A Look Back Phase 3 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe

Scene from Spider-Man: Far From Home

There is no denying that Phase 3 of Marvel's Cinematic Universe is one of the loftiest achievements in cinematic history. While the quality of the films can be argued about and nitpicked to death, the relative success is undeniable and its placement in the pantheon of pop culture is assured. However, what most people probably can't recognize about Phase 3's brilliant marketing strategy is how it managed to release 11 movies in a three year span and have them all be major successes, often talked about as some of the studio's best work and, in the case of Avengers: Endgame, among their highest-grossing movies to date. But one can't help but wonder what was the point of Phase 3? Was it really all just to fight Thanos? If so, why not end with Endgame instead of Spider-Man: Far From Home? The answer is a lot more complicated than that, as the series saw a new generation of leaders discover their purpose. In fact, it can be argued perfectly that the point of Phase 3 wasn't to show how The Avengers beat Thanos. It was an elaborate origin story for Spider-Man.

When Captain America: Civil War was released, it was marketed as the moment that Spider-Man entered the MCU. Who could not be excited about that, especially after a disastrous turn in The Amazing Spider-Man franchise? The chance for him to join the giants of comic book lore was more than nerd fantasy brought to life as dozens of heroes duked it out in an airport hanger. It was true that Spider-Man was, in a larger sense, a minor tangent to Civil War's bigger themes of loyalty and identity. For the first time, The Avengers didn't seem like they would ever assemble again, raising the question as to how they would ever defeat the elephant in the room. Audiences, thanks to post-credits scenes, knew about Thanos, but surely one Avenger couldn't defeat him on their own. There had to be a bigger unity. It's the tension that made the espionage in the Civil War all the more palpable. If the heroes can't help each other, then whom can they help? As the world criticizes their actions, they have no choice but to question their moral stakes.

Make no mistake, this was the start of Phase 3 for reasons that may have not been abundantly clear at the time. Many saw it as the literal endgame to Endgame, but this is a movie franchise and the wheels need to keep turning. Danger will always prevail, and there has to be someone to stop them. One day leaders like Captain America and Iron Man will die, and there needs to be someone there to replace them. It's a scary thought and one that is addressed in scenes where Tony Star recruits Peter Parker for the initiative to try out his cool suits, testing his skills against enemies in Spider-Man: Homecoming while serving as a parental figure who drops in to correct him when he is wrong. Spider-Man is Stark's legacy, especially after he recognizes how his efforts have been destructive to the larger conversation. Where he started as an arms dealer, he starts Phase 3 as a broken man, wanting to repent for his sins.

It's maybe why his final moments of Endgame feature him sacrificing his life to save all of humanity. It isn't just an egotistical move. It's one that will help him repent for what he's done wrong to the world. As much as he's helped people, he lives with the guilt of destruction. It was only made worse in the events following Avengers: Infinity War, where half of the population mysteriously disappeared. Spider-Man was his chance to start anew, breaking free of the misery that leads him to the Sokovia Accords. He wasn't as altruistic as Captain America, who himself was feeling weary about the corrupt world around him. Leadership was falling apart, and it was time for someone to take initiative.

It is likely why Phase 3's underlying theme was a sense of family. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 saw Peter Quill talking to his father Ego, who created planets in an attempt to fill a hole in his life left by his selfishness. Peter learns to accept the Guardians as his family as he witnesses the destruction of his father. Thor: Ragnarok finds Thor and Loki facing their sister Hela, who destroys their homeworld of Asgard. It's an uncomfortable subtext, but it creates a sense of these characters trying to come to terms with familial bonds and morality. Ego and Hela were villains, even if they were family. They were like Thanos, a person driven by greed and a desire for ultimate power. They wouldn't let anyone stand in their way. Whereas some parental figures never realized that, Stark came to that conclusion and tried to make a difference.

