Credit: Marvel StudiosOne Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023) breakout star is letting his thoughts known when it comes to criticism of the MCU’s Phase Four, putting haters on blast for confusing the argument of “quantity over quality.”
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 landed in theaters on May 5, 2023, and has already proved a smash hit for Marvel Studios. Director James Gunn’s final rendevous in the MCU is earning rave reviews from both critics and fans, with many praising its highly emotional story, stunning visual effects, and heartfelt performances from its main ensemble.
Watch the official trailer for Marvel Studios’ Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 below:
Along with Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Bradley Cooper, and other actors who reprised their Guardians roles for the film, Vol. 3 also introduced a fan-favorite comic books hero to the MCU: Adam Warlock, played by Will Poulter.
Vol. 3 earning such overwhelmingly positive reviews is certainly a welcome change of pace for Marvel, which has suffered a long string of less-than-impressive cinematic endeavors and box office “flops” in recent years. Two Phase Four releases—2021’s Eternals and the Taika Waititi-led Thor threequel, Love and Thunder (2022)—are among the lowest-ranked MCU projects of all time.
More recently, Phase Five’s Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023) also failed to strike a chord with fans, and currently sits at a meager 47% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Not to mention Marvel’s ever-expanding slate of Disney+ shows, many of which failed to win over the hearts of audiences.
Fans didn’t hold back when it came to expressing their concerns over the MCU’s new wave of projects, with many taking to social media to slam the poor VFX, sloppy storylines, and uninspired performances. Online discourse about the future of the MCU has continued to escalate, with some even “giving up” on the franchise and its slate of upcoming releases.
With this in mind, it’s safe to say that Marvel’s trial-and-error approach to Phase Four wasn’t exactly a crowd-pleaser, especially in the aftermath of the critically-acclaimed Infinity Saga. But Will Poulter is making it known that the superhero studio “really [does] care” about quality, as exemplified by Vol. 3.
Speaking with Josh Horowitz on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Poulter got candid about his thoughts on the explosive wave of criticism surrounding the MCU’s Phase Four.
During the interview, the franchise newcomer subtly addressed the post-Infinity Saga backlash, coming to Marvel’s defense by pointing out that the “folks at the top” are “deeply and passionately invested in the quality of the material:”
So, Marvel have been super supportive of that and they really, really do care about the quality. They’re not just looking to like churn things out nilly-willy. I think the size of Marvel and the scope of their programming is so large that sometimes people can kind of, sort of confuse that for quantity over quality. But the folks at the top are, I mean, deeply and passionately invested in the quality of the material… James [Gunn] is a prime example of that.
Much of this criticism stems from accusations that the studio mistreats their creative team. Marvel came under fire for overworking employees—especially VFX artists—in summer of last year after the studio was accused of having “unworkable” deadlines and immense pressure leading to “unsatisfactory final products.”
Disney+’s She-Hulk: Attorney at Law seemed to serve as a prime example of overworked VFX employees, with Tatiana Maslany’s Jennifer Walters appearing seemingly rushed and unfinished whenever she was in her She-Hulk form. Visuals for Love and Thunder, Quantumania, and even Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022) faced similar quality issues.
In contrast, Vol. 3 looks substantially better than even Quatumania, which came out just months prior. Is this a sign of promising things to come for the MCU?
Well, according to Poulter, yes. But only time will tell if Marvel is actually committed to making serious changes in their upcoming releases, or if Poulter is perhaps just blinded by the light of joining such a renowned studio. Or maybe, Vol. 3 really does just have that James Gunn magic.
Either way, Marvel Studios’ approach to quality indicate that the studio has the tools to recover after a sluggish start in Phase Four, especially on the heels of Vol. 3. Fans can only hope that the superhero studio can keep up the momentum as Phase Five continues on.
What do you think of Will Poulter’s comments about the MCU’s Phase Four? Do you believe him? Share your thoughts in the comments below.