The slow decline of the MCU has become something of a meme online, with many rooting for the franchise to fail. The actors' strike was also a major factor working against The Marvels, as Larson, Vellani and Parris were not allowed to promote the film until the strike came to an end on Wednesday evening.
In the wake of the monumental success that was “Avengers: Endgame,” the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) faced a series of challenges that some argue has led to a decline in interests. This decline includes several factors including storytelling dynamics, character developments, and audience reception.
Featuring iconic characters like Captain American and Spider-Man, the MCU began in 2008 when it released Iron Man. The MCU has since lost its way by pumping out content and falling behind the competition. A clear illustration of the MCU's struggles is evident in the latest instalment, The Marvels.
The conventional wisdom with fans is that the quality of Marvel movies have suffered mightily in recent years, particularly with the transition from Phase 3 to Phase 4 which marked a turning point from Endgame's conclusion of the Infinity Saga to the beginning of the Multiverse Saga.
Marvel productions on the small screen have not fared much better. Recent MCU television series on Disney+, including “Secret Invasion”, about Fury's character, have been poorly reviewed and, estimates suggest, little watched. It does not bode well for the shows due to be released in the coming months.
Why Fans Have Abandoned Marvel | How Marvel LOST Its Way
When did Marvel almost fail?
It nearly took Marvel Comics down with it. Sales dropped by 70 percent. The company's stock plummeted from $35.75 in 1993 to $2.38 in 1996. In December 1996, the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
In the past, the controversy was between the comics but currently, it's been a debate of the cinematic universes. Though Marvel has some deeming qualities, such as their movies, DC is just overall better. While watching or reading DC, ever noticed there are more iconic villains?
It's the lack of this momentum that I think is most responsible for the Marvels' weak showing at the box office. There are exacerbating factors too, the strike, box office downturn, toxic fandom, and the fact that some of the recent MCU films haven't been the best.
The success of the Deadpool franchise and the anticipation of Hugh Jackman's Wolverine return promise record-breaking success for the film. While Deadpool & Wolverine is a significant film, it cannot solve all of the MCU's problems as it grapples with declining relevance and superhero fatigue.
Robert Downey Jr is open to returning to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In an interview with Esquire, the actor said he'd happily play Tony Stark aka Iron Man in future movies if Marvel gods want him to. (Also Read – Robert Downey Jr on his journey 'from uninsurable actor to Oscar winner': Father thought I got robbed…)
Marvel faced a major setback in the 1990s due to a speculation bubble, oversaturation of titles, and financial troubles, but eventually found redemption through its cinematic universe and acquisition by Disney.
So what went wrong? Most notably, “The Marvels” marketing efforts lacked the typical promotional blitz featuring the film's stars Brie Larson, Teyonah Parris, and “Ms. Marvel” breakout Iman Vellani due to the SAG-AFTRA strike. Disney also opted to keep the film's Nov.
Following MCU's oversaturated Phase 4 and an underwhelming start to Phase 5, Bob Iger is taking action — and the CEO's solution is to scale back the output of Marvel Studios content. In July of last year, Iger admitted that Marvel “diluted focus and attention” by making so many Disney+ shows.
What seems to really be ailing the MCU right now is an overabundance of content that started when Disney decided to get into the streaming game with Disney Plus. Disney wasn't satisfied with their streamer just being the landing spot for its MCU films when their theatrical runs were over.
Below we take a look at how Marvel's numbers have stacked up over the years compared to each movie's budget, with Markland noting its best years came during the Infinity Saga Phase (2012 - 2019) which he described as its "absolute peak."
Wolverine's role in Deadpool 3 can be attributed to a device in the MCU that allows superheroes to move around timelines. It is due to the device Wolverine is alive in this movie while also staying dead in Logan.
The film's official title was announced as Deadpool & Wolverine in February 2024, with Levy acknowledging that it was the third Deadpool film but he did not want to call it Deadpool 3 because it is a "two-hander character adventure" that focuses on both Deadpool and Wolverine.
Marvel's favorite frenemies are back in the second trailer for the hotly anticipated “Deadpool and Wolverine” — the third installment in the “Deadpool” series of films and the first set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. This time, Deadpool and Wolverine fight like bloody hell to the tune of Madonna's “Like a Prayer.”
Two reasons: first, the series feels like it ended. Second, the plan isn't as strong or clear for this new phase, and fans are left in the lurch. Let's start with the first part: Avengers: Endgame felt exactly like it was supposed to: a finale.
“It purely came down to the Marvel board being nervous at putting all of their chips in their future films on somebody who famously had those legal troubles in the past,” Feige said of Downey's arrests.
Marvel Studios releases its films in groups called "Phases", with the first three phases collectively known as "The Infinity Saga" and the following three phases as "The Multiverse Saga". The first MCU film, Iron Man (2008), began Phase One which culminated in the 2012 crossover film The Avengers.
By most accounts, Superman seemingly outclasses Thor in terms of raw strength, especially in earlier versions of the DC Universe. He's pulled planets, punched people into orbit, and performed all sorts of wild feats of strength.
While the Marvel and DC's heroes are pretty evenly matched in some places, DC's would prove too powerful for Marvel's superteams to handle. Beyond the fact that DC's heroes are overall more powerful, they have many advantages. From magic-users to Kryptonians to the Flash Family, Marvel can't match DC's power.
Hyperion is able to absorb cosmic energy, which gives him incredible strength, super speed, flight, atomic vision, and a weakness to the isotope Argonite. Though hardly alone in this regard, he's usually considered Marvel's Superman.