The story may have been far more complex than that, especially with Ant-Man and the Wasp being more of a rescue mission from a man who regrets bringing his wife into the quantum realm. It's also about a father who is doing his best to appear like a good man to his family, a rarity in the MCU. Meanwhile, in Black Panther, T'Challa must learn to fill in the position left by the deceased father, who also died in the Civil War. So much of the events that happen late into the franchise were established early on without being too blatant. In the grand scheme of things, it was a story about the previous generation passing, both literally and figuratively. It was also about the next generation trying to find ways to take leadership roles. The most deliberate early on was T'Challa, though by the end of the run it would also be Parker. 

Scene from Black Panther

But how exactly was this all an origin story for Parker, a teenage kid from Queens who just wanted to peruse a neighborhood? While it's true that the phase also introduced Doctor Strange and Captain Marvel, it also was a chance to show the leaders of the next phase as Marvel's lexicon became more complex. Doctor Strange could control space and time. Captain Marvel fought Skrulls and defended the galaxy. These are all big things presumably to appear in Phase 4. For now, however, Far From Home did an excellent job of closing things by hinting at the big things to come, but more importantly, the things that have been, especially with Endgame still in recent memory. 

The montage at the beginning of Far From Home was more than a cheeky nod to the fallen heroes of Iron Man and Captain America (among others). It was a moratorium on the heroes of yesteryear who established the building blocks for superhero safety in the MCU. There was no safety net anymore. The next generation needed to stand up, and Parker was among those who felt the most key to doing it. As Nick Fury would say "Bitch, you've been to space." For a kid who seemed content to just hang out in his neighborhood, Far From Home would find Parker trying to find ways to become a leader. It's perfectly displayed by the conflict with Mysterio, who manipulates media to make him seem greater than he is. Spider-Man realizes that he must use his powers for those who don't have them. It becomes clear as he sees what being idle does to Europe. By the end, he accepts his fate.

Whereas Iron Man's origin story wrapped up in two hours and in one film, Spider-Man's was the crux to the bigger arc of Phase 3. He appeared in five of the films here, and his role as a leader grew with each one. It's true that he wasn't in every story, and there are other leaders like Black Panther, Captain Marvel, and Doctor Strange to help him out. Still, he was the symbolic figure chosen by the man who started The Avengers so long ago now. If Phase 1 and Phase 2 were about heroes coming together and learning to cooperate, Phase 3 showed how they use their powers to keep hope alive. The heroes born here were in a sense taught their roles from others, but they have the chance to use them for a greater good. They can make a difference to whatever lies ahead.

Scene from Captain Marvel

The universe is bigger than one character now. It's bigger than the half dozen who lead The Avengers in 2012. Now there's concern about worlds beyond their grasp, such as Ego and Hela, who can destroy planets without a second thought. There are Ant-Man and the quantum realm, where a matter is even more fragile. Even the ideologies of Black Panther are tested as they choose whether or not to share their power with the world. Captain Marvel may be difficult to fully understand yet in the bigger MCU, but Far From Home does suggest a bigger significance is on the way. Everything will be bigger. But the question is what could be bigger than Thanos, who took almost 20 films to culminate in a big fight? He worked because he was a thematic villain as well as a powerful one. Whatever lies out in space must be pretty bad. Though the question is that now that the previous generation has passed, will Phase 4 (and probably Phase 5) intertwine even more? Will there be 20 films the next time around?

It seems silly, but then again half of what makes Phase 3 so successful was hard to grasp as mainstream entertainment a decade ago. Films like Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Thor: Ragnarok, and Doctor Strange all seemed like long shots. Now after a decade of set-up, it seems like the future. The question is if the team behind these films will manage to keep things together and make sense. Considering that Spider-Man is the presumed leader right now, it will be interesting to see how he takes to lead, and if he will be able to step out of Stark's shadow for good. That's what Phase 4 is likely to be somewhat about. The Avengers was a dominant force for good, and now they're gone. It's time to reassemble, but how will the new bosses do?