From Box Office Kings to Content Dumps?
Okay, I’ll admit it – I’ve been a die-hard Marvel fan for years. In my eyes, Marvel could do no wrong.
But these days, I’ve started to lose the love…
I was that person who was first in line on release day… but now, you can hear me say, “Eh, I’ll catch it on Disney+ later.” I was there for Avengers: Endgame (and the tears), the theories, and the endless phases. But now? After the drop in quality content and over-saturation, I’ve stopped being delusional because there isn’t a spark anymore.
The issue? Over-saturation. Marvel has been throwing out movies and series 24/7. It seems like they forgot about the importance of quality>quantity. What used to be highly anticipated Marvel blockbusters have turned into an overwhelming surge of content – honestly, the audience can’t keep up.
Photo credits: @fifiroseworld
And don’t even get me started on the multiverse madness. MCU officially introduced the multiverse in 2016 with the film Doctor Strange, but hints and implications of multiple realities or dimensions can be found in previous movies. It was cool at first, but now it’s confusing, messy, and full of loopholes. There has been a constant debate among netizens about whether “our” universe is Earth-616 or Earth-199999. In the Marvel universe, all movies, comics, video games, TV shows, and more have an “Earth-[number]” system to keep the multiverse in order. For example, the Marvel Multiverse, the main Marvel Comics continuity, is Earth-616, while Earth-96283 is the home of the Raimi/Maguire Spider-Man trilogy. I miss the days when we called it Raimiverse (Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man) and TASM Universe (Andrew Garfield’s Spider-Man). There’s so much happening across different timelines and universes that it’s just overwhelming.
Photo credits: The Hollywood Reporter
Are we currently witnessing Marvel’s flop era? 2023’s The Marvels is widely considered a box office flop, experiencing a net loss of $237 million. A tough day at Disney, I’d say. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania tried to build up Kang the Conqueror, but ended up scrapping it, making the storylines even more confusing. To make things worse, the script writing for Kathryn Newton, who plays Cassandra Lang, did no favours. The hype around shows like Secret Invasion and She-Hulk fell flat. She-Hulk felt like it was just clowning around and dragging Marvel’s reputation down. I also felt the same way with Thor: Love and Thunder.
Photo credits: CBR
With the recent release of Captain America: Brave New World, I have mixed feelings about it. Steve Rogers wasn't just playing a character for over a decade – he was THE Captain America. I watched him jump on a grenade during training, fight for what’s right, and make sacrifices. Steve built that legacy through pain, so when people hear the name “Captain America”, they don’t just think of a character. They think of Steve Rogers. No hate to Sam Wilson, I think the Falcon is awesome, but making him Captain America felt like an abrupt replacement. After spending a decade being emotionally invested in Steve’s story, Marvel is telling us, “Here’s someone new with the same name, love them the same way”.
Photo credits: The Bonington
But it’s not all bad, I’ll give credit where it's due – I loved Deadpool & Wolverine. The fun and chaotic vibes mixed with the crazy cameos had me screaming. Plus, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 got me in my feels. Rocket’s backstory? Brutal. It reminded me of why I fell in love with Marvel’s storytelling in the first place – how they never shy away from showing the cost of being a hero.
Photo credits: Entertainment Today
And now Robert Downey Jr. is back as Doctor Doom? Seeing a familiar face made me emotional, but it feels like Marvel is just milking old favourites because they know the new stuff isn't sticking.
If Secret Wars and Doomsday don't revive the magic, the Multiverse Saga might be Marvel’s final “what if”.
