Marvel Phase 4 is all about introductions, says studio boss Kevin Feige

Marvel Phase 4 will conclude following the releases of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and the Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special. Now, as the next stage in the MCU approaches, Kevin Feige has explained that the most recent chapter has been "all about introductions".

"Think about all the characters we've met," the Marvel Studios president told Marvel.com at the Black Panther 2 premiere recently. "Finally, in the finale of Phase 4, looking at it by phases, we meet an entire new kingdom and a character who is the very foundation of what we do at Marvel."

It's safe to assume Feige is talking about Dominique Thorne's Ironheart and Namor, Tenoch Huerta's mutant ruler of Talokan – two characters that are set to make their MCU debuts in the upcoming Black Panther sequel. They're not the only fresh faces we've come across over the past year and a half. First, WandaVision introduced Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris) and Agatha Harkness (Kathryn Hahn), before Black Widow welcomed Natasha Romanoff's sister Yelena (Florence Pugh) to the fold. We've met Shang-Chi (Simu Liu), Hawkeye's Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld), Moon Knight (Oscar Isaac), Ms. Marvel (Iman Vellani), She-Hulk (Tatiana Maslany), and all of the Eternals. The list goes on. 

We may know him already, but Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) will show up with Hugh Jackman's Wolverine at some point during The Multiverse Saga – which will span Phase 4, Phase 5, and Phase 6 – and officially usher in the X-Men. The Fantastic Four and Doctor Doom are geared up to make appearances, too.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever releases in US and UK cinemas on November 11, while The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special will land on Disney Plus on November 25. While we wait for both, check out our in-depth guide to the MCU timeline, which highlights the chronological order of the franchise's movies and TV shows.