The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) earned the title of highest-grossing film franchise in history with a total worldwide box office revenue that exceeds $29 billion. Unlike Thanos, this Marvel Studios titan seemed unstoppable — until now. When the COVID-19 pandemic changed the state of moviegoing, Marvel Studios’ parent company, Disney, opted to shelve upcoming MCU releases until theaters reopened in earnest.
In 2021, Black Widow and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings kicked off Phase 4 of the MCU films — the first part of the franchise’s Multiverse Saga. Rounding out the year were two MCU films that received incredibly different receptions: the beloved Spider-Man: No Way Home, and the oft-forgotten Eternals. Meanwhile, the MCU made its television debut with must-watch Phase 4 hits, like the Emmy-nominated WandaVision and the time-and-space-traversing Loki, and some should-have-been-a-movie offerings, like The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.
Needless to say, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has had its ups and downs in the wake of the 23 films that make up the MCU’s Infinity Saga. And while Marvel continues to find success on Disney Plus with fresh, genre-specific series like Ms. Marvel, Moon Knights, and She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, the studio is on a decidedly downward trend when it comes to its movies. Not to mention, the MCU doesn’t have a Vibranium shield to protect it from the pitfalls of Hollywood, from the ongoing Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike to the looming threat of James Gunn and Peter Safran’s more intentional, well-plotted approach to DC Comics movie adaptations.
Marvel's Phase 4 Was Not Well-Received
The back half of Marvel’s Phase 4 was not well-received by fans or critics. In some ways, it wasn’t set up for success. Thor: Love and Thunder (2022) and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022) brought back acclaimed directors Taika Waititi and Ryan Coogler, respectively, but they also had the Hulk-sized challenge of living up to the impossibly high bar set by both Thor: Ragnarok (2017) and the history-making Black Panther (2018). In their own ways, Ragnarok and Black Panther were pop culture shifts, and they forced even the harshest comic book movie critics to reassess the potential of these stories and characters.
But these sequels with great expectations placed upon them weren’t 2022’s only MCU films. There was also Sam Raimi’s Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. An incredibly divisive movie that, funnily enough, suffered a bit from Spider-Man 3 (2007) syndrome (i.e. too much stuff crammed into one movie), Multiverse of Madness wasn’t the big hit it promised to be. Sure, it grossed $955 million worldwide, but it also undercut the writing that gave Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) such nuance in Wandavision; shoehorned in a ton of unnecessary plot devices and exposition; and did a great disservice to characters like America Chavez (Xochitl Gomez) and Captain Carter (Hayley Atwell).
Mostly, though, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ greatest sin was that it felt incredibly diluted, from the more shallow depiction of Wanda’s grief and Dr. Strange’s (Benedict Cumberbatch) tired apathy to the film’s depiction of the Multiverse itself. Unlike other multiverse-exploring films, this one’s use of the infinite realities trope undermined its stakes.
That diluted, “I’ve seen this before” feeling has plagued recent Phase 5 MCU releases, too. While a Variant of Jonathan Majors’ (Lovecraft Country, Creed III) Kang the Conqueror was introduced in Loki, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania marked the movie debut of the Multiverse Saga’s alleged big bad. Ant-Man 3 ended up being one of the MCU’s lowest-rated outings; from the CGI landscapes to the overwrought plot, it all felt strangely bland. As a standalone outing, or even a conclusion to the Ant-Man trilogy, it didn’t work, and, as an entry in the larger Multiverse Saga, it didn’t conjure up any sense of urgency, either.
While fans found much more to enjoy in James Gunn’s trilogy-ending Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, it still missed the mark on Disney’s box office projections. Much like Ant-Man and the later Phase 4 MCU films, Guardians 3 experienced quite the drop-off during its second weekend in theaters (though it wasn't as drastic as Quantumania's was). For critics and audiences alike, the film was divisive; some found it heartfelt and inventive, while others found it empty and brutal. Compare that to folks’ feelings on the first Guardians of the Galaxy film — overwhelmingly positive — and it's hard to know if the MCU is experiencing sequel fatigue — nothing will ever feel as fresh as the first time — or if audiences are experiencing a larger Marvel movie fatigue.
Marvel Is Facing Show Business Issues
Marvel’s approach to the post-Infinity Saga MCU and Phase 5 might be a huge part of the equation, but it isn’t the only obstacle between the studio and continued success. Since May 2, 2023, the Writers Guild of America (WGA), which represents nearly 12,000 television and movie writers, has been on strike.
