A report suggests Disney wants Marvel Studios to slow down its output, which could be what the MCU needs to feel “special” to audiences again.
Since the pandemic lockdown ended, Marvel Studios has been a consistent performer at the box office, even amid less critical acclaim. Even with the extended delays, the Marvel Cinematic Universe more than doubled in runtime with new movies and series. If there were fewer Marvel movies released each year, the MCU might feel “special” again, the ephemeral quality its recent output lacked.
Director of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania Peyton Reed said fans take the MCU for granted. He’s right, not just because his film may fail to earn back its exorbitant $200 million budget. Given that reality, it’s surprising Disney didn’t pull the emergency brake on Marvel Studios. In 2018, the first Star Wars film to ever lose money debuted, and production has begun on a new movie in the franchise since. Yet, as always, when Star Wars returns to theaters after a break, the next film in the franchise will at least break even. If someone stopped watching the MCU after Avengers: Endgame, they would have nine movies and more than a dozen series to watch to catch up. With four movies per year that show up on Disney+ in less than two months, it’s no wonder cash-strapped Marvel fans are skipping the theater.
Marvel Studios Starved Its Fans of Movies, Only to Overfeed Them
During the promotion of Avengers: Infinity War, Marvel Studios stopped promoting its movies. Sure, there were trailers and press junkets. But the trailers contained scenes not in the film, and the actors and directors couldn’t say anything about the project. Its success was just taken for granted, and each installment broke records at the time. Even with the stalled momentum from the pandemic, Marvel continued this strategy. Given the shift in the narrative for Phase Four, however, Marvel Studios should’ve perhaps highlighted the connective tissue more than hid it.
Of course, the other problem Marvel Studios faces is its own previous success. Quantumania is a certified flop, even though its run isn’t yet over. If it stopped tomorrow, Quantumania would still be the highest-grossing movie in the world for 2023. Even a hit like John Wick 4 would have a tough time overtaking it, and if it did, it would be historic for R-rated films. Also, the MCU Phase Four wasn’t as simple a story as John Wick shooting his way through a bad month. It’s not even as simple as the heroes coming together to beat aliens, a robot of their own creation and then Thanos (who everyone knew was coming since Avengers).
Marvel Studios mixing up the formula at the same time as catastrophic industry upheaval was a risk. Rather than trying to regress the franchise to more familiar fare, slowing output, at least cinematically, would make the movies special to fans again. Disney+ series can be the test kitchens for new concepts and characters. And making a new Marvel Studios movie a special event again isn’t a bad idea, especially since audiences may be suffering from content fatigue.
Marvel Movies Need to Make Money for Disney and Theaters
Industry cost-cutting across streaming and movies isn’t just the problem of Warner Bros. Discovery. Yet, when it comes to the total box office, the biggest contributor for years has been Disney. And its most successful franchise, even in 2023, is the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It’s a Catch-22, however. The box office needs new Marvel movies, but in order to remain a consistent performer, the studio needs to cut back its output. In the early phases, audiences didn’t know quite what to expect from the MCU. As the franchise evolves, expectations are tougher to predict.
Thor: Love and Thunder was want audiences claimed to have wanted: a rock-and-roll Thor movie from Taika Waititi that was both funny and sad. Quantumania was something entirely new. But neither worked for audiences the way Marvel wanted. Yet, strange, off-beat series like WandaVision or Loki captured the zeitgeist, with audiences embracing the chances the storytellers took. Disney+ is where risky shows like Moon Knight or She-Hulk: Attorney at Law belong. They don’t have to face box office pressure.
Slowing down the pace of the movies, if not the series as well, is a good idea. At the very least, the visual effects artists will get a break. Yet, giving the audience a break isn’t a bad idea. Absence makes the heart grow fonder or, at least, allows fans to indulge in a rewatch or two. Reducing the number of movies per year is a good start, but the real trick will be for Marvel to balance the “payoff” of films for fans and invite new audiences in.
