As a self-confessed nerd, it will likely come as a surprise to no one that I, Ramy Al-Rufaie, love a good superhero movie. I was actually never really into comics growing up, and so my introduction to the world of superheroics was mainly through films; I absolutely loved the Tim Burton Batman flicks growing up, and in my teens really responded to the comic book movie boom of the early 00s (especially “X-Men” and “Spider-Man”; hell, I still even have a soft spot for Ben Affleck’s “Daredevil”, believe it or not). And then a film came along in 2008 that turned out to be a veritable game changer for the genre (and no, I’m not even talking about “The Dark Knight”): “Iron Man”.
One thing that particularly captured my (and many other people’s) imagination with that film was the way in which Marvel had not only crafted an excellent movie in its own right (for a property that had been unfairly dismissed by many in advance as simply a B-list Batman), but also expertly sowed the seeds for a larger universe of interconnected films (as so memorably encapsulated by Samuel L Jackson’s post-credits appearance as Nick Fury). I think it’s fair to say I was hooked from the start.
For a (long) time, Marvel could seemingly do little wrong, going from strength to strength. The original “Avengers” film was a risky proposition that paid off in a massive way, and was only bettered by its second and third sequels, “Infinity War” and “Endgame”. Along the way, a few blips aside (I’m looking at you, “The Dark World”), there were some truly brilliant efforts which still rank amongst my favourites – the original “Guardians Of The Galaxy”, “The Winter Soldier”, “Civil War” and “Ragnarok”, to name but a few. Come 2019, Marvel was still riding high, and even put out the highest grossing film of all time (albeit since dethroned) .
And then it all went a bit wrong.
Following the release of “Far From Home” in 2019, there was – thanks to COVID – an unexpected 18 month wait until the next MCU project dropped, the Disney+ series “WandaVision”. The next theatrical release, however, was still another half a year away (the underwhelming “Black Widow”), after which Marvel took the unprecedented move of releasing a further three films before the end of 2021. By the start of 2022 the MCU was, incredibly, nearly 30 films in – more than Bond, and almost as many as the “Carry On” series. As I write this, they’re up to 33.
I think it’s hard to pinpoint when, exactly, the petals began to come off the rose of the MCU. Was it shortly after the release of “Endgame” (which had been billed as a culmination of the MCU up to that point)? Was it later, in 2021, by which time the deluge of both theatrical and small screen projects had made the MCU progressively harder to keep up with (and all but inaccessible to new viewers)? Or was it last year, when the post-COVID excitement (and post “No Way Home” buzz) had worn off, and more and more people began complaining that the sheer volume of content was diluting the quality – and the Marvel brand in general? The answer is debatable.
What is not up for debate, however, is the numbers. This year’s “Quantumania” – touted as the introduction to the MCU’s ‘Phase 5’, and to new big bad Kang The Conqueror – was largely savaged by critics, and didn’t perform as well as Marvel had hoped. And then there was last month’s “The Marvels”, which earned the unenviable distinction of becoming the lowest grossing film of the entire MCU; lest we forget, the original “Captain Marvel” grossed more than five times its sequel at the box office, just 4 years earlier.
So why have casual moviegoers lost interest in the MCU? I think there are several factors at play here:
- More is sometimes less. Since the start of 2021, the MCU has put out 10 films, and 10 seasons of television (including 2 seasons of “Loki”). Frankly, it’s hard to keep up – especially in the modern age of streaming, with so much content vying for our attention and precious free time. Given the interconnected nature of the shared universe Marvel has crafted, keeping up is important – and so, for some, simply off-putting. Take “The Marvels”, for instance: in order to fully appreciate it, it relies on you having knowledge of not just the first “Captain Marvel”, but also the series “WandaVision” and “Ms Marvel”. If you’re not a die hard fan and haven’t seen those series, then why would you bother going to watch “The Marvels” in cinemas at all (especially safe in the knowledge that it’ll be out on Disney+ in just a few short months)? I think that the much-touted concept of ‘superhero fatigue’ is indeed potentially starting to creep in as well – especially when you consider that Marvel isn’t even the only studio putting out comic book movies (DC is in pretty bad shape itself right now, though arguably for different reasons). Given the frequency with which MCU projects now come along (thanks partly to the arrival of Disney+), any new release just isn’t the ‘event’ that it once used to be.
- Arguments of declining quality. When you put out so many projects per year, it’s perhaps inevitable that the studio simply can’t maintain the same level of quality control. Some people argue that the MCU’s output has become stale and cookie cutter (often pre-judging new releases based on this concept), but I simply don’t agree. If you look at some of the films/shows that have been released in recent years (like “WandaVision”, “Loki”, “Shang-Chi” and “She-Hulk”), it’s clear that Marvel is still willing to take risks, and even allow for some wild tonal swings (even if some of these projects have ultimately missed the mark somewhat). It has to be said, though, that some of these efforts have inarguably been of a lower standard than we’ve come to expect from Marvel. I think the worst offender has surely got to be this year’s “Secret Invasion”, a poorly executed waste of potential that surely ranks as possibly the worst thing that Marvel has ever done. That’s not to say that the studio has lost its touch entirely – “Guardians 3” and the second season of “Loki” both came out this year, and were (deservedly) well-received critically.
- A lack of star power. Over 4 years on from “Endgame”, I think that Marvel still hasn’t quite got over the loss of Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Evans, both of whom were massive parts of this universe for more than a decade. Some of the newer characters to the MCU simply haven’t captured the audience’s imagination in quite the same way. Chadwick Boseman’s tragic passing remains a huge blow to the MCU. And then, to cap off a difficult year for Marvel, they’ve now had no choice but to fire Jonathan Majors from the role of Kang, after having effectively made him the poster boy for their entire ‘multiverse saga’. As a result, I imagine that there’s a real chance that the next “Avengers” film won’t inspire anywhere near the same levels of excitement (not to mention box office receipts) as its predecessors.
So, is all hope lost? Is this the beginning of the end for the MCU? Only time will tell – but I still have cause for hope. One unexpected benefit of this year’s actors and writers strikes is that there will now only be one MCU film in cinemas next year, “Deadpool 3” (which is sure to be a massive hit); it gives audiences the opportunity to breathe a little bit, and studio heads the chance to take stock – I would imagine that they may well try and prioritise quality over quantity moving forwards. I’m also hopeful that delays to projects such as “Daredevil”, “Brave New World” and “Blade” will ensure that they don’t end up being substandard rush jobs. The integration of big, more broadly recognisable brand names such as the Fantastic Four and the X-Men into the MCU – if done right – can also surely only be a good thing.
So while the MCU obviously can’t last forever, I’d like to think that there’s still life left in it yet. Either way, I’m sure to see you at the cinema come opening night of “Avengers 15”.
Ramy’s World 