Fans of one of Marvel’s most charismatic characters are eagerly awaiting the eventual return of Deadpool to the big screen. It has been four years since Deadpool 2 was released, and Deadpool 3 still has no release date. Disney’s acquisition of 21st Century Fox certainly changed the game for the franchise, but Ryan Reynold’s Deadpool is still set to make his highly-anticipated return in the Marvel Cinematic Universe this time around.
So far, we know that Free Guy‘sShawn Levy will direct the Deadpool threequel, and Deadpool’s original writers are returning to help pen the script. Little else is known about the film, but the official Deadpool Movie Twitter account recently teased a “Deadpool 3 update.” The image features actor Rob Delaney’s character Peter in a room full of Ryan Reynolds-related easter eggs. The post states: “We’ve nailed down brand integrations. Story, character, and script next!” See the full post below:
Deadpool 3 update: We’ve nailed down brand integrations. Story, character, and script next! pic.twitter.com/ArXHLk01lq
The easter eggs certainly highlight Reynolds’ many business ventures. Peter is shown wearing a Mint Mobile jacket, a bottle of Aviation Gin is shown on the table, Maximum Effort, MNTN software, and a poster referencing the football club Wrexham AFC, which Reynolds co-owns. While there is not much to go on in terms of actual updates about Deadpool 3, it could potentially be a sign that more information is coming soon.
There have been a lot of discussions surrounding Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness‘ box office development. Yes, it did face a harsh drop in its second weekend but as The Numbers pointed out, many frontloaded projects have tended to face harsher drops and Forbes made a good point on people expecting either an Avengers-level crossover film or a cameo fiesta like Spider-Man: No Way Home. Throw in the strong horror elements that may not jell with some general audiences, you end up with a B+ CinemaScore and people hoping for more, as such slowing down the word-of-mouth. Throw in a rather dead weekend with little competition.
Still, the film opened as the 11th highest opening ever at the domestic box office. Even if it’s the second weekend was below The Batman‘s stronghold, the film is still not slowing down as it has now passed the $700M club. As of now, the film has garnered $297M domestically and $406M internationally. So, it managed to pull in the missing $12M to pass the benchmark it just barely missed over the weekend.
There’s something fascinating about the discussions surrounding box office numbers. Even while Multiverse of Madness will very likely not pass the billion mark, it’s by far still a success for Marvel Studios. It already passed the box office of its original release, which stood at a strong $676M and is very likely going to move around the $900M mark. So, it is a definite increase from one film to the next even if it’s been six years between sequels.
The MCU’s connected universe gives these films the benefit of sustaining franchises even with larger gaps due to ongoing appearances and staying relevant to viewers. We’ll see if Thor: Love and Thunder may soar with the expectations of the multiverse finally dropped from a new release.
It must’ve been hard for many of the actors that appeared as part of the Illuminati in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness to stay silent. That especially goes for Anson Mount, who was able to return to the role of Black Bolt, which he only briefly got to play in the ill-received 2017 Inhumans series. Now that enough people are talking about the big moments in the film, Mount has taken to his Twitter account to share his enthusiasm for returning to the role, as well as confirm that it was Marvel Studios CEO Kevin Feige that invited him back to return to the role.
Finally able to discuss this w/out providing too many spoilers. Getting the call from @Kevfeige was one of the most unexpected of my life. It was an honor & joy to finally work w/ Sam Raime who reached out to engage me on how best to do this. Beyond grateful for the experience 🤯 pic.twitter.com/aRIwr8A4E7
It definitely was a great surprise and a deep cut for those that remembered the failed ABC series, which only ran for one season. Multiverse of Madness managed to not only bring him back to the role but even update his costume to be a lot closer to that from the comics. Yes, he even had his iconic fork on the mark, which Doctor Strange was quick to make fun of. He even went out in the most gruesome way, and it seems he had a lot of fun working with director Sam Raimi on bringing the character to life.
We even got a comic-accurate version of his powers, which were given a very memorable visual flourish to stand out from the effect used on the ABC series. We’ll see if this brief appearance might also build up to more in the future, as not much is known about where the Inhumans fit within the MCU.
