Category Comic Books

Jan 28 2024

The DCEU Films Ranked

Now that Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom has left theaters and is available on digital, it is time to rank all the DC Extended Universe (DCEU) films. This ranking leaves out Peacemaker since it was a TV show, but if it were to be placed in the list it would come in third. Yes, it’s that good. Zack Snyder’s Justice League will be included even though it streamed on Max and technically does not take place in DCEU continuity, yet it is still a film associated with the DCEU.

Looking at the films overall, one can’t help but see that it was not very cohesive as a cinematic universe since it went all over the place after Zack Snyder left the DCEU. Still, even though the DCEU turned out to be disjointed and full of unrealized potential, there were films that turned out to be great.

Of course, this list is subjective and everyone else will have different rankings, so feel free to mention them in the comments.

16. Wonder Woman 1984 (2020)

It is sadly shocking that the worst film of the DCEU was a sequel to one of the cinematic universe’s best films, especially since it was directed by Patti Jenkins, the director of the first Wonder Woman. The poor reception to Wonder Woman 1984 was arguably the beginning of the end for the troubled cinematic universe.

What sunk the film was the poorly thought-out script that creepily found a way to reunite Diana Prince/Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot) with her long-dead lover Steve Trevor (Chris Pine). Then there was the entire situation with the wish-fulfilling villain who granted outrageous changes to the world in 1984 that was never referred to in other DCEU films which took place in modern times. And Wonder Woman has been able to fly all this time? Please, let’s move on.

15. Black Adam (2022)

After being announced that The Rock would portray the superhuman anti-hero years ago, the film was stuck in production hell, and it seemed as if this film would never be made. Yet somehow it was made but, Warner Bros. should not have bothered. The Rock’s behind-the scenes machinations crippled the Shazam! sequel since Black Adam was supposed to appear at one point as a villain for Shazam, but The Rock refused to appear in it because there was no way he would be seen as the bad guy. But his actions led to Henry Cavill portraying Superman for the final time, even if it was as a brief cameo. Unfortunately, that was not enough to save Black Adam.

The rest of the film was an uninspired yawner with generic superhuman action pieces that could not even be salvaged by appearances of new characters like the members of the Justic Society. A major flaw with Black Adam was that there was little danger for the title anti-hero because he easily won every single fight. This resulted in a story that had low dramatic stakes for the main character and a forgettable film.

14. Shazam! Fury of the Gods (2023)

This sequel to Shazam! loses most of the charm of the original film as Zachary Levi’s character behaved like a complete buffoon for most of the film. As Shazam in an adult body, it was odd that the superhero acted like an immature pre-teen while in his normal young adult body, Billy Batson (Asher Angel), behaved with much more maturity.

Too often Shazam! Fury of the Gods came off like a paint-by-numbers, generic superhero yarn that was overcrowded with too many characters who were given little screentime to have fully fleshed out storylines. Then there was the ending, which was complete cop out, even though it featured Gal Gadot in a cameo as Wonder Woman.

13. Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) (2020)

Try saying that three times fast, not even the Flash could pull that off! This film had the misfortune of coming out on the dawn of the pandemic and being something very few fans asked for. Seriously, Warner Bros. greenlit this film but not a solo Batman film with Ben Affleck! Or even a Man of Steel II!

Even though Margot Robbie turned in a solid performance as Harley Quinn, as do most of the other actors, this film looked and felt like a low-budget TV film or two-hour episode. It could have been worse, and the film has its moments, but it’s not exactly something fans should rush out to see.

12. The Flash (2023)

It was supposedly hyped as the greatest superhero film ever made by Warner Bros. executives. Ok, right. The Flash is certainly not even close to being that. However, the film was a wild ride which featured a welcome return of Michael Keaton as Batman/Bruce Wayne. His reprisal was part of a bizarre time travel/alternate universe story that at one point was to be the method to resetting the DCEU. Unfortunately, the result was a jumbled mess that ended up being one of the biggest bombs in film history. What didn’t help the film was the criminal behavior of actor Ezra Miller which drove many away from seeing the film. Sure, Miller turned in a good performance, but the role should have been re-cast.  

The Flash was also hampered by some very awful and cheap looking CG, the questionable use of dead actors, and missed opportunities. If they could stick in a poorly rendered CG of Christopher Reeve for a cameo, why couldn’t the film version of the Flash meet the TV version played by Grant Gustin? What was worse is that by the end of the film, the main character apparently never learned his lesson about meddling with time. So, what was the point of all that?

11. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)

Any Zack Snyder fans should heed this film when arguing that the director should have been allowed to run rampant with his vision for the DCEU. The film had everything going for it, including massive hype that it was the first time DC’s two greatest heroes would meet onscreen. Yes, it was a box office success, but it should have been a member of the billion-dollar club and that is because of how the film turned out.

Bloated and incoherent, Batman v Superman blew its opportunity to wow fans thanks to its script that was more interested in setting up future DCEU films than telling a good story on its own. Also, the film borrowed too many elements from classic comic books like The Dark Knight Returns without proper context. The film was cluttered with Snyder’s overindulgent hyper-realistic shots that dwelled in slo-mo and dour cinematography. Some of the acting was inspired, especially Ben Affleck as Batman who surprised everyone by his performance, but Jesse Eisenberg’s horrendous miscasting as Lex Luthor undermined the film. The extended version of the film is much better as it helped flesh out the many dangling plot threads that were never developed in the original cut.

10. Suicide Squad (2016)

There is a great superhero action film buried somewhere in this film about supervillains forced to carry out a black ops mission for the U.S. Maybe, we’ll see it one day if Warner Bros. ever releases director David Ayer’s original cut. For now, we must settle for a film that tried to be DC’s answer to Guardians of the Galaxy and failing to do that.

The film featured many inspired performances like Will Smith as Deadshot, Joel Kinnamen as Randall Flag, Jai Courtney as Captain Boomerang and of course, Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn. Try as they did, the actors could only do so much as the script had a bunch of underpowered and mostly unlikeable characters facing off against an overpowered supernatural entity that danced stupidly. Thanks to poor editing and forced changes by film executives, the film varied wildly in tone from gritty and dour to flippant and silly as the plot careened all over the place.

9. Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (2023)

Even though it could not exactly replicate the outlandishness of the original Aquaman, the sequel tried its best and was still a fun adventure. Jason Momoa was great as always portraying the Atlantean king. He clearly was having fun playing the title hero who struggled to juggle conflicting lives in his roles as a father, husband, king, superhero and surfer dude.

The film was not as imaginative or as inventive as the original, but the production did its best to deliver a sound superhero epic about Aquaman and his strained relationship with his half-brother (Patrick Wilson), as they teamed up to save Atlantis from a common foe. Overall, it was a worthy sequel to Aquaman, that is worth watching. Even though it was not intended to be the final DCEU film, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, turned out to be a decent sendoff for the DCEU.

8. Justice League (2017)

Yes, Justice League was supposed to be the counterpart to The Avengers as it featured the first team-up of DC’s greatest superheroes on the big screen, but it fell far short of that goal thanks to rushed reshootings by Joss Whedon, who took over for Zack Snyder. The production was very troubled thanks to nervous and clueless Warner Bros. executives who were only interested in padding their wallets. Instead of delaying the film, the executives were concerned with bonuses they would get by releasing the film as scheduled. The result was an uneven, mishmashed vision from two directors with very different visual and storytelling styles.

Justice League was further impaired by shoddy CG that made the film look like a visually messy video game, and who can forget the ghastly removal of Henry Cavill’s mustache? Those scenes with him and the bad CG are nearly unwatchable. Even though this film had many issues, it still featured some virtues like some of the performances and the interactions of the Justice League members hinted at the possibility of greater things to come, but sadly that would never be. 

7. Shazam! (2019)

Admittedly, this superhero film was a bit silly and seemed oriented for younger audiences because of its young cast. But underneath the corny jokes and juvenile antics, was a film with a lot of heart. Shazam! echoed a lot of elements from Big, which clearly helped inspired the superhero film with its look at a young pre-teen who was suddenly transformed into a naïve adult superhero.

Shazam! might be less underwhelming than the superhero epics we are used to by now, but it delivers because of its emphasis on the characters, who struggled to deal with their fantastic situations. This was helped, of course, by some solid performances and great chemistry among the actors. Basically, Shazam! is a fun romp that explores the joys and responsibilities of being superhuman.

6. Wonder Woman (2017)

After the poor reception of prior DCEU films DC fans breathed a sigh of relief when this film turned out to be acclaimed by critics and audiences. Gal Gadot was never better in the role of Wonder Woman in a story that was distinctly unburdened by the continuity of the DCEU. Set in World War I, Wonder Woman was basically a fish-out-of-water story that showcased the Amazonian princess experiencing the violent outside world for the first time.

