Has the MCU peaked?

[NotNickFury]

You can absolutely see more individuality in the Phase 4 projects. Maybe the most since Phase 1 since back then, it was literally just directors making movies and the template of an MCU project hadn't really been established.

For better or worse- I'm looking at you, Love and Thunder and Eternals- you can see more of a director's imprint on a project compared to Phases 2 and 3 for sure. Even Multiverse of Madness, much as I'm not the biggest fan of it, you can still see some of Sam Raimi's hallmarks amidst the typical MCU trademarks.

 

[spiderdan83]

I loved phase 1, slowly lost interest thereafter, bought back in at the end but for me, the characters now don't seem interesting enough or there's fatigue. I have to admit, the BP trailers I loved the look of Namor, thought it looked very well done but the idea of a 2 hrs homage to Chadwick, as great as he is, I am ready for the next chapter so I skipped this movie from the cinema, maybe when it comes out later I will watch.
For me, I am interested in X Men and to see how they do it - loving the 90s show. Deadpool bringing back Jackman just made me roll my eyes.

It's all about X men for me and right now, is the perfect time.

 

[Mr. Peanut]

The X-men are the main thing I care about at this point too, though with how long it's taking for the X-men to get here, I can't help but wonder what point there will be for them to even be in the MCU. Will anyone from the first 3 phases even be around by the time they show up? Functionally it'll be as if they are in a separate story from the MCU I grew up with anyway, co-existing with it only by proxy. I'd kinda rather they just give the MCU a big sendoff finale in Secret Wars, then just focused all their attention on created a universe dedicated solely to the X-men. Because there is no way they'll tap into even a fraction of the X-men's potential if they are only giving them a single movie every few years while juggling them with a bunch of increasingly obscure characters from across the rest of Marvel.

 

[Albright]

It hasn’t peaked, but people are saying the oversaturation kills the MCU.
Between NWH and MoM there were over 3 months break (ok Moon Knight inbetween which was awesome) and both were pretty mediocre (while MoM was imho much better than NWH)
Next year we have 5 Months with MCU movies and than a break of 10 months. This won’t make Captain America 4 any better or worse.
Black Widow was a very very mediocre movie after the 10 months break after Spiderman FFH. The 10 months break (if the pandemic didn’t happen) didn’t make it better or the people starving.

It would be perfect, if they could spread the shedule for 1 movie every 3 months. 1 in spring, 1 in summer, 1 fall and 1 in winter (if they want to make 4 movies a year). But not 3 movies within 5 months following a break of 10 months, because they happen to be released on some american holidays, that have absolutely no meaning for the international box office.

 

[TheVileOne]

Eternals was a misstep they should've thought twice about before green lighting.

 

[Venom 1988]

But not 3 movies within 5 months following a break of 10 months, because they happen to be released on some american holidays, that have absolutely no meaning for the international box office.

My dude this is never going to change. The domestic box office is still pretty important to the studios and these holiday weekends make a difference.

 

[Albright]

Ok

 

[NHawk19]

I'd say End Game was a peak for the MCU. Now they're building again so you'll see some peaks and valleys on the way to another mountain as they continue to world build.

The real question is looking back at IFW/End Game how do you top things like: Cap picking up Thor's hammer, "On your left", "Avengers Assemble", "I am Iron Man", Thor's general attitude, the desperate feeling they created, and the general culmination of years of story telling.

 

[Silvermoth]

It’s hard not to see them as peaked when they make stuff like this

 

[Venom 1988]

It’s hard not to see them as peaked when they make stuff like this

This isn't an indicator of the MCU peaking. The posters has been bad long before Endgame. This is less an MCU issue and more modern Hollywood Blockbuster issue.

 

[Docker2.0]

It’s hard not to see them as peaked when they make stuff like this

That poster tells you all you need to know about the movie and the current direction of Marvel. It's basically telling you how this movie will go and it's similar to the last 2 Marvel movies.

