If Marvel's Phase 4 Was Too Long For You, I'm Here To Recap It And Save You Some Time

All 50 hours and 21 minutes, in one handy dandy post!

With just under a month to go until Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania hits theatres, aka the official start to Phase 5 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, I think it would be appropriate to reflect on and refresh our minds about the last two years of Marvel content.

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But before we get into it, an obvious-but-necessary 🚨SPOILER WARNING🚨 is needed as we will be discussing and diving into a series of Marvel movies and TV shows from the years 2021–2022.

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To recap Phase 4, we'll go in order from WandaVision (January 2021) to the Guardians Holiday Special (November 2022). Let's go!

WandaVision (2021 series)

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- The Vision we all know and love has died in Infinity War, but only existed in the show because Wanda used her grief to create her own little happy town.

- There is a Vision out there (White Vision) that is created by S.W.O.R.D. (Sentient Weapon Observation and Response Division).

- It was Agatha All Along, but Agatha is now frozen in WestView under one of Wanda’s spells.

- Wanda gives up her chance to be happily ever after with Vision and their two kids (Tommy and Billy, aka Speed and Wiccan), but takes an evil book called The Darkhold from Agatha's possession to learn its magic and find her children in a separate universe.

Follow-up: Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022), Agatha: Coven of Chaos (2023)

The Falcon and The Winter Soldier (2021 series)

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- Sam Wilson is THE new Captain America (purr) and his suit looks wildly awesome and has wings that pays homage to his previous alias as Falcon.

- Bucky Barnes is coming to terms with his past as The Winter Soldier and making amends to the people he hurt.

- People are not happy about "The Blip" (the reverse snap as a result of Endgame) because they are left without homes and jobless.

- A Nicky Fury-like contessa named Valentina Allegra de Fontaine is creating a superteam of her own and the first recruit is John Walker (the fake Captain America aka U.S. Agent).

- Sharon Carter rejoins the CIA after being in the dark from the Sokovia Accords, and has a cool new codename, The Power Broker. She plans to sell government secrets and resources.

Follow-up: Black Widow (2021)'s end-credits scene, Thunderbolts (2024), Captain America: New World Order (2024)

Black Widow (2021 movie)

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- The events take place between Civil War and Infinity War.

- Natasha Romanoff does in fact have a family — though unconventional — contrary to previous sentiments by Steve Rogers after her death in Endgame. Notable relatives being her father, the Red Guardian (the Russian counterpart to Captain America) and her sister, Yelena Belova, who we will see more of later.

- Valentina Allegra de Fontaine visits Yelena grieving at Natasha's grave after the events of Endgame, and recruits her to join her team. The blame for Natasha's death is put on Clint Barton, aka Hawkeye.

Follow-up: Hawkeye (2021), Thunderbolts (2024)

Loki Season 1 (2021 series)

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- The multiverse is not just a throwaway concept from Far From Home, but is in fact real and controlled by the TVA (Time Variance Authority). The mascot is a cartoon clock named Ms. Minutes and IMO is super creepy.

- Loki was always supposed to die in Endgame (as everything in the MCU thus far is supposed to happen) due to what's known as "the sacred timeline." Loki created a different timeline by escaping from the custody of S.H.I.E.L.D. in 2012 via Endgame, and is now working as an agent of the TVA.

- There are MANY different versions of Loki including a gorgeous lady version named Sylvie.

- The sacred timeline is overseen and run by a variant of Kang the Conqueror called He Who Remains, and he is keeping everything in check to avoid another multiversal war.

- Sylvie kills He Who Remains, causing the timeline to break and the multiverse to open up.

- Loki ends up in a different reality where a Kang variant runs and rules the TVA.

Follow-up: Loki Season 2 (2023), Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania (2023)

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021 movie)

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- Wong is good friends with The Abomination.

- Ta-Lo is a secret inter-dimensional land with a dark gate to an evil world where The Dweller-in-Darkness is imprisoned.

- The ten rings are a mystical artifact that's existed at least 1,000 years.

- Xialing (Shang Chi's sister) is the new leader of The Ten Rings organization, unknown to Shang-Chi. She is training women alongside men.

- Wong, Shang-Chi, Katy (Shang Chi's bsf), Bruce Banner, and Carol Danvers are researching the origins of the ten rings and discover it's sending a signal to somewhere.

