After some Covid-19 related delays and timeline reshuffles, Phase 4 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe officially began and the MCU’s post-Endgame era saw them expand their catalogue with a foray into the world of television, to varying degrees of success. As a loyal (or indoctrinated) fan of the Marvel films – and for fear of not understanding what was going on in the films – the hubby and I, of course, settled down on the sofa to watch them all.

For the sake of clarity – and my own sanity – I am only including Marvel series that have been released post Avengers: Endgame, regardless of what may or may not become canon in the near or distant future.

Spoiler warning: read on with caution if you haven’t seen Avengers: Infinity War or Endgame.

Worst – What If…?

Alternative realities and stories that span the multiverse is a staple in comic books but Marvel’s animated series What If…? is the first to truly explore that, although it’s clear that the concept of the multiverse will form the core of Phase 4. What If…? takes some of the stories and/or characters that we already know and love and turn them on their head.

Although the animation was great, I felt that the stories were a little hit and miss with some episodes delivering more than others. Full disclosure though, I was so underwhelmed and uninspired by this series that I didn’t actually make it past the fourth episode, and even the rave reviews all over social media couldn’t draw me in to finish it.

The Falcon & The Winter Soldier

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier picks up six months after the events of Avengers: Endgame and see Marvel’s favourite frenemies Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes team up to take down an extremist activist group known as the Flag Smashers.

Anthony Mackie and Sebastian Stan are great in their respective roles and there are some amazing action sequences but the story dragged on a little bit and would have worked much better as a feature length film rather than a series.

Read my full review here.

Loki

Tom Hiddlestone reprises his role as the God of Mischief in his own TV series after Loki uses the Tesseract to escapes the aftermath of the Battle of New York, creating a new branch in the timeline and bringing the mysterious Time Variant Authority (TVA) swiftly on his heels.

Charged with crimes against the timeline, our Loki is threatened with execution but is instead recruited by Agent Mobius to help him chase down a fugitive who is causing havoc to the TVA. Ever the survivor, Loki grabs the opportunity with both hands and almost as quickly, plots either his escape or his plan to seize control of the agency.

The series moves along nicely giving time to really develop the characters and flesh out the story, leading up nicely to the introduction of Kang the Conqueror – rumoured to be the MCU’s next big villain.

Read my full review here.

WandaVision

The MCU’s first TV series sees Wanda Maximoff and Vision living a life of wedded bliss in the town of Westview however it quickly becomes clear that things aren’t necessarily as they seem. As Wanda starts to lose her grip on reality, the story ramps up to a spectacular finale that introduces some great new characters and sees Wanda finally take on the moniker of Scarlet Witch.

I think it’s fair to say that WandaVision is one of the MCU’s most unique offerings to date, which wound up being a little divisive amongst its viewers, but I have to say I loved it. The story is emotional and excellently paced, the different cinematic styles were a real point of difference and the acting was top notch.

Read my full review here.

Best – Hawkeye

Closing out the end of the year, and just pipping WandaVision to the top spot, is Marvel’s Hawkeye. Acting as something of a changing of the guard, Hawkeye sees the Avenger’s resident father-figure, Clint Barton haunted by the decisions of his past as Hailee Steinfeld’s Kate Bishop uncovers the Ronin costume and invokes the vengeance of a track-suited gang who work for the mysterious ‘Big Guy’.

Packed full of some great action sequences and featuring my second favourite Marvel character, Hawkeye also broadens the cinematic universe with the inclusion of some recently introduced characters as well as some historical non-canonical ones too.

After five series and four films released in just 12 months I may be feeling a little Marvel-ed out but, overall, their television offerings really delivered this year and I’m excited to see how everything ties together.

So, which Marvel Cinematic Universe series was your favourite?