There is no denying that Elizabeth Olsen‘s Scarlet Witch is one of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s most powerful characters. Her recent turn to the side of chaos in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness cemented her as a terrifying force of nature in the eyes of many fans, and a new piece of concept art from visual developer Andy Park reflects this perfectly. The longtime Marvel Studios artist often uses social media to promote his previously unreleased artwork for the company’s shows and feature films, and it delivers every time. Most recently, Park has revealed a new look at Wanda Maximoff’s suit from the Doctor Strange sequel:
The image displays Maximoff in all her scarlet glory, highlighting the immense amount of power she has gained from fully embracing the use of dark magic. Park comments that the intention of the new design was to stay true to WandaVision‘s grand finale outfit while also giving the character a “darker” spin overall. It would appear the artist was able to do just that, with the help of the film’s Visual Development Supervisor Ian Joyner and the rest of Marvel Studios’ talented concept team. Park started his career designing creatures and characters for the acclaimed God of War franchise, before moving over to Marvel in 2010. Since then, he has worked on a number of films including The Avengers, Captain America: Civil War, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, and Ant-Man and the Wasp.
On the heels of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, much of MCU fandom is focused on the phases to come, particularly the next Avengers: Endgame-level event. For most of them/us, “Secret Wars” seems to be the destination. But trying to figure out exactly what form the MCU storytelling will take as it prepares to adapt Jonathan Hickman’s 2015 epic has been thorny, especially because the most recent Doctor Strange film gave us another thing to chew on: The Illuminati.
New Avengers #2 (2013)
The Illuminati featured prominently in the Hickman New Avengers run that preceded Secret Wars, but unlike in Marvel Comics, where the Fantastic Four and X-Men have been mainstays since the 1960s, the appearance of Reed Richards and Charles Xavier in the MCU (albeit in its Earth-838 universe) was a momentous event, one that jump-started speculation as to how and when we’d see both the F4 and mutants properly introduced into the narrative. And while I do have my ideas about the role the Fantastic Four will play, I think that the bigger question centers on the mutants, and their biggest brand, the X-Men.
Back in November 2021, Marvel announced during its Disney Plus day special that a revival of the popular 1990s X-Men: The Animated Series, often referred to as “X-Men ‘92,” would debut in 2023 under the title X-Men ‘97. Storylines and continuity from the original series would be picked up on, as the timeline would press ahead. However, now that the MCU Multiverse is firmly in play, questions about the canonicity of these new episodes abound. Which brings us back to Secret Wars.
Avengers #44 (2015)
In Hickman’s “Time Runs Out” storyline, the narrative that led directly into Secret Wars, “incursions’” of alternate universes into the main 616 universe led to the Illuminati, among others, taking drastic steps to eradicate those universes so that ours would survive, until only two universes were left — the 616 and the Ultimate Universe, designated 1610, home to Miles Morales, the evil Reed Richards known as The Maker, and others. The finale, which immediately preceded Secret Wars, was an all-out battle between the two universes, which, although ultimately fruitless for both universes, was epic.
The MCU doesn’t have an Ultimate Universe; if anything its 616 universe, what with its Samuel L. Jackson-inspired Nick Fury and its teenage Peter Parker, shares quite a few similarities to it. And with a 15-year head start, there’s no time for Marvel to build up a new Marvel Universe for us to grow attached to. But what they can do is bring back a universe that we have a preexisting attachment to: the X-Men animated universe.
Once that classic theme song hits, our nostalgia feels will come rushing back, and an audience that has been fed a steady diet of uneven live-action X-Men content by Fox will be reminded of how good they once had it, and how good it could be again. By the end of the first season, I’m sure that fans will be fully reinvested in the characters and their universe. By the end of the second or third season, when their universe faces an incursion by the 616 MCU, fans won’t be eager to see that universe be sacrificed. And if that means X-Men battling Avengers, so be it.
Introducing X-Men into the MCU this way has many advantages. For the mutant concept to maximize its potency, the weight of history — of a world where they have been hated and feared for years, and where some characters have formed relationships over decades — should be maintained. That can be highlighted and reinforced, and the animated series can do that far better than the Fox films, which admittedly still have some goodwill, but are nowhere near as universally loved and revered.
Now, will it be tricky to eventually bring the characters from that animated series into live-action? For sure. But one needs to look no further than Marvel’s Disney Plus sister property, Star Wars, to see that it can be pulled off, and be well-received by audiences. And given the stakes of this universe-destroying cataclysmic battle, Marvel can be forgiven for a stunt casting or two alongside longer-term castings of characters who will return after Secret Wars and the eventual Multiverse realignment. But many of us have been waiting decades to see comic-accurate, iconic looks in live-action, so one should expect the fan reaction to those characters making the transition be massive.
