I come not to bury the MCU’s phase four, but to praise it. And just in time for Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. First, what is this phase four geek speak anyway? Let me check my good friends at Wikipedia; movie wise it’s Black Widow to Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and chronological release wise it’s WandaVision to The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special.

Now, the internet seems to hate phase four more than bedbugs, wet socks, and fact checking. But I’m here to tell you, a) It was actually very good, b) It showed organic growth, and c) For a global system of interconnected computers, the internet is alarmingly racist, misogynistic, and sophistic. I know I’m just asking to be hacked, but here are 12 of the best things about Marvel’s phase four. Forewarning: here there be spoilers!

12. Hawkeye hits the mark – And I’m not just referring to the grizzled veteran Jeremy Renner but also the effervescent Hailee Steinfeld. She brings a surprising charm and vitality to shooting things with a bow and arrow. This show is street-level superheroics at its second finest (Hello Daredevil), with a sensational villain: the quintessential Kingpin, Vincent D’Onofrio. And I didn’t even mention Rogers: The Musical, which if real, would make a billion dollars.

11. Gives us a D, an E, and an I – What does that acronym spell out boys and girls? The internet’s Kryptonite: diversity, equity, and inclusion. Remember back in the good ole days of the MCU where the vast majority of the heroes and supporting characters were older white men? No, we’re not talking the 50s, we mean just 10 years ago. Well, the MCU has come a long way, baby. Say what you want about The Eternals, it did move the D, E, & I needle in the right direction. Now, almost everyone has a character they can identify with and that my friends, is always a good thing.

10. Black Widow finally shines solo – Scarlett Johansson’s Natasha should have gotten her own movie long before she was fridged. If she’d been a dude named Joe Hanson, Black Widow would’ve been out in 2014. Whatevs, this movie rocked and introduced the always great Florence Pugh as the next BW, which pays off brilliantly in Hawkeye.

9. WandaVision blows our minds – This was the first of many, many great Disney + shows and it set the bar exceedingly high. The programmed nostalgia along with the slowly building mystery made this the best rabbit hole series since Lost. It’s one of those few innovative shows that was a weekly must watch and magically oozed creativity.

8. Shang-Chi kicks ass – This is how you do an origin story right. Get a charismatic lead that effortlessly puts the movie on his broad shoulders, throw in a funny sidekick or two, and craft an interesting villain with a woven backstory. Then add action, humor, and a little gravitas and you have a winner winner spicy chicken dinner!

7. She-Hulk prevails – This is the de facto best legal, superhero meta-comedy in the history of television. Exhibit A: Tatiana Maslany acquits herself extremely well and proves beyond a reasonable doubt she was the perfect choice for Jennifer Walters. I can testify under oath to how refreshing and entertaining this show is. To summarize, this show is 100% guilty of being hilarious, intoxicating, and just plain old fun.

6. The Guardians of the Galaxy slay – A holiday special unlike any we’ve seen before can only come from one mind; the newly crowned Mr. DC, James Gunn. This story takes what we love about the Guardians, their rapid-fire wit, colorful characters, and familial bond and blends it all into a delightful Christmas cocktail. It’s the ideal warm up for The Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 3.

5. Captain America is back and better than ever – Meet the new Cap, different than the old Cap. If ever a character was worthy of the shield, it’s Sam. He has the same heroic default that Steve had, but with a needed new perspective. Like it or not Trollbots, America is changing, and Sam represents the hopeful future of this nation.

4. The more Lokis the better – Another Disney + show, another huge win. When the Trollios attack phase four, they usually cherry pick the Rotten Tomatoes scores of The Eternals, Doctor Strange 2, and Thor 4, then conveniently ignore the remarkably high scores of all the Disney + shows. Which Loki was among the highest. What makes it so good? Glad you asked, it’s a thrilling romp through the imaginative world of the multiverse that introduces Sylvie, Mobius, and the front-runner for MVP of phase 5, Jonathan Major’s Kang. But of course, Tom Hiddleston’s Loki steals the show.

3. The Spider-Men are back – Spider-Man: No Way Home is about as perfect a Spidey movie as we’re likely to see. You get the best Spider-Man in the history of film (take your pick), the best Spidey villain (unless you’re partial to Michael Keaton), the best MJ, and the best Aunt May… right up until she’s fridged. How they managed to cram so much into a single movie is beyond my comprehension, but it all works amazingly.

2. Ms. Marvel and Moon Knight expand the horizon – These two shows kick down the homogeneous door and open up a variety of multicultural worlds for stories and characters. And they both did it behind the panache of wonderful casts and gripping storytelling. I get why the gatekeepers feel threatened; here’s an array of enticing flavors other than vanilla that are engaging and exciting open-minded people everywhere. How can you possibly compete with that? Through deceit, bullying, and review bombing, I suppose.

1. Wakanda Forever celebrates the past, the present, and the future – To call this a worthy sequel is an understatement to say the least. Honors the incomparable Chadwick Boseman while passing the torch to the much deserving Letitia Wright. Tenoch Huerta’s Namor is a compelling villain/anti-hero that we can’t wait to see again, and the rest of the cast is phenomenal, especially the fridged Angela Bassett. There is something for everyone, even the white supremacists have Martin Freeman as the token white guy.