The Marvel Cinematic Universe is currently going through a transitional period, as the success of its earliest movies have become a thing of the past. At the start of Kevin Feige’s ambitious projects, each movie was mandated to have a fairly consistent tone so that crossovers would work better. However, this resulted in all the movies starting to feel the same.
The MCU is now moving away from this strategy with movies like Deadpool & Wolverine and The Fantastic Four. The plan is to recreate the success of Marvel’s earliest movies, like Iron Man and Captain America. Back in those days, the tone was made to fit the characters, and not the other way around. Hopefully, going back to that idea will help future movies see success.
The Tone of the Earlier Marvel Movies & Why It Eventually Failed
The very first MCU movie, Iron Man, was released in 2008, and it successfully re-launched the career of Robert Downey Jr. It had a somewhat adult tone that has largely disappeared from the universe as it has progressed and evolved. Alongside Iron Man, the MCU launched phase one with Captain America, Thor, and The Incredible Hulk. These were all considered second string superheroes at the time, as opposed to much better-known superheroes like Spider-Man.
Despite these lesser-known characters taking center stage, it worked well to create a new superhero dynamic when all of these characters featured in crossover movies. The ultimate union of these characters happened in the first Avengers movie, but for this new dynamic to work, each of these movies had to feature a similar tone, so that they all fit in within the same universe.
Things got complicated when Spider-Man joined the MCU, and it became a lot more convoluted. This led to a downturn in fortunes for the Marvel universe. This was evident in Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame, as there were too many characters and, tonally, it was all over the place.
By the end of Endgame, Iron Man had died, Captain America left for his own happy ending, and Hulk hadn’t even established himself in his own movie, due to issues with the rights. Enter the multiverse saga, and fans were beginning to turn off. The Marvels came out in 2023, and became the biggest box office bomb the MCU had suffered. It was finally time to change the strategy and return to the roots of what made the series successful.
How can Marvel’s Change in Strategy Lead To Success?
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Deadpool & Wolverine |
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Starring |
Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, Emma Corrin, Morena Baccarin, Rob Delaney, Matthew Macfadyen |
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Written By |
Shawn Levy, Ryan Reynolds, Rhett Reese |
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Directed By |
Shawn Levy |
The Marvel Cinematic Universe is at a crossroads, with a string of poorly received movies and box office disappointments, meaning the strategy has had to change drastically to get things back on track. Due in part to the writer’s strike, 2024 will see only one MCU movie get released, and it’s a significant one. Deadpool will join the Marvel universe for the first time in the upcoming movie, Deadpool & Wolverine, which will come out in theaters on July 26. This movie looks set to propel Marvel back to its adult tone that was first introduced in Phase One with Iron Man and company.
Deadpool and Deadpool 2 were massively successful at the box office, so Marvel will be hoping this success can be carried over into the MCU with Deadpool & Wolverine. Disney acquired 20th Century Fox in 2019, which resulted in development on the third Deadpool movie being placed on hold. Fast-forward five years, and Ryan Reynold’s iconic character is back, and it could quite possibly save the MCU.
In order to fit into the MCU and contribute to the success of its earlier movies, Deadpool & Wolverine must be its own thing, and not Deadpool 3, as the first two movies were not part of the universe. Deadpool & Wolverine‘s director, Shawn Levy, has confirmed that this will be the case in an interview with Screen Rant at CinemaCon:
As far as crafting the Deadpool and Wolverine story, I just felt privileged every day because you’re talking about two massive movie stars in their most iconic roles. It also gave me an opportunity. It’s the third Deadpool movie, but it’s not Deadpool 3. It’s a different thing that’s very much Deadpool and Wolverine. And it’s not trying to copycat anything from the first two movies. They were awesome, but this is a two-handed character adventure.
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The Fantastic Four |
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Starring |
Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Julia Garner, Paul Walter Hauser, Joseph Quinn and Ebon Moss-Bachrach |
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Written By |
Josh Friedman, Jeff Kaplan and Ian Springer |
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Directed By |
Matt Shakman |
2025 will see The Fantastic Four, directed by Matt Shakman, officially join the MCU. It must feature a similar adult tone to replicate the best aspects of earlier Marvel movies, alongside Deadpool & Wolverine. The Fantastic Four has the potential to revitalize the MCU to the same extent as Deadpool & Wolverine, and a lot of it has to do with the casting of Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach. All four of these actors are hot off the success of big projects that have firmly hit the zeitgeist, and could prove to be a key moment for the MCU’s future.
The casting of Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man was one of the most important in movie history, and shaped the MCU and the success that followed. These four actors set to play The Fantastic Four could be a turning point. Marvel’s decision to set the film in the 1960s also signals a departure from the current timeline. This could prove vital in giving audiences a fresh starting point in the universe, and releasing them of the baggage of previous recent movies which have flopped.
The plan appears to be that The Fantastic Four will eventually integrate into the main MCU thread, which might culminate in their appearance in Avengers: Secret Wars in 2027. This could breathe new life into the MCU and, together with Deadpool & Wolverine,The Fantastic Four could be vital in turning around the fortunes of the MCU moving forward, and recreating the success of the earlier movies.
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