Ok me and my mates have discussed this a lot, but the MCU has fallen off a cliff after end game bar the odd half decent creation, but should the MCU and the Extended MCU have stopped or taken a break after end game? Maybe totally reboot and start a fresh story arc with new actors etc like start another 10 year story?
Thoughts?
https://screenrant.com/marvel-dc-movie-trend-r-rated-superhero-movie-fatigue/
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I had my fill after the first Avengers movie, but as an outsider it certainly seems like enthusiasm for the series has fallen off a cliff since End Game. I've never really known a Hollywood trend to last as long as the superhero one has, I certainly wouldn't be opposed for space to be made for a different type of blockbuster. It was refreshing to see the Dune movies do so well!
agreed! I feel one of the unintended side-effects of the MCU successes was Hollywood seeing dollar signs and wanting to turn every franchise into its own "universe", which is why its been refreshing to see great movies stand on their own like The Batman, Barbie and Oppenheimer as recent examples that spring to mind, I really hope we just get more good creative movies not stifled by trying to fit into a universe. Ive not seen Dune 2 yet but its on my list even though i wasn't rushing out to see it as I was disappointed with the first one as it felt drawn out by the studios to make more money, as it felt like it not a lot happened (was pretty boring to me at least) was just getting going then it ended, but maybe my opinion will change after seeing part 2 as maybe it was required to set the stage
I think it should've, or at least taken a long pause to figure out a proper plan for the next phase(s), as you suggest.
The whole decade-plus-arc leading up to Endgame was astonishingly well done - my partner and I rewatched them in lockdown and even the movies that are held to be 'bad' are still pretty entertaining compared with action movies overall, and they all build meaningfully to an amazing conclusion. But since Endgame it's all gone to pieces.
It doesn't feel like there's a plan any more; there are several overarching plots and potential 'big bads', and I don't understand how all the dozens of sprawling movies and TV series relate to one another or even if they're supposed to. Ideally of course a movie should stand on its own merits and not need to fit into a broader picture, but whereas pre-Endgame I think they managed to do both and gained a lot from the latter, they've since struggled to achieve either. The whole MCU is now bloated with too much content of much less consistent quality, going in too many different directions, with too many new characters and teases that I've no idea if I'll ever see again and so struggle to invest in.
Totally agree, my wife and I watched them all during lockdown too and what shocked us was watching them back to back is you realise how well the story is weaved between all the movies which makes you appreciate them even more!
Yeah there is so much bloat, yet before the End Game Infinity War arc ended each Marvel movie was like an event, and a must go to see at the cinema, now i dont even bother watching the new releases... big fall from grace and I love super hero action movies!
I think everyone is just suffering from SuperHero Fatigue. It has taken me over two years to watch them in proper order and I've only just finished Civil War. While there is varying quality of the movies, (Captain Marvel is so much better than all the complainers gave it credit for) there's just SO MUCH STUFF. I feel overwhelmed looking ahead at what I need to watch and I've not seen anything after Civil War before.
Marvel just needs to wrap it up with the currently announced stuff through 2027 and let it go. Let a few stand-alone things have a few sequels, Blade, more DeadPool maybe, but just stop.
Yeah I enjoyed Captain Marvel, though I have had zero interest in watching the new one. That would have maybe been a good approach that after End Game, just do some stand along one off movies while they figure out the next big story arc, I was really excited for Blade but it keeps getting pushed back, the Original Blade is still a banger even in 2024!
I haven’t even WATCHED anything after Endgame. I just couldn’t fathom starting another overarching story after one was put to bed, especially since they moved to cranking out so much episodic stuff on Disney+.
They were/are never going to STOP, but they should have taken a break.
Yeah the shows and moves that have launched on Disney have not been up to the infintiy war story arc standards! You are right though, its all about the money, but I feel they are starting to see it as people are now starting to vote with their wallets.
Yes and no.
Marvel absolutely should've slowed down on releases to avoid the saturation that plagues the market right now. They should've also gone back to basics with solo movies that aren't packed to the brim with cameos. I get that the effects of the shared universe will ripple throughout every film and series because it was, well, universal, but you don't need to bring every character and their dog into an unknown character's debut. Right now, it feels a lot like they're trying to jam puzzle pieces that don't fit together, and it's jarring.
There's also an issue of scaling the threat. How do you make something feel as cataclysmic as wiping out half the universe? Simply put, you can't, and that's okay. Not everything needs to be bigger to be better. I'm biased because I prefer street-level threats like Daredevil, but it's still important to recognise that less is more sometimes.
Good take, i agree!
Jessica Jones is one of my favourite stories in the MCU, so I'm right there with you on the street-level threats. Oddly I feel the constant escalation removes the tension, as it becomes too predictable.
Wipe out half the multiverse!
Not even joking, it feels like Kang was introduced to enable that possibility, though who knows what'll become of that plot now. I'm with you though, I think the answer is to zoom back into city- or at least planet-level threats. Scale of threat doesn't correlate linearly with investment; making the audience care is its own, independent craft. The sequel Star Wars movies suffered from the same misunderstanding (see Starkiller Base wiping out the Republic and the implausible fleet of thousands of planet-killing Star Destroyers on Exegol - both fell utterly flat with me).
Well, what a lot of people don't know, is during the epic battle scene in End Game, they showed the "female Avengers" lined up and then again with the "she's not alone" line. They hinted they were considering doing a female Avengers but for some reason it was shelved.
I'll be the first to say I'm an MCU fanboy, but End Game should have brought that version to a close. Rather than The Multiverse Saga being a story in the MCU, it should have been the underlying philosophy.
They could have built up to Thanos-level threats in 6 - 10 films, then burn it all to the ground. Shift to a different version of Earth (of wherever), and start fresh with a new cast of actors and characters.
Better yet, prioritise character-based TV shows that temporarily cross over (like The Defenders), and have these converge around a short run of films. For example, spend 5 - 10 years on something like this:
[A few TV shows] -> [Crossover TV shows] -> [Film trilogy pt. 1] -> [More crossover TV shows] -> [Film trilogy pt. 2] -> [Film trilogy pt. 3] -> Reboot.
Yes! I am a huge marvel fan, pre-end game when a new movie came out me and the mrs were at the cinima asap but since endgame I have noticed a huge drop in quality. It doesn't help that they expect you to watch every TV show when keeping up with the films was hard enough for alot of people. The only movies im interested in now are the spiderman ones as they seem to be doing new things with the character.
Dont get me started on the Sony marvel films 🤮.
No because its a franchise. As Marvel expands they want to include other characters and sadly I think they were running out of rope when it came to recognisable supers (I mean Guardians was a stretch).
I think constantly rebooting franchises only leads to confusion. In the last 20 years Spiderman has had like 3 origin films - I think we can forego the origin films again for the big hitters..
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