User blog:SonOfAres1/Phase Four

This following is a wishlist/ prediction list of characters, events, and features that I hope will one day be a part of the ever-growing continuity of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Still work in progress

Overview: The Cabal Saga

This blog post isn't necessarily restricted to what I believe will be "Phase Four" of the MCU. Rather, it's any ideas I have for the MCU in the future, at least on the movie side of things. Phases 1, 2, and 3 can roughly be considered "the Infinity Saga", a long overarching story which has its ultimate payoff in the form of Thanos. The plots of many of the movies of these past three phases revolved around the Infinity Stones, which unified them into one large arc.
Similarly, my vision for this decade of future Marvel movies is one which is similarly unified. Unified not by plot devices like the Stones but rather the villains. The villains of this decade will be known as the Cabal. For those of you unfamiliar, it is essentially a secret society of super villains (no DC pun intended) who are all working together for world domination.
The Cabal will have been organized by Kang the Conqueror for a purpose I will explain later. The other members will include the Mandarin, Norman Osborn, Doctor Doom, Leader, the Hood, M.O.D.O.K., Namor (who leaves and is replaced with Attuma), and Taskmaster.
The reason for their inception is because of course, Kang the Conqueror wishes to take over the world. However, he doesn't want to do so out of pure hunger for power. Kang wants to unite all the nations of the world under his rule because he comes from an alternate timeline from the future, one where the world has been destroyed by Galactus.
He wishes to avert that future of course, but the only way he believes that is possible is by bringing all of Earth together under his unchallenged vision. He manages to show the other villains that humanity is too weak to fend for itself against Galactus, so humanity must submit to his rule.
Every film where one of these villains appears, there will be allusions toward a greater threat and the villain's philosophical core will revolve around the idea that humanity is unable to advance and truly progress because of heroes like the Avengers who preserve the status quo. The actions of the villains are all efforts towards giving the Cabal ultimate power.
One by one, the villains will be defeated until Kang makes his move, but ultimately, he will be defeated too. Then Galactus will arrive and the heroes will have to fight for the survival of Earth.

Notes

Out of stubbornness, I refuse to add Blade to this list because I feel that this character is far better suited to a series which can explore his moral ambiguity, the violence and gore that is associated with vampires, and otherwise darker tone of the content.
Additionally, I am keeping Spider-Man 3 and any Spider-Man related content (particularly Norman Osborn) on this list in spite of the August 2019 Sony-Disney "divorce", as some might call it. I really regret that Sony and Disney were unable to see eye to eye concerning the Spider-Man property, but here is my vision of how the MCU should play out in a world this didn't occur.

2020

Black Widow

Taking place shortly after the Avengers Civil War, Black Widow finds herself on the run from the government, hunting her for interfering with the hunt for the Winter Soldier. She finds Yelena Belova, who is similarly on the run, and the two make their way through Europe. However, there, they discover a conspiracy organized by the remnants of the Red Room to collapse European goverments and bring about anarchy. With their newest assassin, Melina Vostkoff/Iron Maiden, and the employment of the Taskmaster, the Red Room has trained a group of soldiers who have infiltrated the military and key positions of public influence, ready to incite an international crisis.
By the end of this movie, Iron Maiden will have been accidentally killed by Black Widow, who accidentally induces a heart attack from a Taser Disk. Taskmaster will have been defeated by the two Widows and arrested by the authorities. However, while Black Widow joins Steve Rogers as a fugitive, Yelena Belova goes on the run.

EDIT 7/21/19 (after SDCC 2019): Let me just say that I’m amazed that all three characters I hoped that this movie would introduce into the MCU (Taskmaster, Yelena Belova, Iron Maiden) are actually going to be in the Black Widow film (albeit in different ways). Wow.

