Summary
Marvel has seen an unprecedented amount of success since 2009’sIron Man, starring Robert Downey Jr. Fans anxiously awaited each entry into the franchise after that, and who could blame them when Samuel L. Jackson specifically name-droppedThe Avengers? That success continued all the way up to 2019 whenAvengers: Endgamewent to theaters, showing the world how to properly culminate a 21-movie storyline. However, popularity afterwards gradually dropped off.
That doesn’t mean Marvel movies aren’t still making a profit. Fans are hopeful the studio will catch lightning in a bottle again. Not to mention, some of the Disney+ shows, such asLokiandWandaVision, have been overwhelmingly successful amongst the fanbase. But it’s safe to say that theMCUdoesn’t exude the same feeling it once did. If Marvel looked at their more successful projects sinceEndgame, they have one thing in common: They focus more on the character than big, flashy fights.
The MCU’s Multiverse Approach is not Working
While Marvel’s intentions for the multiverse in the MCU have been about bringing fan-favorite characters and storylines into the fold, it hasn’t been nearly as successful as many hoped. Since its introduction, the has lacked focus. The after-credits scenes overall were about what was coming next for the MCU. Some were merely short snippets from an upcoming film in the franchise, but an overwhelming majority showed where the overarching story was going.
BesidesLoki,Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,and a little bit fromAnt-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, there hasn’t been a large focus on the multiverse.Lokidid most of the heavy lifting by laying the foundation for it while the others gave fans a look at what was possible. When fans consider how many MCU films and shows premiered since 2019, the multiverse hasn’t been as pushed as hardcore fans like to think. Besides bringing in mutants, most fans might not even notice if the multiverse was never visited again.
More fans anxiously await the arrival of anMCU-properDaredevilandDeadpool, two smaller-budget and more street-level projects, more than they care about the next Avengers-style installment.LokiandWandaVisionsucceeded with more character-driven stories than previous projects. Marvel would benefit from taking that into consideration.
The Benefits of a Street-level Conflict
The best thing about the Netflix shows was that they showed a new corner of the MCU. The MCU films acclimated audiences to big, grandiose stories that involved world domination and reality-altering threats. Those were fun. However,Daredeviland the subsequent Netflix series’brought everyone down to Earth, showing a world where corruption ran rampant. It showed the human side of the MCU.
Was it a little darker in tone? Absolutely. The MCU isn’t Star Trek, where the characters live in a utopian future, everybody gets along, and the only corruption comes from alien planets. It was meant to be a reflection of the real world where the heroes have to shake hands with the Devil in order to come out on top down the line. It’s not pristine, it’s dirty. Using the Netflix shows as a blueprint, the MCU could thrive again.
Lower-budget movies/shows
A low budget doesn’t mean the director and crew only need to work with $1,000; it only means they don’t need the inflated budget of theAvengersmovies. Spending hundreds of millions of dollars on a film doesn’t guarantee that it will be a huge hit with audiences. A smaller budget allows the film crew to focus on what’s important to the audience and what should be important to the film’s story. TheDeadpoolfilms used a significantly smaller budget than other Marvel films, includingFoxX-Menmovies, and wildly succeeded.
Every single budget for an MCU movie has been hundreds of millions of dollars. Marvel, and to a greater extent Disney, would see a much bigger return on their investment with lower-budget films that focus less on CGI, more on practical effects, and more thought in the story. That’s what made Netflix’sDefendersshows likeDaredevil,Jessica Jones,andThe Punisherso great. Well, that and more personal stories.
More personal stories
One of the benefits of a small budget is the ability for films to focus on a more personal story. While it’s fun to watch superheroes save the day and do big, fantastic things, fans want to connect with the characters. That’s not happening in Marvel’s recent slate of films. Feige and the rest of Marvel need tolook atLoganfor reference, as it successfully took a worldwide threat and turned it into something more personal for the main protagonist. Audiences felt for Logan. James Mangold could have easily takenLogan’sstory and turned it into another flashy blockbuster with no meaning behind it. Instead, he made a character piece that got fans invested.
Changing up the stale Marvel formula
When one looks back at theMCU’s filmography, despite there being some truly great installments, they’re all very similar. That formula worked for a while. In fact, it did pretty well for the first 21 movies that culminated withAvengers: Endgame, with only one or two exceptions. However, at this point, it’s dry. Formulas are great for writing a script and maintaining a certain level of success. Unfortunately, it’s no longer a formula for success when the audience doesn’t show up.
Focusing on street-level characters would mix things up and show a different side to the MCU that fans rarely see anymore. Coming off the heels of 2012’sThe Avengers, fans were thrilled forDaredeviland the lead up shows toThe Defenders. It was similar to the feature films but different enough to be refreshing. Not that pumping out PG-13-rated films is an issue, but if Disney is willing to be more lenient by allowing for an R-rated Marvel film from time to time, it might also help with the stalestatus of the MCU.
MCU
The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is a sprawling movie and television franchise that weaves together individual stories of superheroes including Captain America, Thor, Spider-Man, Hulk, Black Widow, and many more. The first film in the franchise, Iron Man, was released in 2008. The MCU has garnered critical praise and financial success, earning billions at the box office and becoming a cultural phenomenon.
