The Marvel Cinematic Universe has been going on for a long time, and after years of existence, a few harsh realities ring true for fans of the franchise. When it comes to the MCU’s many movies and shows, fans have been able to see a lot of their favorite villains and heroes from the comics in live-action.
Sadly, not all of those projects were great, with some lackluster releases in the MCU timeline. Created in 2008, the MCU is now 17 years old, and in that time, the franchise has changed immensely. The MCU is far from where it was when it first started, and in that growth, some realizations have become true for Marvel Studios’ upcoming projects.
A Faithful Version Of The Inhumans Will Probably Never Happen
Initially, Marvel had a plan to make an Inhumans movie. That would later be changed into a TV show, which debuted to become one of the most criticized Marvel projects of all time. Many of the Inhumans had issues, such as the decision to cut Medusa’s hair, thus impacting her powers and appearance.
Despite the fact that Anson Mount returned as a version of Black Bolt in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, the hero was killed by the Scarlet Witch not long after his return. Now, with the MCU having major plans for the X-Men, who the Inhumans were set to replace, a faithful version of the team seems out of the cards.
It Will Be Hard To Recreate The Success Of The Infinity Saga
The Infinity Saga was, without a doubt, the most popular chapter in the MCU to this day. The original Avengers carried the franchise forward, with 2012’s The Avengers cementing the MCU as something special. Back then, heroes consistently appeared over the years, creating deep bonds between MCU fans and their favorites.
By the time the MCU’s Infinity Saga reached Phase 3, the franchise was firing on all cylinders. Phase 3’s final three movies all pᴀssed the $1 billion mark, with more before them, showing that Marvel had reached its peak narratively. Getting back to that huge success is a hard thing to do, especially after major changes.
We Will Have To Say Goodbye To Our Favorite Stars/Heroes
After Avengers: Endgame, it became clear that the MCU was forever changed. Chris Evans and Robert Downey Jr., the two faces of the franchise, left. As Marvel fans had grown used to seeing their favorite heroes appearing every other year, the transition to a new age in the Multiverse Saga came with a few hiccups.
While Evans and Downey have since returned to the MCU in new roles, other actors, such as Black Widow’s Scarlett Johansson or Drax star Dave Bautista, have made it clear that they are done with the franchise. As the years continue to pᴀss, more actors will follow suit. Could the MCU survive the loss of fan-favorite heroes and actors?
Watching All MCU Projects Has Become More Like Homework
The creation of Disney+ has been positive and negative for the MCU. On the one hand, Marvel now has more formats to explore different stories and characters. On the other hand, that, alongside more movies being released each year, led to a huge number of MCU projects coming out at an accelerated pace. The franchise’s overall quality dipped.
Besides quality issues, it has just become way too hard for the average fan to keep up with all that has come out of the MCU in the Multiverse Saga. For instance, the Infinity Saga is made up of 23 movies, while the MCU’s Phase 4, which lasted only two years, boasts 18 projects, between films and Disney+ offerings.
The Disney+ Shows Are Hit-Or-Miss
Speaking about the MCU’s Disney+ projects, Marvel has had a complicated experience with its TV ventures. While shows like WandaVision and Loki have become universally beloved, many MCU Disney+ series have proven themselves to have their faults. Common issues stem from pacing being off, rushed finales, late main villain reveals as a formula, and so on.
To that end, the MCU has made changes to its TV production pipeline to ensure greater quality control. Now, traditional showrunners are being hired to oversee MCU series, with a focus on yearly shows and a slowdown on how many projects are released each year. As they currently stand, the MCU’s shows are hit or miss.
The MCU’s New Characters Have Not Been Established Like They Should Have Been
Marvel Zombies, the MCU’s latest release, is a clear example of what the Multiverse Saga has been lacking. What made characters like the original Avengers connect with fans was the fact that they appeared every year or close to that, with constant crossovers and movie appearances. That created a bond between the characters and between the heroes and the fans.
