Not So MARVELous…
Fans describe their experience with Marvel’s current phase 4 as “quantity over quality” and have mixed opinions.
October 9, 2022
Marvel is one of the most well-known companies in the world. From putting out one of the highest-grossing movies of all time to building one of the strongest fan bases around the planet, the company continuously attempts to match their past success.
Well, this must be a challenge, right? Matching the success of Avengers: Endgame!? This movie took the whole world by storm; the hype is unmatchable. The insane theories, iconic press tour, and audience reactions quickly made this movie unforgettable. It was every Marvel fan’s dream. Keep in mind this was in 2019… what has happened since then?
Marvel has been carefully constructed by the filmmakers and department heads into 4 phases. Avengers: Endgame and Spider-Man: Far From Home being the last of phase 3. Now we are in phase 4, and it is no surprise that fans are comparing it to past phases. Fans have recently said that they are slowly “falling out of love” with the company. This change in attitude may be in part because of all of the new characters that are being introduced. With the introduction of these novel characters, fans don’t feel as strong of a personal connection. The characters in the past phases were so deeply rooted into the whole story. Fans truly felt like they knew these old characters and were so genuinely involved and interested in their character arcs that the rolling out of new story lines and character developments feels a bit stressed and unconnected.
One of the things that made these past characters so likable was that Marvel gave us original stories and took time to develop and evolve these loved characters. Fans have stated that they think that Marvel is not taking their time anymore… The term “quantity over quality” is often used now when discussing the company’s recent projects, and Madeline Cervantes (11) shares, “I feel like they are putting out so many new shows and movies, it feels like it may be a little too much for fans all at one time.” Specifically this negative phrase is often used in regards to phase 4 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, with these projects including: WandaVision, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Loki, What If, Hawkeye, She-Hulk, Ms. Marvel, Black Widow, Eternals, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, and Thor: Love and Thunder. Keep in mind all of these TV shows and films came out in the last 2-3 years! Some fans describe the amount of content that we are receiving now as “overwhelming.”
Overwhelming may be a strong word, but many find it to be true. With all of the projects being released in record time, fans feel like the company might be losing their personal touch. Many sentiments echo that Marvel may be falling into a “blueprint” and same template for all of their shows. Fans feel as if the company is just simply adjusting small details to fit with the “recycled” storylines. This is a problem companies seem to run into when having so many projects released; eventually it is going to be hard to come up with a completely different idea, especially when releasing so many projects in such little time.
In conclusion, Marvel may not be exceeding people’s expectations recently. Although attitudes toward Marvel may be shifting, this doesn’t mean the company should be forgotten or thrown away, so fans should just stay tuned….
