When comparing the Marvel Cinematic Universe against its biggest competitors, it's hard to consider it anything less than the champion. Despite its financial success, some aspects of the formula have become prime targets for critics and even lost favor with devoted fans.
Quality dialogue writing is probably not the first thing fans would mention when asked what they love about the MCU or even superhero movies in general. Even if people think that the punching and explosions are the draws, the MCU holds some of the most beloved characters in modern history. Watching these larger-than-life figures interact is a huge part of the appeal of superhero comics, but the way the MCU handles this interplay brings the viewer back to Earth all too often.
Avengers: Age of Ultron features what might be considered the first real character-building moment for Clint "Hawkeye" Barton. The film is far from beloved, typically ranking in the lowest rungs of most fans' MCU rankings. There's plenty of Hawkeye in the film, but his big emotional climax comes in the midst of the film's underwhelming final battle. He's in a shed, hunkered down with former enemy Wanda Maximoff as plasma fire rattles the wooden walls. He takes the moment to try to attempt to induct her into The Avengers on the field of battle. The line he uses is the apotheosis of Marvel's worst writing trait. He explains, point by point, the absurdity of the scene they find themselves in, then tops it off with "none of this makes sense". That moment is passed by largely unmentioned, but it's a perfect moment of Marvel's writing lacking any faith in the audience's ability to buy into a comic book narrative.
The events of the MCU are absurd. Almost as if it was heavily inspired by colorful picture books written decades ago for an audience made up mainly of children. Tremendous amounts of money and several of mankind's most treasured creators' time have gone into bringing them to their current form. The very worst of them still make money, people will come out to see whatever the studio wants to put out. There are multiple entire ecosystems of content generation that focus on explaining and understanding the events of Marvel's output alone. So, why, in this age of superhero movie domination, does Marvel still lack the confidence to lean into the comic book tone of their work?
But what's wrong with comic book movies having snarky or quippy dialogue? Surely that's a key part of the source material. It is, but that Hawkeye line, Tom Holland's Peter Parker chuckling at Dr. Otto Octavius' name, or the Cloak stroking Doctor Strange's face when he first puts it on isn't just thrown in to get a laugh. They're self-aware cowardly misdirects to add ironic detachment to the comic book sincerity playing out on screen. There's a near-clockwork regularity with which Marvel undercuts itself with lame anti-climax that fans can almost call every time. They can't just let something occur, they can't just allow something to be silly, genuine, or heartfelt. Modern pop culture is so cynical and dull that the biggest multimedia empire on Earth can't let a heartbeat pass in a sad moment without desperately reaching for a bad joke to cut the tension.
This is another side effect of the risk-averse cowardice of franchise media. Someone told the bosses at Disney that the kids these days like irony, so now sincerity must be carefully rationed. Wouldn't want the audience to feel anything. It's endemic enough to the franchise that it's impossible to know whether the vastly varied creative voices keep falling back on this trope or the studio keeps demanding it. The DCEU abuses this idea too, but they have a little more restraint. Fans have made this joke to death, but can anyone imagine an MCU character saying "I am vengeance", then not undercutting it with some dim laugh line? Ubiquity is the problem. Marvel makes tons of jokes, many of which are excellent. The films almost always include some measure of comedy, and that's an important part of the DNA of the MCU. Though it is important, it shouldn't be used as a shield to defend its audience from having to think too hard or feel too much.
Marvel creates some of the most enjoyable blockbuster cinema of the generation, but its fear of sincerity forces audiences to grapple with the tragic corporatism of it all. Something that feels scrappier or more genuine, even if it's also inspired by some monstrous media conglomerate. Look to Sonic the Hedgehog or Detective Pikachu, which have some genuine heart. Look to Sam Raimi or Matt Reeves, who aren't afraid to lean into their strange distinct tones. Marvel is among the most dominant forces in modern entertainment, it's about time they dare to wear their heart on their sleeves.