As much to say it from the start, this article will probably not be unanimous. But, after 15 years of reigning over the global box office and making the success of the Disney + platform, we have the right to wonder if Marvel still has interesting things to tell us and show us. Or if the regular release of its productions only responds to financial imperatives.
Marvel first charmed me
In its infancy, the MCU had however been able to seduce me. I remember that first slap seeing the very first movie Iron Man. By entrusting this improbable project to Jon Favreau, Marvel has found the man for the job. The latter revived the career of Robert Downey Jr. himself in great difficulty.
Thereafter, however, success was not guaranteed. But the choice to create a cohesive cinematic universe where each film advances an overarching story worked very well. This success is also due to an impeccable cast: Chris Evans as Captain America, Mark Ruffalo as Hulk, Paul Rudd as Ant-Man, Tom Holland as Spider-Man, Chris Hemsworth as Thor, and the list goes on and on.
Marvel was also films that took the viewer seriously, knew how to alternate genres and tone. Thus, humor could be completely set aside in a Avengers: Endgame given the importance of the issues.
Too many Marvel productions
Since the success of this last film, I gradually lost interest in this extended universe. There are several reasons for this and in particular the profusion of productions. For the year 2022 alone, six Marvel films and series were released on Disney+, and three feature films were offered in cinemas.
This is not necessarily a problem in itself, but the fact that it is necessary to see content to understand the issues of another is a concern. I am thinking in particular of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, which is difficult to appreciate at its fair value without watching Wanda Vision.
Marvel is also finding it increasingly difficult to surprise us. This was not necessarily seen in the past, but we have the impression that his productions are more and more formatted. We feel it in particular at the level of humor which works much less than during the first years.
In Thor: Love And Thunder for example, the dramaturgy of Jane Foster’s illness, although played well by Natalie Portman, is totally defused by the clumsy valves of her entourage.
In she hulknot without irony, the heroine takes a walk in the premises of Marvel where she discovers that Kevin Feige is in fact not a real person but an AI who decides the plans of the studio.
However, if we look at the latest productions of the MCU, we sometimes wonder if an algorithm has not itself written the scenarios as it is sewn with white thread. In Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, we have the impression of seeing bad Star Wars, and this is not necessarily a compliment as this franchise is also looking for itself.
Disappointing special effects
Visually too, Marvel is starting to date. There’s probably too much CGI, and the quality isn’t as good as it used to be. We can think that this massive use of special effects is a way to save on the budget, rather than to highlight the story.
James Cameron, who made everyone agree with Avatar 2also expressed himself on this subject: “Our team at WETA is constantly hiring and new recruits come from Marvel and DC…Industrial Light & Magic does a great job but as far as bringing emotions to life on a face like we do…Thanos? Frankly, a little serious. You have seen Avatar the Way of the Water. It doesn’t come close to his ankle. WETA does not play in the same category “.
Of course, Marvel still has the means to recover. Kevin Feige thinks for his part that there is no weariness with superheroes, and recalls that comics still include many great stories to tell. I therefore clearly do not condemn the studio for the future, but it will have to change its practices to manage to surprise me again.
