OPINION: Marvel is going downhill and it’s all Disney’s fault

The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has been one of the most popular and best-performing franchises over the past two decades. It’s the world’s highest-grossing movie franchise having made $26.6 billion, which is over double “Star Wars.” However, in the last year there has been such a decline in audience engagement and quality that it may just lead to the end of an empire.  

Besides “Spider-Man No Way Home,” the last three MCU movies have received well below average scores from critics and viewers, ranking them as some of the lowest in the last 20 years. These movies, as well as recent Disney+ original shows in the MCU, have also been received worse on social media then past MCU projects. 

So, what is to blame for this decline of the MCU? To me, there are a few possibilities. 

First, Marvel was already in a tough spot starting this new phase after “Avengers: Endgame” concluded the almost two-decade-long saga building a final intense battle that united all the characters we had grown to know and love over the years. It’s tough to pick up after such a climactic, satisfying end to an era, especially after losing powerhouse names like Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Evans, who had led the franchise since the beginning.  

So, it’s certainly possible that we’re getting the same quality we always have. Now, we are just more critical of it because we had seen so much better from Marvel recently, and we’re having a hard time adjusting to the return to slow, methodical storytelling that will eventually lead to something bigger. However, I believe there is more at play.  

After “Endgame,” we also saw the launch of Disney+, and with it came Disney+ originals. Disney saw huge success immediately with “The Mandalorian” and was on track to recreate that energy with the Marvel franchise and got off to a strong start with shows like “Wandavision” and “Loki.” However, they slowly ended up losing power and quality over time as the streaming platform structure of trying to pump out as much content as possible in a short amount of time took over at a cost to the shows and the audience.  

This also led to a similar problem, content overload. When the MCU first started and was in its peak years of popularity, they were releasing maybe two movies a year. This meant that they had more time to focus on each project, and the audiences had more time to anticipate and appreciate each movie in the six months they had to wait.  

But with streaming and this new phase of mass production, there’s a new MCU project every couple of months. This is making it harder to keep up or care. Especially as they try and focus on more obscure side characters instead of the bigger names, the fans love and are excited to see more. This means we have to wait even longer for a project we actually care about.  

Additionally, with so many stories happening at once and none of them really overlapping or connecting as they had in the past, it’s hard to know what is important to watch to understand the overall story, or if there even is one.  

It’s hard to lose faith in a franchise I and so many others have loved for so long. But with streaming and the overloading of content, we have seen recently and will continue to see for at least the next few years according to their plans. It’s hard to keep up or care about something that has clearly shifted toward trying to maximize profit rather than create something interesting.  

I think if they continue down this road, it will mean the end of the MCU as they continue to dilute their brand. If they don’t return to their limited releases of quality projects over longer periods of time, in a few years, I don’t think they’ll have much of a fan base to fall back on.  

Tracy Mullinax can be reached at [email protected]