2
Credit: Marvel StudiosDespite not actually being a fan of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), horror novelist Stephen King is standing up for director Nia DaCosta’s latest outing, The Marvels (2023), after the comic book sequel suffered the worst opening weekend in franchise history, blasting the “adolescent fanboys” who are rooting for its failure at the box office.
Marvel Studios’ Box Office Woes and MCU “Reboot”
It’s no secret that Marvel Studios has found itself in hot water recently, having mostly failed to replicate the same magic that made its critically acclaimed Infinity Saga so unforgettable, which culminated over ten years of storytelling in the Russo Brothers’ Avengers: Endgame (2019). With its Multiverse Saga currently underway, the pressure is on for the MCU to turn things around, and fast, with Avengers: The Kang Dynasty (2026) on the not-so-distant horizon.
Admittedly, it’s hard to pinpoint where exactly things went wrong for the Disney-owned subsidiary, but many place the blame on the studio’s many Disney+ shows, which saw Marvel really start to falter in terms of quality storytelling. Although the Tom Hiddleston-fronted Loki and Emmy darling WandaVision have proved to be massive hits for the streaming platform, entries like She-Hulk: Attorney at Law and Secret Invasion didn’t fare nearly as well, losing Disney and Marvel enormous sums of money.
Related: Marvel Fans Point Out Sexist Double Standard Over ‘The Marvels’
Now, with over 20 TV shows, two Disney+ specials, and 33 films, casual viewers will probably have difficulty keeping up with the convoluted time travel shenanigans as the MCU paves the way for the Multiverse Saga. While the various MacGuffins, Easter eggs, cameos, and pseudoscientific explanations of superpowers used to be fun, now, they feel like homework to even the most loyal fans, many of whom are steadily losing track of “who’s who” and “what’s what.”
To counter this, Walt Disney Company CEO Bob Iger has announced that rather than doubling down on its streaming strategy, specifically regarding its biggest IPs — Marvel and Star Wars — the company will invest heavily in its parks as part of its cost-cutting initiatives. This, combined with the now-resolved SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes that postponed much of its release slate, means we’ll see substantially fewer MCU projects on the big screen and Disney+ in 2024.
Related: Marvel Quietly Hides First Tease of ‘Avengers: Kang Dynasty’
A damning exposé published by Variety earlier this month also detailed the rumored behind-the-scenes drama that took place on The Marvels set, claiming that DaCosta wasn’t even present for the blockbuster’s post-production and, instead, was already hard at work on her next film. Additionally, the report claimed that Marvel execs held a “retreat” to discuss their disastrous Jonathan Majors PR nightmare, with there allegedly being talks of recasting his role as supervillain Kang the Conqueror.
Audiences Are Divided Over ‘The Marvels’
So, following this less-than-favorable internet chatter, on top of a string of box office flops, including Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023) and now, The Marvels, it makes sense why Marvel has become laughably easy for critics to poke fun at. But while some criticism is justifiable, the Captain Marvel (2019) sequel is facing the brunt of it, with the more “toxic” side of the MCU fanbase being outright sexist, crass, and, frankly, unfair when sharing their reviews online.
The Marvels is currently breaking records for all the wrong reasons, marking both the MCU’s shortest theatrical entry and the franchise’s worst-performing movie to date. So far, the movie has recorded the lowest-ever North American opening weekend box office for any MCU film, raking in an estimated $47 million over its first three days in US and Canadian cinemas. This means it has officially displaced The Incredible Hulk as the MCU’s worst recorded opening, which managed just $55.4m on its release in June 2008.
But does its abysmal box office haul suggest that The Marvels is bad? Well, not exactly. The film has audiences divided, with some praising its fun, low-stakes romp through space and its callbacks to the days of MCU past. Meanwhile, others have bashed its forgettable villain (played by Zawe Ashton), tired, by-the-books Marvel formula, and its so-called “woke” female-led story, which stars multiple women of color.
Brie Larson’s Carol Danvers (AKA Captain Marvel) has always struggled to find her part in the greater MCU mosaic, and it makes sense why Marvel would enlist the help of Ms. Marvel breakout star Iman Vellani, who plays the hilariously charming Kamala Khan (AKA Ms. Marvel), and WandaVision alum Teyonah Parris, who plays Carol’s pseudo-niece, Monica Rambeau, for the lighthearted team-up flick.
