Six years ago, the cinematic event of a lifetime arrived in theaters in the form of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Avengers: Endgame. Yet again, Marvel Studios hopes to break box-office and internet records with Avengers: Doomsday, slated for release on Dec. 18, 2026. Only one issue remains: the MCU has simply lost its spark.
Endgame was such a cultural phenomenon because it was the culmination of 11 years of work, 21 previous films and three well-connected phases. This film broke the box office with a staggering $2.79 billion in revenue, second only to Avatar. Fatigue of the genre aside, nothing the studio has released since the infamous blockbuster has reached the same heights, with even quality movies or shows being regarded as the best ‘since Endgame.’ Quality aside, they have all remained relatively disconnected, a situation that only worsened after Jonathan Majors’ legal troubles caused the studio to change direction. Originally set to reprise his role as Kang the Conqueror in the fifth Avengers, he was dropped by Disney and Marvel after being convicted of domestic violence against his now ex-girlfriend. Regardless of Majors’ abrupt departure, the franchise no longer seems to have the magic connection it once did, woven by recurring side characters or interesting post-credits scenes.
In fact, the MCU has been more and more widely regarded for outputting ‘slop,’ as in easily digestible bites of action with poor to mediocre writing. Many who were cult followers of the MCU during its first three phases, including myself, have stopped keeping up with new releases in fear they’re just poorly written cash grabs, riding on the coattails of a once great franchise. However, not every movie has been a trainwreck like Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. There have been several critically acclaimed projects, such as the shows WandaVision and Loki or movies like Spider-Man: No Way Home and Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 3, which all show the potential for the Marvel Universe.
In fact, last year’s The Thunderbolts* reflected a clear jump in quality and effort from the February flop that was Captain America: Brave New World. Allowing director Jake Schreier more creative control seemed key to unlocking a better written story than the MCU had in a few years. Moreover, it had a significantly better look than most Marvel movies, with noticeable color grading rather than the typical flat look of recent projects. This upward trend was followed in Fantastic Four: First Steps, with a similar increase in production quality and focus on genuinely good writing. Even though both projects underperformed at the box office, critics and mainstream audiences alike agreed they were better than other recent releases from Marvel. However, it begs the question: Is this short streak a coincidence or a sign of good things to come?
While the aforementioned movies were relatively original, the four trailers that have been released for Avengers: Doomsday signal an attempt to use nostalgia to bring in extra viewers. Aside from the previous announcement of Robert Downey Jr. returning to the franchise as the upcoming film’s titular villain, these trailers have shown the return of Steve Rogers, Thor’s old haircut and a long-buried version of Fox’s X-Men universe. Although these are all relatively well-written characters and good actors, bringing them all together will not necessarily create an amazing product.
However, the directing duo behind the upcoming Avengers has had a near-flawless run within the MCU, meaning this potential issue can be waved away. Despite that, the Russo Brothers actually have a less-than-stellar track record outside of Marvel. Their most recent film, The Electric State, starring Chris Pratt and Millie Bobby Brown, flopped enormously, with an absurdly low 14% on Rotten Tomatoes. Forgive me, but that doesn’t help to inspire much confidence in what can only be seen as a cobbled-together last-minute attempt to reignite the spark of a once great film franchise.
Still, Marvel executives remain confident enough in the movie’s success to not move its release date from Dec. 18, despite the fact that Dune: Part Three, the final installment of an award-winning franchise, goes to theaters the same day. While I am hopeful the movie does well, not only for my childhood but for the movie industry at large, expectations should not be held high. At the very least, it will confirm if the Marvel Cinematic Universe was just going through a rough patch, or if its time in the spotlight is truly over.
Aarav Bavishi is a freshman in the Brooks School of Public Policy. He can be reached at arb438@cornell.edu.
