Credit: UniversalFast X, the latest film in the Fast and Furious franchise, just saw its theatrical release. Originally thought to be the final installment of the franchise, it’s been confirmed that the finale will actually be a trilogy, so fans can expect at least three more films to come from Vin Diesel and Dwayne Johnson.
A Comic Con interview with Michelle Rodriguez is making the rounds on social media for drawing comparisons between the Fast and Furious franchise and Marvel. In the interview, Rodriguez asks “how many Marvel movies can you make?” and saying the studio has to get “innovative.” The clip has gotten a wide variety of responses, with some drawing attention to the fact that Fast and Furious now has 10 films in the franchise while constantly facing criticism and others pointing out just how many Marvel movies there actually are.
the mcu has 32 films https://t.co/ecO8uLjB5F
— Irishman Carl (@bornposting) May 21, 2023
Twitter user @bornposting retweeted the screenshot, saying “the mcu has 32 films” and comparing it to James Bond, a franchise that has been around for over 50 years and only has 25 films. Iron Man came out in 2008, effectively kicking off the MCU as we know it. Currently, there are 32 films already released, with another eight set for the next two years. This doesn’t include the 11 Disney+ series that tie into the films either.
Marvel Studios has released that much content in just the past 15 years. While they have a ton of material to pull from thanks to the already existing massive collection of comics, it’s still a lot for one studio to be creating. There have been more discussions popping up lately in regard to this, with many citing Marvel or superhero fatigue. The superhero genre has been the biggest genre for films since the mid-2000s, and with the MCU constantly building up to a grand event, it’s no wonder fans are tired.
While the comments under the Twitter post argued that Marvel movies are pulling from tons of existing content and always building towards bigger stories while Fast and Furious “is literally the same dudes driving faster and faster.” Marvel has already started to course-correct their release schedule by delaying several upcoming projects and switching focus back to theatrical films instead of Disney+ content. Although Fast and Furious is expected to be wrapping up with their next three films, fans are already over it. Which begs the question: how many more big-franchise, universe-building films can fans take without a significant break?
What do you think about Rodriguez’s comments on Marvel? Share your thoughts in the comments below!