End Game has arrived to a hulk-like smashing of box office records and some quality tying up of loose ends in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). However, now the real speculation begins. Things got a bit of a shake up and nobody knows where it will all settle. Marvel Movies are not going to stop and it looks like we are not going to get some traditional offerings of big-name characters as we did in the past phases. What is the future of the MCU. What comics or characters are poised for a value pop?
We were gifted a few clues to the possible future of the MCU and paths that Marvel may take to introduce new characters and locations within the universe.
A few of my observations from End Game (SPOILERS AHEAD...BUT SOME PEOPLE HAVE SEEN THE MOVIE AND WANT INSIGHTS FOR SPECULATION):
-Falcon is the guy now. Discussion over. He may not have "America's Ass" holding the shield, but Sam Wilson will become the new Captain America. This should excite fans, as Marvel can come up with a ton of cool cinematic ideas for a Captain America with wings. I don't know what the next generation of Avengers will look like, but it seems like a good bet that Sam will be an important figure in the group. Now may be a good time to look for copies of Captain America #117 which features the first appearance of Falcon.
-Thor joining the Guardians of the Galaxy opens up the Marvel universe to be more "space based" than the past 10 years. With rumors of The Eternals, and (As)Guardians 3 and more Captain Marvel on the way, we are going to see the outer reaches of the universe and perhaps gain some interesting developments that eventually shape the role of heroes on Earth. The current market shows a rise in comics like Thor #337 which features the first appearance of Mjolnir-worthy alien Beta Ray Bill.
-Everything is back to normal...albeit a new normal. Most everyone is alive and your favorite heroes can have sequels! So expect more of Black Panther, Dr. Strange, and of course Spider-Man...and an increase in their respective market values. I know that a Black Widow movie has been announced, but I would be happy for Marvel to say that this was a code name for a Moon Knight movie or something more desired. The worst thing about End Game was knowing that somehow everyone who was snapped would be back...lets change the norm and make some waves.
-Marvel wants to add the Fantastic Four and X-men into the MCU since their acquisition of those properties from Fox. I don't see how you make a shift and now recognize the existence of mutants on a large scale in the MCU, unless you do a reverse House of M type thing where Scarlet Witch creates Mutant Kind instead of destroying much of it (now that I typed that, I kinda want to see it). However, Thanos made a power surge or epic proportions when he destroyed the Infinity Stones...I wonder if this is similar to a cosmic storm that creates the FF. Either of theses teams are great for speculators, with high bets on FF making an entrance into the MCU prior to any X-men.
What are your thoughts on End Game? Do you have any favorite value drivers for the upcoming MCU phases? Drop your comments and join in the speculation!