- Oh, and Lil Nas X survived The Snap

Follow-up: She-Hulk: Attorney at Law (for Wong and Abomination, 2022), Shang-Chi 2 (release date TBD)

What If...? Season 1 (2021 series)

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- The multiverse is overseen by a big-headed bald alien called The Watcher

- There is a universe where Peggy Carter takes the super soldier serum and becomes Captain Carter.

- There is a universe where Yondu takes T'Challa by accident, and he becomes Star Lord, and even talks Thanos out of wanting to wipeout half of the universe. Peter Quill is a humble Dairy Queen employee.

- There is a universe where everybody is Zombies and Wanda Maximoff is OP

- Tony Stark dies in every universe.

- There is a universe with an evil Doctor Strange called Strange Supreme

- Killmonger and Tony Stark (pre-Iron Man) would've been besties, but Killmonger would've killed Stark.

- Loki would've been better off, happier, and best friends with Thor if Odin had returned him to the Frost Giants. Thor would also be a frat boy.

- Killmonger is power-hungry in EVERY universe, even as the Black Panther.

- The Guardians of the Multiverse consist of Strange Supreme, Party Thor, Captain Carter, Star Lord T'Challa, a version of Gamora that killed Thanos, and The Watcher.

Follow-up: What If...? Season 2 (2023), Zombies (2024), Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)

Eternals (2021 movie)

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- The Eternals are ancient super-powered beings sent on Earth to wipe out Deviants (immortal beings). They were told not to interfere with the people of Earth, resulting in ages of wars, plagues, and The Snap.

- There is a giant Celestial hand and helmet sticking out of the Arctic.

- Celestials are ginormous beings born from planets (destroying the planets in the process).

- Dane Whitman, aka The Black Night, is totally going to be BFFs with Blade.

- Harry Styles is an Eternal called Starfox (and is Thanos' brother in the comics) and he has a sidekick called Pip the Troll.

Follow-up: Eternals 2 (release date TBD)

Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021 movie)

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- Agent P. Clearly is introduced as an agent of the Department of Damage Control, which was introduced in Homecoming.

- Wong is the new Sorcerer Supreme, since Doctor Strange was snapped away.

- All three versions of cinematic Spider-Men appear from separate multiverses!

- The multiverse was opened up because MCU Peter (Peter 1, Tom Holland) botched a spell Doctor Strange was casting so people would forget that he was Spider-Man

- The Webb-verse/Amazing Spider-Man (Peter 3, Andrew Garfield) gets redemption after letting Gwen Stacy die by saving Zendaya's MJ from a similar fall caused by Raimi-verse's Green Goblin.

- Aunt May is murdered by Raimi-verse Green Goblin.

- Daredevil/Matt Murdoch (reprised by Charlie Cox) makes his MCU debut and was a good friend of Aunt May.

- In order to stop the multiple universes from spilling over into the MCU (Earth 616), MCU Spider-Man (Peter 1) okays Doctor Strange to cast a spell in which EVERYONE forgets who Peter Parker is, including Strange himself.

- MJ and Ned are future MIT students and don't remember who Peter Parker is (even though MJ still has the Black Dahlia necklace from Far From Home).

- Peter makes a new Spider-Man suit (without Stark tech) and lives on his own.

Follow-up: Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022), She-Hulk: Attorney at Law (2022), Daredevil: Born Again (2024)

Hawkeye (2021 series)

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- Kate Bishop's first encounter with Clint Barton/Hawkeye dates back to the Battle of New York in Avengers, when he saves her from a Chitauri.

- The Ronin suit and mantle is burned and destroyed for good, it seems.

- Eleanor Bishop (Kate's mother) has ties with Kingpin/Wilson Fisk (reprised by Vincent D'Onofrio) who makes his MCU debut.

- Maya Lopez, aka Echo, is a leader of the Tracksuit Mafia (an underground crime organization), and is the adoptive niece of Kingpin. She seemingly shoots Kingpin after she finds out he orchestrated her father's death.

- Yelena shows up to kill Clint, but they talk it out (while fighting) and they both come to terms with Natasha's death, and understand that she sacrificed herself.

- Yelena and Kate are bffs (they bonded over fighting each other).

