Marvel Studios finally admitted fault this week, acknowledging it has gone through a rough patch with its constant barrage of mediocre films and television shows in the past few years.
One can presume the Disney-owned studio felt on top of the world with 2019’s Avengers: Endgame, what many fans perceive to be the definitive peak of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), both in storytelling and quality. Marvel has since tried replicating that level of quality while simultaneously focusing on quantity. But instead of releasing 23 films over the course of eleven years, the production company released roughly the same number of projects — between theatrical movies, streaming series, and television specials — in three years.
As a result, apathetic audiences have become tired of the superhero genre in general and aren’t as excited for the next Marvel movie like they used to be. In a recent interview with Empire, Marvel Studios co-president Louis D’Esposito and president Kevin Feige admitted this reality and revealed that the company will try cutting down on the comic-book franchise’s output.
“If we just stayed on top, that would have been the worst thing that could have happened to us,” D’Esposito said, alluding to the $2.8 billion worldwide success that was Endgame. “We took a little hit, we’re coming back strong.”
“Maybe when you do too much, you dilute yourself a little bit. We’re not going to do that anymore. We learned our lesson,” he continued. “Maybe two to three films a year and one or two shows, as opposed to doing four films and four shows.”
Although it remains to be seen whether Marvel holds to that in the coming years, the studio is currently sticking to its self-imposed limit. Echo is the only MCU show to have debuted on Disney+ so far this year. And Deadpool & Wolverine, due to hit theaters on July 26, is the sole MCU film scheduled to be released in 2024.
“It’s nice to be able to rally behind one feature project this year,” Feige told the entertainment magazine. “I’m much more comfortable being the underdog. I prefer being able to surprise, and exceed expectations. So it does seem like the last year, which has not been ideal, has set us up well for that.”
D’Esposito and Feige are not the only ones to admit that Marvel’s latest offerings haven’t been on par with its pre-Endgame entries. Last week, Chris Hemsworth, who plays Thor, reaffirmed earlier comments he had made about the quality drop-off from 2017’s Thor: Ragnarok to 2022’s Thor: Love and Thunder. “I got caught up in the improv and the wackiness, and I became a parody of myself,” Hemsworth told Vanity Fair. “I didn’t stick the landing.”
Last year, the actor called Love and Thunder “too silly.” The year before, Hemsworth likened the movie’s writer-director, Taika Waititi, to a seven-year-old. Despite the weight of responsibility Hemsworth may retrospectively feel for his goofy performance, the blame ultimately lies with Waititi, who indulged his every creative whim in making Thor a joke.
The much-needed MCU drought may not last very long, however. At this time, 2025 is expected to see the release of four movies: Captain America: Brave New World (February 14), Thunderbolts (May 5), Fantastic Four (July 25) and Blade (November 7). Given that each of these films has been delayed several times, it’s likely their release dates will be pushed back yet again.
Marvel is betting big on Deadpool & Wolverine, which X-Men: First Class director Matthew Vaughn claimed will “save the whole Marvel Universe.” It’s possible the R-rated buddy comedy can temporarily reinvigorate the MCU, but it’s doubtful anything attached to Disney at this point can be saved. Still, Deadpool & Wolverine director Shawn Levy has hope.
“You’d have to live under a rock not to know that the last few Marvel movies have failed to ignite the world in the way that so many did,” Levy said. “We do come along at an interesting time. And we are decidedly something different. Whether it is of Messianic proportions, time will tell.”