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Credit: Sony Pictures/Marvel StudiosA lot has been said about the subject of superhero fatigue, especially as it pertains to Marvel Studios and the MCU. Although it’s definitely true that the cinematic universe has gone on for over a decade and a half, how much of the blame can really be put on superhero movies?
The genre itself has always been popular. In fact, many scholars agree that superheroes are our modern mythology. Audiences will always want to see good triumph over evil and underdogs rise above the odds to vanquish their fiendish foes. That being said, the problem facing Marvel studios today isn’t the quantity of heroes, villains, series, and spinoffs, but rather the lack of what made them so special in the first place.
Marvel Misses the Mark
To truly understand what Marvel is dealing with, we have to go all the way back to the Infinity Saga. The battle against Thanos was the apex of the MCU. It was brilliant, phenomenal, every classic Marvel superhero got involved, and everyone was happy. The problem with that is, how do you top perfection?
It’s not that marvel isn’t trying to create good content, but they’re trying to create the next big thing way too quickly. Already, fans are preparing for the Kang Dynasty and the Secret Invasion with barely any time to catch our breath. To quote Mrs. Doubtfire, “let the sheets cool down before you bring someone else into the bed.”
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Because Marvel is trying to hit us with the next big thing so soon, there’s not enough room for characters to grow, resulting in the same routine of superheroes going to other planets/dimensions/realms and beating the daylights out of what ever evil army stands in their way. There’s nothing wrong with big smashy-smashy fight scenes, but it’s shallow without any substance.
Is It Really Superhero Fatigue?
There has been a lot said about the subject of superhero fatigue, especially when it comes to the stuff Marvel has recently released. However, considering superheroes have been a frequent presence in modern media before the invention of the term, can the blame really fall on them?
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James Gunn, director of Guardians of the Galaxy and The Suicide Squad, recently addressed what he believed was Marvel’s biggest problem. The director stated in a recent interview,
“I really want Marvel to keep making good movies. I think it’s really hard in the wake of the Blip. There’s this worldwide, universe-wide event that happened. And in truth, everybody would be stark raving mad at this point. So it’s hard to write stories in the wake of that.”
In short, Marvel’s problem isn’t superhero fatigue, it’s trying to follow up a huge event like “the Blip” without a chance to breathe and build up again.
The Next Big Thing
Not only is James Gunn right, but his way of thinking should be the studio’s natural progression. If Marvel really does want to recreate the success they had with something as big as the Infinity Saga, they need to start over. It took 18 core movies just to get to Infinity War, and now we’re already facing down the barrel of the Secret Invasion and the Kang Dynasty.
By not giving their audience a chance to catch their breath, not giving new characters enough time for creative development, and immediately rushing into the next big thing, Marvel is sacrificing emotional storytelling in favor of blockbuster bucks. That’s why the studio not only risks millions of dollars, but possibly the MCU as a whole.
Does It Matter?
Ever hear of the phrase “too big to fail?” The MCU isn’t just huge, it’s infinite. It’s multiverses upon multiverses, which means that events that play out one way in one will differ exponentially in another. As fascinating as that is, it sucks away a whole lot of meaning.
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If characters like Kang the Conquerer, Doctor Strange, and Loki are able to come back into the fold simply because of the multiverse, then does anything really matter? Where is the risk? The answer doesn’t lie in the fate of the universe, but in the fate of our favorite characters.
Recently, Chris Pratt stated in an interview that he would love to come back and reprise his role as Star-Lord. Take a look at what he said on the matter.
Pratt said,
“[In the MCU] there’s ways for people to come back from the dead. That being said, by saying that I don’t feel like I’m done… What I’m saying is, even if I do die in this, there’s a way to bring me back. So If you’re talking about, like, practically, can Peter Quill come back? The answer will always be yes.”
While there are undoubtedly many fans (this writer included), who adore Star-Lord and the rest of the Guardians, what’s the point of risking their lives if there’s always a way to come back?