After Avengers: Endgame, fans and media alike have been trying to figure out how Marvel could top itself, and Secret Wars could definitely be that. But more so than seeing different versions of the MCU heroes squaring off against one another, seeing Avengers face X-Men with their respective universes at stake would be a spectacle unlike any we’ve seen to date. And X-Men ‘97 could play a vital role in bringing that about. Both universes can encounter Kang variants, and both could experience Incursions that would lead the heroes of their respective universes to do whatever it takes to preserve them. It would be a massive, epic storyline, with the potential to energize and galvanize fans. And of, course, it could be the biggest Marvel event of all time.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness has given us a plethora of cameos that gave us a window into a different reality where the Avengers never formed but rather the Illuminati. Amongst its members were some heavy hitters from Marvel comics history, such as Black Bolt, Charles Xavier, and Mr. Fantastic. Yet, we also got the return of Captain Carter, a Variant we were first introduced to in What If…? with Haley Atwell returning to the role. While she pretty much headlined the first animated Marvel Studios animated series, it seems she might get a series or film of her own.
As shared in The DisInsider Show‘s Rumor of the Week segment, Derek Cornell has unveiled some details regarding a potential Captain Carter series or film. While they seem to believe heavily in the former, they don’t rule out that a film could also result from her appearance in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
Hot off of Doctor Strange 2 and What If…?, we are hearing not for sure if it’s a series, but we’re hearing a Captain Carter live-action series. Series or movie, but something is in the works, live-action will be coming.
Derek Cornell
If you’re wondering how she would return given she’s only half the woman she was before, it’s very likely they’d revisit the concept in another part of the multiverse. The animated version isn’t the same one we saw in Multiverse of Madness. As such, there are a lot of opportunities to revisit these characters in different versions across the multiverse, even if it might become quite confusing for viewers.
A new image has been making its way through the Internet featuring a new look at King Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson) and Mighty Thor (NataliePortman). It’s unclear where they are but it does seem like some kind of meeting is taking place. What stands out, however, is a third character is included in the image. Everyone is sitting on a throne of some kind with our two main heroines sitting on one that seems to reflect where they are from. The Egyptian-inspired design and the cat ears on their helmet may be a signifier that this is our first look at the Goddess Bast, who we first met in Black Panther’s iconic opening as a giant panther.
There was a leak that the character would be played by an actress named Akosia Sabet on Showcase. So, there’s a high chance that she might appear, especially if Gorr the God Butcher is making his god butchering grand tour. Still, it’s not a definite confirmation and only the design is a real hint at who this character might be. There’s a chance it could be someone completely different, but there are enough hints to make the connection. She’s had a humanoid form in the comics as well, and it wouldn’t be too surprising she could change between that and her giant Panther form in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as well.
The Egyptian design also hints at the connection due to Bast actually being part of the Egyptian pantheon. We’ve never fully explored her history and how she came in contact with the first man to become Black Panther and who would eventually found Wakanda. Perhaps we get a tease in the film in a conversation between her and Valkyrie. For now, it’s still speculation but it’s certainly interesting if she was indeed accidentally revealed with this new image. There’s also the question if this segment or shot makes it into the final cut.
At this point, it’s hard to say who hasn’t been rumored to appear in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. While it has been pointed out in the past that some rumored cameos weren’t ever truly on the board outside of early talks, most notably Tom Cruise as Iron Man, a new rumor is adding some more fuel to the fire to what may have been left on the cutting room floor throughout the film#s production. The Weekly Planet podcast’s James Clement has reportedly shared a few more members of the Marvel multiverse that may have appeared.
So somebody sent me a list of five characters that were going to be in this movie that were cut… So apparently, yeah, the Wanda killing MCU Mordo, that was real. That was going to happen. Michael Fassbender was going to turn up as Magneto… I said [to my source], ‘Were any of these filmed?’ And this person said, ‘Filmed but ultimately cut from the theatrical version,’ which is what my source relates… Balder the Brave as mentioned, though not given a name… Ghost Rider, which is very interesting as a member of the Illuminati.