The Eternals

I'm going to be honest, I don't have much knowledge about the lore of the Eternals, so this will be pretty brief. Confirmed so far is the fact that the two leads will be Ikaris and Sersi, and they will be our eyes into the world of Homo immortalis.
I would like them to confirm that many mythological pantheons of pagan deities are actual Eternals (except Asgardians of course). That would mean that Greco-Roman gods are actually Eternals.
I would save Mesopotamian deities (the Annunaki) for the supernatural Hulu series, where they would be revealed to be demons. Egyptian deities can be explored in the Black Panther films as actual spiritual beings (i.e. Bast, Sekhmet). That way we would see how and why humans worship different deities. They are all higher beings of some kind.
Based on recent rumors that have been released, Druig will be the main villain. While I don't know much about him, his main motivation seems to be consolidating power and gathering an army to reveal the Eternals as a powerhouse to the human world.

2021

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

Shang-Chi, a boy raised to be the perfect assassin and martial artist by his father, Zheng Zu of the Celestial Order of the Si-Fan, is sent into the real world on his first assignment to assassinate Sir Denis Nayland Smith, a British diplomat in Southeast Asia. However, he fails and is captured by the authorities, and upon his interrogation, he realizes that his father, the infamous Mandarin of the Ten Rings, is not the benevolent warrior for social justice he was made out to be. Instead, he is a violent insurgent and revolutionary intent on overturning the world's social order. Shang-Chi will have to choose between the ideas that were ingrained in his head as a child or the staggering truth of his father's true intentions.
The Si-Fan is revealed to be the elite guard of the Mandarin, composed of the most loyal Ten Rings members, and Shang-Chi will have to battle his way through legions of Ten Rings terrorists, Si-Fan warrior monks, Living Statues, and his brother Temugin to put an end to his father's endgoal to unleash Fin Fang Foom, an ancient force meant to cleanse the world. Other villains the Master of Kung-Fu will have to fight along the way are Douglas Scott / Razor-Fist, Grigori Sovchenko / Ghost Maker, Moving Shadow, and Tiger-Claw.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

In the aftermath of Doctor Strange, Doctor Stephen Strange sets out to continue his mission of protecting the Earthly plane from existential threats, battling and sealing away threats such as Shuma-Gorath. We will see Strange performing everyday mystical tasks, such as studying and learning new spells, conversing with other masters such as Jericho Drumm.
However, former friend Karl Mordo continues his crusade against the Masters of the Mystic Arts and seeks out an ancient being who can instill torment into the hearts and minds of sorcerers as punishment for their supposed ignorance. As inspired by User:Angel Gro, this Nightmare will exploit Strange's past and force him to relive traumatic experiences such as his infamous car accident, his sister's death, or the time loop against Dormammu. Mordo will support this Fear Lord because he has been promised a quieter world, but Nightmare's goal is to place humanity in an eternal trancelike state of fear so he can feed off of the psychic energy and become unstoppable.

2022

Fantastic Four

Heroes: Fantastic Four- Mr. Fantastic, Invisible Woman, Human Torch, Thing, H.E.R.B.I.E.
Villains: Mole Man

Black Panther II

The sequel to Black Panther will deal with the consequences of Wakanda opening itself up to the world and revealing what it has to offer. Through the United Nations and Wakandan diplomat N'Gassi, Shuri and T'Challa's global outreach program will benefit thousands, if not millions, of people due to the advanced technology and education Wakanda can provide, but this of course attracts a lot of attention. Corporations will be looking to exploit Wakanda's resources, and a civil war will erupt in the neighboring Niganda, sparked by the revolutionary Zenzi and her right hand man Killjoy. This film will explore the politics of Wakanda, such as diplomatic relations with neighboring nations, and this will introduce us to characters like M'Butu, Princess Zanda of Narobia, and the Supremacists of Azania. The conflict in Niganda will begin to make its way to other countries, and Wakanda will be forced to watch as refugees pour in, with no other place to go. When an insurgent group of Wakanda's own citizens known as The People led by Tetu rise up and ally with Zenzi, T'Challa will have to suit up as Black Panther to confront the driving force behind this war: the greed of a foreign corporation headed by Moses Magnum.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

Based on rumors published by the surprisingly reliable Twitter user @RogerWardell, this movie will revolve around Rocket finding his creator, the High Evolutionary, a Sovereign scientist who wants his work back. Beta Ray Bill, Lylla, and Moondragon will be revealed as other creations of his, and Ayesha, the Matriarch of the Universal Church of Truth, will unleash Adam Warlock, in the form of the Magus, on the Guardians.
We will see an emotional storyline between Star-Lord and Nebula as they become friends while both coping with the loss of Gamora, who will not be present in the film. A post-credits scene will reveal that the alternate timeline 2014 Gamora has been located.

