Is Marvel Relying Too Much On Nostalgia And Fanservice?

[Detective Conan]

Do you feel as I do that Marvel is relying too much on fanservice and nostalgia nowadays? I feel it has lately and don’t get me wrong I like movies like No Way Home which paid to tribute to Spider-Man’s cinematic past but to be honest I’m beginning to feel Marvel is veering far too much in the fan service direction for my liking and as much as I like seeing cameos and winks and nods to past stuff I can’t but think it’s becoming creatively stifling for Marvel, imo. Deadpool & Wolverine I thought was fine but I didn’t feel it was great movie and I just didn’t care that much for the cameos. And with them having RDJ coming back as Dr. Doom in the most blatant stunt casting ever, I can’t help but think Marvel is being somewhat manipulative with the nostalgia and I hope in the near future we tone down the nostalgia and fan-service just a bit.

 

[Spider-Fan]

They cast RDJ as Doctor Doom. The answer is yes

 

[TheVileOne]

If it means they are using the Multiverse to cut corners and not introduce their own versions of Wolverine and the X-Men, then yes.

 

[Sithborg]

Yeah, RDJ as Doom and keeping Jackman around? Yeah, they are a bit desperate.

 

[Shinobi Shaw]

Yes. They're squeezing every dollar they can out of nostalgia... but it's working.

Deadpool & Wolverine is a box office juggernaut (no pun) and RDJ damn near broke the internet when he was cast as Victor Von Doom.

The ball is in their nostalgic court lol.

 

[psylockolussus]

I would say yes, if we aren't getting projects like Echo, Agatha All Along and Thunderbolts*, Shang-Chi and Eternals.

They uses nostalgia to sell a lot of their projects. But the other projects don't feel like nostalgia bait. So I don't think its too much nostalgia at this rate.

 

[Spider-Fan83]

Yes. They're squeezing every dollar they can out of nostalgia... but it's working.

Deadpool & Wolverine is a box office juggernaut (no pun) and RDJ damn near broke the internet when he was cast as Victor Von Doom.

The ball is in their nostalgic court lol.

I'll give you D&W using nostalgia with some of the characters they brought back...

but, idk if I'd call bringing back RDJ {in a different role} so, soon... nostalgic

maybe I'm just not the overly nostalgic type... or I just have a very different definition of nostalgia

but, its been what 5 years since Endgame, is that really long enough for nostalgia to kick in

I mean, I wouldn't even call {Jackman's} Wolverine a nostalgia character for that matter
(we've never gone more then 5-6 years without seeing him show up somewhere over the last 25 years, to really miss him in a nostalgic way) he's more of a status quo character... a "staple" if you will

which can have similar effects too nostalgia, I guess
people are just so use to him having been in the role this long that they fear the change of anyone else in the role {like "what if its not as good"} change can be scary for some people

so, similarly with RDJ it's not exactly nostalgia it's about him being a "Staple" character/actor of the MCU, and fearing the change of what that means for the future of the MCU without him in it

 

[Silvermoth]

A bit. Even in the comics, they’ve had really interesting events that have been called things like “infinity wars 2” for branding which is a shame. If you stop building you stop going forward

 

[Jewel Runner]

I'd take the whole "Marvel relies on nostalgia" thing more seriously if there weren't multiple projects past, present and future that have nothing to do with any sort of nostalgia and all are building up new characters and stories, that either get ignored or criticized just for existing while constantly being hit with "who asked for this?" because they're not about characters people already know.

Because let's take a step back and look how many projects you can say relied on nostalgia, there's Spider-Man No Way Home, Deadpool and Wolverine, and that's really where the list begins and ends and those are also coincidentally two of three projects people will mindlessly parrot as the only good things Marvel's made since Endgame.

 

[XtremelyBaneful]

I'd take the whole "Marvel relies on nostalgia" thing more seriously if there weren't multiple projects past, present and future that have nothing to do with any sort of nostalgia and all are building up new characters and stories, that either get ignored or criticized just for existing while constantly being hit with "who asked for this?" because they're not about characters people already know.

Because let's take a step back and look how many projects you can say relied on nostalgia, there's Spider-Man No Way Home, Deadpool and Wolverine, and that's really where the list begins and ends and those are also coincidentally two of three projects people will mindlessly parrot as the only good things Marvel's made since Endgame.

they started off phase 4 with it. Wandavision had the Ralph Bohner fakeout. Dr. Strange 2 also had an X-Men cameo. Captain Marvel 2 also had an X-Men cameo, which may have been the most talked about aspect of the movie.

edit: Dr. Strange 2's X-Men cameo is more like a small supporting role than a cameo.