Follow-up: Echo (2023), Thunderbolts (2024), Daredevil: Born Again (2024)

Moon Knight (2022 series)

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- Egyptian Gods exist in the MCU.

- Moon Knight = Marc Spector: (above) a ruthless American mercenary that gets the job done.

- Mr. Knight = Stephen Grant: an apologetic British museum gift shop employee that gets the job done but not as efficiently, and wears a clean all-white suit.

- Jake Lockley = an even more ruthless Spanish third identity, teased in post-credits.

- All of the above are Oscar Isaac's characters' personas (as the character suffers from dissociative identity disorder) and are avatars of Khonshu, the Egyptian moon god.

- Marc's wife is Layla El-Faouly, aka the Scarlet Scarab, and is the avatar of Taweret, the Egyptian Goddess of fertility and childbirth.

- The Egyptian afterlife, Duat, is a realm in the MCU.

Follow-up: TBD

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)

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- America Chavez can jump through multiverses, including one where pizza balls are street food.

- Unlike Spider-Man, every version of of Doctor Strange looks like Bendystraw Cookiebatch (Benadryl Chumbawumba, Butterscotch Cucumberpatch, iykyk).

- Wanda has embraced her identity as The Scarlet Witch and has been using the Darkhold to jump through universes to chase America Chavez. She is trying to exploit America Chavez for her powers.

- There *was* a universe (Earth-838) which contained the "Illuminati," consisting of Mordo as the Sorcerer Supreme, Professor X (reprised by Sir Patrick Stewart), Maria Rambeau/Captain Marvel, Reed Richards, Captain Carter, and Black Bolt. They all got mashed like baby food by Scarlet Witch.

- After realizing the monster she has become (thanks to a zombie Doctor Strange and America Chavez) and getting hit in the face with toy trucks by Billy and Tommy, Scarlet Witch ends her terrifying plan and vows to destroy every Darkhold in every universe, seemingly destroying herself in the process.

- America Chavez is a student of Wong's.

- Doctor Strange grows a third eye on his forehead as a result of using the Darkhold.

- Clea (an enchanted sorceress from the Dark Dimesion) summons Strange to help her because his actions has caused a universe-destroying "incursion."

Follow-up: She-Hulk: Attorney at Law (for Wong, 2022)

Thor: Love and Thunder (2022 movie)

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- Contrary to Duat, Valhalla is the Norse God afterlife for those who have died in combat.

- Like the comics, Dr. Jane Foster has cancer and becomes Lady Thor to try to battle it, but it only accelerates to cancer and she dies. But she makes it to Valhalla, where Heimdall is also located!

- Valkyrie is the leader of New Asgard, which has become a tourist destination similar to the likes of a Disney theme park, complete with plays about what happened in the previous Thor films, and an ice cream parlor called Infinity Cones.

- Thor went from dad bod to God bod in a montage and is no longer a member of the Guardians of the Galaxy.

- All of the Gods reside in Omnipotence City, where Zeus is the head honcho.

- Zeus lifts his skirt up when he skips down the stairs.

- Eternity makes its MCU debut.

- Gorr the God Butcher sacrifices his life to bring his daughter, Love, back.

- Thor becomes the adoptive father of Love and they do hero stuff together. Thor wields Mjolnir and Love wields Stormbreaker.

- Zeus tasks his son, Hercules, to kill Thor.

Follow-up: TBD

Ms. Marvel (2022 show)

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- Kamala Khan/Ms. Marvel gets her powers from her great-grandmother's bangle, which is found in a cave with the markings of the Ten Rings organization.

- Red Daggers are an underground organization in Pakistan.

- It’s revealed that there is an alteration in Kamala’s genes, revealing her to be a mutant *cue X-Men: The Animated Series theme riff*

- The Department of Damage Control is in public hot water due to its handling of a situation in which high schoolers are involved (the high schoolers being Ms. Marvel and her friends) and for raiding a Mosque.

- Ms. Marvel physically switches places with Captain Marvel. Carol Danvers is in Kamala's bedroom in the Khan household, and who knows where Kamala is.

Follow-up: The Marvels (2023)

Werewolf by Night (2022 movie)

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- Takes place in a separate universe where monsters and bounty hunters are a norm.