James Clement
He goes on to highlight that he was going to fight Wanda as well, but even he couldn’t truly survive the onslaught that is Wanda’s fury in Multiverse of Madness. There’s no word, however, if this would’ve been Nicolas Cage reprising his role as Ghost Rider. The mention of Balder the Great was hinted at being the role that Daniel Craig originally was going to tackle. He also goes on to highlight that Deadpool was going to be part of a post-credit sequence.
He was going to fight Wanda and probably die… and Deadpool was going to be in the post-credits scene.
James Clement
So, it’s a little hard to chew that they would film entire sequences but end up just leaving it on the cutting room floor, especially if they managed to get Michael Fassbender to film sequences as Magneto. It also seems unlikely that they would film these sequences and not include them, but the wording could hint at a bonus for the digital release, or perhaps even for an additional theatrical release to give the film the last push to reach a billion. For now, we’ll have to see if anything about this rumor is true.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe is not only the biggest movie franchise of its time but the biggest movie franchise of all time. Even if it might have peaked for some when Avengers: Endgame hit theaters in 2019, there’s little reason to think that its cultural impact in 2022 hasn’t surpassed that. With Disney+ now available, the number of projects being released each year has more than doubled, and Marvel Studios doesn’t seem to be slowing down any time soon with more than two dozen projects set for release in the next few years alone. But all good things must come to an end and this means that the MCU as we know it should eventually do the same, although on its own terms so as to become something more.
New Avengers #1 (2013)
New Avengers #1 (2013)
It certainly does not come down to a lack of demand, but that should not be the only metric Marvel Studios should take into account when making franchise-wide decisions. Identifying issues that might be hurting a massive franchise that has passed its 14th anniversary is extremely important, especially if Marvel has its sights set not only on the next few years but, more significantly, on the next couple of decades.
Storyline Issues
The stories being told are the core of the MCU and issues that prevent them from being as good as can be should be addressed as a top priority. These can be due to several things, but most end up being a consequence of the same core issue: the shared universe.
Avengers: Endgame (2019)
Due to the intricacy of having so many stories being told through different IPs that either need to come together or stay apart in a way that feels justifiable, it’s perhaps fair to say that both movies and TV shows have had to compromise when it comes to the stories they set out to tell. A character that would have been perfect for a certain situation might not be available due to having a scheduled appearance somewhere else. Or maybe it is felt that its introduction deserves a bigger stage. While choices being made always aim at a better overall franchise, they end up not helping each individual project to be as good as it could be. This problem is only getting bigger and more noticeable as the years go by with the number of storylines, characters, and major events being introduced, especially since earlier storylines didn’t take into account the now real possibility of using a number of previously unavailable characters. While it still seems manageable at the moment, Marvel Studios should now be looking into how to stop while they’re ahead, in order not to hurt the entire brand in a way that might put their past achievements on the line.
Accessibility Issues
Going back to 2019, as Avengers: Endgame was set to premiere, both new and old fans were often gearing up for a complete MCU rewatch as the culmination of 11 years of storytelling was soon approaching. At the time, it only took watching 21 movies, something that while being no small feat, pales in comparison to what is needed to accomplish the same thing today.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)
As of now, the post-pandemic MCU has not only added 5 new feature films (soon to be 6), but also 6 new TV shows (soon to be 7), something that likely isn’t helping with how new fans approach the franchise as a whole since it is becoming increasingly difficult to go back and experience it in its entirety. This will probably lead to casual fans choosing select projects to watch while feeling daunted by the magnitude of the rest of the franchise, meaning they’ll probably be missing out on the connective tissue between IPs that makes the MCU so special. So, in a way, and considering the previous point regarding storylines, they might be experiencing lackluster stories without the bonus of the shared universe experience. Die-hard fans will have another vision, as living through the interconnectivity between the projects might somewhat help to hide the imperfections needed to get there. But since Marvel Studios should be focused on bringing in new fans, while of course still appeasing old ones, the fact that the MCU has become too big for newcomers should be a cause for concern. A nice jumping-on point would do the trick, since new fans haven’t gotten that yet, not even after Avengers: Endgame.
