Marvel has seen an unprecedented amount of success since 2009's Iron Man, starring Robert Downey Jr. Fans anxiously awaited each entry into the franchise after that, and who could blame them when Samuel L. Jackson specifically name-dropped The Avengers? That success continued all the way up to 2019 when Avengers: Endgame went to theaters, showing the world how to properly culminate a 21-movie storyline. However, popularity afterwards gradually dropped off.

That doesn't mean Marvel movies aren't still making a profit. Fans are hopeful the studio will catch lightning in a bottle again. Not to mention, some of the Disney+ shows, such as Loki and WandaVision, have been overwhelmingly successful amongst the fanbase. But it's safe to say that the MCU doesn't exude the same feeling it once did. If Marvel looked at their more successful projects since Endgame, they have one thing in common: They focus more on the character than big, flashy fights.

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The MCU's Multiverse Approach is not Working

While Marvel's intentions for the multiverse in the MCU have been about bringing fan-favorite characters and storylines into the fold, it hasn't been nearly as successful as many hoped. Since its introduction, the has lacked focus. The after-credits scenes overall were about what was coming next for the MCU. Some were merely short snippets from an upcoming film in the franchise, but an overwhelming majority showed where the overarching story was going.

Besides Loki,Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, and a little bit from Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, there hasn't been a large focus on the multiverse. Loki did most of the heavy lifting by laying the foundation for it while the others gave fans a look at what was possible. When fans consider how many MCU films and shows premiered since 2019, the multiverse hasn't been as pushed as hardcore fans like to think. Besides bringing in mutants, most fans might not even notice if the multiverse was never visited again.

More fans anxiously await the arrival of an MCU-proper Daredevil and Deadpool, two smaller-budget and more street-level projects, more than they care about the next Avengers-style installment. Loki and WandaVision succeeded with more character-driven stories than previous projects. Marvel would benefit from taking that into consideration.

The Benefits of a Street-level Conflict

The best thing about the Netflix shows was that they showed a new corner of the MCU. The MCU films acclimated audiences to big, grandiose stories that involved world domination and reality-altering threats. Those were fun. However, Daredevil and the subsequent Netflix series' brought everyone down to Earth, showing a world where corruption ran rampant. It showed the human side of the MCU.

Was it a little darker in tone? Absolutely. The MCU isn't Star Trek, where the characters live in a utopian future, everybody gets along, and the only corruption comes from alien planets. It was meant to be a reflection of the real world where the heroes have to shake hands with the Devil in order to come out on top down the line. It's not pristine, it's dirty. Using the Netflix shows as a blueprint, the MCU could thrive again.

Lower-budget movies/shows

A low budget doesn't mean the director and crew only need to work with $1,000; it only means they don't need the inflated budget of the Avengers movies. Spending hundreds of millions of dollars on a film doesn't guarantee that it will be a huge hit with audiences. A smaller budget allows the film crew to focus on what's important to the audience and what should be important to the film's story. The Deadpool films used a significantly smaller budget than other Marvel films, including Fox X-Men movies, and wildly succeeded.

Every single budget for an MCU movie has been hundreds of millions of dollars. Marvel, and to a greater extent Disney, would see a much bigger return on their investment with lower-budget films that focus less on CGI, more on practical effects, and more thought in the story. That's what made Netflix's Defenders shows like Daredevil, Jessica Jones, and The Punisher so great. Well, that and more personal stories.

More personal stories

One of the benefits of a small budget is the ability for films to focus on a more personal story. While it's fun to watch superheroes save the day and do big, fantastic things, fans want to connect with the characters. That's not happening in Marvel's recent slate of films. Feige and the rest of Marvel need to look at Logan for reference, as it successfully took a worldwide threat and turned it into something more personal for the main protagonist. Audiences felt for Logan. James Mangold could have easily taken Logan's story and turned it into another flashy blockbuster with no meaning behind it. Instead, he made a character piece that got fans invested.

Changing up the stale Marvel formula

When one looks back at the MCU's filmography, despite there being some truly great installments, they're all very similar. That formula worked for a while. In fact, it did pretty well for the first 21 movies that culminated with Avengers: Endgame, with only one or two exceptions. However, at this point, it's dry. Formulas are great for writing a script and maintaining a certain level of success. Unfortunately, it's no longer a formula for success when the audience doesn't show up.

Focusing on street-level characters would mix things up and show a different side to the MCU that fans rarely see anymore. Coming off the heels of 2012's The Avengers, fans were thrilled for Daredevil and the lead up shows to The Defenders. It was similar to the feature films but different enough to be refreshing. Not that pumping out PG-13-rated films is an issue, but if Disney is willing to be more lenient by allowing for an R-rated Marvel film from time to time, it might also help with the stale status of the MCU.

MCU

The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is a sprawling movie and television franchise that weaves together individual stories of superheroes including Captain America, Thor, Spider-Man, Hulk, Black Widow, and many more. The first film in the franchise, Iron Man, was released in 2008. The MCU has garnered critical praise and financial success, earning billions at the box office and becoming a cultural phenomenon.

First Film

Iron Man

Latest Film

Marvels

Cast

Robert Downey Jr. , Chris Evans , Chris Hemsworth , Scarlett Johansson , Mark Ruffalo , Jeremy Renner , Chadwick Boseman , Zoe Saldana , Chris Pratt , Tom Hiddleston , Iman Vellani

TV Show(s)

WandaVision , The Falcon and the Winter Soldier , Loki , Ms. Marvel , She-Hulk

Character(s)

Iron Man , Captain America , Thor , Hulk , Black Widow , Hawkeye

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