Marvel Studios Celebrates The Movies: Trailer Breakdown
Marvel fans rejoice in the new video that has been put out by Marvel Studios! Slightly over 3 minutes in length, the first half of the video focuses on the journey of Marvel Cinematic Universe films so far, while the latter half focuses on the Phase 4 films that are coming up, complete with their release dates.
As archive footage from already released films are shown, we get narration from the late Stan Lee that really hits home for those of us who have been in isolation this past year:
“I love being with people. It’s the most incredible thing in the world. That world may change and evolve. But the one thing that will never change: we’re all part of one big family. That man next to you, he’s your brother. That woman over there, she’s your sister. We’re all part of one universe. That moves ever upward and onward to greater glory!”
We also see this text interspersed, reminding us why we went to see these movies before the pandamic deprived us of the experience for a while:
“WE GO TO ESCAPE. TO GET LOST IN A STORY. TO FEEL CONNECTED. TO SHARE MOMENTS."
This is then followed by footage of a movie theater’s audience reaction of Avengers: Endgame on opening night during the moment where Falcon says, “On your left,” followed by cheering, and the rest of the heroes arriving. This was such a huge milestone applauded by many fans around the globe.
Now for the Phase 4 portion of the video. We get glimpses of the upcoming Black Widow film. Natasha Romanoff is in her new white outfit, and then we see the Red Room and supporting characters such as Red Guardian (David Harbour), Melina Vostokoff (Rachel Weisz), and Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh). There are explosions in a snowy mountain area, and a motorcycle chase ensues in what might be Norway, just based on where the film is known to have been shot. We hear Natasha say, “We have unfinished business.” Yelena replies, “Who’s we?” as they have a meal together. This is followed by more shooting and another explosion before we get the Black Widow title accompanied by the release date: July 9, 2021.
Next, we get to see Shang-Chi (Simu Liu) in action, wielding a knife in a fight. There is also a car chase involving Katy (Awkwafina), some glass on a tall building shattering as a helicopter flies by, and Shang-Chi doing high kicks against opponents on some form of public transportation. We get the title Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and its release date: September 3, 2021.
Then we get the first official footage of Eternals. It’s very brief, but we see Thena (Angelina Jolie) riding a horse, followed by glimpses of the team. We even get to see Thena wielding a glowing sword, showing that there will be fantasy elements in this picture. We then get the Eternals title and the release date: November 5, 2021. There is a bit more of the cast shown, and the text afterward says, “WHAT THE FUTURE BRINGS WILL BE WORTH THE WAIT.”
It is then that we get no more new footage, but rather just other upcoming titles accompanied by their release dates. One cannot help but give props to the graphic arts department.
Spider-Man: No Way Home - December 17, 2021
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness - March 25, 2022
Thor: Love and Thunder - May 6, 2022
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (a fitting title for the Black Panther sequel that is expected to honor the late Chadwick Boseman) - July 8, 2022
The Marvels (previously titled Captain Marvel 2) - November 11, 2022
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania - February 17, 2023
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 - May 5, 2023
What was perhaps most surprising was the logo below. This is clearly a tease of the Fantastic Four coming to the MCU, and the logo even incorporates the Avengers “A” in the design. No release date is currently attached to this one, though this video makes it seem like it could be the next one right after Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. The latter half of 2023 seems likely for this. Given the release pattern, it could be as early as July 2023.
Oddly, the Blade movie starring Mahershala Ali is not included in this video, calling into question whether it may come at a later time. It would not be surprising if it were pushed back simply so that Phase 4 could end with Fantastic Four.
After this, we get more glimpse of Shang-Chi fighting aboard public transportation, and then text that says, “SEE YOU AT THE MOVIES.” This video is enough to generate hype once again for Marvel’s upcoming slate after a year of uncertainty. The fans are surely ready to see all of these.