It shouldn’t come as a shock when I say that superhero movies are hardly ever good anymore. As part of the generation that grew up with the rise of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, starting with 2008’s Iron Man, I have spent years thinking about superhero movies and TV shows, and the vast overproduction of them within the past five years. I was such a big Marvel fan growing up that I watched every single movie that was released, even if it was about a character I wasn’t as interested in, and I looked forward to every new release. I was delighted when Disney+ announced their Marvel TV shows. But I’ve realized I hardly think about Marvel anymore.
The first phase of Marvel movies had the usual plot of a hero’s journey, and always ended with good triumphing over evil. What made them special was these movies used a new technology called CGI, which was not common in live-action superhero movies at the time. There was a lot of groundbreaking work in the early two phases of Marvel that fans could get behind. However, by the time Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame were released in 2018 and 2019 respectively, audiences knew it was the end for beloved characters that had been onscreen for nearly a decade.
With the departure of high-profile actors, fans looked toward phase four of the MCU with somewhat high hopes. Starting in late 2021, Marvel began releasing shows on Disney+ every few months. While this was appealing at first, it quickly became tiring. In 2021 alone, four different Marvel movies were released, as well as four different television shows. In 2022, Marvel released three movies in addition to an impressive three major television shows and two television specials. 2023 saw three movies and only one TV show, giving exhausted fans the time to recoup and get their bearings. Obviously, not every project following the end of phase three of the MCU was received poorly. There were quite a few successful films and TV shows such as Spider-Man: Far From Home, the much anticipated Spider-Man: No Way Home, and WandaVision. But after these three, many fans quickly lost interest.
The issue is that, unlike before, fans didn’t have to wait six months, if not longer, for another piece of cinema to consume. There was less hype, heavy promotion, an extreme push to spend a monthly fee to watch the upcoming shows, and overworked employees who were forced to produce without enough time to properly create. The Disney corporation is a media giant that continues to gather up franchises, promising all good things, only to push out mediocre results as long as it continues to make money.
Despite the criticism, Marvel Studios and Disney continue to introduce new characters in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (a fun-filled adventure that I truly enjoyed), Eternals, Ms. Marvel, and She-Hulk. Looking at the timeline and responses from critics and viewers, only the first of these was well-received. A big issue for Marvel Studios here will be making audiences care about these new characters in upcoming Avengers-related productions. Shang-Chi, all of the Eternals, the Marvels, She-Hulk, and Echo’s Maya Lopez are all new characters that have been introduced in one-off movies and shows, and likely won’t be seen for a while. Making audiences care about these characters will be an issue when fans are so fed up with mediocre material that even a good-quality character cannot begin to sway them.
The few exceptions to Marvel’s dwindling stardom include Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, the Moon Knight mini-series starring Oscar Isaac, the finale to the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy, and in my personal opinion, Hawkeye.
So, where can Marvel Studios and Disney go from here? Despite some of these projects being well received by audiences and even critics, many fans couldn’t care enough to see them in theaters, and this will continue unless the superhero formula changes and Disney stops pushing out boatloads of content. Instead of focusing on multiple television shows that will likely be limited series, Marvel should listen to what audiences are excited about. One of the best Marvel superhero projects was Netflix’s Daredevil series that ran for three seasons, as part of an interconnected Netflix-Marvel universe. This was a smart decision for Marvel Studios, announcing that they would be creating a Disney+ show to continue the story. For a show that was rated mature upon release, it was well received, and a great decision to continue making content dedicated to more mature, older audiences, instead of sticking to a strictly PG-13 story that holds characters back.
No matter what Disney and Marvel Studios decide to do with their upcoming projects, it will be interesting to see if they change things up. DC’s Batman was successful because it took a different approach with the character of Bruce Wayne and the ambiance. The animated Spiderverse films have been constantly successful because artists were given time and creative freedom. The MCU has places it can go from here, but it’s not hard to see the downward trajectory it’s currently on. Unfortunately, I think we’ll continue to see mediocre superhero movies coming out in the near future unless something changes.