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3 things Marvel Studios absolutely must do at SDCC 2024

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3 things Marvel Studios absolutely must do at SDCC 2024

As a long-time Marvel fan and avid gamer, I have witnessed the ebb and flow of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) over the past decade. The MCU has been a significant part of my life, bringing me endless hours of entertainment and excitement. However, the past few years have seen a noticeable decline in the quality of MCU films, leaving many fans, including myself, feeling disconnected and disappointed.

In 2023, Marvel Studios and many others in the industry had a break from the annual excitement at San Diego Comic-Con. Due to various reasons such as writers’ and actors’ strikes, as well as production delays, Hollywood didn’t have much new content to present during SDCC the previous year. The usual stars of these presentations were instead focusing on their picket lines due to labor disputes.

In 2024, Marvel Studios returns to San Diego Comic-Con’s Hall H with exciting plans – plans bigger than any in the past five years, though they follow a period of decline in the cultural influence of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) since “Avengers: Endgame” was released. Can Marvel regain its title as Hollywood’s most buzzed-about film powerhouse? Absolutely! Here’s how:

Marvel, the business

At a Marvel Studios Hall H panel, you have a business showcase disguised as an exciting music festival. It may sound jaded and unappealing, but the truth is, Marvel needs to convince shareholders that they will earn substantial profits before the next Comic-Con in San Diego. Following some underperforming movies like “Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania” and “Eternals” at the box office, this isn’t a certainty.

Marvel is experiencing its poorest box office performance to date for a main MCU film, and the leading actor of its current phase faces serious allegations of assault and harassment. Additionally, Hollywood is dealing with various issues such as inflation, economic instability, and the slow post-pandemic rebound of the theater industry.

Among the four MCU films set to release in 2025, one underwent significant reshoots and script changes; another has been stuck in pre-production since its announcement in 2019; one is a less-hyped movie featuring a villain; while the fourth is an exciting new beginning, but it comes from a franchise with a questionable past. The anticipated Avengers-style team-up film slated for 2026 now seems uncertain as its title and villain have been removed.

Marvel should present itself as a reliable movie production company with a well-thought-out strategy, able to adapt to unforeseen circumstances.

Marvel, the franchise

Second, that plan needs to seem like it’s gonna tell an interesting story.

Following the chaos caused by the pandemic and labor disputes, as well as decreasing streaming income and a unexpected one-year break for the MCU, how does the narrative unfold in the Marvel Cinematic Universe now? Are we attempting to revive Kang’s character, or perhaps shifting towards Doom instead? What will be the title of the Russos’ next Avengers film? Where is this path leading us?

As a dedicated fan, I couldn’t help but be drawn to the Infinity Stones like a moth to a flame. Their allure was undeniable, and they fit seamlessly into various storylines, making them invaluable tools for interconnected cinematic storytelling. However, it’s been challenging for anything that followed to match their impact. The MCU after “Endgame” has shown us that Kang was not up to the task of replacing them as a captivating and integral part of this intricate narrative web.

As a fan, I’ve been following the time-traveling man’s journey through Marvel’s multiverse, but his fragmented identities and lack of cohesion left me feeling disconnected. Are they planning to mend the pieces and make him a formidable villain again? Or is Marvel shifting gears? To draw in new readers and viewers, they need to address these questions at San Diego Comic-Con (Hall H) and give us some exciting updates!

Marvel, the creative studio

Marvel’s cinematic universe has seen a noticeable drop in quality from its previous consistently impressive standard over the past five years. It used to be that a Marvel project was a guaranteed enjoyable movie experience, even if not a groundbreaking masterpiece, but rather than hitting the mark every time, some have fallen short.

Signs indicated that Marvel was undergoing significant changes as early as the production of “Eternals” in 2023. However, “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania,” which was also released in 2023, was still in its finishing stages. “The Marvels” suffered heavily from extensive re-editing. As for “Secret Invasion,” it seems to have been overshadowed by Marvel Studios’ chaotic years of 2023 and 2024. The former year witnessed a flurry of production, while the latter saw an unusual quietness.

If Marvel wants to attract viewers who weren’t at Hall H, simply announcing new movies and continuing the Avengers saga isn’t enough. They need to demonstrate that the Marvel Cinematic Universe still holds creativity and innovation.

Homecoming” trilogies? Or is it the company that has struggled for four years to find a director for “Blade,” with a reputation for demanding extensive post-production work that can lead to studio crunch, burnout, and financial strain? Is MCU a platform where “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” pays heartfelt homage to Chadwick Boseman but is surrounded by franchise constraints? Where the humor in “Ant-Man” is discarded for Kang’s storyline? And where a promising tale like “The Marvels” is dismantled during editing into confusion?

In order to keep up with the competition and continue delivering high-quality movies to audiences, even financially successful studios like Marvel must prioritize producing excellent films. Starting in 2025, Warner Bros. will introduce a new lineup of DC Comics movies under the guidance of James Gunn, the acclaimed director behind Marvel’s most definitive success in 2023.

Marvel Studios is still in the game with plenty of brilliant minds on board. However, it remains to be seen if all of them will have a role to play. The future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe kicks off this coming Saturday in Hall H.

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2024-07-24 16:19

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