As the Marvel Cinematic Universe moves beyond the Infinity Saga that defined its first decade of films, there are plenty of directions for the future for the shared cinematic to go into Phase 4. And while Thanos and his armies may have been defeated by the end of Avengers: Endgame, another key element that appeared prominently throughout the MCU beforehand may play a pivotal role moving forward as a new generation of heroes and villains rise.
Introduced in 2011's Captain America: The First Avenger as the primary element forming the Star-Spangled Avenger's signature, indestructible shield, the substance would resurface in Avengers: Age of Ultron before playing an even more prominent role in 2018's Black Panther as the African nation of Wakanda's greatest resource, left under the nation's surface after crashing in the form of a massive meteor millennia ago. And with smugglers and foreign governments actively attempting to steal Wakanda's vibranium stores for themselves, the MCU may have just set the stage for its own arms race.
Check out the video below to see how the importance of vibranium has been established within the MCU, and the likely role it will play as Phase 4 begins and audiences eventually return to Wakanda.
With Wakanda opening its borders in the mid-credits scene to Black Panther before opening science centers worldwide to share its advanced technology, the society of the MCU may soon benefit from the vibranium-fueled science that has made Wakanda the most hi-tech nation on Earth. And with a direct sequel to Black Panther currently in pre-production as Marvel Studios steadily builds to its next overarching event, viewers will soon return to Wakanda to see how the African nation has progressed since T'Challa was last seen leading his countrymen into battle against the forces of Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame.
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