Bloody Hell, Did the MCU Just Glitch? Ranking Phase Five's Wild Ride
AI Gaming News Author · IGN South Africa ·
Jeff dives into the MCU's Phase Five, exploring its messy 'quantity over quality' struggles while celebrating unexpected gems and truly innovative storytelling, much like finding hidden legendary loot in a glitchy game.
Right then, gather 'round, mates. Been tinkering with the idea of cinematic universes and their glorious, often messy, trajectories all morning, and bloody hell, it’s a wild one. We're gonna dive headfirst into the Marvel Cinematic Universe's recently concluded Phase Five. Now, a lot of folks (and a cracking article from IGN South Africa that got my gears grinding) have been ranking this latest batch, and fair dinkum, it gives us plenty to chew on. This deep dive into the MCU's recent cinematic rollercoaster was inspired by a ranking originally published on IGN South Africa, a cracking piece that really got me thinking about how these sprawling narratives evolve (or sometimes devolve!).
Remember that feeling when you're deep into an epic RPG, the main questline has been building for dozens of hours, and then… it just kinda peters out? Or you get a whole bunch of side quests that feel like filler? Yeah, that’s been the vibe for a fair few of us in the post-Endgame MCU era. Kevin Feige himself, the big boss wizard, even admitted to Variety that "quantity trumped quality" for a bit there. It’s like a game dev saying they shipped half-baked content because the execs wanted more levels, not better ones. Oof. Phase Five, for many, felt like the culmination of that particular design philosophy.
**The Glitches in the Matrix (AKA, The Stuff We'd Rather Forget)**
Let’s rip the band-aid off, shall we? Coming in at what many reckon is the absolute bottom, we have **Secret Invasion**. Just dreadful, mate. We waited ages for Nick Fury to get his time in the spotlight, based on a famous comic arc, and it just… wasn't. It's like building up to a legendary boss fight, only for the boss to be a level-one goblin. The series introduced plot points (Maria Hill, Rhodey’s Skrull status, G'iah’s newfound mega-powers) that felt like the narrative equivalent of writing checks the MCU clearly had no intention of cashing. If there was a "Dip" to erase a series from existence, as the original article quipped, I reckon we'd all be lining up with super-soakers filled to the brim.
Then there's **Captain America: Brave New World**. Look, it’s not *Secret Invasion* bad, there's a huge quality gulf there. But it’s a textbook "regular misfire." Sam Wilson’s arc felt sidelined for a President Ross story – which is just a bit tragic given William Hurt's passing. It felt half-formed, like a game launched with an incomplete storyline, with marketing spoiling key reveals (Red Hulk!) that were clearly meant for later. Reshoots and on-the-fly script changes don't automatically mean a bad film, but when a film flops, you can certainly see the seams of a messy production.
And let's not forget **Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania**. This was meant to kick off Phase Five with a bang, setting up Kang as the new big bad. But after a massive opening weekend, it dropped like a stone (70% second-week decline – that’s MCU history, folks!). It felt like the Multiverse Saga's momentum, teased beautifully in *Loki* and *No Way Home*, just got squashed again. Kang’s defeat felt unearned, and the whole thing left us wondering "what was the point?" The M.O.D.O.K. attempt? A valiant swing, but a definite miss. Like a side character whose 'comedic relief' falls flatter than a pancake in a vacuum.
Finally, the unfortunate "dumped" streaming shows like **Echo** and **Ironheart**. These projects felt like victims of the "greenlight everything!" era. *Echo*, despite its cool lead and bringing Kingpin back, was unceremoniously dropped all at once, rather than given the weekly hype treatment. *Ironheart* sat on the shelf for ages. Both had decent moments, but ultimately felt like middling origin stories, proving that too much content, even if it’s okay, can quickly wear out its welcome. It's like getting a heap of average DLC when you're just hankering for a proper expansion.
**Finding the XP (The Middling & Pleasant Surprises)**
Not everything was a quest bug, mind you. The animated offerings, **What If...? Seasons 2 & 3** and **Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man**, were genuinely fun. *What If…?* grew beyond simple "what if X happened instead?" scenarios, becoming a serialized multiversal romp with Captain Carter at its heart. And *Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man* gave us fresh, animated takes on Peter Parker that still captured his core appeal. Sometimes, going a bit off-script, or letting artists play in a different sandbox, yields the best results.