The age of streaming platforms has taken a toll on writers, who used to earn royalties when traditional TV networks syndicated shows. But, when it comes to Netflix and Hulu, reruns are a thing of the past. Instead, viewers decide when to rewatch something — and that’s cut into writers’ royalty earnings immensely. While studios and streamers have stockpiled scripts for TV series, live productions, like Saturday Night Live, are without new content entirely.
So, what does this mean for the MCU? At the end of 2022 into early 2023, it became clear that Marvel was slowing down their output. While Phase 4 shows saturated Disney Plus, 2023’s offerings have been cut back significantly from about five MCU shows to three confirmed releases — Secret Invasion, Loki Season 2, and Echo. (The release date for Agatha: Coven of Chaos is still up in the air…) Maybe Disney could sense the brewing writers’ strike, hence the limited number of MCU releases. Or, maybe, it’s coincidental.
No matter the case, viewers might not notice the ramifications of the writers’ strike in 2023’s MCU offerings. Of course, even when a series is shooting, on-set writers help provide edits and rewrites, so anything that’s currently in production could suffer a bit. Not to mention, the Disney/Marvel decision to change up the MCU release schedule — whether an intentional looking ahead to the impending writers’ strike or not — does impact how the Multiverse Saga is being laid out. The interconnectedness of the MCU’s films might be a weakness insofar as Marvel has painstakingly planned everything to feed into the larger saga narrative, and there’s nothing predictable about show business.
That’s evidenced by more than just the WGA strike, though. Cast as Kang (the Thanos of the Multiverse Saga), Jonathan Majors is attached to a slate of MCU movies and shows releasing through 2026. In March 2023, however, Majors was charged with domestic violence and assault, with more alleged abuse victims coming forward in April. While Majors’ lawyer claims there’s “irrefutable” evidence to clear his name, the Marvel star’s PR firm and management company dropped him as a client. He’s also been dismissed from movie projects, partnerships, and ad campaigns.
While Disney and Marvel Studios have yet to release a statement, or take any action at all, it’s clear that the allegations against Majors have disrupted the MCU’s years-long roadmap. Majors next court date is June 13, and, reportedly, Kevin Feige completely avoided mentioning Majors during a recent screening of the Loki Season 2 trailer, from which the actor was also absent. All of this is pushing fans to wonder: Will the MCU recast its Kang the Conqueror?
The DCU May Finally Present Some Real Competition
If all that wasn’t enough, Marvel’s direct competition, DC Studios, is undergoing an overhaul — and seemingly for the better. In early 2023, James Gunn and Peter Safran unveiled a slate of 10 DC projects as part of the DCU, the spiritual successor to the DC Extended Universe (DCEU). For those feeling a bit lost in the acronyms, the DCEU began in 2013 with the release of Man of Steel, and will wrap with Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom in December 2023.
To make matters a bit more confusing, the soft reboot of the DC Universe movies will kick off with The Flash, which chronicles the Flashpoint storyline, an infamous comics arc that alters the DC canon. The Flash will provide the perfect in-universe excuse to reboot things, but it comes out in June 2023… before Aquaman 2. That aside, it’s clear that Gunn and Safran are taking a page out of Marvel’s book with their approach to the DCU. That means introducing their versions of the iconic DC characters who will figure into cinematic sagas.
It also means finding a tone that works. If movies like Gunn’s The Suicide Squad (2021) and Cathy Yan’s Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey (2020) are any indication, DC will shed the dark, gritty, self-serious feel that colored most DCEU entries. The DCU also has the opportunity to be more approachable to casual fans and non-comic book readers alike. Undoubtedly, the accessibility and lighter touch of the MCU grew the franchise’s fan base, especially in the lead-up to Avengers: Infinity War (2018) and Avengers: Endgame (2019). Now, the DCU has the opportunity to build this kind of passionate fan base and camaraderie around a rebooted cast of heroes (and villains).
A more planned out, interconnected, and intentional DCU could spell trouble for the MCU. The DCEU is only the ninth highest-grossing franchise of all time, which isn’t something to laugh at, but it certainly isn’t the tight race one would expect. Between the lackluster start to the Multiverse Saga, the challenges of show business, and the DCU’s impending launch, the Marvel Cinematic Universe might not ever reach the heights of its Endgame pinnacle again.