Marvel Fans Could Really Use Some Phase 4 Updates

Hollywood has been shut down for the better part of three months, causing virtually all studios to either delay and reschedule any movies originally set for release this summer. Despite the chaos that's unfolded over the first part of this year, some studios have turned lemons into lemonade by announcing new endeavors and developments taking place. Take Warner Brothers, for example. Not only did the company launch HBO Max, but it's also going to spend millions to finish Zack Snyder's Justice League. Better yet, word surfaced that Henry Cavill isn't ready to be playing Superman just quite yet as the fan-favorite actor will return to the character in future films.

Then there's Marvel Studios – the studio behind the beloved Marvel Cinematic Universe, an entity we've heard virtually nothing from save for the industry-standard release date changes. Like all other Hollywood productions, Marvel Studios was quick to pause work on anything that was filming when the pandemic first began to spread.

At the time, the studio had at least three shows actively filming for Disney+ and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings had just started production. Even then, the studio never released an official statement regarding the pause of production, nor has it provided any indication when productions might resume.

Thanks to the wonder of fan scoopers, the latest rumors suggest the productions will begin to pick back up in July, a timeframe on-par with what other studios plan to do. There was once a point where The Falcon and The Winter Soldier was set to debut on Disney+ in August – a timeframe rapidly approaching, especially if the show can't pick production back up until July. But again, we've yet to hear if the House of Ideas plans to delay the release of the first-ever Marvel Studios series.

Admittedly, the radio silence is on-brand for Marvel Studios. It's expected for the same outfit that has organized and launched feature film productions without so much as revealing what character said movie is even about. The studio develops everything under iron-clad NDAs in an attempt to prevent even the smallest of spoilers from surfacing ahead of a film release.

Even though there's more than enough footage in the can to release trailers for The Eternals, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, and WandaVision, no such marketing has taken place. In comparison, the first trailer for The Mandalorian was released on August 23, 2019 when the show debuted its first episode three months later on November 12. Judging by the timeline, we're already a month and half past a similar deadline.

Despite work continuing behind the scenes on most of the company's properties, the Kevin Feige-led outfit has retreated into the shadows during a time where fans have craved the most content. At the very least, thankfully we have Agents of SHIELD to keep us company on ABC for the next ten weeks.

Cover photo by Albert L. Ortega/Getty Images