 

[The Caped Knight]

It's hard to imagine a conflict with bigger stakes than the fight against Thanos in Infinity War and Endgame. The MCU has also lost some of it's most vital characters: Tony Stark/Iron Man, Steve Rogers/Captain America, Chadwick Boseman's T'Challa/Black Panther.

My question is, has the MCU passed its peak? I enjoyed Shang-Chi, but it felt like a variation on what's gone before.

I’d say no. But it attempts to try and reformat with new characters in Phase 4 after Endgame with less objective direction and more creative directors was a massive misstep. As I stated before in another MCU related thread. I feel that Kevin allowed way too much experimentation to occur and it had more of a throw it at the wall and see what sticks kinda approach ergo “Eternals”, Thor: Love and Thunder & Black Widow.

films like Spider-Man: No Way Home, and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever are the exceptions because they not only were huge successes for Marvel but it felt connected to the overall storyline that continues the journey of their characters with different thematically endings and status quo.

I think that the Disney+ shows also kinda had an effect with an over saturation of content for Marvel. That kinda took the event experience out from the Marvel films. Sure we had stellar hits like Wandavision, Loki, what if, etc… but we also had huge bombs like She-Hulk etc… imo

 

[Docker2.0]

I’d say no. But it attempts to try and reformat with new characters in Phase 4 after Endgame with less objective direction and more creative directors was a massive misstep. As I stated before in another MCU related thread. I feel that Kevin allowed way too much experimentation to occur and it had more of a throw it at the wall and see what sticks kinda approach ergo “Eternals”, Thor: Love and Thunder & Black Widow.

films like Spider-Man: No Way Home, and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever are the exceptions because they not only were huge successes for Marvel but it felt connected to the overall storyline that continues the journey of their characters with different thematically endings and status quo.

I think that the Disney+ shows also kinda had an effect with an over saturation of content for Marvel. That kinda took the event experience out from the Marvel films. Sure we had stellar hits like Wandavision, Loki, what if, etc… but we also had huge bombs like She-Hulk etc… imo

They are trying to reach a new audience and forgetting about the audience they already had. She Hulk was a massive middle finger to die hard comic nerds which really doesn't make any sense. Like Star Wars, once those die hard fans go, so will the casuals. A new Star Wars show came out last month and you don't hear a peep out of it.

 

[Venom 1988]

They are trying to reach a new audience and forgetting about the audience they already had. She Hulk was a massive middle finger to die hard comic nerds which really doesn't make any sense. Like Star Wars, once those die hard fans go, so will the casuals. A new Star Wars show came out last month and you don't hear a peep out of it.

My dude what are you talking about? She-Hulk was closer to the comics than most of the MCU characters. It was basically the John Byrne run come to life.

 

[SwordOfMorning]

They are trying to reach a new audience and forgetting about the audience they already had. She Hulk was a massive middle finger to die hard comic nerds which really doesn't make any sense. Like Star Wars, once those die hard fans go, so will the casuals. A new Star Wars show came out last month and you don't hear a peep out of it.

You mean... one of the most critically respected Star Wars things ever made? Certainly the most acclaimed entry in the franchise since the OT? I know Andor wasn't a crazy blockbuster talk of the water cooler smash but it was a huge deal in its own way.

Also She-Hulk wasn't great but not feeling like the comics was not one of them.

 

[antboy]

It's hard to imagine a conflict with bigger stakes than the fight against Thanos in Infinity War and Endgame. The MCU has also lost some of it's most vital characters: Tony Stark/Iron Man, Steve Rogers/Captain America, Chadwick Boseman's T'Challa/Black Panther.

My question is, has the MCU passed its peak? I enjoyed Shang-Chi, but it felt like a variation on what's gone before.

wanted to reply to this op..

I do not think there will ever be a failing of the MCU output. Some will not like me for saying (idc) Feige is running the ship extremely well. He kept close to Stan Lee to learn about all the ways Marvel diversified and survived for many, many years. And since the interaction(s) of soo many characters is rather close to infinite, it only takes creative thinking to make more and different ways for the characters to keep us entertained.

