The Marvel Problem

Since 2008 with their hit blockbuster Iron Man, Marvel Studios has become a juggernaut in the entertainment business.  They have released 12 films since, all of which have been integrated into what is called the Marvel Cinematic Universe, or the MCU.

All of these films have done well commercially, specifically The Avengers, which broke record after record of summer box office numbers.  Some of these films were not quite as well received critically, such as Thor or Iron Man 2.  But a few have succeeded both commercially and critically, like Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Iron Man and Guardians of the Galaxy.

With their more recent television pursuits in Agents of Shield, Agent Carter, Daredevil and starting in November Jessica Jones, as well as 11 more films coming between now and 2019, it's fair to beg the question: When will Marvel fail?

Many would argue that they already have failed, as their films can at times seem formulaic due to their narrow sources of inspiration and similar styles.  But for the most part, Marvel has continued to prove their creative prowess, as they most recently made famous a superhero called Ant-Man, and the biggest characters of the 2014 summer were a an alcoholic raccoon and a talking tree.

The problem with this MCU is that eventually it will become bloated, and now it actually limits Marvel's ability to make fresh, exciting content.  It will always be exciting to see our favorite characters crossover with each other in different movies, and have big team-up moments like we get in the Avengers films.

But just this summer Avengers: Age of Ultron was released, and critics argued that it was too packed with characters and lacked story depth, whereas just three years ago we were going berserk for Avengers mania when the first film was released.

So what has changed? Does this speak more to the selfishness of consumerism? That we are already bored with this integration of characters that ten years ago seemed impossible? Or does it mean Marvel can feel the walls closing in on itself, as they know superhero fatigue is starting to set in on the public?

Personally, I love the MCU, I think it is masterful what Kevin Feige and all those over at Marvel Studios have been able to weave over the last seven years.  But when the inevitable day comes that Marvel announces that the MCU is coming to an end, and they are going to pursue new movie-making projects, it is up to us, the consumer, to have the appropriate reaction.

We must demand more than these reboots, these retellings of the same story that studios use to prey on the nostalgia of the audience.  Marvel, with its pioneering, has also given us the age of the franchise.

Coming soon we will see a new Ghostbusters movie, Bad Boys III, more Jurassic Park films, Ninja Turtles II, Harry Potter spinoffs, a slew of new Star Wars movies, not to mention at least four more Transformers movies.

Sorry, I just had to take a break to vomit at the sound of more Transformers films, but my point is clear. The movie business is just that, a business.  So now that Marvel has created this intricate pillar of a franchise, other studios will try to do the same and some will be great, but many will fail.

So my call to you, the viewer, is as I said before: demand more from these movies.  Not just Marvel, but all studios bringing big franchises to theaters.  Marvel makes quality films while racking in immense profits, which I will gladly patron.  But next time you go to the theater, maybe consider skipping this year's Terminator movie, or whatever garbage fire Michael Bay decided to put to film, and let's raise the bar for Hollywood going forward.