With MCU Films Delayed, Positive Changes May Be on the Way
Recently, many of Disney announced delays to many of their films, many of which from the MCU. With the exception of Deadpool 3 being pushed up, the MCU slate is being pushed back to 2027. These delays come down to a combination of many things, though most of it ties to the Writer’s Strike. (For more information, check out their site here.) As a basic overview though, it comes partly as a dispute over residuals from streaming media, in addition to limiting the use of AI as a tool, rather than a replacement.
The impacts of the strike affect all aspects of the entertainment industry. Most notably, the MCU is facing delays. As unfortunate as it is, there are many others who view this delay as a blessing in disguise. Why is that?
Quantity of Quality
Following Avengers Endgame and Spider-Man : Far From Home, fans question what’s next for Marvel? Phase 4’s answer came in the form of various shows and movies. Some would say too many projects.
The Infinity Saga, consisting of Phases 1-3, consists of 23 films, all released over the span of 11 years. Reasonably, many would see this as over saturation. However, this is nothing compared to Phase 4, the first major film part of the current Multiverse Saga. Phase 4 saw the release of 7 films, 8 Disney+ shows, and 2 Special Presentations, for a total of 17 projects from 2021 to 2022. That’s almost 3/4 of what the Infinity Saga consists of, all releasing in such a short amount of time, and all of which made primarily by Marvel Studios.
This over saturation is resulting in these projects facing massive quality issues. Writing quality varies from project to project, and the CGI only seems to get worse with each project. Of course, during the pandemic, this amount of content gave consumers something to occupy them while in lock down. However, with the public open again, audiences are looking to make up for lost time out in the world. This is making the poorer quality of the shows and movies that much more noticeable.
Too Much, Too Fast
Tying into this project, so many audiences, and even fans, are having a hard time keeping up with everything Marvel Studios is releasing. During the Infinity Saga, all fans had to follow were the films. These films would release many months out from each other, allowing for time to discuss, digest, and easily follow the greater saga. This also had the effect of allowing the lesser films to not sting as much. Phases 1-3 aren’t perfect, but there was a much better balance of good and mediocre films. Thor : The Dark World isn’t great, but people could move on from it since it still felt important and like effort went into it, and there were other films around it which were good.
With Phases 4 and 5, there’s now more content than ever, but most of it is consistently on the weaker side. She-Hulk, Thor : Love and Thunder, Ant-Man & the Wasp : Quantumania, and Eternals all fall on the weaker end of the MCU, and all were released in such close proximity to one another. Combine this with other projects that many would simply consider okay, like Moon Knight, Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, and What if…? and it’s too much lower end content too quickly. This has been having an effect on other MCU projects that many would consider good. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is fantastic, but the constant string of faltering content has resulted in its lower returns at the box-office.
Should the Multiverse Matter?
The only project to be a runaway success is Spider-Man : No Way Home, however that is more of a Sony project than an MCU and Disney project. It’s also the only project that fully shows the potential of the current saga.
Despite the multiverse being a core aspect of the current MCU, very few projects have made good use of it. Aside from No Way Home, Loki is the only other project to utilize the multiverse in any meaningful capacity. Multiverse of Madness attempts to do so, yet all it amounts to is brief cameos and more questions to the nature of the multiverse. In addition, the primary villain of the saga, Kang, has been underwhelming to say the least.
Despite being set up as the next big, Kang is so far a mixed bag. Not only was he not enough to get people into theaters to watch Quantumania, he is effortlessly beaten despite marketing teasing otherwise. This is partly a result of studio interference, as the ending to that film is different from what was originally shot. Of course, Marvel Studios has a heavy hand in making these films fit into the greater MCU. Yet what makes the Infinity Saga work so well is that most of the films can stand on their own. Even in the films that did tie into the greater story, it still had a personal touch to them. With Phase 4, it feels as though all of these films have far more interference in an effort to make it tie into the greater saga, and as a result, all feel the same.
What Fixes Can Be Made?
One of the reasons why films like Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 feel so refreshing, because it stands on its own and feels like James Gunn’s film. It’s why Spider-Man : No Way Home, something so reliant on fan-service and the multiverse, works, as it’s can be a Spider-Man film first. Meanwhile, most other projects feel like products that just happen to feature the characters as window dressing. Such personal touch is lacking in the greater MCU currently.
Of course, Marvel Studios does seem to recognize many of the issues facing the MCU now, and do seem to be course correcting. Even prior to the Writers Strike, the MCU had begun to delay various projects. These delays of course give the VFX workers more time to make the effects good. Just as important, however, is that it gives writers and directors more time to polish their projects. In addition, the creators likely see the response to films like the Spider-Man (both in and out of the MCU) films and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, and adjusting accordingly.
Simply put, creators need more time and space to make these projects shine. Directors, writers, and the artists that make the MCU should have more time and respect. They need to feel like passion projects, not like another product sent out by executives. That’s what made the Infinity Saga so strong, and that’s what the Multiverse Saga, hopefully, will get back.
Graduated from Point Park University in 2021 with a Degree of English Creative Writing.
Author of the Chronicles of a Broken World Series
Avid Nerd and Enjoyer of All Things Fun and Thoughtful
