The incredible Hulk and Iron Man kickstarted the Marvel Cinematic Universe way back in 2008. We are now approaching its 16th year and needless to say, they have churned out countless bangers throughout this time period. Of course, there have been the occasional blips (pun intended).
It’s quite worrying though, that the number of blips seem to be increasing. These days, it seems like there are more misses than there are hits, whether it’s on the big screen or a series on Disney+. Thor: Love and Thunder wasn’t that great. The same can be said about the third Ant-Man installment as well as The Marvels. So what’s really going on at Marvel Studios?
My theory is quite simple – they’re doing way too much. The amount of movies and series they release each year can be quite dizzying. Apart from that, the quality seems to be below par, which affects the audience’s ability to really attach themselves to these new characters. They should be definitely prioritizing quality over quantity at this point. That was the very foundation of which the MCU was built.
It feels like we need an Avengers movie to really capture the hearts and minds of fans once again. But even then, can the MCU guarantee it will be a hit without the likes of RDJ and Chris Evans? Maybe this Multiverse Saga is proving too much for Marvel Studios after all.
There is hope however. First is Deadpool’s official introduction into the MCU which is slated for July of this year. Hugh Jackman is even reprising his role as Wolverine in this movie, who was definitely the main man for the X-Men franchise all these years. This is something I am personally excited for especially since this could be the official introduction of the X-Men in the MCU.
The X-Men themselves prove to be characters that MCU fans are holding onto for hope. And there have been breadcrumbs for us to nibble at here and there. Kamala Khan (AKA Ms. Marvel) is the first mutant confirmed in the MCU (sorry for the spoiler). The ending of The Marvels as well saw Monica Rambeau (ANOTHER SPOILER AHEAD) wake up at the X-Mansion accompanied by an alternate universe variant of her mom with Beast from the original X-men.
The Fantastic Four is also a Marvel property that fans have been waiting to see in the MCU all these years now. There have been rumors of Pedro Pascal being considered for the role of Reed Richards. If it turns out to be true, then holy moly am I all for it. The MCU is calling out for a hero to lead them into the next generation Marvel stories, and he might be the man to do so.
All these formerly Fox-owned Marvel properties are what the people really want to see. We trust that Kevin Feige will handle these titles with the utmost care. Good casting and good writing are what fans will look for the most, apart of course from the fan-service.
So is the MCU actually doomed? I’d say not yet, at least. There still is hope. There is potential for these characters to be the new backbone of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. We can only hope that Marvel Studios gives these heroes the kind of live action film they most definitely deserve.
Photos from marvel.com
