Fantastic Four Reveal & Deadpool 3 Trailer: Is Marvel Getting Its Mojo Back?

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Marvel

It takes a lot to kill an empire. The Marvel Cinematic Universe was unquestionably the mightiest force in pop culture when Endgame came out, but many believe it's been bleeding out ever since. It's suffered one wound after another with occasional breaks for auteur-driven success. 2023 presaged a bitter ending for superhero movies, but Marvel won't go down without a fight. They've got Deadpool & Wolverine and Fantastic Four to prove they can still do this all day.

Marvel wasn't alone in its superhero movie difficulties. 2023 felt like the end of the superhero craze in a way that almost mirrored the zombie crash of a few years earlier. DC movies like Shazam: Fury of the Gods, The Flash, and Aquaman and the Last Kingdom flopped with critics and audiences. The genre tanked like a bad stock. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 was the year's only winner. This and next year must be better.

Fantastic Four Actor Michael Chiklis Deadpool 3 Cast Rumor

Former Fantastic Four Actor Shuts Down Fake Deadpool 3 Cast Photo

The Deadpool 3 cast is rumored to feature a former Fantastic Four actor, but the man himself had to set the record straight on a 'leaked set photo.'

Deadpool 3 Trailer Breaks Records

Deadpool & Wolverine dropped a teaser alongside the Big Game that floored Marvel's usual audience. In 24 hours, the Deadpool & Wolverine trailer drew 365 million views online. That extraordinarily impressive metric makes it the most-viewed movie trailer ever released. This is excellent news for Marvel, though the previous record holder they beat was themselves. Spider-Man: No Way Home held that honor with 355 million views in its first 24 hours.

The new horizon suggests a few things. Deadpool 3, now known as Deadpool & Wolverine, is unquestionably one of the MCU's most anticipated projects. Hugh Jackman's return to the role he's occupied for more than two decades excited fans. Deadpool has some of the most ardent devotees in the genre. Onlookers are excited to see something different come out of the House of Mouse. These hints will likely guide the franchise in the upcoming years for good and ill.

Fantastic Four Cast Reveal Drops Unexpectedly

Riding the high of Deadpool & Wolverine's hype, Marvel Studios revealed the cast for its upcoming Fantastic Four film. Though the project isn't set to hit theaters until 2025, the world knows the cast. The Mandalorian fans and John Krasinski haters rejoice. Endlessly likable superstar Pedro Pascal will finally join the MCU as Reed Richards, AKA Mr. Fantastic. Vanessa Kirby of Mission: Impossible and Napoleon fame will portray Susan "The Invisible Woman" Storm. Joseph Quinn, the breakout star behind Stranger Things' Eddie Munson, is riding his sensational rising fame to the role of Johnny Storm, The Human Torch. Finally, Ebon Moss-Bachrach rejoins the MCU after portraying Micro in Punisher to take on Ben "The Thing" Grimm.

The cast is excellent across the board. Pascal was a popular fan-casting option, and people want to see him everywhere, but his ongoing grumpy dad persona fits the role perfectly. Kirby brought so much to Joséphine in Napoleon, arguably making her as central a character as the man the film was named after. Quinn is a flawlessly on-the-nose choice, given that he played the most popular rebellious teen of recent memory. Bachrach is the only outside-the-box pick, but his voice and presence in The Bear make the vision clear. The sixties flair of the announcement also inspires confidence. This week featured Marvel's two best marketing decisions in years.

Is Marvel Trying to Keep its Momentum Going?

Disney announced they'd be slowing down Marvel projects last year. 2023 was a rough year for the franchise, leading to heavy changes behind the scenes. That decision evokes a driver slamming on their brakes after several near-misses or paint exchanges. Echo was entertaining in parts, but it was also hastily chopped into pieces to fit various studio mandates. The promise of Deadpool & Wolverine, with projects like Daredevil: Born Again, suggest several returns to form. Fantastic Four, on the other hand, could imply strong creative decisions and new blood in future projects. The former will quell some complaints from fans, but the latter is the only thing that can save the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

No one has seen Deadpool & Wolverine or the MCU's Fantastic Four. They could be the two best projects to come out of the studio. They could set the standard for the genre. They could also just as easily squander the overwhelming hype they've carefully cultivated. Excitement is a double-edged sword, but the sharp redirection of Marvel's cultural presence is likely a great relief to the studio heads. Marvel shifted from the most powerful empire in entertainment to a mild pariah through endless repetition, cowardice, awful decisions, and diminishing returns. The spotlight is burning into them. The microphone is in their hand. The crowd looks on expectantly. Marvel engendered cautious optimism with its Deadpool 3 and Fantastic Four announcements. Its next moves will determine the fate of the franchise.