Credit: Edited by Inside the MagicMarvel Studios has made multiple announcements after Jonathan Majors was officially dropped as Kang the Conqueror. In the wake of this supervillain scandal, there seems to be a pattern with some of the new titles revealed now that the Kang Dynasty plot is officially dead in the water.
Marvel fans can still look forward to Deadpool and Wolverine (2024), X-Men ’97 arriving on Disney+, and the long-awaited MCU adaptation of the Fantastic Four. However, where the most recent entries in the Marvel Cinematic Universe relied on more cosmic and intergalactic threats on a grand and glorious superhero-sized scale, these new properties reel things back down to earth, and there might be a good reason for it.
Related: Jonathan Majors Reportedly Preparing For Big Hollywood Comeback
After events like Majors’ firing and the dismal performance of The Marvels (2023) at the box office, it seems that Marvel is reconsidering much of its direction regarding which stories the studio brings to the big screen. As former Marvel darling James Gunn pointed out, the lack of emotional weight is what is doing the most harm. Marvel is remedying that by pulling focus back towards character-driven projects after plans for the Kang arc were reportedly torched.
Supervillain Scandal Shakes Marvel Studios
In the aftermath of Jonathan Majors’ firing after his domestic violence case, an article from The Hollywood Reporter announced that Marvel is essentially “retooling” its brand with a new slew of characters like Deadpool, the X-Men, and the Fantastic Four.
The report shares how much the actor’s fall from grace has affected the studio,
“Just over a year ago, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania was set to take Marvel Studios to the next level. A new villain was going to be introduced, setting the stage for several years’ worth of storytelling. And the movie itself was a giant-sizing of a franchise that was previously modest in scope. Instead, the Peyton Reed-directed movie heralded a year’s worth of missteps, box office blunders and PR nightmares. It was all uncharted territory for Marvel, which had steadily been generating box office gold for 15 years.”
As both Marvel and Disney wrestle with the PR catastrophe, revealing a period-piece variant of the Fantastic Four set in the 1960s suggests a soft reboot for the MCU. Pair that with the addition of a new adaptation of the ’90s X-Men show and Deadpool uniting with a similarly-designed Wolverine, and it seems like Marvel might be getting back to basics.
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Moreover, because these projects find their identity in their iconic heroes, it might be safe to assume that Marvel Studios is finally taking the hint and pulling its gaze toward character-driven plots rather than Thanos-level threats.
As James Gunn told Rolling Stone,
“It has to do with the kind of stories that get to be told, and if you lose your eye on the ball, which is character. We love Superman. We love Batman. We love Iron Man. Because they’re these incredible characters that we have in our hearts.”
Fans loved Hugh Jackman as Wolverine, so of course they went bananas when he showed up alongside Deadpool when their movie was announced. Additionally, fans have been craving an MCU Fantastic 4 for years, and what better way to introduce Marvel’s First Family than by taking them back to the period they premiered?
But Is It a Reboot?
With that all in mind, does that necessarily mean a reboot is happening? According to The Hollywood Reporter, “Execs are not calling it a reboot, not even a soft one, but more of a creative retooling.” Still, feels like reboot behavior if the studio wants to get back to basics with some of its superheroes.
Related: Sony Axes ‘Spider-Man’ Project, Shifts Focus to Male Fans
It might not be an entire reshaping of Earth 616 but a new jump-point in the Marvel Multiverse. If Disney and Marvel are genuinely looking to refocus, reminding their fanbase why they love these classic characters in the first place by going back to the fundamentals of the genre might be the best way to start.
Do you think this is the right direction for Marvel to take? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!