If there’s one thing missing in the MCU’s Phase 4, it’s the Avengers. We’re about to see the sixth Phase 4 movie, just as the seventh Disney Plus MCU TV show approaches its finale. And Marvel has been going out of its way to avoid acknowledging the Avengers. But a new rumor claims that Captain America 4 might feature plenty of superheroes, getting us as close as possible to the Avengers 5 movie we desperately want.
As always with MCU rumors, expect some spoilers ahead.
The MCU’s big Avengers plot hole
With each MCU installment that fails to explain why the Avengers do not intervene, Marvel’s Avengers plot hole is getting bigger and bigger. We addressed it plenty of times before, most recently with the stunning events in a few of the Moon Knight episodes. The finale is especially striking, as we don’t get any sort of Avengers interaction with the brand new superhero that caused quite a ruckus in Egypt.
Then again, the Avengers do exist and operate together. We know that from The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. That’s where the Falcon (Anthony Mackie) and Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) worked together in official Avengers capacity to protect the GRC. The show is also the story you need to see before going to Captain America 4, as that’s where Sam Wilson accepts the Captain America role.
Separately, Shang-Chi and Doctor Strange 2, also gave us a minor taste of Avengers action. Wong (Benedict Wong) appears in these two projects to help. But this is hardly enough for the MCU, as the Avengers are the glue that holds this universe of stories together.
Marvel isn’t ready to announce an Avengers 5, or any sort of crossover that would deliver Avengers-like action. That’s because it’s still working on independent characters that will be part of future superhero groups.
Why Captain America 4 can be an Avengers story
Marvel isn’t even ready to announce the Captain America 4 release date. We have no idea when the movie starts shooting or who else will be in the cast. But a new rumor claims that the sequel will feature multiple heroes, and it could be an Avengers mini-movie.
This is an unconfirmed rumor, and we have no idea where it comes from. But it does make sense because there’s plenty of precedent in the MCU so far.
For starters, the origin story of this Captain America version is already told. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier does that. And it’s a TV show you’ll have to watch to understand why Sam wasn’t thrilled to accept the new title. And why he ultimately became the new Captain America.
That’s why Captain America 4 can’t be another origin story. The next chapter in Sam Wilson’s superhero days has to be something bigger, where he actually starts leading the Avengers. After all, Cap is one of the Avengers’ leaders. And Sam will have to give us a taste of what the Avengers can do under his command.
More importantly, The Winter Soldier and especially Civil War can be considered mini Avengers movies. They’re two of the best MCU movies to date, featuring plenty of Avengers cameos. They tell incredibly important stories that set up Infinity War and Endgame.
That’s not to say that Captain America 4 has to be equally consequential for the upcoming Avengers 5. But it could easily become the closest thing to a new Avengers adventure since Endgame.
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