2023

Captain Marvel: Korvac

As brought to my attention by User:Edmundduke12, the sequel to Captain Marvel will adapt the comics' Korvac saga. In this film, Captain Marvel will be continuing her adventures in space, keeping the peace among different systems and planets. This can be a gateway to different and unique space-based villains, and in the opening of the film, we could see Captain Marvel stop smugglers, space pirates, alien terrorists, or whatever (I'm open to suggestions!).
However, the main plot of the film revolves around the Kree, which are going to be set up as Captain Marvel's greatest enemies. The Kree will have occupied the planet of the Badoon, a client race within their empire, and we will see a Vichy France-type scenario in which the Badoon, led by Drang/Brother Royal, are willing sympathizers to the Kree warmongering efforts. From the Badoon race, an individual known as L'Matto will have been chosen for Project: Korvac, designed to create an ultimate weapon capable of manipulating untold levels of cosmic energy. Carol will have to destroy Korvac to prevent the Kree from using it as a world destroyer, and the Guardians 3000, Guardians of the Galaxy, and Nova will join her in fighting the enemy. I hope that this film will give Starhawk and his team a chance to shine, as Korvac was originally their enemy in the comics.
A post-credits scene will reveal that the Kree have used a sample of Carol's Kree-infused blood to test on captured human subjects in Project: Moonstone, and they have found a test subject, Karla Sofen, who accepts the transfusion.

Nova

In the aftermath of Infinity War we know that Thanos retired to his Garden, essentially abandoning his entire life’s work. His Chitauri, Outrider, and Sakaaran armies were left behind. This movie will essentially address what happened to the remaining 2018 forces in the wake of Thanos’ absence (and eventual death).
In 2020, 2 years since Thanos decimated half the universe, Richard Ryder, the new Nova Prime, has taken command of the remnants of the Nova Corps after Irani Rael died with Thanos’ attack on Xandar. We will see a despairing Xandar, currently undergoing pained efforts to rebuild, and Ryder will go over a list of known galactic criminals, which would be a nice way to include easter eggs and references to villains like Diamondhead. In conversation, someone might bring up why they haven't contacted the Guardians of the Galaxy, and Nova would respond that they haven't been heard from in two years.
Nova will be supported by Ko-Rel and Titus, the latter of whom will leave the Nova Corps by the film's end to be set up as the sequel's villain.
Ryder will know that Thanos and the Black Order have been killed, but in his effort to police what remains of the galaxy, he still seeks revenge against Warbringer, the Chitauri commander who led the massacre of Xandarian citizens while Thanos took the Orb. Warbringer has assumed control over Thanos’ forces after they were abandoned at the end of the Infinity War and is joined by Supergiant, a daughter of Thanos who was denied a place on the Black Order and wishes to continue her father’s legacy. The Chitauri, under their command, are seeking to establish an empire by easily taking over worlds weakened by the Decimation. Nova will travel from planet to planet in a Star Wars-like adventure, as he seeks to track down his foes. Along the way, we will see Nova apprehend and interrogate Kaldera, a Black Order spy who gave Thanos key information during the Massacre of the Xandarians.

Ant-Man & the Wasp & the Ant-Man

Based on Nando v Movies' Ant-Man and the Wasp 2 pitch video

This film will introduce Eric O'Grady as an ex-S.H.I.E.L.D. operative who escaped the Triskelion with a prototype shrinking suit during the HYDRA Uprising. He then spends the next years living as a thief, pulling off untraceable grand scheme heists, becoming way more skilled than Scott at using the suit; he dubs himself the “Black Ant”. However, O'Grady's uses of the suits have been tracked by M.O.D.O.K., formerly George Tarleton, an A.I.M. scientist whose experiments trying to expand the human mind ended up expanding his own brain. Having rebuilt the remnants of A.I.M. in his image after Aldrich Killian's death, he seeks out a way to shrink the molecules of his head while maintaining the same intellect. Ultimately, M.O.D.O.K. wishes to use the untapped potential of this discovery to facilitate new weapons, methods of warfare, and countless answers to questions.
A major theme that will be present in this film is question of whether scientific discoveries are too risky to be made public, despite their capacity to do good. M.O.D.O.K. will challenge the Pyms' idea that their work, the Pym Particles, are far too dangerous for public use, and by the end of the film, their philosophy will change a bit, like how T'Challa realized that Wakanda being so isolationist was not necessarily a good thing due to Killmonger.

