After an incredible journey of four years, the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Phase 4 has come to a close with the two final releases: Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special. This phase was greatly anticipated by fans around the world who eagerly awaited every installment, culminating in a grand finale that was both highly enjoyable and emotionally satisfying. From Spider-Man: Far From Home to WandaVision, Marvel has graced us with amazing stories that will live on for years to come.

It’s been an extensive Phase that has brought an abundance of material with it, resulting in some noteworthy changes to the MCU universe. New heroes and villains were introduced, as well as novel characters, places, and much more – all of which helped form the Marvel multiverse. In essence, this Phase opened up a plethora of possibilities for what lies ahead.

Gathering everything you need to know about Marvel’s Phase 4, we’ve created the ultimate recap here. From WandaVision at the beginning all the way to the conclusion of the movie and every single Marvel TV show, this comprehensive overview has it all! Whether you were curious about what happened during this phase or just want a refresher on its major events, this is an indispensable resource that should not be overlooked.

If you haven’t been keeping up with the Marvel Cinematic Universe, no worries! We are here to help. Whether you’ve missed an episode or two, or just need a refresher on the finer details, we have got it all covered. Plus, if you want to get ahead of the game and take a peek at what is coming in the future for MCU – we can do that too!

It goes without saying that if you haven’t watched the entirety of Marvel’s Phase 4, then this is your major spoiler warning! Consider yourself duly warned; anything that has happened in Phase 4 thus far should be kept under wraps so as to not ruin the surprises for those who have yet to experience it. Therefore, if you’re not up-to-date with all the events and developments within this part of Marvel’s cinematic universe, we suggest avoiding any potential spoilers until you’ve had a chance to catch up.

Marvel Phase 4 recap: the story so far

Marvel Phase 4 has come to an end, bringing with it a plethora of movies and TV shows that propelled the Marvel Cinematic Universe forward at an astonishing rate. To give you a comprehensive overview of this entire story arc, here is our full recap detailing every aspect of this period in the MCU’s history.

• (January – March 2021, Disney Plus) WandaVision
• (March 2021 – April 2021, Disney Plus) Falcon and the Winter Soldier
• (June 2021 – July 2021, Disney Plus) Loki
• (July 9, 2021, movie) Black Widow
• (September 3, 2021, movie) Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
• (August 2021 – October 2021) What If…?
• (November 5, 2021, movie) Eternals
• (November 2021 – December 2021, Disney Plus) Hawkeye
• (December 17, 2021, movie) Spider-Man: No Way Home
• (March 2022 – May 2022, Disney Plus) Moon Knight
• (May 6, 2022, movie) Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
• (June – July 2022, Disney Plus) Ms. Marvel
• (July 8, 2022, movie) Thor: Love and Thunder
• (August 10, 2022, Disney Plus) I Am Groot
• (August – October 2022, Disney Plus) She-Hulk
• (October 7, 2022, Disney Plus) Werewolf by Night
• (November 11, 2022, movie) Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
• (November 24, 2022, Disney Plus) The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special

WandaVision, the first installment in Marvel’s Phase 4 series, began with an incredibly peculiar premise; each episode drawing inspiration from a diverse range of decades-spanning sitcoms. This unique approach to television has never been seen before and it certainly made for an intriguing start to the highly anticipated fourth phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Elizabeth Olsen and Paul Bettany reprised their roles as Scarlet Witch and Vision in the finale of WandaVision, while Teyonah Parris appeared as Monica Rambeau, Randall Park played Jimmy Woo, and Kat Dennings featured as Darcy. The series concluded with Wanda alone and an enigmatic White Vision wandering somewhere in the world.

Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes, the titular heroes of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier television series, have joined forces to face a menacing new threat – the Flag-Smashers. With their combined abilities and determination, they must confront this dangerous group of villains in order to restore peace in their world. As they battle against evil and stand up for justice, Sam and Bucky will soon discover that it is only through working together that they can truly overcome any opposition.

