After saying goodbye to Black Widow, Phase 4 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe is turning its attention to a whole new set of characters from the world of Marvel Comics. Beginning with Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and continuing on to Eternals, MCU fans are about to get a crash-course in just how varied the Marvel Universe truly is when it comes to its inhabitants and their superpowers.
Beyond getting to see talented actors join the MCU, it's exciting to watch their characters' superpowers rendered on the silver screen with big-budget special effects. Here's a breakdown of the spectacle audiences have to look forward to from Phase 4.
The Celestials
MCU fans got their first look at a Celestial in the form of Ego, Peter Quill's absentee father, in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. Ego's many powers included energy manipulation, molecular manipulation, and immortality. Like his comic book counterpart, he created a planet around himself, and his attempted expansion threatened the entire universe.
As impressive as Ego was, he only scratched the surface of what the Celestials are capable of, and set the stage for them to appear in all their cosmic glory during Eternals. The sheer size of them is spectacle enough, but odds are good the film shows them unleashing their cataclysmic powers to spur the Eternals into action after years in hiding.
Kang
Fans got a taste of what Kang could do when one of his variants, He Who Remains, appeared in Loki's Season 1 finale. That variant was a kinder, gentler version of the temporal despot. He knew everything Loki and Sylvie were going to do, complete with a script, and teleported away from their attempts to slay him, at least until Sylvie chose to kill him.
His appearance as the villain of Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania should give moviegoers a chance to see what Kang is really capable of, from his use of futuristic technology to his mastery of time travel. If he's true to the comics, some of his tech might come from other characters from the MCU, and even tease the Fantastic Four or the Young Avengers.
Gorr, The God Butcher
Christian Bale's first role in a Marvel movie is that of a sadistic Thor villain. A serial killer of gods, Gorr could introduce symbiotes to the MCU through his necrosword the All-Black, taken from symbiote god Knull, when he makes his MCU debut during Thor: Love & Thunder.
The All-Black gives Gorr abilities like flight, enhanced durability, and super strength. The All-Black can also shapeshift into anything Gorr can think of. It can be used to create weapons, armor, and even attack dog like the Black Berserkers. Gorr's powers may push the limits of Marvel Studios' special effects artists and possibly even its films' PG-13 rating.
The Eternals
Eternals will introduce an entire pantheon of god-like characters and their powers to the MCU. While Kingo's energy blasts are reminiscent of Iron Man, the rest of the Eternals bring something different to the table.
Powers like Ikaris' flight and laser vision, Thena's weapon manifestation, and Makkari's super speed bring a decidedly Justice League flavor to the MCU. The empath Sersi's matter transmutation and Sprite's illusion projection should also provide much in the way of CGI eye candy when the titular superheroes enter the picture.
Captain Marvel's Binary Form
Captain Marvel's sequel, The Marvels, features two characters from the Disney+ side of the MCU: Ms. Marvel and Monica Rambeau. While the film will (hopefully) give them time to shine, it should also explore Carol Danvers' powers. That includes how they work and what limits she has, if any.
The Marvels should also feature her most powerful form, Binary. Binary taps into universal energy to give Carol cosmic powers, like the ability to mimic a white hole energy and control of gravity. The Binary Form might be the only way to up the ante from her cavalry moment in Avengers: Endgame.
Shang-Chi
Shang-Chi's early reactions offer fulsome praise for the next entry in the MCU. That includes its fight scenes. While Shang-Chi has abilities that border on super human, his fighting prowess is what will set him apart from previous MCU protagonists.
Shang-Chi is a master of hand-to-hand and armed martial arts. While the eponymous ten rings play a large part in the film's plot, it's the martial arts scenes that promise to be a breath of fresh air for audiences. The MCU has its fare share of stand-out action scenes, but nothing quite like what Shang-Chi has to offer.
Moon Knight's Khonshu
The upcoming Disney+ Moon Knight series stars a character who has rubbed shoulders with street-level heroes like Daredevil and the Punisher in Marvel's comics. Although he primarily operates as a street-level vigilante, with a few things in common with Batman, Moon Knight also has a link to a cosmic being.
More specifically, Moon Knight is the avatar of the Egyptian god Khonshu. Any mystical powers mercenary Marc Spector has come from Khonshu, who has guided many of his actions in the Marvel Comics Universe, from joining the Avengers to fighting them. How Marvel chooses to portray Khonshu, and his effects on Spector's often tenuous mental health, could be a fascinating part of the show.
Super Skrull
Beyond the fact that it will follow up on the tease of Nick Fury working with the Skrulls from Spider-Man: Far From Home and features Emilia Clarke, not much is known about Disney+'s Secret Invasion series. However, the show could potentially bring some powerful characters into the MCU fold, the most noteworthy of which would be the Super Skrull.
The original Super Skrull, Kl'rt, wielded the powers of the entire Fantastic Four. Given that the Fantastic Four are getting their own film, the Super Skrulls of Secret Invasion might take after the foot soldiers introduced in the Secret Invasion comics. They were composites of heroes from every corner of the Marvel Universe, from the Avengers to the X-Men. A Super Skrull with the powers of the MCU Avenger's big 4 (Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, and the Hulk) would certainly be a sight to behold.