This isn’t a review of the movie. While I definitely enjoyed it and think many of its detractors are picking sour grapes, the movie was messy and raised more questions than it answered. I also don’t want to discuss MODOK, as I don’t care about MODOK anyway and consider the argument over him tiresome. My focus will be on the franchise in general, as well as why it’s not out of steam (yet).
Now, I’m not a diehard about The MCU. It took several years to get hooked, and even now few entries are better than 4/5 stars. They’re simply fun action movies. And while they might occasionally delve into serious subjects, there are better examples of tackling those subjects in other films or franchises. The MCU’s baseline: nothing exceptional, but you can do a lot worse.
I don’t get why there’s controversy over their existence. I know people want variety. But variety exists, you simply have to look for it. I also know that The MCU eats into yearly box-office totals, “crowding out” original ideas. But that’s less the franchise and more how Disney markets it. Besides, not all “original” ideas are worth my time.
It also irks me that people use the franchise to vent about irrelevant issues. The MCU’s visuals look bad? That’s not a problem exclusive to the franchise. The MCU’s VFX artists are overworked? That’s tragic, but, again, it’s not exclusive to the franchise. Even “there are too many entries” falls flat because MCU movies constitute less than 1% of yearly releases. We get more horror, thriller and Oscar dramas than MCU films.
All of this falls on deaf ears, though. Which is why talking about it with film enthusiasts is so tiring. Whether it’s how formulaic they are, even though all franchises are formulaic, or that they’re “theme parks”, I can’t have a serious conversation that isn’t intellectually-condescending. It bothers me because it’s a waste of my time and energy, and because it’s vapid. It also lacks a coherent through-line, reading like background chatter wrapped in “discourse”.
Of course, the question that keeps resurfacing is, “Aren’t you tired of these movies?” As if it isn’t a loaded enough question, my answer is, “No.” I’m a “movie omnivore”, so I’ll watch anything as long as it’s appealing. I’ve seen many MCU films, some more than once, but I’m not even remotely bored. They simply mine lots of content. You can spend 80 years on these films and barely scratch the surface. And I’d see all of them if they were worth my time!
All of this falls on deaf ears, though. Which is why talking about it with film enthusiasts is so tiring. Whether it’s how formulaic they are, even though all franchises are formulaic, or that they’re “theme parks”, I can’t have a serious conversation that isn’t intellectually-condescending. It bothers me because it’s a waste of my time and energy, and because it’s vapid. It also lacks a coherent through-line, reading like background chatter wrapped in “discourse”.
Of course, the question that keeps resurfacing is, “Aren’t you tired of these movies?” As if it isn’t a loaded enough question, my answer is, “No.” I’m a “movie omnivore”, so I’ll watch anything as long as it’s appealing. I’ve seen many MCU films, some more than once, but I’m not even remotely bored. They simply mine lots of content. You can spend 80 years on these films and barely scratch the surface. And I’d see all of them if they were worth my time!
Outside of that, they make lots of money. Why? Because people like them. It’s a huge talking point that they’ll “run out of steam”, but that hasn’t happened yet. Even in the late-90’s, the “fatigue” with superheroes only lasted a few years. People’s memories are short, and the movies that “killed” the genre, like Batman & Robin, are looked back on now with nostalgia.
If it sounds like I’m rambling, it’s because I don’t think The MCU’s discourse factors in how little the average person cares about our hang-ups. My cousin, who isn’t a superhero fan, saw The Avengers: Endgame in theatres on a business retreat. She didn’t understand a lot of the minutiae, even asking me questions later, but she loved it! I’ve also overheard strangers discussing these films on the bus home from work! These are only two examples, but they say more about the long-term staying power of The MCU than any arguments online ever could!
Most people aren’t “terminally-online”. They’re not clued in to the controversies of the internet. They also have different tolerance standards than us, hence why CinemaScore exists. They’re more interested in being entertained, and MCU projects are largely made with them in mind. Box-office-wise, they’re not tired of these movies (yet). And we won’t know when they will be.
If it sounds like I’m rambling, it’s because I don’t think The MCU’s discourse factors in how little the average person cares about our hang-ups. My cousin, who isn’t a superhero fan, saw The Avengers: Endgame in theatres on a business retreat. She didn’t understand a lot of the minutiae, even asking me questions later, but she loved it! I’ve also overheard strangers discussing these films on the bus home from work! These are only two examples, but they say more about the long-term staying power of The MCU than any arguments online ever could!
Most people aren’t “terminally-online”. They’re not clued in to the controversies of the internet. They also have different tolerance standards than us, hence why CinemaScore exists. They’re more interested in being entertained, and MCU projects are largely made with them in mind. Box-office-wise, they’re not tired of these movies (yet). And we won’t know when they will be.
This circles back to the issue I have with these debates: they don’t matter. A few years ago, I dubbed The MCU “critic-proof”. I stand by that, not because the movies can’t be critical bombs (we’ve seen that happen twice), but because even when they are, so what? They make money regardless, and they’re enjoyed by people outside the film discourse bubble. That’s more important than a number that Rotten Tomatoes, a site most people don’t even understand, assigns them.
In the end, the debate around The MCU is futile and unnecessary. Does it suck that the news talks about them frequently? Maybe. Is it a problem that Disney’s marketing borders on toxic? Yes. But that doesn’t mean the movies can’t be enjoyed for what they are. They can, and anyone saying otherwise is being dishonest.
In the end, the debate around The MCU is futile and unnecessary. Does it suck that the news talks about them frequently? Maybe. Is it a problem that Disney’s marketing borders on toxic? Yes. But that doesn’t mean the movies can’t be enjoyed for what they are. They can, and anyone saying otherwise is being dishonest.
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