What’s the Key to Saving Marvel From Its Awkward Phase? Hint: Blackness is Involved.

To say it’s been a lackluster year for the Marvel Cinematic Universe would be an understatement. Things started with the mediocre sequel “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania,” which was really designed to establish the dangerous threat Kang posed to the multiverse. It was a fantastic showcase for Jonathan Majors, but his arrest shortly after the movie’s release put the Multiverse Saga in trouble.

After Majors was found guilty of assaulting his ex-girlfriend, news broke that Marvel Studios fired the actor. Now, many fans are wondering if Kang is still going to be the big bad for Phases Five and Six or if the studio will pivot to another villain.

After “Quantumania,” we said goodbye to the Guardians of the Galaxy, explored Nick Fury’s past in “Secret Invasion,” enjoyed a charming team up between three of the franchise’s most powerful female heroes in “The Marvels” and got an emotional wrap up to Loki’s redemption arc in Season 2 of the acclaimed eponymous series. Box office success and fan reaction varied for the projects, but the overriding theme was that this was not the dominant year the studio is used to.

As entertainment media overflowed with think pieces about “the end of Marvel,” the studio’s schedule delays and behind-the-scenes creative chaos didn’t help calm fans’ fears. While there’s not one thing to blame for the franchise’s awkward up-and-down year, the fix seems pretty simple: Put more focus on Wakanda.

Wakanda Should Be the MCU’s Future

Obviously, the death of Chadwick Boseman caused changes to “Black Panther” plans, but it still features a rich tapestry of characters and mythology. We’ve barely scratched the surface of its various tribes and how the country has thrived all these years. The new animated series “Eyes of Wakanda” will delve into its past, but we need that to happen in live action as well.

We need to see other heroes in Wakanda interacting with Shuri, Okoye and M’Baku. You can’t tell me that Nick Fury, the master of secrets, didn’t know about Wakanda this whole time. As the new Captain America, Sam Wilson should want to build a stronger connection with Wakanda. Misty Knight, Luke Cage, Miles Morales, Storm and Rhodey are all characters we’d like to see spend time in Wakanda.

The Next-Gen Avengers

Since she’s made it clear she’s not interested in ruling, let’s see Shuri as the leader of a new generation of Avengers, with their base of operations located in Wakanda. “The Marvels” ended with Kamala Khan rounding up a team of young heroes that included Kate Bishop and possibly Cassie Lang. Add in Shang Chi, America Chavez, Hulk’s son Skaar, Riri Williams, and you’ve got a fresh, fun team that runs separate from the older, more experienced heroes.

Now that it’s more open to the world, the possibilities for making Wakanda the center of the MCU are endless. If Marvel Studios just taps into all of those storylines, it will revitalize our interest in the entire universe.