Can Marvel Phase 4 Keep Up the Franchise's Success?

It may not be for a while yet but eventually, the Marvel Cinematic Universe will return to theaters. The current schedule puts Black Widow in November, a whole six months after the Scarlett Johansson vehicle was originally set to hit theaters. Whenever the masses do manage to catch it, it's likely the Marvel Cinematic Universe will have an all-new aura about it. Not only will theater-going forever be changed after the current coronavirus lockdowns, but the release slate currently has The Falcon and The Winter Soldier — Marvel Studios' first-ever television series for Disney+ — debuting ahead of time.

To date, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has grossed over $22 billion worldwide, the largest franchise Hollywood has ever seen. A landscape exists where Marvel Studios releases a movie and it's expected to crest $750 million or so; the once-rare billion-dollar mark has been reached by nearly half of the movies the studio has released.

Avengers: Endgame served as the definitive end to everything we'd seen in the MCU to date and now, we're here in a time where Marvel Studios has to craft a new beginning. Moving into Phase Four and beyond, Kevin Feige and his team are hedging their bets on properties many would call radical, even for the studio that managed to turn the Guardians of the Galaxy into a bonafide hit.

With the likes of Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) and Captain America (Chris Evans) gone from the MCU, what are the odds Marvel Studios can continue its massive box office successes of years past?

By Feige's own admission, The Eternals is one the of studios' most expensive filmmaking risks taken to date, featuring the least-known characters the studio has ever used. There's also Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, another flick featuring a lesser-known character.

But then there are situations that could cause complications for the studio for reasons other than character popularity. Take Mahershala Ali's Blade for example. Wanting to make a big splash, it's one of the first times Marvel has ever hired the actor before unveiling the movie and to our knowledge, the feature has yet to get either a writer or director. Popularized by the "vintage" Blade trilogy of the early 2000s, the character is known to the masses as a pretty hefty R-rated property. Should Marvel Studios convert that into its typical PG-13 rating, what ramifications could that spread with fans who came to love the character through the Wesley Snipes trilogy?

Marvel's track record speaks perfectly fine for itself and it's likely the movies will continue making absurd amounts of money. Then again, there's the off chance one of these risks might not stick the landing.

Do you think Marvel Studios' winning streak will continue into Phase 4 and beyond? Why or why not? Think it over and let us know your thoughts either in the comments section or by hitting me up on Twitter at @AdamBarnhardt!