What Broke the Marvel Cinematic Universe & What Keeps it Together
What Broke the Marvel Cinematic Universe
It seemed like movie fans were divided over the music fight, and I was not vibing with it at all, but no one seemed angry at the dog head that jumped from another dimension and bit a car that was going to hit a mother and her child. I watched the movie numerous times in order to get used to the nonsense that appeared after we had a pretty solid and grounded—if I may say—MCU until then. I mean, for the most part, we are talking about comic book characters after all.
Now we have Deadpool & Wolverine, which delivered on many levels, but still jumped too hard. That horrible Wolverine mask, that the fanboys love—good thing he was naked from the neck down to make it even.
Like it or not, seeing now that thing wasn’t even a dog, but a head of a sphinx cat or something like that, is just not doing it for me. I think we jumped too far too soon. And I am a comic fan, but I became a comic fan after I saw the movies, and I needed some time to adjust. Sam Raimi was indeed a horrible choice, and it would’ve been nice if the movie met the hype the trailer created. “Ilumiwhaty?” And that ugly forest with the huge moon, where Wanda was hiding—it was so camp that it became clear Sam Raimi took part in today’s MCU problems. The other huge moon in the other universe—that was basically the only 'verse we saw. And the rules there were so basic: red means green, and green means red. Pizzaballs. Ok. I am still dreaming about a real horror that will shake me and show me that Marvel has balls, because the franchise became too formulaic and/or hard to follow.
The acolytes of the MCU—even though they came first. Either way, those MCU projects hit the cinematic universe pretty bad for me and for most of the fandom. I found in each and every one of them things that I liked. I loved Tatiana Maslany as She-Hulk and for the most part, the visual effects, but it became unbearable to watch with the messages they were trying to hit us with in a comic book show that was lacking action and anything comic-booky. I mean, at the end where she went on the Disney+ interface and then spoke with Kevin, the robot—it became an instant classic that no one will rewatch ever. Jessica Gao, the leader of the Rick & Morty writers who destroyed so many MCU characters, will be forever known for this colossal failure.
I’m sorry to say, but I have to put some of the episodes of Moon Knight here also. Lack of action, going too far too quickly like Strange did, saved only by the first and last episodes—which now seem suspiciously and disappointingly familiar. Oscar Isaac is still the best thing about the show, alongside the trailer, which didn’t materialize during the run.
Ms. Marvel is a great character, and Iman Vellani played the heck out of it, but those messy storylines that are still keeping me up late with no answers are just atrocious. The villains of that show are not worth mentioning—easily the worst villains in the history of evil. 2022 was a particularly tough year for Marvel, and since then, we can’t get back up.
That’s why they decided to put out Secret Invasion in 2023. If that TV show came in 2022, it would have been the last nail in the MCU coffin. What can I say about this show? I love Samuel L. Jackson, that’s it—and I like the Nick Fury character. But that show is the worst of the worst. I watched an interview with Kingsley Ben-Adir where he admitted that the production told him it’s not necessary to read any of the comics or to watch anything Marvel, and he was truly arrogant and dismissive toward Grace Randolph from Beyond the Trailer. He’s cute, but not that cute. Horrible TV show, absolute waste of time—just like Echo (which I forgot about).
To be fair, we believed that Taika Waititi could deliver another hit, and after another marvelous trailer and Chris Hemsworth’s fake ass appeared, we were hooked. As soon as the movie dropped and the wave of disappointment hit every corner of the internet, it became clear that Waititi failed. If I heard correctly, a lot of the movie was improvised, and after reading the two comics that were massacred in this new release, it became apparent that leaving the director to do whatever he wants and blow up budgets for whatever he wants is not working. This movie took a huge part in the early demise of the MCU, and we’re so glad the director is not returning for the 5th Thor movie.
Speaking of directors who took part in ruining Marvel, it’s no secret that Peyton Reed butchered fans’ expectations with not one but three movies. To be honest, I liked all of them, but they are really mid for the budgets they needed. I liked the connection between the first movie and the last one—MODOK—it seemed consistent with the story, although we didn’t need this character in any shape or form. Not to mention these horrible effects that are getting worse and worse with the years. What is going on?
Let’s continue with another huge disappointment that came out during Quantumania—another fallen actor who thought he was the messiah. Jonathan Majors was able to fuel his career so fast that he became Icarus who flew too close to the Sun and his wings got burned. What a bummer that was for the whole Marvel Universe, especially for the fans who were on board with Avengers: Kang Dynasty. I really liked this actor, and since he tried to clear his image through a number of interviews and failed, we lost a plot, a timeline, and precious time even paying any attention to him.
Not that they have anything in common except being part of the MCU, but I am so ready to let Lizzy go. I mean, I love her as Wanda, but if she doesn’t want to do it—what are we doing here? There must be a better version out there. I am tired of hearing these actors who made tons of money and reputation around the MCU bashing the machine they so voluntarily participated in. Let her go, and we can move on with another actress who would love to do it and will do her best to keep the role. I’m sick and tired of her behavior, and I’m taking into consideration that for her she’s doing the right thing—but if you’re not having fun at the party, you’re kind of dragging the whole mood down for all of us. At this point, you either get on the train or stay off the tracks. Somewhere in between those two stands Ryan Reynolds, who I’m becoming more and more tired of each day.
What Keeps the MCU Together
Hugh Jackman and his abs—no, they’re really nice—but one of the things that really holds the respect for Marvel alive is Agatha All Along. Such a well-crafted show that rewards rewatching it every time. I am still finding stuff and clues after my fourth time and numerous reaction and conspiracy videos around YouTube. The casting and the acting were sublime, and the corner of Wanda proved that it can exist without Elizabeth Olsen. Let her go do her arts and crafts and fight for that Oscar—we have Agatha and Billy. Although it would be nice if Billy is the one who stops Wanda at the end. But how many times can Wanda go batshit crazy? This is becoming a running gag. Jac Schaeffer, responsible for WandaVision and now Agatha, left the MCU, but she was able to deliver the best Disney+ content I have ever seen.
Another thing that holds the whole MCU together for me is Thunderbolts, which failed badly at the box office but was able to deliver a very good movie with some amazing (but not enough) action and stellar performances from fan favorite Florence Pugh and the other cast that came from past failures to join this incredible team. I really liked the soul of this movie and the subjects it tackled. This deep dive spoke to me and created a bond between me and the characters. Just like in Agatha, we connected with the team because of the struggles. Yelena Belova lost her big sister, and she was put in a situation where she became what she misses the most to the team. I hope that this low box office doesn’t scare any of the actors, because they were marvelous, and I can watch their interactions all day.
Ryan Coogler and his recent success with Sinners and his previous hits Black Panther 1 & 2 just bring some hopefulness for the upcoming Ironheart that drops tomorrow. He is proven to be good at what he’s doing, and I am super excited to get a glimpse into his corner of the MCU.
Russo Brothers. They seem to get what we want—only when they work in Marvel—so I am watching for the new Avengers movies to bring back the fandom together and heal the cracks in that motherfucking reflection.
Destin Daniel Cretton — the mind behind one of the most interesting MCU films, Shang-Chi — was able to take the Kang Dynasty before it turned into Doomsday. Now, he’s moving on to the next Spider-Man. With the grounded storytelling and crisp action we saw in Shang-Chi, I’ve got full faith in whatever he brings to the table next.
Iliya Badev
Comments
Post a Comment