Still, even though Parris, Vellani, and Larson have undeniable onscreen chemistry, The Marvels barely scraped past a 60% Tomatometer score on Rotten Tomatoes; regular viewers were, however, more forgiving, with the film currently holding an 84% audience rating.
Many were quick to bash the movie in the lead-up to its premiere on November 10, with Carol Danvers still being one of the most universally despised heroes in the MCU. And with the wave of overwhelmingly negative press surrounding Marvel Studios, some skeptics prayed for The Marvels’ failure. Now that it’s performing poorly at the box office, bullies have gotten their wish — depending on how you look at it. But an unexpected ally is refusing to give them the satisfaction.
Legendary Author Defends ‘The Marvels,’ Calls Out “Adolescent Fanboy Hate”
Horror mastermind Stephen King recently chimed in on the seemingly nonstop internet discourse surrounding The Marvels, asking the very valid question of why so-called MCU “fans” are so desperate to see the movie tank at the box office.
The legendary author behind “Carrie” and “The Shining” took to X (the platform formerly known as Twitter) Sunday morning to address the “very unpleasant” reactions to The Marvels’ low box office numbers, questioning why exactly so many people are “gloating” over its failure:
I don’t go to MCU movies, don’t care for them, but I find this barely masked gloating over the low box office for THE MARVELS very unpleasant. Why gloat over failure?
I don’t go to MCU movies, don’t care for them, but I find this barely masked gloating over the low box office for THE MARVELS very unpleasant. Why gloat over failure?
— Stephen King (@StephenKing) November 12, 2023
King continued, suggesting that the sheer amount of hatred aimed toward The Marvels could be due to “adolescent fanboy hate,” with some MCU fans being reluctant to see a trio of super-powered women taking charge in an action-adventure flick:
Some of the rejection of THE MARVELS may be adolescent fanboy hate. You know, “Yuck! GIRLS!”
Some of the rejection of THE MARVELS may be adolescent fanboy hate. You know, "Yuck! GIRLS!"
— Stephen King (@StephenKing) November 13, 2023
It’s not exactly surprising that some users weren’t impressed with King’s take on The Marvels, which garnered some strong reactions across social media. While King didn’t even share his opinions on the film — or note if he actually watched it, at that — he instead chose to examine audiences’ strange desire to see it bomb at the box office, leading many to accuse him of kissing Disney’s boots, possibly, in hopes of scoring an adaptation with the entertainment giant.
Whether or not you agree, there is a grain of truth to King’s remarks. There’s no denying that women in the MCU have historically been underrepresented, and whenever the studio does try to diversify their stories by adding female heroines, it’s met with scathing criticism from, primarily men, in a strange effort to gatekeep the superhero genre for themselves.
This corner of popular culture has historically been on the receiving end of bullying and countless “nerd” jokes, which could explain why longtime comic fans are such staunch defenders of the MCU and what it’s evolved into over the years now that liking Marvel content is “mainstream.” Others, simply put, are most likely just hesitant to see women in positions of authority in the first place.
It’s also worth noting that it took the studio over ten years to release a women-led MCU solo movie with Captain Marvel, boasting not only the first female Avenger but also the franchise’s first solo female director, so some of the blame should certainly be placed on Marvel’s shoulders for taking such a long time to debut a solo superhero film — and for fumbling Carol Danvers’ characterization in her first solo film.
Although protagonists like Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), Shuri (Letitia Wright), and Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) all received fleshed-out character arcs of their own, there’s no denying that at least, for some period of time, they existed mainly within the frame of the men around them. The Marvels flips this troubling trend on its head, instead featuring three women who make mistakes, show emotion, and work through their problems to help save the day.
Ultimately, The Marvels was an easy target for the toxic side of the fanbase, with frustrated moviegoers wiping off their larger frustrations with the MCU on the comic book sequel itself rather than Marvel Studios. While criticisms of the film are, of course, valid, it’s important to recognize that there’s a fine line between pointing out what could’ve been better about a story and flat-out refusing to acknowledge the positive elements of the movie because it’s “mid” or “woke.”
With the odds stacked against the Marvel Studios blockbuster, only time will tell if The Marvels can turn things around before it leaves theaters. Either way, filmmakers can rest assured knowing they have a cheerleader in Stephen King.
The Marvels is now playing in select theaters.
What do you think of Stephen King defending The Marvels? Share your reaction in the comments below!