Yep, you read that correctly. The Marvel Cinematic Universe, more commonly known as the MCU, is in a state of total disarray, as Phase 5 is proving to be a very expensive failure and future projects don’t seem to generating a lot of hype. But now there are rumors that, according to the creator of the Arrowverse, the MCU is going to be completely rebooted.
My thoughts on this can be summarized in two words: Um, what?
You mean to tell me that the buildup which started in 2008 and reached its peak in 2018-9 will now all be for nothing?
This makes me furious and annoyed beyond belief. But back to the topic.
Ever since Endgame, the MCU has been steadily declining in quality. To expound on the reasons why would make this article longer than it has to, so for quick reference, I’m going to link you to this article which summarizes the problems with the franchise since Endgame.
In an interview with FandomWire, Marc Guggenheim, known for creating the Arrowverse, which ended a few months ago with the series finale of The Flash, gave his blunt opinion that the MCU has to be rebooted entirely if they want to make it better again. Comparing Phase 4 and 5 to the initial three Phases of the MCU, Guggenheim says that he has reason to believe that the upcoming Avengers: Secret Wars is actually a continuityly reboot of the $29 billion franchise!
Well, while I’m sure that every hardcore Marvel fan is eagerly awaiting the reboot universe with a passion, a lot of us know that it cannot work because RDJ and Chris Evans are just too iconic as Iron Man and Captain America, respectively. Casting new actors as these characters that we’ve come to love is sure to incite riots within the fandom. But at the same time, they’ll have to pull off something big and drastic really soon, because their most recent projects have started prioritizing poorly written, unlikeable female leads, which has not done them any favors. Case in point, The Marvels, which features three “strong, independent” female superheroes, has generated zero hype on the internet, and may be delayed from its initial Fall 2023 due to the SAG-AFTRA strikes going on in Hollywood.
Even as someone who enjoyed the MCU in the past, even I think that Marvel is putting out too much content in too little time. And while it’s anybody’s guess what the quality of future projects ends up being, the MCU clearly doesn’t have a good track record at the moment. Because let’s face it, Kang the Conqueror doesn’t nearly have the same ability to draw people to theaters the same way that Thanos had!
And I’m not the only one who thinks that the MCU is putting out too much content in too little time. Guggenheim had this to say:
“I’m like the biggest Marvel nerd ever, and I haven’t seen ‘Moon Knight’. I just can’t keep up. There’s just too much content. To me, the difference between Phase 4 and Phases 1 through 3 is fundamentally something very simple, which is you could even be watching ‘Infinity War’ without having seen the prior X number of movies.”
I honestly would not be surprised is the reboot does happen, because on its current trajectory, the MCU is in for a rough future. And while I don’t think that they can ever successfully pull off the reboot without totally pissing off fans of the first three phases, I’ve checked out of the MCU completely by this point, so whatever happens to it is not my problem. For me, it ended with Avengers: Endgame. Yeah, I watched Spider-Man: No Way Home, but only as one last lighthearted romp for nostalgia’s sake. I couldn’t even bring myself to watch the third Guardians of the Galaxy movie, which came out a few months ago. As far as I’m concerned, Endgame truly was the end of an era.
Source:
Acharya, Visarg. ““They will end up pruning the tree”: Arrowverse Creator Claims Kevin Feige is Planning to Reboot $29B MCU With Avengers 6 as Consecutive Failures Threaten Legacy.” FandomWire.com. 29 July 2023. “They will end up pruning the tree”: Arrowverse Creator Claims Kevin Feige is Planning to Reboot $29B MCU With Avengers 6 as Consecutive Failures Threaten Legacy – FandomWire.