credit: MCU
Lately, it appears as though the comic book genre is getting a lot of flak for one reason or another and from a lot of notable influences in the industry. One thing that came across as humorous, though, was that some folks appear to be ready to see the MCU end its obsession with sequels. That should be enough to make a lot of people laugh uproariously since not only does the MCU not have a serious obsession with sequels, they’re hardly the first to make one movie after another, and they’re definitely not the worst when it comes to this trend.
It’s true the franchise hasn’t always produced a hit with every release, and it’s even fair to state that the MCU could use a little more chill now and then when it comes to some of its sequels. But there are a few points to remember when it comes to the MCU and the number of movies they release, especially now that things are hopefully moving forward without as many sequels from those that helped to start the MCU. Let’s face it; there won’t be another Iron Man movie unless RDJ is given an offer he’d be insane to refuse.
credit: Godfather 2
Good sequels are those that continue to tell a story.
Sequels don’t always continue the main story of the original movie, strange as that might sound. But the best sequels are those that continue to build the world that the first movie established since, without that source material, the sequel has to become its own movie with little to no connection to the original. The truth is that a lot of movies never needed a sequel in order to be great, while some original movies might have been the first part of a larger plan.
Building a world or a universe takes time and effort, and it’s fair to think that the grand vision of a writer or a director, or both, would require at least three or more movies to accomplish the vision that had been laid out. In such a case, the ‘sequel craze’ is more about continuing and then finishing the story rather than stretching a story out like a wad of taffy until it becomes thinner and thinner. At some point, the story becomes so ridiculously thin that it loses its appeal and becomes kind of a pointless endeavor.
Poorly made sequels tend to try and do their own thing, especially if there’s a different director.
A lot of sequels end up doing their own thing thanks to the vision of the director, be it the same person that made the first movie or not. The upside of this is that the sequel could possibly become something that’s just as great as the original movie, but too often, the average sequel will be horrible unless it’s a part of a story that has more than one chapter to complete.
The Godfather, Rocky, and a few other stories are great examples of this, as they tell the ongoing story of a family or individual that takes longer than one movie can cover. A TV series tends to do the same, but episodic shows can often stretch far too long, and miniseries make some folks feel a bit unsatisfied.
Rocky 2
Sequels were being made long before a lot of people lobbing criticisms at the MCU were even born.
The current attitude that some folks have, that the MCU has gone nuts with their sequels and is obsessed with them, is kind of silly since sequels really started gaining prominence in the industry back in the 70s when some of the greatest movies of all time were created.
The MCU has produced quite a few sequels, that much is true, but the point that needs to be made is that the MCU is telling a long-running story as it continues to build upon the universe that it’s created. Not every addition is all that great. The fact is that the MCU has expanded more than a bit over the years by telling multiple stories, and sequels are simply a part of this universe.
There are good sequels and bad sequels, but stating that they’re an obsession is kind of ridiculous.
Whether a sequel is bad or good usually depends on the opinion of the audience, but there are sequels that are easy to build up and those that are easy to break down simply because of their content. The truth is that some franchises do appear to be obsessed with making one sequel after another, even if it means rebooting the entire idea and starting over. But saying the MCU is obsessed with sequels is kind of like stating that the Rocky movies were trying to extend a story that was already told in the first movie. The fact is, there’s more there that can be told, and the MCU, despite becoming less effective, is trying to right the ship so to speak.