2023 has been a vital year for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, establishing many important future narratives and even changing previous ones.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe has delivered numerous incredible stories in 2023, many of which have proven vital to the MCU’s future and its past. The MCU timeline has been greatly complicated in 2023, with several key characters seemingly retiring from the franchise and brand-new narratives being established. Jonathan Majors’ dramatic exit from the MCU has triggered a major upheaval in the franchise, suggesting that 2023 and its stories could be the most important year in the MCU since its inception.
2023 saw the initiation of the MCU’s Phase 5, featuring three movies and three television series that offered seismic shifts in the franchise. Phase 5 helped establish the central narrative in the Multiverse Saga. Though it received somewhat mixed reviews, it depicted several essential stories that set up further Phase 5 installments and the much-anticipated Phase 6. Other Marvel movie franchises also depicted huge stories that should be remembered in time for Marvel’s highly anticipated 2024 releases.
10Loki Truly Becomes A God
Loki Season 2 (2023)
Loki season 2 had a dramatic finale that will directly affect the MCU’s future. During the thrilling climax, Loki becomes a physical temporal loom, holding together multiple timeline strands within himself – ultimately becoming a new God. This thrilling narrative re-established Loki as a hero rather than the power-hungry villain depicted throughout earlier phases. Additionally, Loki essentially became a living weapon, which could play a major role in the Multiverse Saga and even provide the MCU with a way to conclude Kang’s story prematurely. The finale seemingly concludes Loki’s character arc, and his future in the MCU is unclear, but this story will be vital.
9The Council Of Kangs Is Introduced
Ant-Man And The Wasp: Quantumania (2023)
Though this could be largely defunct following the changes to Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, one of the most significant stories from 2023 was the introduction of the Council of Kangs. The Kang variants appeared in a brief post-credits sequence in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, confirmed as those who banished Kang the Conqueror to the Quantum Realm, setting up the planned storyline for The Kang Dynasty. The scene established the multiversal villain’s pervasive presence and his far-reaching plans to dominate all universes in the MCU. Furthermore, the Council convenes in what appears to be an arena, potentially teasing the Battleworld from Marvel Comics’ Secret Wars event.
8Rhodey Is Replaced With A Skrull
Secret Invasion (2023)
Secret Invasion dramatically revealed that James “Rhodey” Rhodes (War Machine) had been kidnapped and replaced by a Skrull. The story is incredibly important in the MCU’s overarching narrative, potentially transforming previous and future installments. The revelation prompts speculation over when Rhodey was replaced by a Skrull – suggesting that Rhodey was an impostor throughout Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. It also sets the MCU’s Armor Wars movie, providing several potential narratives that deal with the ramifications of Rhodey’s absence, the dramatic events of Secret Invasion, and the actual Rhodey’s reaction to Tony Stark’s death and the Blip.
7Many Original Guardians Of The Galaxy Retire
Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023)
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 served as the final part of James Gunn’s trilogy, concluding several main character arcs. The consequence was that many of the original members of the cosmic superhero troupe retired from the team. Star-Lord himself moved back to Earth to spend time with his family – though a note during the credits confirmed that Star-Lord would return to the MCU. Meanwhile, Gamora rejoined the Ravagers, Mantis embarked on a journey with the Abilisks, and Drax and Nebula remained on Knowehere to raise the rescued children. The mid-credits sequence established a new Guardians of the Galaxy team, led by Rocket Raccoon.
6Ms. Marvel Sets Out To Start The Young Avengers
The Marvels (2023)
The Marvels proffered a very exciting future story when Kamala Khan (Ms. Marvel) decided to seek out a troupe of young superheroes, beginning with Hawkeye’s protégé Kate Bishop, depicted in the Hawkeye Disney+ series. Though a Young Avengers movie has not been confirmed, it has long been anticipated – with several MCU movies establishing younger renditions of its original superheroes. Whether these will constitute a Young Avengers team or simply younger members of a future Avengers team, confirming that Ms. Marvel is hunting new members was a thrilling narrative development – and the first sign of a future team-up in the Multiverse Saga.
5Monica Rambaeu Meets The X-Men’s Beast
The Marvels (2023)
The Marvels’ post-credits scene posed an exciting development for the MCU. During the scene, Monica Rambeau awoke in an alternate universe being treated by the X-Men’s Beast. Hank McCoy was an original member of the X-Men, and his jump to the MCU has rightfully garnered excitement. While several mutants have been confirmed in the franchise, Beast is only the second X-Men member after Professor X appeared in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. This reveal was made all the more exciting by having Kelsey Grammer reprise his performance of Beast from Fox’s X-Men: The Last Stand.
4Nick Fury Returns To Earth
Secret Invasion (2023)
Spider-Man: Far From Home divulged that Nick Fury had been traveling in space and was replaced on Earth by a Skrull. Secret Invasion saw Fury return to counter the Skrull invasion of Earth, having overseen the construction of a major space station. Fury’s return to Earth promises further complex narratives regarding his Earth replacement (comparable to Rhodey) while also posing his potential involvement in founding the new Avengers team. Fury gathered the original Avengers members, and his reappearance immediately before Ms. Marvel began seeking fellow superheroes could be essential in establishing the new superhero team in time for Avengers: The Kang Dynasty.
3Spider-Man Is In the Wrong Universe
Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse (2023)
Outside of the MCU, Sony’s Spider-Verse series saw an exciting development that will directly affect the next movie. Also traversing a complex multiverse, Miles Morales believed he was traveling back to his home dimension (Earth-1610) during Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse‘s dramatic ending. However, he accidentally traveled to an alternate Earth (Earth-42), in which New York City is overrun with crime and the Earth-42 Miles has become a villain known as the Prowler. The climactic ending served as a cliffhanger, and is, therefore, a critical narrative element in advance of its sequel Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse.
2Rocket Raccoon’s Backstory Is Explained
Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023)
The Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy explored several characters’ backstories, with Rocket Raccoon’s depicted in the third installment. It featured heavily in the movie and provided the typically brash and gregarious character with a surprisingly tender and tragic origin. This completely altered many previous appearances of the iconic character, explaining much of his behavior, attachment to Groot, and other aspects of his personality. The movie also helped set up Rocket’s potential return as the leader of the new Guardians of the Galaxy team. Like many other MCU characters, 2023 provided him with a perfect narrative conclusion while keeping open the possibility that he could return to the franchise once more.
1Kang & He Who Remains Are Defeated
Ant-Man And The Wasp Quantumania & Loki Season 2
Perhaps the most prescient MCU storyline in 2023 was defeating two Kang variants – Kang the Conqueror and He Who Remains. These initially served to tease Kang as the MCU’s next major villain. However, since Jonathan Majors was fired from the role, Kang’s involvement in the MCU’s future remains uncertain. Killing both of these variants has provided Marvel with a handy way out of Majors’ involvement, essentially concluding an abbreviated character arc before he became too entwined in the narrative. While the Marvel Cinematic Universe could still deploy a Kang story with a new actor, killing off Majors’ variants may prove inadvertently fortuitous and the most important story of 2023.
