Marvel Studios Producer Discusses Phase 4's Central Theme Saying It's "All a Reaction"

So far the films and shows of Phase 4 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe have been met with a lot of different reactions from fans. Kevin Feige recently explained that Phase 4 is intended to feel "unique" and "different," and that’s certainly the case!

But, there is an overall theme for Phase 4, and Marvel producer Richie Palmer recently discussed the theme while a guest on Empire's Spoiler Special podcast. During the interview, he was asked if Phase 4's main theme is about "guilt and consequences," Palmer confirmed that it is, and went on to say that it’s "all a reaction" by the characters to the events of Avengers: Endgame. He said:

"100%. Cause Phase 4 is all a reaction - and I don't mean on our part as filmmakers, I mean the characters - it's a reaction to the trauma of Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame. We're still feeling those effects in these movies years later."

Palmer went on to say that this is something that he spoke to Elizabeth Olsen about in regards to Wanda's journey, saying:

"It's also something we spoke to Elizabeth Olsen about every step of the way, that for her, Wanda's full journey is leading to a moment of accountability. And we think she's gotten there."

The producer added that Phase 4 explores a lot of the characters' reactions to "what happens when you lose everything?" He uses Peter Parker as an example, saying:

"I also saw a meme the other day, it was comparing her to Peter Parker. 'What happens when you lose everything?' You know, some people handle it differently than others. Peter Parker dove into the persona of Spider-Man at the end of No Way Home, he's completely let the Spider-Man persona take over as a response to his loss and his trauma. For Peter, of course, being Spider-Man means going and being the biggest hero of all time."

Palmer went on to explain that Wanda’s star arc went in the opposite direction with her transforming fully into Scarlet Witch, the "worst villain of all time":

"Wanda's version was leaning solely into being the Scarlet Witch, which what we found out from Agatha and the Darkhold, through Wanda's self-discovery, that that's the opposite: [she becomes] the worst villain of all time, the destroyer of worlds. She's aware now, 'Oh, I'm supposed to be this god. I've always known this kinda, under the surface, but it's now been told to me. Now, my way of dealing with my loss and trauma is just going full-in to what I am, which is the Scarlet Witch, so I'm going to be that.' Of course, in our movie, she's like, 'I don't want to be that, I want to go be with my kids. So leave me alone, but I'm just letting you know that I am the Scarlet Witch, so don't mess with me.' "

As for the unifying theme of Phase 4, Palmer shares that it’s "our heroes coming into their own" and "figuring out their places in the world" after everything they lost in the previous films:

"But it's interesting, whether it's Spider-Man or the Scarlet Witch or Black Widow after Civil War, this phase does feel like it's about our heroes coming into their own, on their own, all figuring out their places in the world, and a lot of them are lonely now because of the losses suffered during those Avengers movies."

One of the other aspects of Phase 4 that we’ve seen is legacy characters stepping into mentor roles such as Clint Barton helping Kate Bishop, Stephen Strange helping America Chavez, and Bruce Banner helping Jennifer Walters in the upcoming She-Hulk series.

Marvel’s Phase 4 has been a fun and interesting ride. It definitely has a different feel than the first three phases in Marvel. I’m curious to see how it continues to play out, but right now Marvel seems to be playing it fast and loose. I personally think they need to start tightening things up a bit because the quality of storytelling isn’t what it used to be.

What do you think?