10 Reasons the Marvel Cinematic Universe Is Over & 10 Reasons It’s Still Going Strong
10 Reasons the Marvel Cinematic Universe Is Over & 10 Reasons It’s Still Going Strong
The Franchise That Won’t Die (or Maybe Already Has?)
The MCU dominated pop culture for over a decade, turning B-list comic characters into household names and making “post-credits scene” part of our vocabulary. Then Endgame happened, Tony Stark died, and suddenly the formula that printed money started feeling stale. Others point to billion-dollar box office returns and argue that reports of the MCU’s death are wildly exaggerated. Here are 10 reasons why Marvel’s heyday is behind it and 10 reasons the best is yet to come.
1. The Infinity Saga Was the Peak, and Everyone Knows It
Endgame earned $2.798 billion worldwide and felt like a cultural event. People dressed up for opening night, theaters sold out weeks in advance, and grown adults cried when Tony snapped his fingers. How do you follow that? Turns out, you can’t.
2. Superhero Fatigue Is Real
The numbers tell the story. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania opened to $106 million domestically, then dropped 70% in its second weekend. The Marvels became the lowest-grossing MCU film ever at $206 million worldwide. Audiences are tired of seeing the same formula play out on their screens.
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3. Disney+ Diluted the Brand
Streaming flooded the market with WandaVision, Loki, Moon Knight, She-Hulk, Secret Invasion, and Echo. You needed to watch six hours of television to understand one movie, which then required watching three other shows. That’s too much commitment for most viewers.
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4. Quality Control Vanished
Phase Four released seventeen projects in three years. The VFX artists working on these films have publicly discussed impossible deadlines, inadequate time for revisions, and burnout. As a result, Thor: Love and Thunder looked unfinished in places, and She-Hulk’s CGI became a meme.
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5. The Multiverse Is a Creative Crutch
Infinite universes mean infinite possibilities, which sounds exciting until you realize it means nothing matters. When characters die, they simply reappear from a different universe. When a storyline doesn’t work, it gets shifted to an alternate timeline. When anything can happen, the audience stops caring.
6. Key Actors Are Gone
Robert Downey Jr. was the MCU. Chris Evans embodied Captain America so completely that anyone else in the suit feels wrong. Scarlett Johansson’s Black Widow is dead. Chadwick Boseman’s death means T’Challa is gone forever. The replacements and new heroes haven’t connected with audiences the same way.
7. The Jonathan Majors Situation Derailed Everything
Marvel built the entire Multiverse Saga around Kang the Conqueror, played by Jonathan Majors. Then Majors was convicted of assault and harassment, and Marvel dropped him immediately. As a result, the Kang variants introduced across multiple projects suddenly lead nowhere.
8. The Jokes Don’t Land Like They Used To
Whedon-esque quips worked in 2012. Now they feel tired. Every character talks the same way, using the same sarcastic repartee and undercutting serious moments with humor. What’s supposed to be funny just feels tonally confused.
9. The Box Office Numbers Are Declining
Eternals made $402 million worldwide on a $200 million budget, barely breaking even. Black Widow did okay, though the simultaneous Disney+ release complicated things. Thor: Love and Thunder dropped significantly from Ragnarok’s numbers. The MCU is still making money—just not at the level it used to.
10. Marvel’s Lost the Plot, Literally
The Infinity Stones provided a clear throughline for eleven years. Now we’re getting Young Avengers setup, maybe Kang, something about incursions, the Fantastic Four, mutants, and a dozen other threads that don’t connect coherently.
And now, here are 10 reasons why, despite some setbacks, Marvel still has a bright future ahead.
1. Deadpool & Wolverine Proved There’s Life Left
The movie earned $1.3 billion worldwide, becoming the highest-grossing R-rated film ever. Audiences showed up in massive numbers for Hugh Jackman’s return and Ryan Reynolds’s humor. The film’s success demonstrates that people aren’t tired of superhero movies—they’re tired of mediocre ones.
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2. Spider-Man Remains a Phenomenon
No Way Home earned $1.9 billion despite releasing during a pandemic. Spider-Man is Marvel’s most valuable character because he resonates across demographics. Kids love him, adults love him, and international audiences love him.
3. Disney+ Subscriber Numbers Tell a Different Story
Disney+ has over 150 million subscribers globally, many of whom signed up specifically for Marvel content. The streaming shows might not all be hits, yet they’re driving subscriptions and keeping people engaged with the brand between theatrical releases.
4. International Markets Are Still Hugely Profitable
China’s relationship with Hollywood has changed, making that market less reliable. Yet India, Latin America, and Europe continue showing up for Marvel films. The MCU’s global appeal hasn’t diminished significantly. American audiences might be fatigued, but that’s not the whole picture.
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5. The Roster Is Finally Diversifying
Marvel is expanding beyond the classic heroes that dominated Phases One through Three. Shang-Chi introduced the first Asian superhero lead and earned $432 million. Black Panther films showcase predominantly Black casts. Ms. Marvel brought Pakistani-American Muslim representation.
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6. The TV Shows Are Building Genuine Fandom
Loki has passionate fans who analyze every detail and theorize about season three. Moon Knight introduced Oscar Isaac to the MCU, and audiences loved it. WandaVision earned Emmy nominations. The shows are uneven, but several have cultivated dedicated followings.
7. Merchandising Revenue Hasn’t Collapsed
Marvel merchandise generated roughly $5.5 billion in retail sales in 2022. Merchandise sales are a reliable indicator of cultural relevance, and the numbers remain strong even when specific films underperform.
8. New Characters Are Actually Working
Some replacements feel forced, but Kate Bishop was fantastic in Hawkeye, and Yelena Belova has massive potential as the new Black Widow. Not every introduction lands immediately—these characters need time to develop.
9. Fantastic Four and X-Men Are Coming
Marvel finally has the rights to its most popular properties. A Fantastic Four film is scheduled for 2025, and mutants are being slowly integrated into the MCU. The franchise’s biggest assets haven’t even been deployed yet.
10. The Box Office Baseline Is Still Incredibly High
Even Marvel’s “failures” make more money than most franchises’ successes. When your worst-performing films are still clearing hundreds of millions of dollars, declaring the MCU dead seems premature.
