While the phrase “superhero fatigue” has been getting tossed around for years, the truth is for much of the start of the Marvel cinematic universe, it felt like they could do no wrong. However, for many fans, that golden period finally came to a close after Avengers: Endgame, which some argue felt like a natural conclusion point. Since then, Marvel movies have suffered diminishing returns both critically and financially, but Marvel Studios is not giving up, but rather trying to adapt.
Bringing In The X-Men And Fantastic Four
There have been many painful lessons for Marvel Studios of late, with the most recent being the financial flop The Marvels, which earned the distinct dishonor of becoming the lowest-grossing movie out of all 33 movies in the MCU thus far. Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige is known for having a long-term plan for the movies, so it is no surprise he has been working on corrective action to right the ship. One of the first big shifts has taken time to introduce, but it seems to be one that comic fans are actually excited about again: the return of the X-Men and the Fantastic Four.
A Lot Weighs On Deadpool & Wolverine
Marvel Studios bought up the properties from Fox years ago but has been slow to make a splash with them due to Marvel’s already packed release schedule. Not to mention wanting to take care of two properties that have already received some infamously bad entries during their time at Fox. But Marvel looks poised to restore the faith of their fans with the much-requested crossover Deadpool & Wolverine, which will feature the return of Hugh Jackman as Logan.
Fixing The Jonathan Majors Problem
Another major hurdle Marvel has had to navigate has been drama off the set, courtesy of Jonathan Majors, who looked poised to be the MCU’s newest long-term villain, Kang the Conqueror. While Kang has made several appearances so far, it is up in the air what becomes of the character now that Majors has become persona non grata in Hollywood following a conviction of reckless assault in the third degree and harassment against his former romantic partner. Marvel quickly dropped Majors from all their projects, creating a forced pivot in creative direction of the studio’s future movies.
New Star Power
Meanwhile, Marvel unveiled a first look at the cast of their take on the Fantastic Four, featuring Vanessa Kirby, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Joseph Quinn, and current Hollywood heavyweight Pedro Pascal. If the movie performs well, it could provide some major stars to fill the void left by the departures of Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Evans from the MCU.
Reshoots And New Writers
Marvel also took advantage of the pause in production from the writer’s strike to analyze their projects behind the scenes. Projects like Agatha: Darkhold Diaries and Captain America: New World Order have both received reshoots with the extra time afforded to take a better look at them. They have also brought in reputable writers like Eric Pearson (Thor: Ragnarok), and Joanna Calo (The Bear) to help strengthen some of their current projects.
Will It Work?
It has been obvious that Marvel Studios needs a change in direction to regain fan interest, and they do not seem oblivious to that. After a several-year slump, 2024 has arguably done the most to invigorate fan interest since the last Avengers movie. With pressure on, Marvel looks to be breaking out the big guns to buck a building reputation of their movies becoming formulaic, and looking for a return to glory.
