With Black Panther: Wakanda Forever's recent release, Phase 4 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe comes to an end. And within that period, the studio put out a number of projects that hit the home run amongst fans and critics alike. And while there have been some letdowns, the studio certainly has made a couple of winners.

Along with Black Panther, there are other entries in the franchise's history worth mentioning. We take a look at some of the hits the MCU has produced during the entirety of its Phase 4.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and 5 other winners of MCU's Phase 4

Black Panther, Wakanda Forever, Marvel, Entertainment6. Loki

A lot of MCU fans thought that Loki's story ended with his death in Avengers: Infinity War. But much to the surprise of everyone, the fan-favorite character was given a new lease of life after the events of Endgame with another variant from the Multiverse gaining prominence.

What follows is a full season on Disney Plus that deals with his existence and the introduction of the Multiverse into the MCU. Plus, fans got to see more of Tom Hiddleston's enigmatic character far from the shadow of Thor and entirely captivating the audience throughout six glorious episodes. The success of season 1 also meant that a follow-up is well on its way, which meant that Loki is, indeed, one of the standout entries of Phase 4.

5. Yelena Bolova

Filling in for Scarlett Johansson's Natasha Romanov is no easy challenge at all. Fortunately, Florence Pugh is more than capable of living up to the late Avenger when Black Widow came out last year. From there, Pugh's Yelena Bolova is trending toward a bright future in the MCU. The foundations for her success are laid out in different projects, such as Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.

In Marvel's latest blockbuster, fans get to see Julia Louis-Dreyfus' Valentina Allegra de Fontaine slowly being set up as the next Nick Fury of the MCU. Through her, the culmination of Phase 5 itself is being set up with Thunderbolts being high on everyone's radar. And in the middle of that group is no other than Yelena and Pugh's delightful performance of her. Rightfully so because with her breakout performances in Black Widow and Hawkeye, there'll surely be a lot of fans eagerly waiting for what happens next to her.

4. Moon Knight

With the announcement of Phase 4 and its different entries, a lot of MCU fans noticed a focus on diversity. Of course, this can be seen in Ms. Marvel, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, to name a few. Another entry that leans heavily into this concept is no other than Moon Knight.

The Fist of Vengeance, as masterfully portrayed by Oscar Isaac, takes the road less traveled, as compared to other Marvel heroes. In this Disney Plus series, we see how Moon Knight is born, the mental struggles he encounters along the way, and the rich lore behind the character itself with the main focus on Egyptian mythology. The end result is an enthralling first season that expands the MCU as a whole and opens up new areas for fans to get lost in.

3. Shang-Chi

Among the early winners of Marvel's Phase 4 is no other than Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. By that point, everyone has gotten used to the franchise's heavy hitters, such as Iron Man, Captain America, and Thor. The introduction of an Asian superhero with a very rich cultural background and lore, not to mention a powerful cast alongside Simu Liu, helped elevate the character itself to heights he has never seen before.

As a result of this film, the doors for Asian characters have been blown open, leading to a much larger MCU for everyone. Much like what Black Panther did in the past, Shang-Chi reveals another part of the Marvel Universe, one that's filled with a lot of storytelling opportunities in store for the future.

2. WandaVision

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Joseph Quinn, Vanessa Kirby, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, and Pedro Pascal in front of MCU Fantastic Four logo.

Andrew Korpan ·

Amy Pascal with Spider-Man 4 stars Tom Holland and Zendaya with New York City background.

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Chris Hemsworth as Thor with Loki star Sophia Di Martino and Marvel Studios (MCU) logo.

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What was supposed to be start of Phase 4 with The Falcon and the Winter Solider ended up with WandaVision instead. Thanks to the pandemic raging all over the world, the Elizabeth Olsen-starrer took the place and jumpstarted the MCU after Avengers: Endgame. Fortunately, it was an entry that thrived and set the tone of the franchise as a whole.

Thanks to the loss she experienced, Wanda Maximoff retreated inwards and created her own reality with the people of Westview imprisoned in it. What follows is an exploration of grief done masterfully with the use of sitcoms from different eras. Also, WandaVision set Wanda's arc in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, and even future projects beyond that. In any case, WandaVision's success amongst fans and critics alike helped it become one of the early winners of Phase 4.

1. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

Last, but definitely not the least, is Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and how it neatly wrapped up MCU's Phase 4, and even the passing of T'Challa. Marvel's latest blockbuster takes most of the themes of loss and grief that's prevalent in most Phase 4 projects to deliver a tale that can surely stand the test of time. With powerful performances from Letitia Wright's Shuri, Tenoch Huerta's Namor, and Angela Bassett's Queen Ramonda, the memory of the late Chadwick Boseman is well and alive here.

While there are a lot of great shows and films from Marvel's Phase 4, these six deserve recognition for elevating the franchise and giving fans new stories that seemed impossible after the epic events of Endgame. With Phase 5 now underway and Phase 6 to follow, there'll surely be a lot more entries that can match, or exceed the quality of these entries in the future.