10 shocking things I learned rewatching the MCU movies

3. The X-Men should have been brought in after Avengers: Endgame

One thing you notice pretty early on in the Multiverse Saga is that it appears to be a long-form story building towards reuniting the Avengers. The original incarnation of the super team of heroes bowed out in Avengers: Endgame when they defeated Thanos, and while Phase Four definitely gives off "what happens next?" vibes, it also sets the wheels in motion for an eventual reunion - one that will involve new heroes. This was inevitably confirmed when two more Avengers movies were announced for Phase Six.

While the eventual reunion of the Avengers is a fun idea, one can't help but think that Marvel would have been wiser to use the Endgame "reset" to introduce the X-Men. I hate to say it but the next generation of Avengers just won't compare to the original (and you can really see that rewatching some of the newer titles), so devoting so many titles to the team's comeback might not have been the wisest idea.

The X-Men, on the other hand, is a team that fans have wanted to see join the MCU for years. We know it's happening, but Marvel has opted for an even slower approach with their introduction, and the interest levels might end up being much lower by the time they eventually do show up.

Watching the MCU back, you really see that Phase Four was the perfect opportunity to begin the introduction of the mutants. The era of the Avengers as they were was over, so this was the moment that Marvel Studios could have taken a real risk. Sure, reuniting the Avengers was always going to be on the table, but I can't help but think they missed a real opportunity to kick off Phase Four by building towards the X-Men in the same way that Phase One built towards the Avengers.