Secret Invasion: A Missed Opportunity
The anticipation surrounding Secret Invasion was palpable, with fans eagerly awaiting a sprawling espionage series featuring Marvel's biggest players. Instead, the MCU's Secret Invasion left much to be desired, failing to utilize the successful elements of the original comics.
The skrull Raava looks in a mirror in Secret Invasion
The ill-fated run on Disney Plus resulted in disappointment, as the tagline 'Who do you trust?' turned out to be steeped in irony. The series failed to do justice to the consequential comic book run, leaving fans longing for the impactful storytelling they had hoped for.
Talos and his family in Disney Plus' Secret Invasion series
Furthermore, the absence of a sprawling narrative involving major Marvel characters left a void that was never filled, resulting in a missed opportunity to create a truly memorable and impactful series.
Skrull in disguise as various powerful members of society meeting in Secret Invasion
The Marvels: A Disconnect from Secret Invasion
The release of The Marvels further compounded the missed opportunity of Secret Invasion, as the two stories failed to link together in a cohesive manner. The absence of key characters and the lack of continuity between the two narratives left fans questioning the direction of the MCU.
Monica Rambeau, Carol Danvers, and Kamala Khan join forces in The Marvels
Despite featuring Fury in a starring role, The Marvels ignored the events of Secret Invasion, creating a disconnect in the storytelling that had the potential to elevate the overall narrative of Phase 5.
Marvel Comics' Bob Reynolds aka the Sentry.
The Disappointment of Steven Yeun's Departure from Thunderbolts
The departure of Steven Yeun from Thunderbolts in early 2024 was a blow to the anticipation surrounding the project. Fans had high hopes for Yeun's portrayal of Sentry, only to be met with disappointment when it was confirmed that he was no longer involved in the project.
The potential of Yeun's involvement had generated significant excitement, and his departure marked a missed opportunity to capitalize on the star power and anticipation surrounding the character of Sentry.
Kang: A Threat Unfulfilled
The introduction of Kang in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania was met with mixed reviews, as the supposedly menacing villain failed to live up to expectations. Criticisms of the movie centered on the lack of depth and threat posed by Kang, leaving fans underwhelmed by his portrayal.
Kang holds his broken wrist tech in Quantumania
The missed opportunity to establish Kang as a truly threatening presence in the Multiverse Saga was evident, as the plot saw him bested in a manner that did not befit his status as a formidable adversary.
Loki's Unfinished Business
Loki's departure from the main MCU timeline left fans longing for a proper farewell to his brother Thor. The absence of a meaningful goodbye between the two brothers highlighted a missed opportunity to provide closure to Loki's storyline.
Tom Hiddleston As Loki Saying His Final Goodbye To Mobius And Sylvie In The Loki Season 2 Finale
While Loki's adventures in the TVA were captivating, the lack of a final interaction with Thor left fans feeling unfulfilled, signaling a missed opportunity to deliver an emotional and impactful conclusion to the character's arc.
Eternals: Neglecting Tiamut's Impact
The neglect of Tiamut's impact in The Marvels was a missed opportunity to acknowledge the significance of Eternals and its implications for the MCU. The apparent disregard for Tiamut's presence in subsequent installments underscored a lack of continuity and coherence in the storytelling.
The dead Celestial Tiamut sticks partially out of the Earth in Eternals
The giant Celestial's absence from the narrative was a missed opportunity to utilize Tiamut's impact as a compelling element in the ongoing Multiverse Saga, contributing to a sense of disjointedness in the MCU's Phase 5.
The Council of Kangs: A Monotonous Portrayal
The portrayal of the Council of Kangs in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania was marred by the lack of differentiation among the Kang variants. The missed opportunity to diversify the portrayal of Kang's variants detracted from the complexity and depth of the character's impact on the Multiverse Saga.
Jonathan Majors as Immortus addresses the Council of Kangs in Ant-Man and the Wasp Quantumania
The decision to have all Kang variants played by Jonathan Majors failed to capitalize on the potential for diverse and compelling interpretations of the character, resulting in a monotonous portrayal that missed the mark in delivering a truly captivating narrative.
Jonathan Majors as Centurion with the Council of Kangs in Ant-Man and the Wasp Quantumania
Echo: A Tame Depiction
The subdued portrayal of Echo in the first-ever MCU installment to receive an R-rating left fans wanting more. The missed opportunity to fully embrace the character's potential for gritty and intense storytelling was evident, as the series failed to deliver the promised level of violence and depth.
Bloody Kingpin in Marvel's Echo
While the character of Kingpin may have been capably conveyed, the overall depiction of Echo fell short of fully utilizing the R-rating, signaling a missed opportunity to explore the character in a more raw and unfiltered manner.
Underutilized Characters: Cassie Lang and Kamala Khan
The underutilization of Cassie Lang and Kamala Khan in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania and The Marvels, respectively, represented a missed opportunity to elevate these characters as independent heroes. The overshadowing of these characters by their more experienced counterparts highlighted a lack of focus on their individual development and impact within the MCU.
Kathryn Newton as Cassie, Iman Vellani as Kamala and Hailee Steinfeld as Kate in Young Avengers Exclusive header
While the introduction of these characters held promise for the future, the missed opportunity to give them greater focus and agency in Phase 5 left fans yearning for more substantial storytelling and character development.
Xochitl Gomez as America Chavez in MCU Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
The Absence of an Avengers Movie
The absence of an Avengers movie in MCU Phase 5 was a missed opportunity to bring the climactic team-up of iconic characters to the forefront. The lack of a unifying and epic ensemble movie left fans feeling a sense of disjointedness and longing for the grandeur of an Avengers-scale event.
Jack Veal's Kid Loki standing with his hands on his hips in Loki
The significance of an Avengers movie in punctuating the culmination of a phase and providing a platform for character send-offs was glaringly absent in Phase 5, representing a missed opportunity to showcase the full potential of the MCU's ensemble storytelling.
