I’ve cherished Marvel films for almost all of my life, and have wished to write down in regards to the MCU since I started writing for The Pitt Information 10 months in the past. I do know a lot in regards to the collection and will discuss in regards to the intersecting plot lines for much too lengthy if I’m allowed. However fortunate for you, reader, I’m solely allowed a set variety of characters to specific my opinions.
Nevertheless, irrespective of how a lot I really like Marvel films, I can’t assist however really feel dissatisfied within the movies and TV exhibits which have come out in recent times.
Possibly it was the pandemic that compelled Marvel to take a 12 months off from their theatrical releases, or possibly it’s as a result of the flicks have gotten too massive for brand new and present followers to maintain observe of. From scarily dangerous CGI in latest releases to the uninteresting one-sided characters, I feel most Marvel followers would agree the MCU’s struggles have been obvious for some time now.
Their highs have been extremely excessive, like the discharge of “Spider-Man: No Manner Residence,” and the lows are fairly low, with the star-studded solid of “The Eternals” falling flat. Even when the content material is appreciated by most followers, misogynistic and racist viewers go in and review-bomb the rankings, resulting in misconstrued numbers and upset followers who did benefit from the present. That is extremely evident within the low rankings of “Ms. Marvel,” a present a few younger Pakistani-American superhero.
Marvel took an opportunity once they launched the primary “Iron Man” film in 2008, starring Robert Downey Jr. That very first film was the spark that created the Marvel Cinematic Universe most of us know and love. This franchise created film stars like Chris Hemsworth, who performs Thor, introduced again profitable actors from the brink of unemployment like Paul Bettany, who performs Imaginative and prescient, and are persevering with to solid wildly well-known actors, like Angela Bassett because the queen of Wakanda in “Black Panther.”
And all of their dangers and choices paid off. The Marvel universe is loopy profitable, producing 4 of the top 10 highest grossing movies of all time, together with “Avengers: Engame” which holds the second spot on the listing with a lifetime gross of $2.8 billion.
These first era of flicks have been profitable partially as a result of anybody can watch them with out prior data and nonetheless be capable of get pleasure from it, and for many who knew the overarching plotline, it was even higher. Every film tied into each other in artistic methods, all resulting in the large occasion within the “Avengers” films.
However now, within the second saga, a number of viewers are getting misplaced. There are such a lot of characters to maintain observe of, every with their very own singular and overlapping plotlines. And with hints at new characters within the backgrounds of scenes and even the introduction of completely new ones within the post-credits, there’s only a lot happening. How is anyone supposed to maintain observe?
As of July, earlier than the brand new “She-Hulk” collection on Disney+ aired, it took 99 hours to observe everything of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. And if you wish to go much more in depth and watch the Netflix “Defenders,” “Brokers of SHIELD” and “Agent Carter” collection, that are considerably however not formally canonical — thanks, multiverse — you’re one other 258 hours. This doesn’t even embody the Tobey Maguire and the Andrew Garfield “Spiderman” films that are additionally now canonical. And please, don’t even get me began on the Sony “Spiderman” universe with the “Venom” films and the upcoming “Kraven the Hunter and Madame Internet” movies.
I’ll admit that Marvel is normally fairly good at summarizing every part that’s occurred inside their movies — “Infinity Battle” and “Endgame” in all probability being the perfect examples — however I fear about how new followers who don’t know the comics and haven’t seen the TV exhibits will reply to the upcoming films.
Scarlet Witch, performed by Elizabeth Olsen, had her personal TV present referred to as “WandaVision” the place she basically grew to become the villain all through the collection. Then in “Physician Unusual and the Multiverse of Insanity,” she was the villain combating Unusual. Individuals who haven’t seen the TV present positively may’ve been confused, as there was solely a brief recap of the occasions in “Wandavision.” And with the upcoming “Captain America: New World Order” film popping out in a number of years, during which Anthony Mackie’s Falcon takes on the Captain America mantle, no person would know the way he bought the brand new title with out watching the “Falcon and the Winter Soldier” TV present.
I’m even apprehensive in regards to the upcoming Avengers movie, “Avengers: the Kang Dynasty,” as a result of they launched Kang within the present “Loki.” These examples are solely the half of it. How is anyone supposed to maintain the plot straight when a lot is occurring and half of it’s behind a paywall? I definitely can’t.
Marvel has stepped away from creating nice motion films that anyone can watch. Now evidently the MCU has discovered motive to create extra content material that, whereas pleasing, is barely comprehensible when you watch the huge quantities of content material that comes earlier than it.
I really like the exhibits on Disney+. It’s a controversial opinion, I do know, however I do get pleasure from them and assume they add rather a lot to the MCU. However that’s the issue — they add a lot that when you don’t have a subscription there’s an excellent probability you’ll be misplaced when the flicks attain theatrical launch.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe must reign of their huge catalog and create the easier content material that made everybody love them within the first place.
Livia LaMarca largely writes about American political discourse and popular culture. Write to her at [email protected].
