credit: Marvel Comics
If the MCU has become a divisive landscape, it’s largely due to the fact that people aren’t willing to move forward in a manner that satisfies the majority of the fans and is set to state that the heroes and villains being brought into the light are often said to be superior to those that helped them to exist in the first place. Well, that’s one reason anyway, and it’s one more reason why the legacy of the MCU feels as though it’s in jeopardy at this time since the characters that are being brought to prominence at this time don’t always feel as though they’ve earned it, even though there are ways to justify this lack. From Ironheart to She-Hulk to Kate Bishop to the (possibly) new Black Widow that will keep the MCU moving forward, it feels as though the legacy of the franchise is starting to fray at the edges even as they solidify into another supposedly strong core that will redefine the MCU in a way that many fans have already spoken out about. The characters that are being brought forth at this time, and the characters that might still remain when Phase 5 kicks off, aren’t exactly pulling the same weight that the original characters did, though we’re being made to believe that they’re carrying even more on their shoulders.
credit: MCU
There’s a great deal of entitlement that appears to come with the characters that have been developed in recent months and years.
There have been a few touching and even great moments with the characters that have been revealed in the current shows and movies, but more than one of them has been given a level of entitlement that feels awkward when it comes to comparing them to the heroes that started the MCU. The fact is that Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, and Hulk had to earn the control and reputation that they were eventually granted. Even Hawkeye, Black Widow, and Scarlet Witch, among others, had to go through their own difficulties to earn their place in the MCU. At the moment, characters such as Kate Bishop, She-Hulk, and a few others haven’t really gone through the life-altering instances that were experienced by the heroes that started the franchise. Some would argue that yes, they did, in fact, experience life-altering situations, and it’s true that a couple of them did. Like it or not, even Captain Marvel can be downplayed a bit still since, despite her awakening, she has yet to go through an experience that shows her losing on a scale that’s even comparative to the other Avengers, though it does feel that her time might be coming.
The fact is that a lot of female characters have been pushed, and that’s a great idea, but the manner in which it’s been done kind of undermines the need for more female characters.
It is great to see that a lot of female characters have been highlighted and added to the roster, but where this attempt falls short is that the manner in which the female heroes have been brought in is kind of cringy in a lot of ways. For instance, Black Widow was already a great character and was definitely due a solo movie appearance. But somehow, she was ramped up to the level where she could survive situations that were initially only survivable by the likes of the Hulk, Thor, Iron Man, and a few other characters, and she became able to not only take on multiple opponents, which isn’t a deal-breaker, but she also became far more durable and capable than she was before. In short, the female characters that have been brought into the MCU in recent years have been fun to watch, right up until they start badmouthing the heroes that came before or showing that their plot armor is bound to be thicker than anyone who’s come before them.
credit: MCU
The ‘woke’ feel of the franchise isn’t doing the MCU much good.
The whole idea of being ‘woke’ is, these days, kind of a huge joke since it’s not making for great cinema, but it’s definitely playing to the lowest number of viewers that want to see things change in a way that can be said to be more diverse and inclusive. The unfortunate fact is that this is bound to kill the nature of cinema or change it into a version of itself that’s less effective and far less appreciated by many fans. The reason why so many are willing to embrace and just go with the flow is that the woke mob can shout much louder than those who want to see the MCU follow a natural transition from the comics to the screen, which could easily preserve the overall feeling that the fans want to embrace.
Thinking that the MCU will last for longer than another decade is an uncertain prediction.
If things keep going as they are, it almost feels as though the MCU will eventually become a barely recognizable landscape that offers very little in the way of true innovation and imagination. It’s a prediction and an opinion only at this point, but as of now, with everything that’s come out, it does feel as though the MCU could be in a spot of trouble within the next decade.