Buzz
Although officially concluded in November, it seems that Phase 4 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has not left a profound impression on fans, especially when compared to previous film projects.
Marvel Studios shows signs of losing momentum after the first 3 phases of the MCU
After over a decade of development, Marvel Studios has turned its cinematic universe (MCU) into a powerful empire in the highly competitive Hollywood market. Instead of producing standalone film projects, Marvel decided to take a completely new direction: creating multiple individual films interconnected to tell a more captivating overarching story.
Building on its success, in the past 3 years, Marvel Studios continued to expand its universe in Phase 4 (counting from the events in Spider-Man: Far From Home). Not limited to the film industry, their superheroes have also ventured into the realm of television, with notable projects such as WandaVision, Loki, and the animated series What If…?
Despite bringing innovations, Marvel Studios still faces the common challenge that every film studio cannot avoid: maintaining appeal to audiences, especially with the cinematic universe model they developed over the past decade. To achieve this, Marvel introduced the concept of the multiverse into its new projects. However, for various reasons, the effectiveness has not been as expected, with projects receiving low ratings on major platforms, such as Eternals and Thor: Love and Thunder.
Marvel Faces Severe Criticism from Visual Effects Artists
Recently, numerous VFX artists have voiced their concerns about Marvel Studios' stringent and unrealistic workflow. The studio often sets unreasonable deadlines but fails to adequately compensate artists for meeting them. As a result, VFX artists find themselves trapped in a whirlwind of work with little time for rest, and the product quality sometimes falls short of expectations.
In a recent development, director Taika Waititi openly expressed disappointment with the visual effects in the blockbuster Thor: Love And Thunder, the latest film he directed for Marvel. This inadvertently lowered the film's quality, negatively impacting Phase 4 of the MCU, especially when compared to the meticulously crafted visuals of the previous three phases.
Marvel Prioritizes Quantity Over Quality
There was a time when Marvel Studios released only 1-2 films per year, keeping the audience eagerly anticipating. However, that is a distant past. In the past year of 2021, they unveiled 4 film projects and 4 television projects. The trend continues in 2022 with 3 films, 4 TV projects, and several short series set to premiere later in the year.
On the reputable review site Rotten Tomatoes, out of 29 MCU projects, 4 films from Phase 4 are in the 'bottom tier.' Black Widow scored only 76%; Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness sits at 74%; Thor: Love And Thunder received 65%; and the lowest is Eternals with 47%. Combined with mixed audience reactions, it seems Marvel Studios is overly focused on quantity, neglecting the quality of each project.
MCU Adopts a More Selective Audience Approach
Before Marvel Studios unveils new projects, many fans used to binge-watch the previously released films. However, this is becoming increasingly challenging and time-consuming, especially with the emergence of long-format television productions. For the general audience, those who aren't die-hard Marvel fans, keeping up with the overarching MCU storyline is becoming much more intricate.
Additionally, all Marvel Studios television projects are exclusively streamed on Disney+, a new streaming platform that is still unavailable in many regions worldwide. Consequently, not everyone can access all of their films.
Superhero Movies Are Slowly Becoming Tedious
MCU kicked off with Iron Man in 2008, ushering in a golden era for superhero films in the following decade. This cinematic universe's impact was so immense that not only did DC have to 'join the game,' but numerous other independent superhero projects also emerged. However, at the current juncture, the superhero genre has become overly vast, cramped, and has left many audiences feeling fatigued.
Marvel Studios is well aware of this. That's why they've experimented with various fresh ideas, such as the horror-themed Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness or the psychological thriller Moon Knight. However, these films still carry the familiar superhero essence of the MCU, maintaining the beloved superhero flavor without bringing a groundbreaking shift for the audience.
Lack of Connection Among Phase 4 Films
In the previous 3 phases, Thanos was teased in the credits of The Avengers (2012), and the Infinity Stones were consistently scattered throughout subsequent films. The interweaving narrative between Marvel projects was clear and sophisticated, culminating in the explosive impact of Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame.
However, Phase 4 is leaving fans more perplexed than ever, with films having minimal, if any, connections. Despite being part of the multiverse storyline with Kang The Conqueror as a central antagonist, only the Loki series has truly explored this character so far. Additionally, Phase 4 introduces many new superheroes, but their roles in the MCU remain a mystery that many fans eagerly await answers for.
Marvel Studios Overestimated Its Multiverse Concept
The multiverse seems to be an overly ambitious project pursued by Marvel. Many fans were utterly disappointed with Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness, considered a crucial project in Phase 4. Apart from the lack of significant cameos, the film casually introduces the Illuminati organization and prematurely concludes several potentially significant characters, including Professor X - a character with a cinematic sacrifice.
In other words, the multiverse is a colossal, expansive theme that requires ample time and numerous projects for exploration. However, Marvel Studios allocated the majority of Phase 4 films to introduce new superheroes rather than focusing on this theme.
Marvel Studios Wasting Time with Legacy Characters
The original MCU characters like Iron Man, Captain America, or Black Widow all concluded their superhero journeys emotionally, leaving a lasting impact on audiences. However, many other characters who seem to have exhausted their storylines are still brought to the big screen.
Notably, examples include Thor and Wanda. Both have faced psychological trauma after losing loved ones, experienced significant events to accept their mistakes, embrace losses, and move towards positive changes. However, their recent films (Doctor Strange 2 and Love And Thunder) force them to undergo similar challenges, compelling them to relearn lessons they already experienced.
Bland and Shallow Antagonist Roles
In the past, the MCU faced criticism for introducing antagonists that lacked impact and depth. However, they overcame those negative opinions with characters like Killmonger, Hela, and Thanos.
Nevertheless, this issue resurfaces in Phase 4 projects. Najima, the antagonist in the Ms. Marvel series, irrationally attacks Kamala when she simply wants more time to help Najima safely. Gorr the God Butcher, known for sweeping through divine beings in the universe, has limited opportunities to showcase this directly on the big screen. Essentially, Marvel Studios is merely bringing familiar comic book names to the silver screen without portraying them deeply and convincingly.
The Shadow of Avengers: Endgame Casts a Massive Influence
Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame constitute two parts of the same narrative and stand as Marvel Studios' two most significant projects to date. Endgame currently ranks as the second-highest-grossing blockbuster in the history of world cinema, following Avatar. However, the success of these two Avengers films inadvertently created immense pressure for Marvel, making it challenging for them to maintain the excellence they had previously achieved.
Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars, concluding Phase 6 in 2025, will serve as Marvel Studios' response to this challenge.
Sources: Marvel Studios, WhatCulture
