What Disney and Marvel have done with theMarvel Cinematic Universeis unprecedented for any franchise. By combining over twenty-five movies, several shows, and over a decade worth of content they’ve created one of the biggest continuities in cinema that will only continue to grow. It has easily become the biggest movie franchise in cinematic history-and has been for a while.
But that doesn’t come without its drawbacks. For one, exhaustion has become a factor for many fans as there are multiple new movies and/or shows every year, let alone trying to keep up with all the content, so they can continue to understand the full story. But for those who haven’t been keeping up since phase one, it could seem like a daunting task to get to a spot that would allow full enjoyment of the newer MCU movies andDisney+ series.
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Although some audiences are declaring superhero fatigue, the box office shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon-which could come from the necessity of understanding the full story at all times. But it doesn’t mean that super-hero fatigue won’t continue to spread throughout the super-hero fandom as the MCU continues to become bigger and more inaccessible to newer and less dedicated fans. In order to prevent the eventual spread of fatigue through fans, there are a few thingsMarvelcould do to keep the MCU fresh and original.
One lies within the current trend that is seen in MCU movies, the introduction of the multiverse. Although the multiverse is an extremely large expansion of the MCU that would just make it harder to keep up, it could actually present a solution in the finale of the multiverse arc. At this moment, yes the multiverse is only making the Marvel threshold problem even larger, but only temporarily. Johnathan Hickman’s 2015comic eventSecret Warswas Marvel Comic’s answer to their problem with multiverse storytelling, ultimately using the event to streamline all of their comics into one continuity getting rid of the likes of Marvel’s Ultimate Universe that had been running for years prior.
But instead of just being used to destroy other universes like Sony’s and Fox’s Marvel franchises in the case of the movies,Secret Warscould be a way to find balance among their characters and storylines. Marvel could completely finalize certain character arcs and finish their stories in the MCU while introducing the new characters that they want to with an “out with the old, in with the new” way of directing the event.
An example of this is the upcomingThor: Love and ThunderandShe-Hulk: Attorney at Law. These both are featuring reoccurring characters in Thor and the Hulk as well as new versions of those characters with Jane Foster’s Thor and She-Hulk. Instead of keeping all four of them in the continuity, it would be wiser to make one of each the only one to exist in the MCU. The same can go for Clint Barton getting replaced by Kate Bishop and Yelena being the permanent replacement for Natasha. Completely retiring the old characters or making the newer ones the full-time replacements would help keep the continuity in balance. But it would also present origin stories for newer viewers to be introduced to the universe.
But another possibility instead of a soft reset with just new variations. Marvel could do a hard reset starting from the beginning. Although this is extremely unlikely and is somewhat redundant, it could help bring in new viewers and help make it more inclusive for fans. This time perhaps having Disney focused on the characters they didn’t have at that time of the creation of the Cinematic Universe. Creating a universe around Marvel’s traditionally bigger characters like The Fantastic Four and the X-Men could get those who’ve become more acquainted with Iron Man, Captain America, and Thor, more familiar with the others. Although yes there are already movies with those characters, the audiences for those franchises are just not what Disney and its Marvel Cinematic Universe have in comparison.
Whatever Marvel decides to do to create an easier way to bring in new fans, it would be useful if it were soon. The MCU is still at the beginning of a new arc and finding a way to get viewers reacquainted with the previous arc would be helpful for many viewers. But at the same time, easing down on the sheer amount of content and continuity to give time to breathe between stories would also be useful.
A franchise has never beenthis massive and intertwiningwith its storytelling. It is possibly something audiences will never see again. But with reports of Kevin Feige and studio execs planning years more of Marvel Cinematic Universe content, it may be time for something to change before it gets too out of hand.
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