Words by Francesca Manenti
Marvel Studios recently unveiled the upcoming releases that will make up Phases 5 and 6 of the MCU, as part of the Multiverse Saga. Yet after a long string of underwhelming TV shows and disappointing films, I canÔÇÖt help but feel like Marvel are losing their touch and overwhelming us with mediocre productions.
So far, there has been no cohesion. An abundance of characters have been introduced, only to be never seen or heard from again. Major events (Avengers-level threats, even) are completely passed over by other characters or just downright forgotten. Remember when that giant celestial emerged from the ocean in Eternals? Remember when Khonshu literally reversed the night sky in Moon Knight? Neither does anyone in the MCU, apparently. WeÔÇÖve seen films rely solely on the power of cameos to generate hype, and weÔÇÖve seen stories that are filled to the brim with plot holes.
Granted, you could say Phase 4 is a transitional period, but to me, it feels like IÔÇÖve been sitting through six films and seven shows worth of exposition, which, to put into perspective, is two times the content given to us in the MCUÔÇÖs Phase 1. But while Phase 1 built up an arc that ultimately concluded with Avengers (2012), there seems to be no end goal for Phase 4. Evidently, Marvel is going for a quantity-over-quality mentality which is hurting their outputs.
Phase 5 seems to be equally as busy, with a whopping twelve upcoming projects in the short span of two years. But are they pushing the franchise too far? It seems as if Marvel is attempting to recapture the hype and magic of the Infinity Saga by trying to outdo themselves in every way possible ÔÇô Multiverses, excessive CGI, legacy characters, more crossovers, more cameos ÔÇô with no breathing room. A lot of it feels like filler, particularly the Disney+ shows ÔÇô placeholders existing only to keep the money rolling while the big-screen projects are in development.
ItÔÇÖs unrealistic to push a production team of writers, artists, and editors to meet the demanding deadlines set by the studio without hurting the quality of a film/show. Already there have been complaints of rushed special effects, lack of direction and weak plots. If this is any indication of what we can expect from Phases 5 and 6, perhaps Marvel needs to rethink their strategy and consider slowing down.
