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With the recent release ofThor: Love and Thunder, there seems to be a constant question being asked, be it in our comments, social media sites, or word of mouth. Is the MCU in decline?
It’s hard to argue that the recent releases haven’t been up to par compared to what we’ve been accustomed to. Thor: Love and Thunder seemed to have identity issues, trying to both be a laugh-a-minute comedy, whilst dealing with an extremely sensitive topic in Jane’s cancer storyline, and one of the darkest villains for a while in Gorr the God Butcher.Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madnessseemed to suffer from what was left on the editing floor, rather than what we saw on the screen. Although Elizabeth Olsen was fantastic regardless. The shows themselves have ranged from the average if-not-funWhat If…?to the outstandingMs. MarvelandLoki.
Read also:‘F*cking Look Up That Screen’: Thor: Love and Thunder Star Brett Goldstein Reveals Mom Kept Swooning Over Russell Crowe’s Zeus So Much She Almost Missed His Hercules Cameo
Compare all of this to Phase 3, where more or less every single film was knocked out of the park, up to and of course includingInfinity WarandEndgame.
Phase One to Phase Four
However, it’s not particularly fair to compare the last phase to this one. The last phase was the culmination of ten years of planning and filmmaking, resulting in a huge ‘reset’ in the MCU. It’s much fairer to compare to the first phase of films.Iron Manwas outstanding, and the film that set this great franchise in motion.Iron Man 2and The Incredible Hulk were middling to poor efforts, andCaptain America: The First AvengerandThorwere in their own right pretty good. Those five films were establishing the characters and direction of the franchise, much like the current crop of films and shows are now.
That’s not to say I don’t think what’s being put out now couldn’t be better, because in some parts it could be. In fact, Marvel Studios has had ten years of mastering their craft to fall back on. However, they’re taking a lot of chances recently in trying to change from their cookie-cutter films into something more varied in genre and feeling, which should be commended.
Related:How Ms. Marvel’s Poorly Planned Mutant Twist Destroys Marvel’s Inhuman Legacy
Too many shows?
If anything, the main issue is the deluge of shows that Marvel Studios is pushing out. Everyone from Agatha to a rumored Wonder Man seems to be getting their own shows; and whilst it’s good the universe is getting fleshed out left, right and center, the quality of the universe does seem to be suffering, and the connective tissue as a whole seems to be disappearing – as if there’s too much oversight required to keep it tight.
Then again, back in phase one, we had no idea what the greater picture was, so who’s to say we won’t be looking back in a few years going ‘ooooh, that’s how it connects!’?
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Luke Addison
Former Head of Gaming
Articles Published :462
Luke Addison is a Former Video Game Critic and Gaming Editor. As likely to be caught listening to noughties rock as he is watching the latest blockbuster cinema release, Luke is the quintessential millennial wistfully wishing after a forgotten era of entertainment. Also a diehard Chelsea fan, for his sins.
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