The release of “Avengers Endgame” in 2019 shocked the Internet and Marvel fans around the globe by tying up loose ends and concluding the canon timeline, albeit tragically. However, Marvel did not stop there: They continue to produce movies outside of the original timeline. Eventually, Marvel used up every unique idea the writers could think of, and after the death of Stan Lee and the sell-out of Marvel to Disney, the franchise took a turn for the worse. Now, Marvel releases movies such as 2023’s “The Marvels,” which averaged only $200 million globally, whereas “Iron Man,” their first movie ever produced, managed to bring in $500 million. A steady decline in ratings and views remains evident since the end of Phase Three of Marvel.
“I think the [new Marvel movies] are just not as good, Marvel set a bar with”Endgame ” and “Infinity War” and every movie before but they are just missing everytime now. Some of the Marvel series like “Loki” and “WandaVision” were good, I liked those. But all the other[series] were just miss after miss. I think [quality wise] the script writing and the characterization feels forced. Most actors are the same, but the issue is the script and the writers, they seem like they are trying to keep up with the younger generation. The Multiverse started off really strong but then quickly went down hill,” freshman Matheus Correia said.
Of course, a portion of fans believe Marvel still produces stellar media. They believe that the Multiverse gimmick provides an enticing complexity to the timeline. However, the majority of fans agree Marvel washed out the idea quickly. Each film provides yet another take on the exact same topic. Every film follows the heroes through a series of conflicts based around fending off multiversal threats or keeping the timeline safe. After a while, all originality drains from the universe, leaving fans upset and discontented with the MCU.
After the release of “Endgame,” “Black Widow” took to the screen in 2021. However, the new film only grossed $67 million for Disney. The reason for such a drastic drop in money remains unclear but speculations circulate. The idea that Marvel ended after “Endgame” became a popular opinion among fans of the universe, the death of Iron Man and the exit of Captain America as a character left Marvel with little to no room for future films. But, Marvel decided to continue producing movies and now newer films feel like cash grabs rather than the masterpieces of Phases One through Three. The discontent of fans remains evident in the steady decline of views and box office earnings. Now, Marvel creates movies about side characters and various spin-off shows that tanked in views. No one cares about “Hawkeye,” yet Marvel released a six-episode spin-off series following the hero and his adventures.
Yet again Disney digs its claws into an amazing franchise and ruins it by introducing a kid-friendly approach. They toned down the violence and coarse language in order to appeal to a younger audience; for example, in “Brave New World,” Marvel simplifies the script and banter between stars to create an easier-to-follow conversation. In addition to the simplification of complex themes, Marvel now pursues unnecessary and poorly developed side plots in a desperate attempt to continue the story.
While the justification for the continuous film release remains understandable, the fanbase and Marvel’s wallet suffer for it. Such a long-lasting franchise cannot stop releasing films cold turkey, however, the turn Marvel took proved detrimental to its success. Once they sold out to Disney and Stan Lee died, the films became diluted and monotonous. In the Multiverse Saga, which began in 2021, Marvel released eleven films in total. Of these, three films directly referenced the Multiverse. The Multiverse gimmick becomes overused and unoriginal as the saga progresses. Each film faces identical issues, identical villains and identical topics each time and the fandom grows bored.
“Older Marvel movies are still good, the recent misses do not take away from the quality of the older films. I feel like the current movies are still entertaining, they are satire and they still have good jokes and the plot still moves along well. Some of the new movies were not really hits because they did not feel as original. But I still enjoy the new movies, sure they are not the golden era movies we had before, but they are still good,” sophomore Daniella Perez said.
Ultimately, Marvel ruined itself. The franchise did not always produce lackluster films, but ever since “Endgame” it only continued to decline in quality and originality. The ruination becomes evident in viewing numbers, total grossing and overall ratings within the franchise. People do not want to see another washed-out and uninteresting film where Marvel desperately attempts to cling to relevance.
