We are ride or die fans of Marvel Studios, and the Marvel Cinematic Universe. No matter what story they choose to tell, we will anticipate it with the same kind of excitement as a child on Christmas Eve, ready to unwrap a new present. That’s why we've circled the (constantly changing) release dates for such upcoming Marvel movies as "The Marvels," "Deadpool 3," and "Captain America: Brave New World." But even rabid fans like us can tell that the studio is painting itself into a corner as it heads into Phase 5, and we're not sure what it can do to right the ship as it moves forward.

Starting with "Loki," and followed by the one-two punch of "Spider-Man: No Way Home" and "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness," Marvel Studios opened the door to the concept of the multiverse – parallel existences that mirror our own, or differ significantly, but can offer similar versions of heroes and villains we’ve come to know. The animated "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse" also used this as a plot device, and expanded on it in this year’s "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse."