Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania It disappointed in more ways than one. For one thing, it didn’t get the box office success that the Marvel Cinematic Universe he needed to open his phase five. More worryingly, it failed to meet the studio’s creative expectations. The third adventure of Paul Rudd’s character was supposed to be in charge of showing new settings and exploring the multiverse and the villain of the next franchise productions. But the movie has been a flop for Marvel.
Peyton Reed’s feature film could barely show the Quantum Realm, without delving beyond its context. The promised exploration of its rules, limits and properties became a marginal element without much weight in the plot. Neither was the presence of Kang, the conqueror.
Despite the central role of the villain played by Jonathan Majors, there were obvious contradictions in the way of analyzing his abilities. Was it the more powerful version of the mysterious figure? The two post-credit scenes presented as many variants, but none indicated the path it will take Marvel when narrating its multiversal phase. Will it be a fight against the multiple versions of the traveler between dimensions? A reinvention of the constant presence of Kangas detailed in the comics?
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Beyond the above, Marvel’s failure is also a dangerous milestone in the hitherto successful superhero saga. With two feature films still due for release this year and more than fifteen projects in early production, the franchise needed creative success. One that encompassed possible risks such as the introduction of new heroes, teams, and plots. Could what happened to Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania delay or modify plans Marvel in the next ten years? Everything points to yes.
Marvel’s failure is reflected in a schedule delay
There are some clear indications that Marvel’s failure to close the trilogy of ant man it is more than just a setback in a long string of successes. In March, Bob Iger stated that there would be changes in the way franchise content is produced. So he announced a drastic reduction in the number of movies and series that will be released in the next two years.
In various statements, the CEO of Disney mentioned the investment of the company in its most profitable brands. But, specifically, because from now on, quality and not quantity will be the objective of the productions. This includes returning to a structure that has already proven to be successful, such as the one in the first phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The initial releases of the saga were spaced in four years and had a spectacular closure in The Avengers by Joss Whedon.
The problems of the new calendar
This is a decision that affects the releases in the next five years of the franchise. The studio, which had plans to introduce at least six new characters across multiple projects in 2023, will need to rethink its strategy. Something that was evident in the announcement that only two series will be released a year, which includes the second season of Loki and secret invasion. None of the productions has a specific date for its premiere on the multiscreen.
As for what’s new on the big screen, Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3 It will arrive in May, as planned. But The Marvels, announced for July, is postponed until November. There was no specific reason for the date change, but there were rumors that the production required more post-production work. After the failure of Marvel, it is the definitive demonstration that the franchise tries to space out its projects to avoid saturation.
But the problem goes beyond the feared phenomenon of fatigue regarding the superhero genre. Marvel’s failure seems to have to do with the saga having lost its ability to reinvent its formula. The amount of new content he created over the last five years was just expansive, very fast, not very detailed, and not allowing fans to understand the new narrative rhythm of the saga.
The vast number of figures, circumstances, and situations spilled over into dozens of loose ends that the released films did not conclude or explore. The closing of the fourth phase and the beginning of the fifth have made clear the failure of Marvel and the creative problems that the franchise must solve to ensure the ambitious continuity of its saga.
The permanence of the highest grossing franchise is at stake after the failure of Marvel
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania it disappointed in collection, but much more in its creative section. With a weak script and more than questionable special effects, the premise of the new world to discover fell short. Which makes it inevitable to wonder what will happen to the arguments of large projects in the short term.
the stories of Blade, Sentry and its dark reverse, The Voidthe arrival of the fantastic four or the thunderbolts. The next characters in the franchise need strong narratives, capable of encompassing the enormous amount of previous information. Also creative risks that move their films away from the traditional studio formula. Will Marvel assume these challenges after its failure?
The saga is going through a period of failed projects that go beyond the failure of the latest installment of Marvel’s miniature superhero. Many of the projects that came to try to renew the saga did not succeed. moon knightwhich was the franchise’s first real attempt to enter darker, more mature terrain, got off to a promising start but lost steam as it became apparent that its plot could not encompass all the themes it proposed.
The same thing happened with Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, which was unable to deliver on its premise of exploring Marvel’s countless alternate realities. Sam Raimi’s film ended up being the incomplete scenario of a failed redemption story, despite the fact that its director managed to add his characteristic stamp to the plot, more sinister than any other in the franchise.
What is the reason for Marvel’s failure? An ambition that lacks quality
Eternalsby Chloe Zhao, tried to bring the tone of an arthouse film to a superhero film and failed. Thor: Love and Thunder wanted to repeat the success of ragnarok increasing the elements that made the latter successful. But the result was an erratic mix of tone and theme in a chaotic script. Something similar to what happened with She-Hulk: Lawyer She-Hulkthe first real sign of deterioration and subsequent failure of Marvel. The series was criticized even before its premiere for poor technical and visual quality.
Likewise, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, considered the best film of phase four, is notoriously inferior to its predecessor. Despite its moving tribute to the late Chadwick Boseman, it lacked coherence and was criticized for its clumsy narrative. Much more when the sober script tried to relate the arrival of new characters in a hasty and clumsy way. The combination turned out to be superficial and without any significance for the future.
Each of the aforementioned productions were creative experiments that fell apart because of a simple premise or lackluster visuals. Phase five, the most complex of all so far, will be a challenge that Marvel must assume from an uncertain starting point. How will the franchise be able to create a multiverse if it still contradicts its own rules? How will Marvel overcome the failure of staging and storytelling if it seems to repeat itself from movie to movie?
A pessimistic look to the future
On Monday, March 20, the departure of Victoria Alonso, president of Physics, post production, VFX and animation at Marvel Studios. The executive joined the company in 2005 and was the producer of several of the studio’s greatest hits. From Hombre de Hierro and its immediate sequel, until Thor and Captain America the First Avenger. His work marked a milestone in the style and aesthetics of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
At the same time, it embodied a type of evolution in the way of analyzing the characters of the saga. In her most recent appearance in the series Power M he addressed his work and the places to which he took particular interest. In the four-chapter documentary, he not only delved into the importance of his efforts regarding representation and inclusion. She also did it in the relevance that she gave, in recent years, to the role of women in the franchise.
The fact that the producer abandons the future plans of Marvel after his failure it could mean a reconfiguration of the formula of his stories. Specifically, a turnaround that comes at a difficult time for the franchise. In all probability, a new stage that poses the challenge of overcoming creative obstacles in the midst of what seems to be a fundamental transformation.
Decisions that will affect more than a decade of work
For now, it is clear that Marvel it has begun to take measures that will allow it to overcome the stumbling block. With the promise of better movies and series in a less rushed span of time, it’s clear the franchise is striving to regain its footing. Also, that he admits — tacitly — that there is a problem in his way of presenting projects for the coming years. But is it possible to repair the damage done by Marvel’s failure?
He Marvel Cinematic Universe It is the most successful of current cinema. It is a unique phenomenon of interconnected stories that innovates its possibilities on the fly. However, with 31 feature films released, he must learn from his mistakes and manage to make amends.
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Something you’ll be able to do if you can find a way to keep your formula fresh for the new audience you need to captivate. And, at the same time, meet the high expectations of its most die-hard fans. Will he get it? It is the great unknown that the study faces. The integrity of a franchise that, right now, is teetering dangerously.