 

[Jewel Runner]

they started off phase 4 with it. Wandavision had the Ralph Bohner fakeout. Dr. Strange 2 also had an X-Men cameo. Captain Marvel 2 also had an X-Men cameo, which may have been the most talked about aspect of the movie.

You can't tell me these projects relied on nostalgia, in one instance it was quite literally not the actual character.
In the other instances they were cameos, short appearances that didn't affect the plot, the Beast cameo in the Marvels is the after credits scene that happens after everything in the movie wrapped up.

 

[Spider-Fan]

Robert Downey Jr is still Doctor Doom right?

The answer is still yes

 

[XtremelyBaneful]

You can't tell me these projects relied on nostalgia,

I can tell you that, but it doesn't mean you have to agree with me.

in one instance it was quite literally not the actual character.

a deleted scene indicates that there is more to the actual character than meets the eye, and that's besides the point anyway.

In the other instances they were cameos, short appearances that didn't affect the plot,

It definitely affected the plot! Scarlet Witch plowed through all of the Illuminati and that was to show how powerful she was, even with possessing the body of an alternate universe version of her.

the Beast cameo in the Marvels is the after credits scene that happens after everything in the movie wrapped up.

and as I said, that may have ended up being the most talked about aspect of the movie.

 

[Jewel Runner]

a deleted scene indicates that there is more to the actual character than meets the eye, and that's besides the point anyway.

That has nothing to do with anything.

It definitely affected the plot! Scarlet Witch plowed through all of the Illuminati and that was to show how powerful she was, even with possessing the body of an alternate universe version of her.

If it affected the plot it wasn't a cameo and beyond it was one character who was around for like 5 minutes to die.

and as I said, that may have ended up being the most talked about aspect of the movie.

I don't care, that has nothing to do with what I said.

Robert Downey Jr is still Doctor Doom right?

The answer is still yes

Ok some of you are just not helpful to talk to at all.

 

[Spider-Fan]

That has nothing to do with anything.

If it affected the plot it wasn't a cameo and beyond it was one character who was around for like 5 minutes to die.


I don't care, that has nothing to do with what I said.


Ok some of you just helpful to talk to at all.

You have the option to ignore me, amigo.

 

[Jewel Runner]

If I had that option for mods and staff members I'd do it in a heartbeat

 

[Spider-Fan]

If I had that option for mods and staff members I'd do it in a heartbeat

You can't hide my posts, but you don't have to respond to my posts. Therefore you choosing to reply is all on you. Your choice

 

[XtremelyBaneful]

That has nothing to do with anything.

...I literally said it's besides the point. but you are the one who said he's not the actual character.

If it affected the plot it wasn't a cameo and beyond it was one character who was around for like 5 minutes to die.

if he had more than a minute of screen time, then it's more than a cameo; it's a small supporting role. and it did affect the plot because it went to show Scarlet Witch's prowess.

but sure, you can argue that it didn't affect the plot; I don't care to argue whether it is or not, but this is just to point out that Dr. Strange 2 is an example of Marvel relying on nostalgia.

I don't care, that has nothing to do with what I said.

it doesn't matter if you care or not. the thread is about Marvel relying on nostalgia, and Captain Marvel 2 is an example of them doing that.

 

[Jewel Runner]

...I literally said it's besides the point. but you are the one who said he's not the actual character.

Because he's not, a deleted scene that came like three years after the show did is completely irrelevant, especially when said deleted scene doesn't imply anything.

if he had more than a minute of screen time, then it's more than a cameo; it's a small supporting role. and it did affect the plot because it went to show Scarlet Witch's prowess.

but sure, you can argue that it didn't affect the plot; I don't care to argue whether it is or not, but this is just to point out that Dr. Strange 2 is an example of Marvel relying on nostalgia.

Professor X was one character out of five in that movie who all played the exact same role, and he was the only one that could be called nostalgic.

it doesn't matter if you care or not. the thread is about Marvel relying on nostalgia, and Captain Marvel 2 is an example of them doing that.

A cameo that lasts 5 seconds in an after credits scene after the movie already ends isn't relying on nostalgia.
By your logic the Incredible Hulk was relying on Iron Man because he was in that movies after credits scene or that Winter Soldier was relying Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch because they cameod in that movies after credits scene.

