A surprising MCU sequel statistic from the Infinity Saga proves the universe is having problems keeping its story contained post-Endgame.
There are many characters from the MCU Phase 4 and Phase 5 awaiting sequels, and a surprising statistic in that regard highlights a major problem with Marvel post-Endgame. Dozens of new characters have been introduced into the MCU in recent years. Whether it’s in a film or Disney+ series, audiences have become connected to these characters and are waiting to see more. However, there haven’t been many announcements or updates regarding MCU sequels, and it’s a recent, bizarre trend from Marvel.
At the start of the MCU, Iron Man already had a sequel before The Avengers happened. Shortly after, Iron Man, Captain America, and Thor all received sequels, continuing their stories and the overall narrative of the Infinity Saga. This hasn’t been the process in the Multiverse Saga, and it has caused some problems. A statistic regarding sequels in the Infinity Saga shows Marvel is heading in a concerning direction, but they still have time to fix it.
The MCU Multiverse Saga Currently Contains No Pairs Of Sequels
The Infinity Saga has a total of nine sequels outside the Avengers films. Iron Man, Captain America, and Thor all got trilogies, while the Guardians of the Galaxy and Ant-Man got one sequel. While Spider-Man: Far From Home debuted after Avengers: Endgame, it’s still technically a part of the Infinity Saga. What’s surprising about this stat is that the Infinity Saga has nine more sequels than the Multiverse Saga, meaning the latter Saga has zero.
Several sequels from the Infinity Saga have been released within the Multiverse Saga, such as Thor: Love and Thunder, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, but not a single new character introduced in Phases 4 & 5 has been given a sequel. Characters such as Shang-Chi and the Eternals appear important to the MCU’s narrative, but there’s been little update on when they might appear next.
Why The Lack Of Sequels Is Hurting The Multiverse Saga
The Multiverse Saga has been cluttered with the addition of new characters and storylines. Within the last few years, characters like She-Hulk, Ms. Marvel, Shang-Chi, Moon Knight, America Chavez, the Eternals, and Ironheart have all been added to the MCU. A few of these heroes have had their stories continued, like Ms. Marvel in The Marvels, but many of them are still waiting for Marvel to bring them back. Spider-Man, Doctor Strange, and Thor are all characters with rumored sequels in the works, but nothing has been confirmed yet.
With all of these additions and no sequels, the MCU is starting to feel more cluttered than the multiverse, with many storyline branches that feel like they aren’t connected. Quantumania is the only project outside of Loki that addressed Kang, and there are massive implications left by the Eternals that haven’t been addressed yet. Meanwhile, audiences are still waiting to see how the Ten Rings factor in, almost three years after Shang-Chi came out. The lack of sequels has created a lack of continuity that is leading to diminishing investment from the audience.
It’s Not Too Late For Some Multiverse Saga Heroes To Get A Follow-Up
At the moment, there are no Multiverse Saga sequels in the official MCU timeline. Spider-Man 4, Thor 5, and Shang-Chi 2 are supposedly in development or early planning stages at Marvel, but it’s unclear when they could come out. Since the upcoming Phase 6 slate is so bare, Marvel will have plenty of opportunities to fill it up with follow-up films for several heroes. While a few of these characters, like Ironheart and Agatha Harkness, are getting TV shows as their follow-ups, many viewers still want to see how they will factor into the larger universe.
Marvel also needs to add some sequels to its lineup as it gets closer to Avengers 5. It’s not clear who the members of the Avengers will be, and Marvel needs to establish who the leaders are in this universe and who will be joining the team. By giving more character sequels, Marvel can get a gauge of who audiences like and who can be the main heroes for the MCU‘s next Avengers. It will also give them a chance to tie everything together so that the story in Avengers 5 doesn’t seem like it came out of nowhere.
