If critics and audiences can agree on anything, it’s that phase 4 of the MCU was… different. Although Kevin Feige has accustomed the public to seeing several projects in each phase of said universe, in the last one – and quoting the iconic Doctor Strange – “things got out of control.” Although the success continues to accompany the projects, Marvel would be rethinking a new direction for phases 5 and 6. The reason? Perhaps the public is not the only dissatisfaction.
In accordance with Cosmic Circus, Disney’s restructuring would also reach Marvel. The intention is to correct the saturation problem that the brand has experienced in the last two years. During that span, phase 4 of the MCU has launched 19 projects between films, series, shorts and specials. Have you really seen them all?
If the answer is no, then that is part of the justification. A large part of the audience (including big Marvel fans) has stated feeling saturated with so many projects launched one after the other. That wouldn’t be a problem if each of them had the same quality. Unfortunately, in the last year we have had acclaimed projects like Spider-Man: No Way Homeand others that have divided the audience, such as Thor: Love and Thunder either She Hulk: Defender of Heroes.
To put it in context, phase 4 of the MCU presented Eternalsthe worst received project in Marvel history (47% in Rotten Tomatoes). But he also launched ms marvel which, despite the controversy, ranks as the best valued project in the entire history of the franchise (98% in Rotten Tomatoes). In turn, the aforementioned Thor: Love and Thunder It represented, for many, the worst movie of the character.
Given this, some sources say that Marvel is evaluating the feasibility and relevance of phases 5 and 6. Although a large number of projects were announced at the last Comic Con, perhaps not all of them will arrive on the established date. In an attempt to win back the audience, the critics, and recover some of the box office or lost viewings, the company would seek to prioritize quality over quantity.
According to the information available so far, the projects in production and post production will not suffer any changes to their release date. So don’t worry about stories like Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3, Ironheart or the second season of Loki. On the other hand, those projects still in pre-production could undergo changes in their release date and release mode (theaters or direct to streaming).
For now, Marvel continues to enjoy the success of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. The tape accumulates more than $730 million dollars worldwide. Although the figures are good, they are very far from what was collected by its predecessor, is it a sign of fatigue among the audience?
Of all the projects launched by Marvel this year, which was your favorite? Do you really consider that the characters and stories of the MCU are being overexploited?
Juan Jose Cruz I am one of those who always defended Robert Pattinson as Batman and can see the same movie in the theater up to 7 times. My guilty pleasure? Low budget horror movie.