How it Should All End
So, considering all this, should Marvel Studios just call it a day and shut down? Of course not. As stated above the MCU as we know it should perhaps end, but only for a neo-MCU to rise from its ashes. And as all signs point to the overall storyline being told at the moment leading to a Secret Wars-inspired event, Marvel Studios might just have an ace up its sleeve when it comes to approaching its future beyond the aforementioned event. If they choose to, obviously.
Secret Wars #0 (2015)
Marvel Studios has been pretty loose when adapting comic events. Age of Ultron, Civil War, and Infinity War are all examples of that. So even if Secret Wars is coming, there is still much room for how it will end up getting translated into live-action. But if the ending somehow stays similar, it may solve just about every issue pointed out above faced by the MCU. At the end of the 2015 comic series, following the collapse of the multiverse and the creation of Battleworld, Earth is restored as Marvel’s Earth-Prime. While not making everything that came before meaningless—in fact, it was everything leading up until then that made this new Earth both a possibility and a reality—this allowed for stories to be retold from a fresh perspective, while also allowing for better integration of all storylines into a single, unified universe. And this is what the MCU will need by the end of its Secret Wars.
Why It Will Be for the Best
For several years, there wasn’t either the budget or the character rights to put the perfect MCU on screen from the start. And nowadays, it has become an issue how to integrate certain characters that should have been a part of it earlier on. Certain storylines were simply avoided due to those constraints while others, even though they worked, had to be adapted in a way that perhaps diminished their appeal and overall impact. Allowing the MCU to scale itself down only to follow that up with a steady-paced growing, aware, and capable franchise that is willing to use all its moving parts/characters/storylines in the best possible way, could only mean good things for this new incarnation of the MCU in the long run.
Secret Wars #9 (2016)
Several actors could keep playing the same characters, new ones would enter the frame, and even legacy characters would be able to return without making audiences feel cheated in the way they were invested in their previous iterations. It would just be a case of letting go in order to both cherish and appreciate the past but also accept that a brighter future might be ahead. No sacrifice made up until then would have been in vain and it would all still have started in a cave with a box of scraps.
There’s something rather interesting about Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. A lot of discourse surrounding the film has mainly been about the Illuminati and its members, Sam Raimi’s directing style, and how it “feels different” from the usual Marvel fare. Yet, after the film’s release, there’s been a hot debate regarding its rating as a PG-13 film, which has sparked an online discourse on if it should’ve been R-rated given some of the takedowns at the hands of Wanda. While some are understandably annoyed by the notion that one looks bad at horror elements in genre films, it does highlight Marvel studios’ biggest challenge when advertising the DoctorStrange sequel and ironically highlighting the current trend within its Phase 4.
A Multiversal Level of Expectation
The term “multiverse” has become synonymous with the potential of cameos and actors returning in roles they once popularized. Spider-Man: No Way Home certainly proved that very fact with Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield‘s return. Yet, it also became a hindrance finding dragging expectations for Multiverse of Madness to new levels, as people expected a romp throughout Marvel’s extended cinematic history. The tease of Patrick Stewart‘s return definitely raised the bar in that regard, with many expecting more Fox characters arriving in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Ironically, it’s been an underlying issue ever since WandaVision was first teased, as many put out their hopes that each time she shows up, the X-Men and mutants would make their arrival within the cinematic franchise. Yet, that was obviously never the intention; Evan Peters‘ Ralph Bohner should’ve been the very obvious warning for that very notion. Yet, on some level, Marvel Studios must’ve been aware of that expectation as their marketing started leaning hard into the “who might appear” notion of the project.
Illuminati getting a highlight in the last trailer almost seemed like a call to get people to wonder who else might show up and deter any thoughts of “so it’s only the Illuminati” early on. The rumor mill has gone rampant in a way that true believers started guessing who could appear with Kang, Deadpool, Wolverine and so many more getting even just a passing reference. Yet, the Doctor Strange film stayed true to what it is, a Doctor Strange story. The marketing doesn’t shy away from it either; they barely even hid Scarlet Witch’s turn to evil. Yet, people may have still expected an Avengers-level crossover leading to its potential frontloaded box office due to what No Way Home offered them only a few months before.
Any story dabbling in the multiverse is going to have this preconception built-in, may it be the eventual arrival of Kang and even other franchises like Warner Bros.’s upcoming The Flash film. Even comparisons made to Everything Everywhere All At Once are a showcase of a story element being interpreted in a specific way, while also letting previous releases shape the “expectation” going in. Multiverse of Madness was never advertised in any way similar to the Michelle Yeoh film, but it naturally became the “next” benchmark going into the other. Even if it’s an indie film with no real expectations going in, story, structure, or brand-wise, it was about the multiverse and that’s all it needed for “easy” comparison material.
