We’ve become accustomed to the Marvel Cinematic Universe‘s opening fanfare precluding every one of the franchise’s film and television projects, but as the roster of heroes continues to expand, the studio needs to keep updating the intro to reflect the newest faces on the block.
Special intros have been made to pay tribute to the deaths of Chadwick Boseman and Stan Lee, but for the most part the MCU doesn’t really deviate from the instantly-recognizable music that plays right before we dive into the thick of the action. Phase Four isn’t even a year old yet, but two instant fan favorites have now been made part of the crawl.
Eagle-eyed fans spotted Simu Liu’s Shang-Chi and Florence Pugh’s Yelena Belova when Hawkeye premiered on Disney Plus this past Wednesday, and it’s hard to think of two more fitting candidates. The former headlined a box office smash hit that saw him confirmed as an Avenger in no time at all, while the latter is poised to make her return in an upcoming episode of the MCU’s latest streaming exclusive.
Much like the series itself, the opening crawl of the MCU is in a constant state of evolution, but it probably won’t be too long before some disgruntled Eternals enthusiasts ask why none of the recently-introduced immortal aliens have taken their place alongside the rest of the superhero saga’s heaviest hitters.