider-Man was bitten by a radioactive spider, the list goes on.

Characters like Thor, Doctor Strange, and Scarlet Witch, whose powers are more fantastical, are in the minority.

That’s not for lack of options in the comics. Incorporating more supernatural heroes and fantasy elements into the universe could open up a lot of options for stories, new characters, and new directions that the overarching story can take.

Now that we’ve established that magic is part of the MCU, the movies could make space for characters like Blade and Ghost Rider. Ghost Rider has made an appearance on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D, and Marvel owns the cinematic rights to Blade, so this actually could be a possibility.

13 HOPE ISN’T: INTRODUCING THE SILVER SURFER AS A VILLAIN



Audience members who don’t read the comics are likely only familiar with the Silver Surfer from the 2007 movie, Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer.

It was the second movie in the Fantastic Four franchise, and the Surfer was introduced as the villain attempting to destroy Earth.

Eventually, the characters find out that he doesn’t actually want to be evil, he’s forced to destroy planets by Galactus because otherwise, Galactus will destroy his home planet. By the end of the movie, he has joined the Fantastic Four against Galactus.

Given that younger Marvel audiences will likely have no memory of the Fantastic Four movies by the time the MCU version of the Silver Surfer would hit theaters, they could technically tell this story over again. However, this wasn’t the Surfer’s last appearance in the comics.

After being trapped on Earth by Galactus, he joins the Fantastic Four to fight against evil. He even joins up with the Hulk and Namor to form their own group, the “Titans Three.”

We’ve already seen the Silver Surfer as a villain, and there are so many great opportunities to include him in the MCU as a hero. Let’s not stay in the past.

12 HOPE IS TRUE: INCLUDING THE ETERNALS



The Eternals were first introduced back in the seventies as an evolutionary offshoot of human beings. Their “classification” should give you a hint about one of their powers -- rather than being homo sapiens, they are ‘homo immortalis.’

They existed before humans and can live for millennia since they were originally intended to be the guardians of the Earth. (Not the galaxy.)

They were created by the Celestials, who also created the Deviants. The Eternals spent most of their time defending humans from the Deviants. Their history pulls from Greek mythology, but within Marvel comics, they also intersect with the Kree, the Titans, and the Inhumans.

Although you might not realize it, we’ve actually seen one Eternal already. Some Eternals are affected by the Deviant Syndrome, a genetic mutation. Most notably, one of those individuals is Thanos.

There are lots of ways that The Eternals could be introduced into the MCU, especially since so many connections could be quickly established within MCU canon.

Kevin Feige has said that they’re actively trying to figure out a way to bring them into the universe, but nothing is set in stone as of yet. We’ll just have to wait and see when that actually happens.