Avengers: Endgame puts an end to a time of wonder. What I want in the next phase of the MCU

With Avengers: Endgame, the first phase of the Marvel Film Universe is over.

The last decade has seen a great opera in 22 parts that has revolutionized modern cinematic narrative. But now, this phase, collectively called the Infinity saga, is over – and many of our the beloved characters are gone too. This means that it's possible to get things moving and really redefine what it means to be an MCU movie going from the front.

Here's what I want to see from the MCU now that End of Game is finished.

Warning: the territory of the big spoiler goes from the front. Proceed at your own risk.

Fewer CG battles

Countless sci-fi and fiction films result in huge conflicts between computer-generated armies. From Starship Troopers in 1997 to The Lord of the Rings trilogy, we are bored of more and more faceless, nameless hordes that are crumbling. Just look at DC's Man of Steel to see how bad CG can be.

The end of the end of the game brings ambitiously all MCU heroes into a final clash with Thanos and his CG pets. It is an even more dense retreading film of the final battle of Infinity War and, although visually impressive, it marks a shocking break from the film's more intimate focus on the Avengers. After sharing moments of emotion with the characters we have loved for ten years, the glorious cameos of Black Panther and Guardians of the Galaxy make things less easy to tell, detaching me from this experience.

Seeing all these guys in action is really great, but we no longer need to end all the superhero movies with a gigantic battle.

Bring the A-Force to the big screen

What is A-Force? An all-female version of the Avengers that appeared in the Marvel comics in 2015. For a brief moment, we got a glimpse of what A-Force might look like in Endgame when Scarlet Witch, Shuri, Okoye, Wasp, Valkyrie, an armored Pepper Potts and Gamora supported Captain Marvel in his effort to bring the Infinity Stones back to their respective schedules.

It's unclear why, in the midst of a great battle, only female heroes would gather at a specific place. But this is a great moment, so we will not question it.

Unfortunately, it was missing an essential Avenger to the team. Scarlett Johansson's Black Widow was last seen dead in an extraterrestrial world – but she's also about to hit the front page of her film in the years to come. We may see another resurrected hero.

Asgardians of the Galaxy

Thor's journey into space at Ragnarok has revived the series and made me really love the Norse god of thunder. Now that Chris Hemsworth has taken advantage of his comic side, he has managed to master the heavyweight humor in Endgame.

The teasing at the end showing Thor joining the Guardians of the Galaxy is just perfect. I look forward to seeing Hemsworth train with Star-Lord Chris Pratt under the direction of James Gunn.

A new Captain America

The last peaceful moments of Endgame saw an old Steve Rogers pbad the torch (or shield) to BFF Sam Wilson. Even Bucky Barnes, the Winter Soldier, nodded to Wilson. Wilson has taken up the torch in comics, let's see it on the screen too.

I want to see Captain America's franchise continue with a character who does not have the super soldier serum, but who has the same spirit and integrity as the original Cape. Oh, and the metal wings are cool too.

Until then, there is still the next Falcon and winter soldier show on Disney Plus.

Recruit the X-Men and the Fantastic Four

Not all Marvel cartoon characters are part of the MCU. Previously, Fox had its own X-Men and Fantastic Four franchises, but since Disney bought Fox, they could now be unified under Marvel.

The Avengers have exploited the quantum realm for a journey back in time. Maybe they can also travel in parallel universes?

But I do not want a complete reboot of Fox franchises. I would like Marvel Studios to find a plausible way to integrate the existing properties. I would like to see an MCU where the Fantastic Four and X-Men are already on the market, even though these films have proven themselves. And do not dare to restart Deadpool.

Autonomous stories

This can be a controversial request. One of the attractions of the MCU lies in the way each movie relies on the next, with interwoven plot points and Easter eggs for the fans. But as entertaining as it may be, it often distracted the attention of individual movies. Looking at Captain Marvel, for example, I was getting ready to see how it fit into Endgame.

Of course, let's bring in the X-Men and continue to combine the characters in interesting ways. But I would very much like to enjoy a movie of superheroes as a standalone experience, even if it involves restoring contact.

Original Iron Man did not need a cinematic universe to offer a moment of pleasure. I hope that with the next phase, the new start will offer this type of experience again.

Fingers crossed as the next Marvel movie to come out of theaters – Spider-Man: far from home – will offer just that.

This story was published at 4 am
Update, 4:30 pm PT: To add more background.