2024

Avengers: Secret Invasion

"Secret Invasion" will be adapted in the first film of the Avengers franchise following Endgame. The main antagonist will of course be Queen Veranke, and we will see Paibok the Power Skrull and Titannus. Earth's heroes will rally to fight the Skrulls, including Captain Marvel and Black Panther, who will each fill a role as co-leader of the New Avengers. Other team members will include Doctor Strange, Spider-Man, Ant-Man, Wasp, Scarlet Witch, and Hulk.
Because this team of Avengers is relatively new, one theme that will be explored throughout this film is trust. This is the first time they are coming together without icons like Iron Man or Captain America, so they have to learn to work together as a team and to fully trust one another in a world where anyone could be the enemy.
Kl'rt the Super-Skrull will have a major role: he will start out as a commander of the Skrulls, facing the Fantastic Four early on in the film and demonstrating his ability to mimic their powers. However, as the film progresses, he becomes more and more sympathetic to the humans and eventually turns on the Skrulls, teaming with the Fantastic Four to take down Paibok.
Titannus will essentially be "Skrull Captain America": a super-soldier and titan of a Skrull who is dangerous because of his raw strength. He will be the primary threat the New Avengers face, and upon learning to trust each other, they will eventually take him down.

Marvel's Spider-Man 3

Heavy inspiration from Marvel's Spider-Man video game for PS4 (2018)
The beginning of this film will see Spider-Man taking down the villain Electro, who is terrorizing Brooklyn. After a brief fight where we see more of Peter's web-swinging and Spider-Sense, Electro is defeated, and NYPD comes in to apprehend him. NYPD has some friendly banter with Spider-Man, and he goes on his way.
In this film, Spider-Man will be just about to graduate, and he will be looking for a summer job, which he finds at OsCorp International, the corporation which has bought Avengers Tower. We'll see Peter speak to the lead lab scientist, Otto Octavius, who speaks to Peter about his cybernetic limb project.
Meanwhile, on Rikers Island, Max Dillon/Electro awakens in his cell, where he is fitted with a power dampener on his neck. We see him walk past fellow inmates Adrian Toomes, Quentin Beck, Mac Gargan. A man comes to visit him and speaks suspiciously, telling him it is "time". Electro attacks a guard, who tases him in retaliation. A fatal mistake, as the surge of electricity activates Dillon's power and shatters his dampener. Dillon then overloads the power grid, opening all cell doors, the armory, and the exit. The inmates all rush out and attack, and yes, this is the MCU adaptation of the Raft Prison Break. The notable inmates we see rush to the armory, where they all don their respective equipment. They escape the prison to the docks, where Shocker and the mysterious Gentleman are waiting for them on a boat, and they flee.
Upon reaching Manhattan, they lay siege to the city, targeting areas of key importance. Electro knocks out the power grid, Vulture takes to the skies to maintain air superiority, Mysterio builds an illusion that there is a whole army in New York, while Scorpion and Shocker target emergency services.
To be continued...

The Eternals 2

Like I said before, I don't really know much about the Eternals, so I don't have much I can say here. However, one wish I do have for this trilogy is for them to begin exploring the Celestials, which can be built up as the ultimate villains for this trilogy's final film. We can delve into the history of the Celestial Hosts coming to Earth and leaving behind the Deviants and the Eternals. Now, come to think of it, this film could deal with the Deviants, Moloids, and possibly Tyrannus, AKA Romulus Augustulus, or the Deviant priest Ghaur.