Baron Zemo, the notorious mastermind behind a number of nefarious plots, accompanied his associates on their mission. Unfortunately for him, he eventually fell into the hands of Wakanda’s formidable Dora Milaje. Subsequently, Isaiah Bradley was revealed to be an experimental Super Soldier with a deeply troubling history filled with suffering and anguish.

Oh, and there was a new Captain America, portrayed by the talented Wyatt Russell, who had the mighty shield taken from him by his rightful successor, Sam Wilson. After all, Sam is the one truly worthy of wielding such an iconic symbol of freedom and justice in this modern era.

Loki, the notorious God of Mischief, utilized time travel to open up the multiverse with some tricky machinations involving Kang the Conqueror. Unfortunately for him, his efforts were eventually intercepted by the Time Variance Authority and he was apprehended while trying to make off with the Tesseract – a scene which was depicted in Avengers: Endgame.

He was then assigned the daunting task of retrieving a Loki ‘Variant’ – a separate version of Loki from an alternate, divergent timeline – which ultimately revealed itself to be a female incarnation known as Sylvie. Unbeknownst to him, he had been presented with a seemingly impossible mission; one that required tremendous effort and dedication in order to succeed.

Soon after joining forces to defeat the TVA, the two discovered the man at the end of time, an ancient incarnation of the evil Kang the Conqueror who had been maintaining order throughout all of time. He is killed by Sylvie, shattering the “Sacred Timeline,” which sends a temporal tremor through the multiverse. There will soon be a second season…

Black Widow, which took place between the conflicts of the Civil War and Infinity War, provided a deep exploration into Natasha Romanoff’s past while simultaneously introducing Yelena as a significant presence in the Marvel Cinematic Universe that will be influential in future storylines.

Kevin Feige recently divulged that the only noteworthy alteration due to COVID-19 related delays in Marvel’s Phase 4 was a secret Easter egg that was originally intended to appear in Black Widow before The Falcon, the Winter Soldier. As it stands now, Valentina Allegra de Fontaine portrayed by Julia Louis-Dreyfus made an appearance at the end of Black Widow during its post-credits scene.

Shang-Chi, portrayed by Simu Liu, was recently welcomed into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. His incredible power enabled him to masterfully wield and control the Ten Rings, a mystical set of weapons held by his father Wenwu. By utilizing these powerful artifacts, Shang-Chi was able to successfully take down Wenwu’s dangerous criminal organization and bring it to justice.

What If…? is a groundbreaking animated series from the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) that focuses on reimagining iconic moments from the universe in surprising and inventive ways. Featuring an all-star cast of MCU icons such as Samuel L. Jackson, Hayley Atwell, and more, plus the addition of Jeffrey Wright to the MCU reprising his role as The Watcher, What If…? promises to be a thrilling exploration into alternate versions of our favorite stories.

A group of eternal beings who reside on Earth were described in Eternals. Richard Madden plays Ikaris, Angelina Jolie plays Thena, Kumail Nanjiani plays Kingo, Salma Hayek plays Ajak, Brian Tyree Henry plays Phastos, and Don Lee plays the enormous Gilgamesh. Lia McHugh and Lauren Ridloff from The Walking Dead finish out the cast as Sprite and Makkari, respectively. As the Black Knight, Game of Thrones actor Kit Harington also made an appearance, and Harry Styles made his debut as Thanos’ brother Eros.

Hawkeye witnessed the reluctant acceptance of passionate admirer Kate Bishop into his world after she got embroiled in New York’s mysterious underworld while donning the Ronin suit. The delightful Disney Plus series was filled with amusing cameos, most notably Vincent D’Onofrio reprising his role as the nefarious Kingpin. It was an entertaining and joyous show that delighted fans far and wide.