On one hand, there is a comforting notion there that even if our favorite characters die, like Heimdal, Groot, Loki, and Doctor Strange, there are ways for them to come back for one more adventure or even just a little bit of fan service. On the other, if whatever’s on the line can just be time-warped back into the MCU, what’s the point if there’s nothing to lose?
Marvel Needs To Step Back
Yes, there are stories yet to be told in the MCU (we’re still waiting for the X-Men to show up), but they don’t all have to involve a Thanos-level threat to be interesting. Marvel has proven that sometimes looking out for the little guy can have a much better narrative than something requiring multiple teams of Avengers to triumph.
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Look at the Guardians of the Galaxy and Spider-Man. Their movies and story arcs are considered highly successful due to one uniting factor, personal conflict and development. It’s not the fact that the world is in danger, but that THEIR world is in danger.
Marvel Leads by Example
It’s not that the MCU needs to cut back on its scale (while that might certainly help), but it definitely needs to pull back its focus onto what really matters. A great example of character-driven storytelling in an immense setting is the Guardians of the Galaxy series. The team of rag-tag Cosmic Avengers spend their time going from one end of the universe to the other, battling alien invaders, monsters, and living planets, but the real focus is the drama amongst themselves.
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One of the strongest elements James Gunn introduced in the franchise is that Star-Lord, Rocket, Groot, Gamora, Drax, and so on all have some sort of trauma they are hiding behind their larger than life personae. Star-Lord has the classic stranger-in-a-strange-land character archetype, Drax will always be mourning the death of his wife and daughter, Groot literally died and came back, Gamora is the daughter of a supervillain, and Rocket is getting a full movie that dives into all his traumatic origins. Get the picture?
It’s only when the team are able to work through their issues together as a found-family unit that they are able to overcome the threat set before them. With a third and final sequel shaping up to be what puts Marvel back in action, the MCU might yet be redeemed if they learn from the formula Gunn and his Guardians perfected.
Back To Basics
“They just don’t make em’ like they used to.” That’s a phrase many superhero fans have heard ad nauseam since Quantumania’s reviews started pouring in. As much as we all enjoy the big, multiversal plots from things like Loki, what’s wrong with a simple good guys versus bad guys narrative?
Case in point, consider what Mr. Peter Parker brings to the table. Remember what his main mission was from Tony Stark? To look out for the little guy by being the Friendly neighborhood Spider-Man.
Look at Spidey’s MCU arc. He starts out as a city-level superhero, then he gets pulled into the multiverse-related stuff gradually. Moreover, the events after No Way Home put him back at the city-level superhero status, but with a touch more appreciation and understanding as to what that lifestyle entails.
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More importantly, look at what made people go absolutely bananas for the third chapter of the Spider-Man saga. No Thanos-level threat, no need for a two-parter film, and no need for a massive body count. It was just well-defined, interesting heroes fighting a rogues gallery of iconic, complex, and entertaining villains.
Where Do We Go From Here?
It goes without saying that Marvel needs to get their priorities straight, unless they want to lose a multimillion dollar franchise. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.3 has a lot riding on it, and they need to make up for the sins of other, less-successful features. It’s not about getting the bigger and better blockbuster movie, it’s about bringing audiences characters and stories they love and care about.
James Gunn said it best,
“It doesn’t have anything to do with whether they’re superhero movies or not. If you don’t have a story at the base of it, just watching things bash each other, no matter how clever those bashing moments are, no matter how clever the designs and the VFX are, it just gets fatiguing…”
Marvel has forgotten what made them such a household name to begin with. Spider-Man, Iron-Man, and Captain America aren’t just powerful characters who can do no wrong and always come out on top like a certain Man of Steel. They are flawed, relatable, interesting individuals who have great power thrust upon them, and with great power comes great responsibility.
Is the MCU too big to fail, or is it time for Marvel to reel it in and proceed with its cutbacks? Let Inside the Magic know what you think in the comments down below!