A Horror-Defining Genre of Challenges
There’s an interesting juxtaposition between the film’s take on horror and how it was presented through its marketing. We’ve known for a while that this was going to be a horror film, a genre that is popular but also extremely niche. The highest-grossing horror film to date is the first entry of 2017’s It at a domestic gross of $327.5M. Even the more action-oriented Meg couldn’t break beyond $145.4M, which is quite far away from its 1975 inspiration Jaws, which was the originator of the term “blockbuster” release.
The 2017 film broke horror boundaries to gross $701M worldwide and still stands at the top of the board if you go by unadjusted box office numbers; a showcase of an exception rather than the rule. Yet, the film was very obviously an R-rated horror film with the added nostalgia factor from the 1990s It miniseries. In a way, it was the first true blockbuster horror film in a while to make bank, but it never shied away from what it is. Yet, even that film couldn’t escape a B+ CinemaScore rating when it was released.
There was a lot of discussion surrounding Multiverse of Madness‘ CinemaScore with a B+; some even hinting at the general audience’s not liking the film as a result. Yet, if you look at horror’s history with that broad of a target demographic, they rarely score above B. Even the well-received Scream revival from 2022 with a 76% acceptance rate by critics and 81% Audience Score couldn’t escape a B+ scoring. Last year’s Candyman received a B rating even with a 72% Audience Score and 85% Tomatometer score from critics. It’s simply a genre that doesn’t seem to mesh well with the general audience; something that tends to get forgotten in the discussion. Marvel Studios’ latest is compared with Marvel Studios’ previous, but that might not be as simple anymore
Moving forward, if their projects start to dabble more with new concepts and different directions, this might become the norm. Not that every film in the MCU will end up with a B or B+ evaluation, but that there will be more projects that may stick out from some more audience-friendly fare. Spider-Man: No Way Home has a strong A+ rating, which strongly showed in its cinematic staying power. Shang-Chi and Black Widow enjoy an A and A- rating respectively. The latter two dipped their toes in kung fu and spy cinema as the base of their inspirations. So, Doctor Strange and even Eternals may be exceptions rather than the rule, which we could see happen more often.
Weight of Audience Expectations
Doctor Strangein the Multiverse of Madness has faced a sharp drop in its second weekend by 67%, but the film still is only a few days away from crossing $700M. While it seems unlikely it’ll become the first horror film to pass $1 billion, the film is definitely taking many cues from Raimi‘s time with Evil Dead and Drag Me to Hell. If it comes to superhero storytelling and that director’s name, Spider-Man is what many might think of. In a way, we did expect horror elements, but Marvel Studios purposefully hid away any brutal takedowns that took place in the film. There are hints of Wanda crushing an Ultron bot, but no one expects her to literally turn Mr. Fantastic into spaghetti before his head pops.
In a report by Deadline, besides the rather bizarre “Uncle Vinny” section, a statement is made that only 27% of viewers would rewatch the film. It includes a curious statement by the Kentucky-Delaware exhibition head Rick Roman, who highlights that the film lacks rewatchability.
The movie has to be loved and enjoyed enough to want to see it a second time. My moviegoers feel the film is not good enough to see again.
Rick Roman
The article highlights that viewers’ negative reactions were mostly in regard to the “MCU discussion about storylines that may have jumped the shark and high expectations from the trailer to the actual film” which connects to the points made above. People have continuously expected the multiverse storylines to be the next Captain America: The Winter Soldier that reshapes the entire franchise moving forward. This is even highlighted by the Uncle Vinny rant in the article that there’s no clear path because Marvel Studios decided to play a long con this time around.
Word-of-mouth definitely played a key fact, as people probably expected horror but not Evil Dead going into the film. Some may have hoped for their usual Marvel fare and were met with something quite different and, like Eternals, unabashedly trenched in a different genre. One could make a similar discussion with the Chloé Zhao film, which faced a harsher critical reception. In a way, the echoed indie film’s reception from the general audience, which doesn’t usually get CinemaScores to begin with. So, the only current comparisons would be The Northman‘s B and The Unbearable Weight of massive Talent at B+.