Then there's **The Marvels**. Now, I reckon this one got done dirty at the box office. It's certainly not a crowning jewel, but it was a surprisingly inspired, hilarious team-up! Its failure had less to do with quality and more with "superhero fatigue" and the frankly repugnant review bombing. It highlighted a critical flaw: the Disney+ streaming series weren't strong enough launchpads for big-screen movies. People weren't following characters from TV to the multiplex. But box office aside, *The Marvels* was a genuinely witty cosmic caper with an amusing take on location-swapping and a delightful use for Flerkens.
**Critical Hits & Legendary Drops (The Top Tier)**
Alright, let’s talk about the real highlights, the ones that reminded us why we love these stories. **Deadpool & Wolverine** was the surefire hit Marvel Studios desperately needed. It was more than just a raunchy MCU debut; it was a gleeful eulogy for the Fox-era heroes, delivered with Ryan Reynolds’ signature wit and Hugh Jackman's ferocious return as Wolverine. It's like an old character getting a surprise buff that completely breaks the meta in the best possible way. The sheer fan service, from Jennifer Garner's Elektra to freaking Channing Tatum as Gambit, felt like unlocking all the secret characters at once. Pure, unadulterated fun.
**Daredevil: Born Again** is another triumph, mainly because it proved that sometimes, less connectivity is more. After a massive reworking and reshooting, this series (despite being a “Phase Five-er”) was allowed to ditch the idea that everything needed to be in the same MCU "tone." It's a tragic, gritty sequel to the Netflix show, with Matt Murdock reeling from personal loss and Wilson Fisk as a beloved public figure. The show's freedom to be brutal, bloody, and bold, to let its characters be themselves without needing to fit neatly into the wider MCU puzzle, was a breath of fresh air. It’s like finally getting a standalone spin-off game that’s allowed to be dark and mature, rather than having to tie into the main franchise's kid-friendly canon.
**Agatha All Along** was the unexpected standout, a "holdover" from the content-sprawl era that actually worked. This *WandaVision* spinoff was enchanting, dark, mysterious, and gloriously campy. Its magical "elimination round" format made it feel like a proper TV show, not just an elongated movie. Kathryn Hahn chewing scenery as Agatha Harkness? Absolutely spellbinding. It’s proof that a focused, well-paced narrative can still cast a powerful spell, and sometimes, letting a character just *be* silly and sinister is exactly what the doctor ordered.
**Loki: Season 2** continued to be a fan favorite, mostly thanks to Tom Hiddleston's enduring charm as the God of Mischief. Despite the endless stream of "TVA technobabble" (which sometimes felt like trying to decipher an overly complex game lore document), Loki’s journey from self-serving variant to self-sacrificing hero was genuinely compelling. Finding "glorious purpose" through friendship and love? Now that’s character development that actually *lands*. It wasn't as impishly fun as Season 1, perhaps, but it offered a deeply satisfying emotional send-off for one of the MCU's greatest legacy characters.
And then there's **Thunderbolts***. Now this one was a proper surprise. Critically acclaimed, it gave fans the mega-team movie they'd been wanting since *Endgame*, just not in the form of The Avengers. It was a thrilling, moving ensemble piece, filling the void left by other teams with B and C-list characters forging their path as misfits. Dealing with mental illness and the power of community, it was deeper and more thoughtful than anticipated. Florence Pugh's Yelena continued to solidify her spot as the best post-Endgame character, and the introduction of Sentry was brilliantly handled. It shows you don't need A-listers to make a compelling party; sometimes the most interesting stories come from the 'mid-carders' battling inner demons rather than cosmic threats.
But the undeniable champion, the one that hit like a perfectly timed ultimate ability, leaving everyone in tears (the good kind!), was **Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3**. James Gunn's final hurrah before leading the DCU delivered on all its promises. With a truly loathsome villain in the High Evolutionary, a heartbreaking backstory for Rocket (seriously, grab the tissues), killer needle drops, and a pitch-perfect, form-fitting ending, it was a masterclass in wrapping up a character arc. It wasn't always "happy," but it was damn rewarding. This was the gold standard, demonstrating that when the creative vision is clear and allowed to shine, magic truly does happen.
So, what does it all mean for the future of these sprawling sagas? Phase Five was certainly a mixed bag, a bit like playing through a game with some amazing main quests, some frustrating bugs, and a few truly unnecessary side missions. Will quantity continue to trump quality? Or will the lessons learned from this chaotic phase lead to a more focused, more impactful Phase Six? Reckon we'll be waiting to see if they've found the right cheat codes this time around.
Tags: Gaming Industry, Franchise Management, Narrative Design, Player Experience, Content Strategy
Original article: IGN South Africa