2025

Black Panther III

The final film of the Black Panther trilogy will see T'Challa and the entire nation of Wakanda face an existential threat: Atlantis. Namor, backed by his General Meranno and allied king Attuma, will invade Wakanda out of the need for Vibranium. However, the war is merely a ruse orchestrated by the Nigandan M'Butu, Wakandan Reverend Achebe, and Atlantean Meranno, who have allied to ensure the mutual destruction of Wakanda and Atlantis.

Shang-Chi 2

After having cut ties with his father (who is still alive), Shang-Chi joins Sir Denis Nayland Smith in working for MI6, the British agency working to protect the world. Currently, the intelligence service is fighting a war with the terrorist organization R.A.I.D., which will have ties to A.I.M.. Headed by Smith's nephew, Lancaster Sneed, otherwise known as Shockwave, the organization seeks to smuggle weapons of mass destruction into Europe and detonate them. The Master of Kung-Fu will have to battle through R.A.I.D. agents and their most skilled assassin Zaran in order to prevent continent-wide chaos.

Thunderbolts

In this film, the Thunderbolts will be a covert ops squad put together by Thaddeus Ross for the US government to use. Yes, this will be a Suicide Squad rip-off, but if done right, few will bat an eye. The team will consist of Abomination, White Wolf, Justin Hammer, Ghost, Black Ant, and Citizen V. Their target will be the Leader, who has been working on weaponizing gamma radiation with the Intelligencia, a group that will include a few minor Hulk villains like Gargoyle and Gremlin. We will see Thaddeus Ross kidnapped by the Leader to throw the team in disarray, and he will be transformed into Red Hulk as the Leader's weapon. Abomination will be killed off, and after Red Hulk regains his senses, he will take Abomination's place as the team's muscle.

2026

Fantastic Four: Doom

TBD

Captain Marvel: Galactic Storm

The premise of the story will revolve around the same basic ideas of the comics story. The Kree see humanity as a threat (in about a decade, they repelled the Chitauri, Dark Elves, and Outriders as well as defeated Thanos; additionally, humans like Star-Lord and Captain Marvel are exercising essentially free will in space, which is seen as a threat). Additionally, the Kree want to make more weapons like Captain Marvel (thus, Moonstone), and wish to tap into the genetic potential of the human race. Thus, they try to invade, but the fight is taken to Hala.
On Earth, we will see cameos from different Earth-based heroes, particularly Black Panther representing Wakanda, Falcon, War Machine, Doctor Strange, and Hulk, as they scramble to prepare for the Kree invasion.
Essentially, this will be a massive Infinity War-style ensemble film. Among the heroes who will join Captain Marvel in the fight against the Kree in space will be Monica Rambeau, Quasar, and Phyla-Vell, and they will be the core heroes. The Guardians of the Galaxy (joined by Moondragon), Guardians 3000, the Nova Corps (replacing the comics' Shi'ar Empire and Imperial Guard), and Skrulls (led by Kl'rt) would be treated like the Wakandans were in Infinity War: contacted for help by the main heroes and showing up to the final battle. Nova would take a role similar to Black Panther in Infinity War, rallying these groups together to fight.
Of the villains, the Supreme Intelligence, Yon-Rogg, and Karla Sofen/Moonstone will receive the most screentime. The latter two will be tasked with eliminating Carol Danvers for good. What I really want to see in this film is a massive superpowered fight between Carol and an augmented Yon-Rogg, in the style of Man of Steel. The two nemeses grapple and toss each other around the capital city of the Kree on Hala, destroying buildings left and right. Also, we would see the Supreme Intelligence's true form. We'd see the full force of the Kree military in the final battle: Kree Sentries, the Lunatic Legion (with returns from Att-Lass and Bron-Char and a new appearance from Zarek), Kalum Lo, the Accuser Corps led by Hala the Accuser along with so much more.
A post-credit scene would see the destruction of the new Skrull homeworld (not Skrullos because that was destroyed by the Kree). We would see Emperor Dorrek VII and Princess Anelle get killed. The perpetrators of this destruction are none other than the Heralds of Galactus, led by Terrax and Silver Surfer. The scene would end with a brief shot of Galactus approaching the world, ready to devour.

