Film opinion: Rebuilding the MCU - Why the Marvel franchise needs to take bold risks again
Let’s be honest: Marvel’s been through a rough patch lately.
With mixed reactions to recent films and shows, it’s easy to think the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) might be losing its shine.
But here’s the thing — it’s not over, and Film News Blitz’s Lamiya Huda is here to tell you it's not even close.
Where things started to go wrong with the MCU
The cracks started to show in Phase Four and continued through Phase Five, which is concluding with the recently released Thunderbolts*.
After the emotional conclusion of Avengers: Endgame, Marvel found itself in unfamiliar territory: no more Avengers and a new generation of heroes to introduce.
It’s hard to follow up a decade-long saga, and that transition takes time.
New heroes, new stories, new stakes — but that doesn’t mean it’s all been smooth sailing.
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Films like Eternals and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania didn’t hit the mark, and Disney+ shows like She-Hulk and Secret Invasion struggled to find a consistent tone.
Too many new faces, too many underwhelming plots, and too few memorable moments.
That’s the reality of launching a new phase, but missteps are part of any long-running franchise.
Every franchise goes through a rough patch — what matters is how it bounces back.
Marvel has done it before, and it can do it again.
The key is smarter storytelling, fewer distractions, and a willingness to take risks.
It hasn’t been all bad at Marvel
With a fresh new chapter on the horizon in Phase Six, Marvel has the potential to regain its footing.
Phases Four and Five suffered from inconsistency, a complicated multiverse thread, and saturation.
Still, not everything from this period has been a failure.
Shang-Chi, Ms Marvel, and Moon Knight brought much-needed energy to the MCU.
Deadpool and Wolverine showed that the MCU can still be a box office powerhouse, although a lot of the legwork there was done by the Fox era of Marvel films.
Daredevil: Born Again has brought the hard-hitting, gritty, violent and adult drama of the Netflix original back to the MCU proper and after the underwhelming Captain America: Brave New World, Thunderbolts* has shown that the Marvel offering on the big screen can still produce fun new stories.
What must Marvel do to continue the success of the MCU?
It’s clear: the MCU doesn’t need to stick to what it’s always done.
It doesn’t need to abandon its roots, but it must evolve.
Perhaps it means pulling back from constant crossovers and focusing on stronger, more focused standalone stories, and here, Loki is an interesting example.
The time-bending sci-fi and surreal storytelling of Loki is a neat, self-contained story at first glance, but, if reports are to be believed, will tie into Avengers: Doomsday, giving a double-dose of originality and MCU world-building in equal measure.
Slowing the pace of releases could also help rebuild anticipation, rather than overwhelming viewers with back-to-back content.
Fans need room to breathe and reflect.
Marvel’s greatest strength has always been its ability to reinvent itself.
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It built an empire starting with Iron Man, a film focusing on a character few outside comic circles cared about.
That was a calculated risk, and it paid off.
The fearless energy behind that decision is exactly what’s missing now.
The MCU doesn’t need another multiverse crisis or the same old formula.
It needs fresh stories, new faces, and risks that feel daring again.
So, is the MCU done? Not even close.
Nostalgia alone won’t keep the MCU afloat (looking at you, Avengers: Doomsday).
If Marvel wants to lead again, it has to take bold steps forward, not rely on callbacks and cameos.
The next phases of the MCU won’t be handed to them by default.
It will have to be earned through innovation, creativity, and a willingness to surprise audiences once more.
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