The Marvel Cinematic Universe has existed since 2008 and to this day, several films about the superhero universe are released every year. MeinMMO author Niko Hernes is actually a big fan of superheroes, but he has a lot to complain about the current MCU.
When Nia DaCosta says in an interview that her Marvel film will be different from the others, I can only shake my head. For years, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been, for me, a collection of mediocre films without heart and soul.
And this development makes me really angry because I am actually a superhero fan. Comics, games, and series on the topic are incredibly fun for me. However, the MCU, which back then ushered in a new era of blockbuster cinema, is something I find incredibly generic today.
This is based on three main points:
- Lack of consistency in the film’s plot
- You have to have seen movies or series to understand parts of the story
- The films and some series feel the same and look the same
Every film feels the same
In my opinion, the MCU films of recent years do not stand on their own. They are always part of the larger universe and have to contribute to the next big event.
This creates no creative experiments, but instead films that, no matter the theme of the film, must be squeezed into the typical MCU framework. And for me, no film symbolizes this more than Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
Director Sam Raimi could have made a surreal horror film here with elements of his classics like The Evil Dead. And there are few moments that show this, but the film still has to be like every MCU film.
The film Eternals, which according to Rotten Tomatoes wasn’t very popular anyway, also feels like an unplanned film without a red thread. Chloé Zhao is actually a talented director with an eye for nature and landscape. You can see hints of that, but each time they are destroyed by the dialogues and story.
Why Thor: Love and Thunder is different
Do I even like any of the newer Marvel films? Yes, and one of them is probably surprising. I really liked Guardians of the Galaxy 3. I enjoyed telling an emotional story that focuses on a side character.
The other film I appreciate is Thor: Love and Thunder. Thor 4 by director Taika Waititi is too silly for many, but I don’t understand that. It fits for me with the new Thor that we know since Thor 3, and in general, you can notice Taika Waititi’s slapstick influence, who always tries to balance between funny and silly.
If you know 5 Rooms Kitchen Coffin or JoJo Rabbit by Taika Waititi, then you know how frontal he uses humor. And unlike in films like Avengers Infinity War, where the occasional jokes pull me out of the drama, Thor 4 is silly from the start.
For me, the most important thing is that Thor 4 feels different from the other films. Yes, it doesn’t fit everyone’s taste, but why does every film actually have to do that? Why not experiment with genres and why not do something outside the MCU? Not every film needs to be as silly as Thor 4, but you should experiment and allow the director more freedom and personal style.
Thor himself also has his issues with the 4th part:
Chris Hemsworth shudders at the thought of the 4th Thor film: ‘It just became too silly’
What do I wish for from the Marvel films? Personally, I believe that creativity outside the MCUs would do Marvel and Disney good. Give me a real horror film, a drama, or an exciting thriller. If you separate such films from their universes, you have a lot of creative freedom. This also partly works for me in Guardians 3 and Thor 4.
The Batman showed in 2022 that you can also be successful away from the classic superhero feeling. The series The Boys is successful and bloody and rated 18+. Not every film needs to be targeted at FSK12, and a greater willingness to experiment from the Marvel Studios would also make me happy to sit in the cinema again.
What does the outlook for the future look like? Due to the current writers’ strike in the USA, Marvel’s schedule will shift a bit. Whether The Marvels fulfills my wish, I doubt. In the new version of Blade, there is potential to do something different, and Deadpool 3 could finally herald a more brutal MCU and the exit from the FSK12 hell.
And I am also looking forward to Marvel Zombies and hope it at least brings a bit of horror to the MCU. But as with everything, we have to wait for the projects to be released. What do you think about the current MCU? Are you disappointed like me or still actively engaged? Write it in the comments.
At least the second season of Loki looks promising so far:
With the new trailer for Loki, Marvel shows that they understand what makes the series really good