The Multiverse Saga heroes did not get the same treatment. Most of them have never met, with characters like Shang-Chi still to appear again in live-action after their debut. The animated Marvel Zombies told a sprawling MCU multiverse adventure that saw Multiverse Saga heroes team up for the first time, showing what the MCU should have been doing with them.
The MCU’s Second Main Villain Was A Huge Misfire
When it comes to superhero projects, the saying that “a hero is only as good as its villain” is particularly true. Many MCU movies and shows end up being criticized due to boring, one-note villains. As such, choosing the main villain of the whole franchise is a crucial task, and Marvel hit the jackpot with Thanos.
At first, it seemed like the studio did the same with Jonathan Majors’ Kang the Conqueror. However, Kang has now proven himself to be a misfire. Even if Majors’ firing from the MCU were taken aside, the character’s death after being defeated by Ant-Man and his family in Quantumania made it so fans could never see Kang as a threat to the Avengers.
Will It All Matter After The Avengers: Secret Wars Reboot?
The MCU has been going on for 17 years, with several heroes, villains, and storylines from the comics being adapted in that time. The franchise’s biggest advantage is its interconnectivity, with the MCU always pushing its overall story and universe forward over the years with every new project. However, 2027’s Avengers: Secret Wars will reboot the MCU.
Marvel has yet to confirm what the scope of that reboot will be. However, given all the time MCU fans have dedicated to the franchise over the years, connecting to specific actors as characters like Iron Man and Captain America, the question of how much of the MCU as we know will continue after the reboot is a scary one.
There Has Been A Major Post-Credits Scenes Shift – Many Lead Nowhere
The MCU made it a rule that fans should stay until the very end of the credits if they wanted to see a sneak peek of what was to come in the franchise’s future. Several MCU movies have used post-credits scenes to set up storylines or characters for future projects, paying those teases off years later.
That has changed in the Multiverse Saga. Many post-credits scenes have introduced characters who have yet to appear again, and who Marvel simply does not seem to have any plans to use in the future. What was once one of the most beloved elements of the MCU has become synonymous with frustration lately.
Many Of Marvel Comics’ Biggest Heroes Were Absent For Too Long
Finally, the biggest harsh reality an MCU fan should acknowledge is how the franchise went this far without many of its biggest characters. Due to rights issues, Marvel could not use characters like Spider-Man, the X-Men, and the Fantastic Four for most of the MCU’s run. That led to key comic book storylines having to be changed.
Now, those heroes have begun to take a more active role in the MCU, with Spider-Man a fixture of the franchise, the Fantastic Four key to the upcoming Avengers movies, and an X-Men reboot on the horizon. Post-reboot, the MCU will have all its biggest heroes in one place, but will that even have the impact it would have had years ago?
Marvel Cinematic Universe
- Created by
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Kevin Feige
- First Film
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Iron Man
- Upcoming Films
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Blade, Avengers: Doomsday (2026), Avengers: Secret Wars
- First TV Show
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Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
- Upcoming TV Shows
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Marvel Zombies, Wonder Man, Vision Quest
- Cast
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Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Samuel L. Jackson, Jeremy Renner, Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Edward Norton, Paul Rudd, Tom Holland, Tom Hiddleston, Anthony Mackie, Cobie Smulders, Brie Larson, Chadwick Boseman, Sebastian Stan, Chris Pratt, Dave Bautista, Zoe Saldana, Bradley Cooper, Vin Diesel, Pom Klementieff, Josh Brolin, Karen Gillan, Clark Gregg, Paul Bettany, Don Cheadle, Benedict Cumberbatch, Evangeline Lilly, Simu Liu, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Angelina Jolie, Kit Harington, Salma Hayek, Richard Madden, Barry Keoghan, Gemma Chan, Ma Dong-seok, Brian Tyree Henry, Kumail Nanjiani, Lauren Ridloff, Lia McHugh, Jonathan Majors
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