Bob Iger shared his thoughts on how Disney can get the Marvel universe back on track, but there is one important detail he forgot to mention.

Disney has a plan for fixing superhero fatigue and getting the MCU back on track, but there is one thing the studio also needs to address. The MCU is in a tough spot right now. It’s coming off of its biggest box office bomb ever with The Marvels and has several recent projects like Secret Invasion and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania that have received mixed to poor reviews. In a conference hosted by Morgan Stanley (via The Hollywood Reporter), Disney CEO Bob Iger addressed the MCU’s downward trend, saying it’s not superhero fatigue but mediocrity fatigue.

Iger’s statement is correct in many ways. Audiences didn’t turn up to superhero movies in 2023 as much as in earlier years and likely elected to go to films with better reviews, like Barbie and Oppenheimer. Dune: Part 2 is another example of a film that received excellent reviews from critics and audiences and performed well in its opening weekend. While Iger does have the right mindset to fix Marvel going forward, he didn’t mention one key issue that many studios may be afraid to admit.

Disney’s Plans Don’t Address Inflating Superhero Movie Budgets

Natasha Romanoff in the ruins of the Red Room in Black Widow One problem Iger didn’t mention is the ballooning budgets that recent MCU films and other superhero movies have had. Many of these films have budgets of $200 million or more, making it hard for them to be successful, even if they perform well at the box office. For example, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom made $434 million at the worldwide box office, but due to its $215 million budget, it barely broke even.

If Disney wants its blockbusters to be successful, it needs to find a way to make great MCU movies while keeping the budget under control. Of course, how to tackle that is another question. Audiences expect spectacle, so toning down special effects budgets (and already-hurting field of work) seems risky. However, telling more street-level stories could help keep finances in check.

Audiences Are Tired Of Mediocre Superhero Movies, But Not The Genre Overall

Ezra Miller's Barry Allen generating lightning in The Flash

Those who dislike the superhero genre may have rejoiced after seeing the 2023 box office. Many superhero films flopped during the year, but it’s not due to superhero fatigue. Every comic book movie that failed, such as The Flash, The Marvels, Shazam: Fury of the Gods, Quantumania, and Blue Beetle, received middling reviews at best. Word of mouth plays an important role in a film’s box office, and audiences likely don’t feel the need to spend their time and money on another mediocre superhero movie.

However, audiences did show up for the superhero films, which received praise from critics. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 and Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse performed well at the box office, showing there’s still interest in good superhero blockbusters. These films are also sequels to excellent franchises, so audiences have trust in their track record. Recently, Deadpool & Wolverine broke the record for most trailer views in 24 hours with 365 million, proving that the superhero genre isn’t dead. People want great films in franchises they love, MCU or otherwise.