Spider-Man: No Way Home jumped right into the multiverse, featuring characters like Electro, and Sandman, returning villains like Doc Ock (Alfred Molina), Lizard (Rhys Ifans), and Green Goblin (Willem Dafoe), as well as a few other well-known faces, and it concluded with everyone forgetting Tom Holland’s Peter Parker.

Marvel Studios’ Moon Knight has welcomed Oscar Isaac to its cast as Steven Grant, or perhaps it is Marc Spector. The main character’s muddled recollection and various identities constitute the core of the show’s mysteriousness, with him acting as a representation for Khonshu – the Egyptian deity. This intriguing plot point will surely have fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) eagerly awaiting to find out more!

In addition to his ongoing struggle with the show’s primary antagonist, Arthur Harrow (Ethan Hawke), Marc Spector, otherwise known as Moon Knight, fought to come to terms with his own personal trauma while simultaneously uncovering the truth of his roots over the course of six episodes.

Following the events of Spider-Man: No Way Home, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness continues the story of Stephen Strange’s forbidden multiversal spell. The movie picks up with the powerful sorcerer meeting a special young girl named America Chavez (Xochitl Gomez), who has the remarkable ability to traverse across multiple dimensions within the multiverse.

Stephen implored Wanda Maximoff to assist him in repelling the enigmatic being that was pursuing her. Nevertheless, due to her own hidden objectives she caused disorder throughout the cosmos and as the film concluded it left open-ended the conclusion of her story. 

Ms. Marvel recounts the tale of Kamala Khan (Iman Vellani), a Pakistani-American hailing from Jersey City who was bestowed with incredible superpowers through a mystical bangle that had been passed down in her family for generations. This remarkable trinket granted Kamala an array of formidable abilities, transforming her into an extraordinary hero.

Kamala embarked on a remarkable journey that ultimately led her to be christened ‘Night Light’ by onlookers in recognition of her superhero-in-training status. She then set off for Karachi, the bustling metropolis located in Pakistan, in search of answers regarding the mysterious source of her newfound powers.

In pursuit of their ultimate goal, a mysterious group known as The Clandestines have come from another dimension with the intent to use Ms. Marvel’s energy to get back home. Unfortunately, this could potentially result in catastrophic consequences for our planet if they are successful in their mission.

Ms. Marvel eventually returned to her home state of New Jersey in order to fight against Damage Control, a powerful organization that was intent on apprehending The Clandestines’ youngest member, Kamran. Unfortuntely for both parties, their altercation resulted in the destruction of each other and ultimately led to their mutual ruin.

Kamala’s day had been saved, and she felt a sense of relief as she settled into her room. Suddenly, the bangle on her wrist began to glow brightly and before she knew it, Kamala found herself seemingly in the shoes of her idol, Captain Marvel. What will happen next? That is something only time can tell- we’ll have to wait until 2023 when The Marvels is released to find out!

Thor: Thunder and Love witnessed Jane Foster don the Mighty Thor armor and wield Mjolnir. Natalie Portman is Jane Foster. She faced out against Christian Bale’s fearsome Gorr the God Butcher, who sought to slay the MCU’s gods with his diabolical Necrosword, alongside Chris Hemsworth’s Thor, Tessa Thompson’s Valkyrie, and Taika Waititi’s Korg.

When Jane, tragically, succumbed to cancer, the post-credits scene revealed her journey to Valhalla with Idris Elba’s Heimdall. Furthermore, Brett Goldstein entered the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Hercules in a delightful surprise for fans. This bittersweet moment gave them a sense of closure and joy that Jane had found her happy ending in this otherworldly realm.

The highly anticipated release of I Am Groot on Disney Plus was met with excitement, as the series consisted of five distinct shorts that revolved around one of the most beloved characters from Guardians of the Galaxy. Despite their adorableness, these animated adventures didn’t necessarily provide any additional background to the Marvel Cinematic Universe; however, if you’re interested in viewing them all in order, we’ve put together an episode guide so you can easily catch up!