It even reflects the critical reception of these stories, as many are pointing out to “X director’s style not meshing with Marvel’s usual flair” highlighting a very interesting trend in how perception has shaped what makes an “MCU film.” While critically, there has been an ongoing wish for more innovation and creative freedom in regards to Marvel projects. Yet, as it has happened, we’re seeing the natural reaction of something being “off” due to it not following the preconceived notion. If one expects specifics going in, anything that moves away from that will stick out like a sore thumb, which might be something that falls once those expectations are dropped on a rewatch; only if it actually gets one.
Can’t Make an Omelette Without
The same Deadline mentioned earlier highlighted that their approach to “plus-ing,” a Disney process where they keep adding to a project even if it’s deemed as the “worst” at one point, could potentially be reaching its limit. The concept strongly focuses on building upon what worked and what didn’t, which some tend to connect with a more formulaic and I strongly disagree with the “factory” view of their productions, as more and more behind-the-scenes statements highlight how surprisingly effective the company is at improvising. Yet, the standardized view of how more mainstream productions work has led to overshadowing what Phase 4 really is trying to do.
It’s hard to deny that most of the current projects stand out for different reasons; even if controversial ones. Marvel Studios very likely saw the challenge of following Avengers: Endgame and tried to take a step back rather than double down. Complaints have become so varied, that they may be reflecting how the general audience is feeling post-COVID many have felt a loss of control. Now, if the perceived “usual Marvel fare” is starting to try out new things and evolve to stay relevant, some might need a while to adjust.
Moon Knight‘s mind-bending fourth episode may have ruffled some feathers with those expecting a more straightforward experience. Thor: Love and Thunder is very likely going to continue this trend, as Taika Waititi has publicly teased its romantic comedy elements. They may or may not fully dive into similar to Multiverse of Madness‘ horror, and it is very much something Waititi has been dabbling with such as his work on Our Flag Means Death. We might see a wild variety of receptions throughout Phase 4 as Marvel Studios continues to find a more diverse footing to break beyond expectations and offer different audiences unique experiences.
One thing is clear, the general audience still enjoys these films. Even if massively frontloaded, one cannot downplay Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness‘ initial draw at the box office. There are quite a few different elements possibly at play here and the challenge will be to keep that early momentum. There’s no clear trend that general audiences “are done” with Marvel films, quite the positive so far. No Way Home definitely created some good faith and there’s a chance that Disney+ releases give these projects a new life that extends into the cinematic experience, a counteract to the 45-day release window affecting its cinematic release.
One thing is for sure, Marvel Studios’ future endeavors might not be as simple to dissect as they start embracing more avenues moving forward.
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Contains information related to marketing campaigns of the user. These are shared with Google AdWords / Google Ads when the Google Ads and Google Analytics accounts are linked together.
90 days
__utma
ID used to identify users and sessions
2 years after last activity
__utmt
Used to monitor number of Google Analytics server requests
10 minutes
__utmb
Used to distinguish new sessions and visits. This cookie is set when the GA.js javascript library is loaded and there is no existing __utmb cookie. The cookie is updated every time data is sent to the Google Analytics server.
30 minutes after last activity
__utmc
Used only with old Urchin versions of Google Analytics and not with GA.js. Was used to distinguish between new sessions and visits at the end of a session.
End of session (browser)
__utmz
Contains information about the traffic source or campaign that directed user to the website. The cookie is set when the GA.js javascript is loaded and updated when data is sent to the Google Anaytics server
6 months after last activity
__utmv
Contains custom information set by the web developer via the _setCustomVar method in Google Analytics. This cookie is updated every time new data is sent to the Google Analytics server.
2 years after last activity
__utmx
Used to determine whether a user is included in an A / B or Multivariate test.
18 months
_ga
ID used to identify users
2 years
_gali
Used by Google Analytics to determine which links on a page are being clicked
30 seconds
_ga_
ID used to identify users
2 years
_gid
ID used to identify users for 24 hours after last activity
24 hours
_gat
Used to monitor number of Google Analytics server requests when using Google Tag Manager
1 minute
Marketing cookies are used to follow visitors to websites. The intention is to show ads that are relevant and engaging to the individual user.
Pinterest Tag is a web analytics service that tracks and reports website traffic.
