Do you think Marvel Studios needs to change / break it's formula?

[MarvelFan]

I just saw Ant Man the Wasp: Quantumania and while I enjoyed the movie a lot and had a good time with it but at the same time I couldn't help feeling that their movie had became stale for a while now.

It's the feeling of the "same old same old" and also the bad reviews from both critics and fans alike that made me wants to ask this question.

I really think that after 30+ movies and 4 Phases... kicking off Phase 5 with the same formula, the same tone, the same humor, and the same 3rd act big CGI explosion battle (with a lot of green screen shot) would only exhausts the audience and the fandom even more.

So, I think MCU really needs to break their formula and really needs refreshment for they are not becoming too further stale in the future.

What do you all guys think of this?

 

[psylockolussus]

Their formula wasn't the problem with Quantumania though.

It was the poor character development of the characters, blandness of the script and dodgy vfX. The tone of the movie was also less fun compare to the first two Ant-Man movies which means they don't have the same tone for each mcu movie.

Also, a Cgi eXplosion is inevitable when the movie is literally a superhero movie based from the comics books. It was the least of its problems.

 

[Albright]

I really think that after 30+ movies and 4 Phases... kicking off Phase 5 with the same formula, the same tone, the same humor, and the same 3rd act big CGI explosion battle (with a lot of green screen shot) would only exhausts the audience and the fandom even more.

So, I think MCU really needs to break their formula and really needs refreshment for they are not becoming too further stale in the future.

What do you all guys think of this?

The formula:
tone: I think BW, Shang Chi, Eternals, BP2 are distinct to MoM, Thor LaT and Quantumania
humor: Eternals, BP2 didn’t had much humor
3rd act big CGI explosion battle: which Superhero/Sci-Fi movie doesn’t have this (ok, Dune)

I agree that the TV series shouldn’t have a big cgi battles with lightnings of red, violet, green and blue over and over again…but She Hulk did that different and was also hated for that.

 

[MessiahDecoy123]

Phase 3 were crowd pleasers.

Phase 4 is lazy by comparison. They are just going through the motions.

It's clear they've been resting on their laurels a bit.

I also think the process to develop films must've changed since the Infinity Saga.

 

[psylockolussus]

Its just too many output in a short period of time.

If all of phase 4 was released within the span of 5 to 6 years, who knows if the quality control would have been better. 7 films and 7 live action shows are just too damn many in 2 years. And while Marvel Studios were releasing those, they also released a cartoon series, shorts and two specials which were essentially direct to streaming films.

Its a good thing that they are scaling down the number of their annual releases, or else we would see a Marvel Studios' Darcy for Disney+.

 

[antboy]

I was just thinking how MCU seems to be in a slump right now. It reminds of the Age of Ultron era of spinning wheels.

Yes, I think MCU needs to change up something. I'm obviously a huge proponent of Eternals and that sentiment fits w this as in, that movie was very different and unusual. It stands out from the films before and after it.

 

[TheVileOne]

Define breaking from the formula. What does that mean at this point?

The Eternals was different, was it not? Obscure property of lesser-known characters. Critics didn't care for it either.

What about a line of Marvel Knights films that are R-rated and made, specifically marketed to a more adult crowd? Basically, Marvel Studios would have its own Touchstone Pictures. These films are all still part of the MCU, but they go for hard R-ratings and marketed to adults, but they are still Marvel Studios and MCU.

What films should go under Marvel Knights? Punisher reboot with Jon Bernthal, something with Ghost Rider, maybe Jessica Jones/Alias, something with Florence Pugh's Black Widow, and Blade, the movie that's getting delayed right now and is having creative issues.

These movies should not be $200 million. Keep them at like max $125-$150 million, if not lower. Focus on more street-level stories. And if you find a way to work these characters into other stories or bigger events down the line, great.

If Deadpool 3 is actually going to be R-rated, you could even make that the first Marvel Knights imprint film.

Someone please just explain to me why can't we have R-rated Marvel movies? Especially if they have lower budgets. The reason everyone wanted Deadpool to be R-rated is so the movie could do something different and try different things, and it worked for Deadpool as a character. Why not do the same for other characters its suited for? Such as Blade? Blade does not need to be a $200 million film, and it Blade can work with an R-rating at the box office. R-rating is not this taboo thing that would ruin the brand.

So there that's my pitch. An MCU Marvel Knights imprint.

 

[psylockolussus]

"Marvel Knights imprint" would be just a name though if its still produced by Kevin Feige and Marvel Studios. I said before, Marvel Knights is an unnecessary branding, especially if its under the same universe as the previously released 31 MCU films. Its not going to drive people to watch Marvel films when they haven't already in the past.

Also, its just going to be another eXtra work, when they are already branching out to streaming shows, cartoons, streaming shorts and specials.

 

[Closerframe]

I don’t think the formula is the problem. I think it’s the soulless special effects, lack of character development, and the inability to balance tone. Honestly, at this point, I don’t think spacing out the movies/shows will be much help unless they intend on taking more time to write good scripts and actually shoot movies on location instead of in front of a green screen.

 

[antsman41]

They need to get small and personal again...

Spider-Man, Doctor Strange, and now Ant-Man have all 'saved the multiverse' just in this Phase.

> Spider-Man at least tried to make it about our Peter, but got out-weighed with (killer) nostalgia.

> Strange was a mess, with some neat set-pieces... and his better role was in Far From Home.

> Ant-Man was so bad, messy, let alone ugly. The little bit of being personal felt forced and idiotic as a character trait.

...and Wakanda Forever and Love & Thunder got emotional outside of their main character.

> Namor stole the show; his world, his passion, his arc.

> Gorr stole the show as well; his hatred, his broken heart...

Couldn't care less about Shuri and the loss of her brother, which should have been a homerun.

Didn't care about Thor becoming a father, which also should have been a homerun considering his past.