She-Hulk burst onto the scene of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, with Tatiana Maslany’s brilliant portrayal of Jennifer Walters as she grapples with her newfound, emerald-hued alter ego. As she comes to terms with her new identity, she is ably supported by her cousin Bruce Banner in navigating this unfamiliar terrain. With his guidance and support, Jennifer embarks on a journey of self-discovery and acceptance that will ultimately see her embrace her incredible She-Hulk powers.

The show centered around the legal battles of Abomination, Wong, and Megan Thee Stallion. Additionally, Jen was pitted against the formidable Titania as well as Intelligencia—a nefarious organization with a deep-seated hatred for She-Hulk. These two storylines combined to create an enthralling spectacle full of drama and suspense that kept viewers on the edge of their seats.

Charlie Cox’s Daredevil made a surprise appearance as Jen, disregarding the fourth wall, stepped into reality and constructed her own conclusion by successfully thwarting Intelligencia’s leader HulkKing in court. She evidently had no interest for Marvel’s expected three-act arrangement and exorbitant CGI finales.

Next, Werewolf by Night, a captivating and stylized excursion into the realm of traditional horror, presented Jack Russell (the name is not an accident) along with Man-thing to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. This vintage-inspired adventure proved to be an enthralling addition to the MCU as it brought these classic characters to life.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever marked the end of Marvel’s Phase 4, effectively bringing a conclusion to much of the narrative that had been built up over this particular period. The feature film was an apt way to close off this chapter, leaving fans eagerly anticipating what will come next as they await the start of Phase 5.

The Black Panther sequel, coming after the devastating loss of Chadwick Boseman who had portrayed T’Challa, made sure to pay homage to the incredible actor. His untimely death was reflected in the movie through Wakanda’s collective grief for their beloved king. All throughout the film, viewers can feel a sense of sorrow and loss as they witness Wakanda mourning their fallen hero.

As a result of the world’s ambition to acquire Wakanda’s Vibranium, new and menacing dangers soon arose. This ultimately culminated in the emergence of Namor, the primary antagonist, from his kingdom deep beneath the sea known as Talokan. His presence resulted in an intense clash with Wakanda, where both sides fought fiercely for control over this powerful resource.

In the conflict, Ramonda tragically lost her life. In response to this tragedy, Shuri took it upon herself to create a brand new Heart-Shaped Herb and assumed the mantle of Black Panther, while M’Baku was officially crowned King of Wakanda at the conclusion of the film.

Dominique Thorne portrayed the iconic character Riri Williams, better known as Ironheart, in the much-anticipated Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) movie. Moreover, a post-credits scene offered audiences their first glimpse at Toussaint Konadu-Sun, son of T’Challa and Divine Love. This moment marked an exciting moment for viewers as it unveiled an important new addition to the MCU universe.

The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special was the final film in the Marvel Phase 4 series. It was a humorous and entertaining short film in which Drax (Dave Bautista) and Mantis (Pom Klementieff) kidnapped Kevin Bacon to give to Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) as a Christmas present. The special also made it clear that Mantis and Peter are related because Ego (Kurt Russell) is her father.

Beyond Phase 4

At San Diego Comic-Con 2022, Kevin Feige unveiled the ambitious plan for Marvel’s future, revealing that Phases 4, 5, and 6 would form part of The Multiverse Saga. This culminates in a thrilling series of interconnected stories across film and television over the next few years. Marvel Phase 5 begins with Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania in July 2023, while Fantastic Four will officially kick off Marvel Phase 6 in November 2024. Fans around the world can look forward to a wealth of exciting content from The House of Ideas for many years to come!

Two highly anticipated Marvel movies are on their way – Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars. Both of these releases will be part of the expansive Marvel Cinematic Universe, and fans are eager to see what stories they have in store. If you’re looking for more information about the latest Marvel news and releases, you’ll certainly want to check out our guide detailing all the upcoming Marvel movies and TV shows!