After Avengers: Endgame raised the stakes of the MCU to universe-spanning proportions, followers instantly puzzled: what’s subsequent? How might Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige and his staff presumably comply with up on the epic two-parter that noticed almost each hero within the MCU tackle Thanos (Josh Brolin) and finally resurrect half of the universe? The reply quickly turned clear. Reasonably than merely risking the entire of the MCU’s Earth-616, your entire multiverse could be on the road this time. As Phases 4, 5, and 6 laid out the preliminary plan for the Multiverse Saga — and pivoted away from Kang towards Physician Doom as the final word risk — it additionally established an entire new technology of heroes, some brand-new and a few inheriting a mantle from an unique Avenger.
Nonetheless, with each legacy and new characters within the combine in addition to a whole multiversal risk to take care of, the MCU’s Multiverse Saga has left some followers feeling upset. Yelena Belova is probably one of many solely newer heroes to get ample display time, with roles in Black Widow, Hawkeye, Thunderbolts*, and Spider-Man: Model New Day. In the meantime, many different newer heroes, akin to Simu Liu’s Shang-Chi and Iman Vellani’s Ms. Marvel, haven’t been capable of step up the way in which some followers anticipated. However the animated facet of the MCU tells a distinct story.
Marvel Animation Has Stored New Characters Alive
In tandem with its live-action counterpart, Marvel Studios Animation — a separate division of Marvel Studios established in 2021 — has launched a number of key animated collection largely designed to construct out the multiverse. There’s, in fact, the acclaimed X-Males ‘97 and Your Pleasant Neighborhood Spider-Man, which exist in parallel worlds to the MCU correct. However Marvel has additionally allowed tasks like What If…? and Marvel Zombies to shift the MCU highlight past marquee figures just like the X-Males and Spider-Man. The previous not solely additional explores Physician Unusual’s sophisticated relationship to the multiverse but additionally lets fan favorites like Shang-Chi, Kate Bishop, Agatha Harkness, and Purple Guardian have tales of their very own. The fantastic thing about the collection, naturally, is the liberty with which it may well go massive, bizarre, or darkish, generally all in the identical episode. What If…? even introduces its personal hero in Kahhori.
In the meantime, Marvel Zombies appears nearly designed to usher in a brand new period for the MCU. Set in a post-apocalyptic world the place a lot of the unique heroes both turned flesh-eating zombies or fell sufferer to them, the present positions Ms. Marvel because the central hero and even includes a character named Blade Knight, a model of Blade clearly modeled after Mahershala Ali who takes on the mantle of Moon Knight. Many more recent characters additionally seem in key roles, together with Kate Bishop, Riri Williams, Shang-Chi, and Purple Guardian. Even right here, Yelena Belova — with Florence Pugh voicing her — makes a memorable look.
Will the MCU Be In a position to Transfer Previous Its Authentic Heroes?
As enjoyable because the Marvel Studios Animation tasks are, the draw back is that just about all of them — with the notable exception of Eyes of Wakanda — are explicitly set in alternate worlds. So none of those adventures are acknowledged as canon inside the core MCU. If something, these animated collection have given the MCU some leeway to take dangers, experimenting not solely with its much less confirmed heroes but additionally with darker, extra violent tales.
Nonetheless, going into Avengers: Doomsday, one of many overarching complaints of the Multiverse Saga has been its over-reliance on the acquainted. With Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Evans each returning to the MCU, some followers are skeptical that the MCU is able to transfer previous the characters that outlined the Infinity Saga. There are actually sufficient newer heroes ready within the wings to inherit the strain of carrying the franchise ahead, if and once they’re given the prospect to totally accomplish that.
Till then, followers craving extra of the characters launched in tasks like Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Ms. Marvel, Eternals, Hawkeye, Moon Knight, Ironheart, and past can discover solace within the MCU’s animation wing. And hopefully, Uatu aka The Watcher (voiced by Jeffrey Wright on What If…?) will make his live-action debut quickly to tie these collection into the remainder of the Multiverse Saga.
What If…? and Marvel Zombies are streaming now on Disney+.