Let’s address the elephant in the room: yes, The MCU has been inconsistent these last few years. No, that doesn’t mean it’s “dead”. “Dead” implies dormancy, and it’s still chugging along. That doesn’t mean it’s not struggling, but remember that it was contending with a global pandemic and a double writers’/actors’ strike within three years. That alone would cause a strain.
I think people forget how bad superhero movies, Marvel in particular, once were. Prior to The MCU in 2008, most properties weren’t given proper treatment. You had exceptions, but for every Spider-Man and X-Men there were a dozen or so franchises that were embarrassing. Even post-MCU, there was a window where studios were throwing anything at the wall to see what stuck. It wasn’t pretty.
I don’t think The MCU’s completely lost its way. The franchise has undoubtably had critical duds since 2021, two this year alone. But most post-2019 entries were critically-successful, with a few rising to the heights of Phase 3. They’ve also been more ambitious narratively and thematically, discussing grief, loss and legacy in ways prior entries hadn’t. They’ve built on prior lore in new ways, even if they haven’t always stuck the landing.
This leads to the next complaint, being that that The MCU’s become “woke”. Ignoring how empty that term is nowadays, The MCU’s taken flak for centring stories on minorities. This is especially true of The Marvels, a movie starring three women and focusing on their struggles. It’s not a fantastic movie, but I enjoyed it, and I doubt being “woke” hampered its box-office and reception. Remember that Hollywood recently resolved two strikes, so the movie didn’t have anyone to advertise it.
I find this largely a case of angry dude-bros with too much free time whining about IPs to their small audiences. I’d leave it there and move on, but they’re really loud. And obnoxious. And their videos keep getting recommended on YouTube. Their voices keep drowning out legitimate complaints, like how most of the movies are lengthy.
I also don’t like this complaint because it reeks of bigotry. As we’ve seen in recent years, bigotry isn’t going away. If anything, it’s intensifying and finding new ways to remain relevant, and that’s alarming. So while it’d be easy to write off, it has ripple effects. Not to mention, it’s swaying politicians.
I find this largely a case of angry dude-bros with too much free time whining about IPs to their small audiences. I’d leave it there and move on, but they’re really loud. And obnoxious. And their videos keep getting recommended on YouTube. Their voices keep drowning out legitimate complaints, like how most of the movies are lengthy.
I also don’t like this complaint because it reeks of bigotry. As we’ve seen in recent years, bigotry isn’t going away. If anything, it’s intensifying and finding new ways to remain relevant, and that’s alarming. So while it’d be easy to write off, it has ripple effects. Not to mention, it’s swaying politicians.
Perhaps the worst complaint, and one I’ve reached a near-breaking point with, is that The MCU’s “killing cinema”. For one, define “killing”. It’s true the mid-budget movie’s on its last legs right now, but that’s been the case for a decade. I think insane ticket prices and the inconveniences of modern theatre experiences aren’t helping. If you need proof, look at The International Day of Cinema this past year.
Two, this is cyclical. Hollywood movie trends change every decade, and some movies suffer each time. Other types adapt to meet demand, superhero films included. It might “suck” that the big box-office grossers nowadays are cape films, but that won’t be permanent. As Vision said in The Avengers: Age of Ultron, “…[A] thing isn’t beautiful because it lasts.”
And three, it isn’t consumers’ faults. Nor is it really the fault of The MCU. Hollywood’s a business, and businesses crave money. That means chasing trends in hopes of replicating what’s hot right now. In the case of The MCU, it also means chasing its success without putting in the work. Remember, The MCU became big because it focused on one movie at a time, adding connective tissue where needed as it went on. If anything’s to blame for the “death of cinema”, it’s corporate greed, not consumers.
Two, this is cyclical. Hollywood movie trends change every decade, and some movies suffer each time. Other types adapt to meet demand, superhero films included. It might “suck” that the big box-office grossers nowadays are cape films, but that won’t be permanent. As Vision said in The Avengers: Age of Ultron, “…[A] thing isn’t beautiful because it lasts.”
And three, it isn’t consumers’ faults. Nor is it really the fault of The MCU. Hollywood’s a business, and businesses crave money. That means chasing trends in hopes of replicating what’s hot right now. In the case of The MCU, it also means chasing its success without putting in the work. Remember, The MCU became big because it focused on one movie at a time, adding connective tissue where needed as it went on. If anything’s to blame for the “death of cinema”, it’s corporate greed, not consumers.
It’s easy to latch onto doom and gloom stories about the industry; after all, that sells more than hope and optimism, especially in an ever-changing industry! But doom and gloom overshadows reality and mistakes the forest for the trees, ignoring the real issues behind-the-scenes. Plus, it’s unhealthy. Hollywood has problems, many of which I’ve covered, but that shouldn’t be conflated with the “death of cinema”. Especially when everything evolves constantly.
It's also easy to cling to insiders like they’re gospel. I know Martin Scorsese has made his opinions known, but he’s not the be-all-end-all simply because of his credentials. Filmmaking’s collaborative, and those in charge of productions have different perspectives than those working on them. And they also often disagree. That needs to be taken into account too.
I know I’m one person peering in from the outside. My stance on The MCU should, therefore, be taken with a grain of salt. Nevertheless, the situation’s more complicated than people give it credit. Like I said, Hollywood’s constantly changing, and whatever’s hot now will most-likely be irrelevant in a decade’s time. All it takes is knowing when you don’t know something with certainty. That includes The MCU, for better or worse.
It's also easy to cling to insiders like they’re gospel. I know Martin Scorsese has made his opinions known, but he’s not the be-all-end-all simply because of his credentials. Filmmaking’s collaborative, and those in charge of productions have different perspectives than those working on them. And they also often disagree. That needs to be taken into account too.
I know I’m one person peering in from the outside. My stance on The MCU should, therefore, be taken with a grain of salt. Nevertheless, the situation’s more complicated than people give it credit. Like I said, Hollywood’s constantly changing, and whatever’s hot now will most-likely be irrelevant in a decade’s time. All it takes is knowing when you don’t know something with certainty. That includes The MCU, for better or worse.
No comments:
Post a Comment