 

[XtremelyBaneful]

Because he's not, a deleted scene that came like three years after the show did is completely irrelevant, especially when said deleted scene doesn't imply anything.

I disagree. the deleted scene implies that he's Woo's missing person.

Professor X was one character out of five in that movie who all played the exact same role, and he was the only one that could be called nostalgic.

key words are bolded. as I said in my first response to you, Dr. Strange 2 had a legacy X-Men actor appear.

A cameo that lasts 5 seconds in an after credits scene after the movie already ends isn't relying on nostalgia.

it was longer than 5 seconds and I disagree, as the cameo may have been the most talked about aspect of the film.

By your logic the Incredible Hulk was relying on Iron Man because he was in that movies after credits scene

no because that wasn't after an credits scene and those movies came out in the same year, so there was no nostalgia bait to rely on.

or that Winter Soldier was relying Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch because they cameod in that movies after credits scene.

no because that was the first appearance of Quicksilver & Scarlet Witch in the MCU so there was no nostalgia bait to rely on

 

[MessiahDecoy123]

Look how Pixar originals have done lately compared to their sequels.

Audiences love nostalgia.

You can try something new and hope it makes one billion but its a huge gamble.

 

[Jewel Runner]

I disagree. the deleted scene implies that he's Woo's missing person.

It doesn't imply he's Fox Quicksilver which is the point.

key words are bolded. as I said in my first response to you, Dr. Strange 2 had a legacy X-Men actor appear.

Who was one of five characters that all played the same role and had about the same screentime.

it was longer than 5 seconds and I disagree, as the cameo may have been the most talked about aspect of the film

Repeating that doesn't change anything about what I said.
It was a cameo in an after credits scene, it could be removed from the movie and nothing about it would change.
The Marvels is in no way reliant on Beasts cameo.

no because that wasn't after an credits scene and those movies came out in the same year, so there was no nostalgia bait to rely on.

no because that was the first appearance of Quicksilver & Scarlet Witch in the MCU so there was no nostalgia bait to rely on

You're not saying anything that remotely counts as response to what I said.
Those are still after credits scenes with cameos teasing characters, if those movies aren't reliant on those scenes then you can't in any good faith say the Marvels was.

 

[Spider-Fan]

Look how Pixar originals have done lately compared to their sequels.

Audiences love nostalgia.

You can try something new and hope it makes one billion but its a huge gamble.

But it also doesn't make for the best cinema. Legacy sequels mostly suck, and yeah Pixar sequels are largely good, but they don't over do the nostalgia. They have a good idea on how to balance that. Something I cannot say for most legacy sequels I have watched in recent years. I have found IPs so much less rewarding to watch in recent years for this reason. These movies diefy the OG movies, as opposed to progressing them logically. The MCU is starting to do it too.

 

[XtremelyBaneful]

It doesn't imply he's Fox Quicksilver which is the point.

I disagree. if that isn't the implication, then the scene seems pointless.

Who was one of five characters that all played the same role and had about the same screentime.

what??? they were all different members of the Illuminati. they weren't playing the same role. and the amount of screen time was more than that of a cameo.

You're not saying anything that remotely counts as response to what I said.

yes I am. it just seems like you're choosing to ignore it.

Those are still after credits scenes with cameos teasing characters, if those movies aren't reliant on those scenes then you can't in any good faith say the Marvels was.

yeah but they're not teasing characters played by actors who have played Marvel characters in the past. Kelsey Grammer on the other hand is a legacy Marvel actor, a title that neither RDJ, Elizabeth Olsen, or Aaron Taylor-Johnson had in 2008 or 2014 respectively.

 

[Jewel Runner]

I disagree. if that isn't the implication, then the scene seems pointless.

It's literally a deleted scene.
That means it wasn't in the final product for a reason.
And even then nothing about that scene indicates he's Fox Quicksilver just that he was the Jimmy Woo was looking for.

what??? they were all different members of the Illuminati. they weren't playing the same role. and the amount of screen time was more than that of a cameo.

They had the exact same role of being alternate universe superheroes who died at Wanda's hands.
He's just the only one that was related to the X-Men.

yes I am. it just seems like you're choosing to ignore it.

No you're not, nothing you said even remotely explained how the Marvels as a movie relied entirely on Beast's 10 second cameo that happens after the credits nor how the other movies weren't relying on their cameos, even though they're all the exact same thing of teasing what's coming up next for the characters in the MCU.