Kevin Feige has been shepherding the MCU since its inception in the late 2000s and came out guns blazing with the first Iron Man in 2008. The MCU soon expanded over the years, and more characters started to populate the narrative and make the universe layered and interconnected.
However, the franchise is struggling to balance all the narratives that they have going on currently. Many loose ends from the many shows and films released in Phase 4 have yet to be resolved or addressed. Fans have pointed out significant unresolved storylines from the current MCU multiverse storyline that have been pushed to the side and have left them hanging.
Kevin Feige Has Left Fans Confused With Certain Unresolved MCU Storylines
The MCU has certainly grown exponentially larger than the first few phases. Kevin Feige and his team have an even bigger burden of juggling the TV shows and the movies and ensuring connectivity among them. However, as many have noticed, the MCU is crumbling on its own weight as its storylines have become convoluted and confusing.
They have not been able to address and explore further into every narrative they have introduced in their films and shows in phase 4. As pointed out by Comicodigy on X, the MCU has four significant loose ends that they have yet to explain and go deep into. The arcs of Sharon Carter, Skaar, Dane Whitman, and Hercules are still unresolved, and Comicodigy believes Feige is struggling to juggle everything, as he writes on X,
The most frustrating loose ends from phase 4 and phase 5 of the MCU. Kevin Feige bit off more than he could chew.
The most frustrating loose ends from phase 4 and phase 5 of the MCU. Kevin Feige bit off more than he could chew pic.twitter.com/Mq2SuQxi3j
— Comicodigy (@comicodigy) May 25, 2024
Sharon Carter was revealed to be the Power Broker in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, and the MCU has yet to explain her intentions. With rumors of her appearing in Armor Wars (via Marvel Updates), she may get the spotlight there. The reveal of Hulk’s son Skaar at the end of She-Hulk: Attorney at Law was a complete surprise, and the MCU has not addressed how he came to be.
With no Hulk-centric projects in the pipeline, this loose end may never get the chance for an exploration. The end of Eternals teased an interesting journey for Kit Harington’s Dane Whitman as he received the Ebony Blade and a surprise visit from Blade. It has been more than 3 years, and nothing has been done to further the storyline. The upcoming Blade movie might continue this arc, but it’s not clear where Whitman will appear next in the MCU.
Finally, Hercules was introduced at the end of Thor: Love and Thunder played by Brett Goldstein, who swears to take revenge on Thor, for hurting his father Zeus. With Thor 5 rumored to be about the impending war between New Asgard and Omnipotence City ruled by Zeus (via Marvel Updates), the Hercules-Thor rivalry is expected to be explored in Thor 5 with Hercules as the main antagonist. One expects all these loose ends to get addressed and resolved in the immediate future.
Kevin Feige Loves Being the Underdog Again After Recent MCU Failures
2023 proved to be one of the most underwhelming years for the MCU as many of their projects bombed at the box office and failed to connect with audiences. The failure of Ant-Man 3, Secret Invasion, and The Marvels seems to have woken up Marvel Studios like a jolt of lightning and are planning a strong comeback with future projects.
“You can jump in anywhere”: Kevin Feige’s Marvel Future Plans Will Erase One Major Phase 3 Complaint
In an interview with Empire, Feige acknowledged that the studio took a hit last year which has not been ideal. With the current state of Marvel that has to prove itself all over again, he feels like an underdog which he loves. With only one film this year, he wants to exceed expectations and surprise audiences after those missteps. Feige said,
It’s nice to be able to rally behind one feature project this year. I’m much more comfortable being the underdog. I prefer being able to surprise and exceed expectations. So it does seem like the last year, which has not been ideal, has set us up well for that.
The MCU is expecting to come back strong with the upcoming Deadpool & Wolverine. The hotly anticipated threequel sees the return of Reynolds and Hugh Jackman alongside Emma Corrin, Morena Baccarin, Rob Delaney, Leslie Uggams, Karan Soni, and Matthew Macfadyen. Deadpool & Wolverine hits theaters on July 26, 2024.
