Avengers: Endgame is set to bring the current era of the MCU to a close, which by extension, means that the film will also be pointing the way to the franchise’s future. And in a recent interview with Empire, writer Christopher Markus hinted that the cinematic universe will be a very different place by the end of next month’s release.
When asked how the Avengers: Infinity War sequel would impact the wider MCU, Markus offered a vague but ominous tease that the events of the film will have lasting repercussions:
“The MCU continues to exist. What happens to be in it is a fluid and evolving thing where, because it’s all connected, you can’t reboot one. All the parts have to work together. Things continue, but like life, losses are real, and change is real.”
To a large extent, what Markus says here has been true since the very start of the superhero saga. But while contractual obligations and Marvel’s long-term plans have often ensured a level of consistency in the franchise, the MCU’s future currently feels mysterious, and Endgame is in a position to bring some huge and lasting changes to the cinematic universe, whether that means killing off some characters, or introducing whole new story elements that will ripple across the next few phases.
Of course, we aren’t completely in the dark about what’s next for the MCU. After all, Spider-Man: Far From Home is just a few months away from release, and even has a trailer out. Beyond that, it’s generally expected that 2020 will see the release of Black Widow and The Eternals, while 2021 might well be the year of Black Panther 2, Doctor Strange 2 and Shang-Chi.
That being said, very little is known about the actual content of these films, and we won’t know what sort of world they’re inheriting until Avengers: Endgame hits theaters on April 26th.
