Quick, name the current MCU Avengers lineup. You can't,
because there really isn't one. And that's a potential problem as the franchise chugs onward.
After the surprise success of "Iron Man," it seemed that the wild idea to connect a
group of superhero films together with the goal of bringing those characters together for a crossover
might actually work. And then, improbably, it did. For three phases and just over a decade,
the Avengers Initiative thrived, saving the Earth from numerous threats and earning
billions of dollars at the box office. But where are Earth's Mightiest Heroes now?
For a few years now, that question has had no real answer. Phase 4 of the MCU came and went
without a proper "Avengers" film. Many of the franchise's original stars stepped away, and the
series has lacked direction. There's a new Captain America, a new Hawkeye, and a couple new Hulks.
"This is my son, Skaar."
But very little connected them. "Ant-Man and the Wasp:
Quantumania" producer Stephen Broussard recently told Inverse,
"A lot of Phase Four was about introducing the next generation and introducing new characters."
It was also about experimenting and building out the franchise's streaming presence on Disney+.
That's all well and good, but the MCU has only gotten more disjointed since "Avengers:
Endgame." That issue has never been more apparent than in "Quantumania," which was
meant to kick off Phase 5 with a bang. Instead, it suffers from the same big
problem that plagued Phase 4 — a failure to connect to the larger Marvel world.
"Quantumania" references the Avengers constantly. From the very start, the movie tries to develop a
tension between Scott Lang and his daughter Cassie based on his membership in the superhero team.
"I know how to take care of myself, OK? Trust me. I'm pretty good at it
by now." "Ouch."
She repeatedly chastises him for claiming to be a hero while at the same time ignoring all the
people in the world who need his help. Later on, Kang the Conqueror references all the Avengers
he's killed in alternate timelines. The title is thrown around often, and with a clear intended
weight behind it. Unfortunately, it's hard to know what the word even means at this point.
Who are the Avengers at the start of Phase 5? Is it the Hulk, who's
off sipping mojitos with his cousin? Or maybe Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes,
who spend the duration of Phase 4 trying to heal the post-Blip world without any help from their
supposed friends? Crossovers with huge stars are obviously expensive and difficult to schedule,
but that's hardly an excuse for a company as massive as Disney.
Every time "Quantumania" references the Avengers, it feels more like a reference for the audience,
as if to say, "Remember those better movies?" The sad fact is, it's hard to conjure a complete
picture of what the Avengers or the world of the MCU even look like at this point.
As the first chapter in Phase 5, "Quantumania" definitely tries to
plant seeds for a new overarching storyline in the MCU. Jonathan Majors is spectacular as Kang,
and he could make a great new lead villain. But the film doesn't do nearly enough to organize
the mess of Phase 4, leaving the future of the franchise still somewhat in the dark.
When Kang attacks again in 2025's "Avengers: The Kang Dynasty," who
will face him? A random assemblage of fresh faces from Disney+ and older stars who renewed
their Marvel contracts? In "Infinity War," it was exciting to see Doctor Strange, Iron Man,
and the Guardians of the Galaxy all fighting together because they'd been on a clear collision
course for years. And the other character relationships were built up more gradually.
Remember when Hawkeye popped up in "Thor," or when Black Widow debuted in "Iron Man 2?" There
was a clear reason for these appearances, and they laid the groundwork for what came later.
Now, it's all a big mess. What does Moon Knight have to say to Ms. Marvel? Why would
Kate Bishop team up with Shang-Chi? With the title of "Avenger" now lacking a clear meaning,
there's no gravity pulling these disparate characters together,
and not much reason to look forward to the next big team-up. Maybe Cassie Lang is
right. Maybe her dad really isn't an Avenger anymore. Right now, it looks like no one is.