A great example is the Talokan and Namor. Personally, their use of sound will only astonish further as we learn more how their culture uses it. Namor, the first mutant.. we went all this time to even get to Mutants. Inhumans are still coming. Deadpool and Wolverine. Fantastic 4 and the endless space and earth odysseys they will have. Dr. Doom is not even here yet. Galactus. The Surfer. All the Celestial goings on for billions of years.

There's so much material to draw from. I think the MCU will keep on bringing new characters and we will rotate them in and out of our fandom in ther various incarnations (Iron man, heart, lad, etc). They are archetypes we can't get enough of. Based on what's come before, I trust Marvel to deliver.

 

[Docker2.0]

You mean... one of the most critically respected Star Wars things ever made? Certainly the most acclaimed entry in the franchise since the OT? I know Andor wasn't a crazy blockbuster talk of the water cooler smash but it was a huge deal in its own way.

Also She-Hulk wasn't great but not feeling like the comics was not one of them.

Ummmmmm, no. I was talking about Bad Batch. It came and went and no one GAF. Andor for all the good things we heard about it was not watched despite Disney's huge push to put it on national television. Star Wars really does seem to be a dead franchise but could EASILY be brought back to life with the right move here and there.

 

[Docker2.0]

My dude what are you talking about? She-Hulk was closer to the comics than most of the MCU characters. It was basically the John Byrne run come to life.

No it wasn't. It was a mocking of fans and they admitted it. She Hulk was a fun comic. The show was anything but that.

 

[Venom 1988]

No it wasn't. It was a mocking of fans and they admitted it. She Hulk was a fun comic. The show was anything but that.

Uh no, they were mocking incels. If you were offended by that, it says way more about you than it does the show.

 

[Docker2.0]

Uh no, they were mocking incels. If you were offended by that, it says way more about you than it does the show.

I didn't even watch it so how can I be offended. I don't like the current direction of the MCU. As a customer it's my right to voice an opinion on the things I have seen. As far as She Hulk, they admitted it was mocking fans which is kind of crazy to mock your fans but.............time will tell.

 

[Spider-Fan]

I didn't even watch it so how can I be offended. I don't like the current direction of the MCU. As a customer it's my right to voice an opinion on the things I have seen. As far as She Hulk, they admitted it was mocking fans which is kind of crazy to mock your fans but.............time will tell.

How do you know they were mocking "fans" if you didn't watch the show? Seems you should watch it before trying to act like you know anything about it

 

[Docker2.0]

How do you know they were mocking "fans" if you didn't watch the show? Seems you should watch it before trying to act like you know anything about it

With the way it was promoted and trailers. A blind man can see they promoted TF out of that show.

 

[Spider-Fan]

With the way it was promoted and trailers. A blind man can see they promoted TF out of that show.

Uh huh. In other words, you're taking out of where the sun doesn't shine and thus have no credibility. Got it

You don't have to watch the show if you don't want to. But if you want to make sweeping statements about the show and be seen as credible, then watch the show and come back when you have more than the word of whiny man babies on YT

 

[Venom 1988]

I didn't even watch it so how can I be offended.

So when you say statements like this one below...

She Hulk was a fun comic. The show was anything but that.

You are implying you watched the show. Since you didn't, then you really can't speak to the quality of the show.

As far as She Hulk, they admitted it was mocking fans which is kind of crazy to mock your fans but.............time will tell.

They didn't but again you would know that if you actually watched the show.

 

[elgaz]

I'm not sure it's peaked creatively, or at the box office. There could be really, really good things to come. But I do think it has lost some of its momentum amongst general fans and audiences; but maybe that's natural, as there was such a buildup to Infinity War & Endgame that it was going to be virtually impossible to come into the beginning of the next phase with the same drive and energy.

Maybe it's just me also, but I'm struggling to mentally keep track of the links and connections between the current shows and movies as they build up to a multiverse saga of some sort. It's not that I don't understand them, more that it's difficult to track the impact each is having on the other with different variants and timelines and so on.