- Introduces Jack Russell/Werewolf by Night, the Bloodstones (a monster hunting family), and Man-Thing.

Follow-Up: TBD

She-Hulk: Attorney at Law (2022 series)

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- Jennifer Walters is Bruce Banner's cousin. She gets Hulk abilities after a car crash (involving a spacecraft from Sakaar) and Bruce gets his blood in Jennifer's wound.

- As a Hulk you can absorb a lot of alcohol without getting drunk, but you will get a Hulk-sized hangover the next morning.

- Intelligencia is a misogynistic online forum that hates She-Hulk.

- Emil Blonsky/Abomination is (seemingly) healed and mentally capable of controlling Abomination. Jennifer gets him out of prison where he promises to open a meditation/rehab retreat and never transform in Abomination again, but he breaks his parole conditions and is back in jail for another ten years.

- Mr. Immortal, Leap Frog, El Águila, Man-bull, Porcupine, Saracen, Wrecker, Pilediver, Bulldozer, and Thunderball make their MCU debuts.

- Daredevil has a brand new gold-and-crimson suit, resembling his suit in the comics. He and She-Hulk team up in the streets and in the sheets. They are totally a thing now.

- There are sneakers for the heroes of the MCU in a closing credits scene, including the X-Men

- Shapeshifting elves are residents in New Asgard.

- Wong meets a party girl named Madisynn ("with two N's and a Y, but not where you'd expect") after she plops from a different dimension into the Kamar-Taj, onto a couch next to Wong. She is holding a fresh heart in her hand, and tells Wong she was "in some kind of realm where [she] made a deal with a goat-looking thing named Jake, who managed to get [her] out of a lava pit in exchange for six drops of blood."

- The MCU is run by K.E.V.I.N. (Knowledge Enhanced Visual Interconnectivity Nexus), a robot that "wears" a hat (it's built on to him) like Kevin Feige. She-Hulk has the ability to break the fourth wall into the She-Hulk writers’ room and demand changes to the content and storyline.

- Hulk has a son named Skaar.

- She-Hulk even twerks with Megan Thee Stallion. 

Follow-up: Daredevil: Born Again (for Daredevil, 2024)

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022 movie)

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- T'Challa dies due to a condition he kept secret from everyone. Only the heart-shaped herb can save him, but it has all been burned by Killmonger.

- Namor, aka K'uk'ulkan, the feathered serpent God, is a mutant and gets his powers from an herb that is like the heart-shaped herb, but is water-based. He kills Queen Ramonda during a raid of Wakanda.

- Namor gets his name from what people of the surface called him as child: El niño sin amor, which translates to "the boy without love." He hates the surface world for how they mistreated him as a child.

- Namor resides in Talokan, an underwater kingdom that, like Wakanda, was also hit with a meteor containing vibranium.

- Shuri is the new Black Panther and Queen of Wakanda.

- Shuri sees Killmonger in the Ancestral Plane.

- Riri Williams/Ironheart makes her MCU debut. She makes a cool armor out of Wakanda tech/vibranium, but has to keep it in Wakanda. Riri attends MIT, which if you recall, is where MJ and Ned will be attending. She is central to the plot because she created a device used by the U.S. government that tracks vibranium, and lead them to Talokan, much to Namor's dismay.

- Midnight Angels are a new group run by Okoye, with Iron Man-ish armored suits (which were created by Riri and Shuri).

- Valentina Allegra de Fontaine is Agent Everett K. Ross' ex-wife, and the new director of the CIA.

- After getting fried like a fish and de-winged like a Thanksgiving turkey, Namor pledges allegiance to Shuri and a truce between Wakanda and Talokan. Namor does this so Wakanda will be a future aide when he takes over the surface world.

- T'Challa and Nakia has a son named Toussaint, and his Wakandan name is T'Challa. They live in Haiti.

Follow-up: Ironheart (2023), Thunderbolts (2024)

AndThe Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special (2022 movie)

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- Groot is swole.

- Mantis and Star-Lord are half-siblings (Ego is Mantis' father).

- Star-Lord got his Quad Blasters from Yondu as a one and only Christmas present, since Ravagers don't celebrate Christmas or believe in gifts.

Follow-up: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023)

Now you're all caught up! Are you ready for Phase 5?!?!