With the recent release of new episodes of the Marvel series “Loki,” fans are hoping for a successful second season. However, many of Marvel’s other recent releases have been less than stellar. Now, fans are wondering: how is the MCU going to change and will we still enjoy the new stories that are being released?
Marvel began with large-scale action movies, such as “Iron Man” and “Captain America: The First Avenger,” but has now converted predominantly to TV series, such as “WandaVision” and “What If?” This has changed the landscape of the MCU and what it offers to the public. Is this a part of the problem with the MCU’s success?
As a fan, part of the experience of watching new Marvel movies was the atmosphere of the movie theater. I loved sitting down with my friends or family and watching intense action films on the big screen, with great sound and comfy chairs to sit in. However, with many of the shows being released on Disney+, the experience has become less exciting. This stems from the COVID-19 pandemic when many fans were unable to go to theaters. Unfortunately, by making the content more accessible, it also became less like a novelty and instead feels generic. Many fans are not experiencing the grandeur that once accompanied Marvel movies.
Throughout this transition from the original MCU to its new era, instead of working harder to accomplish the same effect that their older movies have to offer, some of their shows and newer movies are lackluster. Marvel has made a name for itself, and in doing so, has been using that fame to cover up their sub-par work. After churning out many great films, Marvel is being squashed under its own weight; they are trying to keep their audiences engaged but are not putting in enough effort to do so. Marvel should be working harder on their new content instead of trusting their name to save them.
After “Avengers: Endgame,” many of the well-known actors and actresses have vanished from the MCU and newcomers are attempting to pick up where they left off. However, I think that results in an issue: why are they trying to recreate what was already so good? Fans are waiting to see if the actors and actresses have done a good job replacing previous favorites, but that is not the best outlook to have.
Fans should be allowing the new members of the MCU to make their own mark, not pushing them into filling big shoes. Rather than attempting to recreate the old style of their greatest box-office sellers, Marvel should be envisioning and producing novel content that viewers can connect with. Instead of looking back on their predecessors, incoming actors and actresses should be paving the way toward a bigger and brighter future that they form on their own.
Even though Marvel is still faring well, some people do not wish to put in the effort of watching many of the preceding movies to understand what is happening in the MCU now. Others believe that “the new pace is relentless” and offers little relief. This creates an issue with viewership. If no younger viewers are motivated to watch the new era of Marvel, then how else can viewership remain high? Some fans will become less interested, as we have seen, and there will be no fresh eyes to witness the new content.
So the question remains: how can Marvel change while still satisfying old and new viewers alike? First, Marvel should focus on the future and work diligently on their new era of ideas and actors rather than attempting to ride the high that they had in the recent past. Additionally, Marvel should be more accessible to a newer fanbase. Instead of feeling overwhelmed with the 32 preceding movies, the latest fans should be able to jump right into the MCU. In the same way, current fans should be open to new and changing content as well.
Hopefully, with the release of “Loki” and the anticipation of other content, Marvel will flourish again with new actors and a new outlook.