Doctor Strange 3

Dormammu will threaten the multiverse once again, but without the Time Stone, Doctor Strange, in his earned role as Sorcerer Supreme, will have to combat the Dread of the Dark Dimension face to face. Dormammu will unleash his legions of Mindless Ones, bringing the largest threat to the multiverse the Masters of the Mystic Arts have ever faced.

2027

Avengers: Dark Reign

Based on the Dark Reign and Siege storylines, this film will see the aftermath of the Secret Invasion and Galactic Storm. Norman Osborn and his Hammer Initiative will change the global perspective on heroes. The question is no longer about holding the heroes accountable, like it was with the Sokovia Accords. The question now is if heroes are outdated. The Hammer Initiative would essentially change the status quo of national/global defense to one which handles enhanced individuals strictly as government agents. It is revealed that Osborn was the financier behind the Thunderbolts project, which was a test run of this idea. With the database of individuals registered under the Accords, Osborn essentially begins a draft, recruiting and conscripting enhanced people into the Hammer Initiative.
Osborn will be reinforced by his two loyal enforcers, Melissa Gold and John Walker, and he will see New Asgard, Wakanda, and Atlantis as threats to his push for global control, since either their populations are all naturally enhanced or the nation is far too advanced. To that end, Osborn gathers his lieutenants, the Thunderbolts (who are joined by a captive Moonstone), and his private HAMMER forces to invade Asgard.
Spoiler alert, Thor should die in this film. It's only fitting that he meets his end protecting his people.

Namor: Sub-Mariner

This film begins with Namor reigning as king and dealing with the aftermath of the invasion of Wakanda. An opening scene would see him taking down a group of pirates led by Captain Barracuda who have hijacked a US Naval ship (sorry, the Aquaman similarities are going to be very prevalent). The people are unhappy that their king essentially yielded to surface-dwellers, and taking advantage of this dissent, the neighboring ruler Attuma of the Skarka Barbarians marches into the capital and stages a coup d'etat, with the support of Atlantean general Krang. The Sub-Mariner is forced to flee to the surface away from Attuma, who now wishes to use his position as King of Atlantis to attack the surface world.
Essentially, if you've seen DC's Aquaman, this film would be "What if Arthur was overthrown by Nereus?" But Attuma would be very heavily based on Orm / Ocean Master because Ocean Master is just great.
Namor will have to prove that he is worthy of being king, and he must fight to take back the throne, eventually winning the heart and soul of the Atlantean people again. However, while Attuma is either arrested or killed, Krang escapes with a group of insurgents, vowing vengeance.

Nova 2

New Characters: Sam Alexander/Nova, Cosmo the Dog
Villains: Titus/Supernova, Chitauri Remnant

2028

Thunderbolts 2

In the Thunderbolts sequel, the team will be joined by Taskmaster, Scorpion, Moonstone, and Songbird. Originally, I was intending for the main villain to be the Mandarin, but the Mandarin fits better as the villain of a Shang-Chi film. However, Taskmaster will betray the team, and Songbird and Moonstone will receive a lot more focus and character development.

The Eternals 3

TBD

Shang-Chi 3

TBD

2029

Silver Surfer

The purpose of this film would be to give Galactus, the Heralds, and Silver Surfer a more compelling story and to essentially make us as the audience care about each of the characters before we see Galactus attack Earth. The main plot would revolve around Silver Surfer being sent on a mission to prepare a world for Galactus' arrival, but he has a change of heart and rebels against his master. Terrax will be the main villain, leading Air-Walker, Stardust, and Firelord to either bring Silver Surfer back under Galactus' thrall or to simply kill him.
By the end, Norrin Radd will be sent to Earth through a wormhole, making the planet a target for Galactus.

Avengers: Kang Dynasty

TBD

Namor 2

TBD

2030

Fantastic Four: Galactus

Behold! The Coming of Galactus!

Nova 3

TBD

Thunderbolts 3

TBD

Overview: The Beyonder Saga

TBD

2031

Uncanny X-Men

TBD

Silver Surfer 2

TBD

Ka-Zar

TBD