On the Future of the Marvel Universe…

Hello, fellow moviegoers!
   It’s easy to see that the Marvel Cinematic Universe is arguably the most popular franchise on the block right now (except for maybe Star Wars). We are really in for a ride however because Phase 3 of their universe is about to take off in a big way with Captain America: Civil War. With fan favorites Tony Stark and Steve Rogers about to duke it out on the big screen, what else does Marvel have in store for us? What else can Marvel give us besides their classic Avengers characters?
   Don’t get me wrong, people love and adore the likes of Iron Man, Captain America, and Thor. But what happens when people grow tired of them? This is a question Marvel has been asking themselves quite a bit, and it looks like they’ve found their answer hidden amongst their lesser known properties. 

   Marvel has slowly been pulling back the reigns on their big lead characters to make room for other characters to come take charge of their cinematic universe after Avengers: Infinity War Parts 1 & 2. This Infinity War double feature is set to be the culmination of the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe to date. But where do we go from there? In a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly, Marvel head Kevin Feige hinted at what to expect after Phase 3 finishes up. He had this to say,

I think there will be a finality to moments of Phase Three, as well as new beginnings that will mark a different, a very different, a distinctively different chapter in what will someday be a complete first saga made up of three phases."

    So does this mean that not only will Marvel be split into Phases, but larger Sagas consisting of Phases? It may very well be just that. As it’s easy to notice, the past few years Marvel has been releasing films based on characters nobody outside of the comic-book fandom has heard of. I mean, come on. Guardians of the Galaxy? Ant-Man? Nobody was a fan of those comics before their feature films. Now, those are some of Marvel’s biggest hits.
   If you look at the schedule Marvel has laid out for the next few years, this trend isn’t going to stop. In fact, it’s going to become more prominent. This fall we have our first live action iteration of Doctor Strange. Next year we get a sequel to Guardians of the Galaxy and another reboot of Spiderman. In 2018, we’ll see our first Black Panther film and a sequel to Ant-Man. And in the year following that Captain Marvel and The Inhumans will hit the big screen.
   After Avengers: Infinity War concludes Phase 3 in 2019, I don’t think we’ll be seeing much of Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, and the Hulk. All of these new characters will become the big staples of the MCU, and people will be rushing out in droves to see them. Marvel knows that soon people will be tired of the same characters in every movie, so they’ve slowly been easing back on the classic Avengers and introducing us to all of these other characters we’ve never heard of. And it’s working. A lot. Guardians of the Galaxy is the fourth highest grossing film in the MCU behind both Avengers films and Iron Man 3.
   The biggest thing Marvel has going for it is that they have yet to release a film in their MCU that has been negatively received as a whole. All of their films have received a fresh score on Rotten Tomatoes with the lowest being Thor: The Dark World which has a 66% approval rating. Six of their thirteen current films have an 80% or above!
   It’s easy to see that Marvel is not slowing down. It’s simply a matter of when they put out a stinker. Whether it’s Doctor Strange later this year, or even Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 in a couple years, it’s bound to happen at some point. Right? Whenever the inevitable does come to pass, Marvel will be able to take it. They’ve built up such trust with their fan base that people will come back even if they make a bad movie. It’s when they make two bad movies in a row that you need to start worrying. 

   So what do you think of the future of the MCU? What do you think the first negatively received Marvel film will be? Let me know by commenting on this post! Also, if you enjoyed this article, share it on Facebook and Twitter. It really helps! Don’t forget, I post every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, so make sure to check back then for more movie reviews and other miscellaneous movie thoughts!
 
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