Summary
Ever since the end of theInifinity Saga, Marvel Studios has struggled with its latest offerings within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The franchise, which has been ongoing for over a decade, saw multiple box office stumbles and a steep decline in quality as the studio focused on more offerings rather than story. WhileDeadpool & Wolverinelooks to be a step towards the right direction, there’s still plenty for Marvel Studios to reconsider ahead of its next twoAvengersfilms.
Joe and Anthony Russo are set to directThe Avengers: DoomsdayandThe Avengers: Secret Warsfor Marvel Studios, which will see Iron Man actorRobert Downey Jr. return to the Marvel Cinematic Universeas Doctor Doom. With many having dubbedDowney Jr.’s return as fan-service, it’s clear Marvel Studios isn’t entirely free of its need to please fans. However, if the Marvel Cinematic Universe wants to recapture its magic, it’s important that Marvel doesn’t use the nextAvengersmovies - namelyAvengers: Secret Wars- to focus on fanservice and fun references.
Marvel’s Reliance on Fan Service is Concerning
The entirety of Marvel Studios' Phase Five has been concerning, with the studio seemingly having thrown everything at the wall in hopes of finding what sticks. Despite its current problems, however, the Marvel Cinematic Universe remains one of the most impressive franchises within Hollywood to date. Still, it’s hard not to admit that Marvel Studios is currently its own worst enemy. In recent films, the studio has sought to try and appease fans by inserting not only fight sequences to please them, but also cameos and jokes that are meant to surprise and thrill, but all of this is ultimately at the cost of the storytelling. Sometimes it works, such as withSpider-Man: No WayHome. In other cases, though, it doesn’t.Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, which had been rumored to include countless cameos, seemed to lean most into fanservice not just with the confirmed cameos, but also with the fight sequences. The story has been billed as Marvel Studios' scariest movie to date, with those involved oftenreferring to it as a horror movie; while it did have some scary moments, the film ended up suffering because it tried too hard to beeverything fans wanted it to be.
As Marvel Studios seeks to course correct the Marvel Cinematic Universe going forward, it’s important that the studio realize its faults now before the next twoAvengersfilms. With many having already dubbed the casting of Downey Jr. as Doom as fanservice, the film has a lot of work ahead of it, especially with many having already taken to social media to express their hopes forAvengers: DoomsdayandAvengers: Secret Wars. The latter is an important Marvel Comics story, one that is full of the potential to be huge, much like theInfinity Saga. However, it’ll all come down to whether or not the studio handles the project properly. With an impressive cast, one that isrumored to feature well over sixty characters, Marvel Studios needs to focus on the story at hand and not crafting ‘shock’ moments just to make fans excited.
Avengers: Secret Wars Doesn’t Need Fanservice
While there’s no denying that fanservice moments and fun jokes are far from bad, there’s a time and a place for them. Sadly, while fans have undoubtedly enjoyed the fanservice moments from Marvel as of late, there’s no denying they have been overdone. In the case ofDeadpool & Wolverine,these types of moments are to be expected, especially with the Merc with the Mouth breaking the fourth wall and always teetering on the edge of ‘too much.’ That works for that particular character, but that can’t be said for every other character or project within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. One perfect example isGuardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, where fans were finally introduced to Adam Warlock. The character, who is depicted as incredibly powerful in the comics, was written in a childish way in the film. This, of course, stems from the character having only been born in the film; yet, the need to turn him into a joke until the end seemed unnecessary. Then there’s the case of the Phase 5 end credit teases that have introduced multiple characters, played by some rather big names, only to have become nothing more - at least, not yet.
We’ve seenCharlize Theron join the Marvel Cinematic Universe, along withHarry Stylesand even Kelsey Grammer, who reprised his role as Beast at the end of The Marvels. These are all big name additions, all playing notable characters, yet they’ve been regulated to end credit teasers, with no further information regarding their futures within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. WithSecret Warsset to include a massive cast, it’s important that Marvel Studios finds a way to make sure it doesn’t overdo the fanservice moments and jokes. In fact, the next twoAvengersfilms, especiallySecret Wars, should take inspiration fromThe Avengers: Infinity WarandThe Avengers: Endgame. Those films managed to not only juggle massive casts, but also found a way to properly use their appearances to further the story being told. Sure, there were some fanservice moments and some jokes peppered throughout, but the story was first and foremost. Which is what Marvel Studios needs to go back to withDoomsdayandSecret Wars.
The Avengers: Doomsdayis set to hit theaters on May 1st, 2026, whileThe Avengers: Secret Warswill hit theaters on May 7th, 2027.
