Kevin Feige says the Marvel Studios films from the first three phases of the MCU are “The Infinity Saga.” The Marvel Studios boss has just finished rolling out their first female-led solo superhero film in Brie Larson’s Captain Marvel, but he’s already shifting his focus on wrapping up the 22-film arc that they’ve been treading since 2008’s Iron Man in next month’s Avengers: Endgame.

Picking up after the tragic events of Avengers: Infinity War, Marvel Studios is keeping everyone guessing about what’s in store for the much-anticipated blockbuster. The previously released Avengers: Endgame trailers for the film have done a good job hyping up the public without revealing any significant plot point, leaving fans scouring the internet for any plot clues. Others, meanwhile, are devoting the weeks leading up to Avengers: Endgame by rewatching every single film from the MCU catalog in preparation for the Joe and Anthony Russo-directed film. And once the whole Thanos debacle is finally resolved, Feige reveals what the official name will be for this overarching narrative.

In the latest issue of Empire (via ComicBookMovie.com), Feige dubs the first wave of MCU films to be collectively called “The Infinity Saga.” The executive also talked about wrapping up more than 10 years worth of storytelling in Endgame. “We wanted to bring to a conclusion a series of movies in a way that had never been done before. Harry Potter had an ending because there were only so many books. Lord of the Rings too. But we thought, 22 movies in, wouldn’t it be fun to bring some finality to the storyline,” he said.

Until now, the MCU has been broken down into phases, Phase 1 culminated in Joss Whedon’s The Avengers and is composed of the origin stories for the franchise’s founding heroes. Phase 2 is a mix of sequels and origin films for new characters such as the Guardians of the Galaxy and Ant-Man. Phase 3, which is the longest of all, boasts a diverse roster of films - from Black Panther to Infinity War. It’s also the only phase that has two event films with Avengers 3 and Endgame. Feige has always utilized the comics for their inspiration for the MCU - not only in terms of narrative, but also how they set-up their franchise - so it’s not surprising that he has a collective name for the initial wave of Marvel films somehow similar to how the comics do it.

With Endgame bringing some finality to the current storyline, it’s curious what will happen to central players to this  narrative like Thanos (Josh Brolin) and the six Infinity Stones after “The Infinity Saga” wraps up. At this point, it feels like not much is known about them, particularly the elemental crystals, and the MCU can continue their stories past Phase 3. Perhaps they won’t be the main focus of Phase 4 and beyond, but it’s within the realm of possibility that they will continue to exist moving forward.

In conjunction to that, it’s also interesting to theorize what the MCU’s next big narrative will be about after Avengers: Endgame. Since Captain Marvel has officially introduced the Skrulls in the franchise, many are convinced that it’s going to be Secret Invasion. At the same time, with Disney inching its way to owning Fox’s TV and film assets, Marvel Studios may opt to focus on introducing the mutants first before building towards another massive storyline.

More: The MCU Can Have A Stronger Avengers Team After Endgame

Source: Empire (via ComicBookMovie.com)

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