It kind of sounds like the MCU isn’t interested in fans so much as sobbing sycophants that can’t handle the death/retirement of their favorite heroes. Just when a lot of people might have thought that they were being made to bite the bullet and move on, Kevin Feige has to come in and let it be known that because of the multiverse and the desire of actors that have already done their time in the MCU, various characters could be brought back at any time. There’s no doubt that Feige and anyone else at the MCU would deny this, but to be certain, it feels like a serious lack of confidence that the phases moving forward won’t be able to handle the load that the first three did when heroes such as Iron Man, Thor, and Captain America were shouldering a good part of the MCU. That’s kind of amusing really since Captain Marvel, aka Brie Larson, was being lauded as the next big thing in the MCU, and now so is Shang Chi. And yet, Feige and the MCU still want to bring the big guns back after the emotional rollercoaster they sent their fans on. They want to bring back Iron Man, and Thor, and Black Widow, and Captain America, and Loki, and through the multiverse, this could be entirely possible. But what about Odin? Could he come back? Would Anthony Hopkins want the role again? How many actors would return if given the chance? Maybe there’s a multiverse where the Hulk isn’t some giant, whiny green brainiac that despises physical aggression, or perhaps there’s a chance to bring Edward Norton back and see if things can be ironed out with him since his Hulk was actually into doing some serious damage. The better question is, where would it end?
Eventually, some folks are going to age out of their roles, unlike they do in the comics, and explaining a geriatric Tony Stark and Black Widow wouldn’t be that easy. There are a few reasons that these characters need to stay dead, and one of them is that it helps the continuity of the MCU in a big way. Characters are brought back so often in the comics that started getting hard to read them after a while since it was like a giant soap opera designed for kids. It also gives the impression that death is not a permanent force, which in the comics and the movies isn’t such a bad thing. But for the sake of keeping the movies and the shows moving forward without having to go into a new explanation every time someone ‘dies’ and is brought back, it’s best to keep them down and out of the picture. It also helps characters to develop and to actually express the grief that can help the character to grow in a way that might not have happened had everyone lived and been happy when Endgame was over and done with. Does it sound like I’m irritated? Yes, I am, since as a writer I’ve had the chance to bring back characters in my own stories and yes, I have done so, so call me a hypocrite, but eventually, even those characters have to be done, over with, gone from the story entirely and kept only in memory. That’s how a story progresses, by learning when to let go of characters that have done their part and therefore run their course. Keeping them around only prolongs the agony of having to lose them for good at some point, but since it’s happened in the comics, it would appear the MCU is fully ready to go with making it happen in the movies and shows.
It sounds horrible to say, but I can only hope that people will either step away from the MCU if this happens or will deliver an outcry that will leave Kevin Feige’s ears ringing if the MCU brings back the deceased and retired heroes. To be realistic, if they are brought back then it means their sacrifice was in vain, it meant nothing because there was nothing to lose. They basically stuck themselves in the meat grinder and the universe snapped its collective fingers to make sure it appeared as nothing happened. That’s irresponsible and even worse, lazy writing. As I mentioned above, it’s also a serious lack of faith in the upcoming phases that are already planned out since if the MCU believes they can push on without several of the big names that helped make the first three phases, then things should have stopped at Endgame. The fact that Feige has said it could happen doesn’t mean it will, but mere mention that they could get these actors back at any time is still enough to elicit an eye roll from those that weren’t breaking down when Tony Stark gave his life.
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