Gadot had great chemistry with her co-star Chris Pine, who played her love interest Steve Trevor as their relationship formed the heart of the film. It also boasted one of the DCEU’s best moments: when Wonder Woman emerged from the trenches to fight enemy soldiers in a battlefield. Still, the film was not without its flaws, such as an uninspiring final battle with your typical CG villain and a story that eerily copied many of the plot points of Captain America: The First Avenger. Still, Wonder Woman has a lot to offer.

5. Blue Beetle (2023)

There is very little that was original with this film’s superhero origin plot of the likeable everyguy who suddenly became a reluctant superhero. However, thanks to Blue Beetle’s back-to-basics approach with superhero films and heartfelt performances the film stood out from other DCEU productions. Xolo Maridueña really shined as the title hero Jaime Reyes who struggles to help his eclectic family and comes upon an alien battle suit.

The family dynamic in Blue Beetle is arguably its most notable merit as the actors have genuine chemistry with one another and embellished Reyes as a relatable character. What also helped the film were its well-choreographed action scenes and fast-moving plot. The script not only focused on the family dynamic of the Reyes Family but on social and class conflicts as the family struggled to fit into the high-tech world of the DCEU.

4. Aquaman (2018)

Credit has to go to director James Wan for being uninhibited with his superhero film that truly embraced its wild comic book roots. Actor Jason Momoa reveled in his role of the title hero which helped reimagine the image of the Aquaman character from a laughable D-list comic book character into a bonafide badass. The film was also imaginative with its depiction of underwater kingdoms and creatures that was quite dazzling. The less impressive underwater society of Namor shown in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever could not compare to the ones shown in Aquaman.

Brimming with great action, brisk pacing and vibrant production design, Aquaman turned out to be the most successful DCEU film, in fact it was the only one to earn over a billion dollars. Part of the reason for its success was because the film came out at the zenith of the current superhero film craze. However, much of it has to do with its exciting and appealing incorporation of the comic books that inspired it. 

3. Zack Snyder’s Justice League (2021)

This is the quintessential DCEU epic! Few ever expected this version of Justice League to ever be released because it was just a rough cut of the film before Zack Snyder left the project. Once the director was allowed to complete his original vision years later, the result proved to many that this version should have been released instead. Whether or not you are a fan of Snyder, this version clearly has his distinct directorial stamp on it. Hyper-realistic shots, many done in slo-mo, harsh lighting, lavish shots that look like Renaissance paintings, and intensely choreographed and epic fight scenes with stunning special effects.

The film was much darker and veered significantly from the original theatrical version, but it fully fleshed out many of the characters and their arcs with a few notable exceptions. We actually got to see Cyborg developed as a unique hero, many designs and sequences were improved, and the goal of the villain was clearer, which helped raise the stakes for our heroes. We even saw Darkseid in all his evil glory! The only thing that harmed the film was that it not only hinted at what could have been, but it ended on a cliffhanger that took place in a dark future. How could Snyder do this us? Oh, well, at least we had the chance to see his unfiltered vision for the DCEU.

2. The Suicide Squad (2021)

Director James Gunn hit a super homerun with this inventive and thrilling do-over of the Suicide Squad concept. Brimming with Gunn’s trademark dark humor, character interactions and visual whimsy, The Suicide Squad should have been a huge hit, but it came out at the wrong time when Warner Bros. was flailing about during the pandemic. What also helped the film stand apart from other DCEU films was its willingness to kill off amiable characters and featuring outlandish villains taken straight from DC’s silver age.

The Suicide Squad’s best assets were the characters, which were performed with great enthusiasm by a winning ensemble cast. Margot Robbie turned in her best performance as Harley Quinn and Idris Elba was so relatable and grounded as Bloodsport. Meanwhile, the character King Shark stole the movie as the DCEU’s version of Groot, thanks to a wonderful script and Sylvester Stallone’s inspired voice acting. Its creative success was not able to salvage the DCEU, but it provided us with a glimpse of how James Gunn’s new vision for live-action DC films will be like.

1. Man of Steel (2013)

In a way, it is sad that the best film of an extensive cinematic universe turned out to be its very first one. But here we are. This Superman film was and remains one of the most controversial superhero films thanks to Zack Snyder’s gritty reimagining of the Man of Steel. In his deconstruction of the Superman mythos, Snyder’s vision set a tone for the DCEU that stood apart from the competition. Even though his take of Superman may be considered too dark for those that wanted a more traditional and optimistic Superman, Man of Steel updated the Last Son of Krypton and his story, which was needed for modern audiences.

The grounded and more realistic look at what it would be like if a superhuman alien was raised on Earth also doubled as a First Contact story and an exploration of the struggle of becoming a responsible adult. Henry Cavill was perfectly cast as a more emotionally vulnerable Clark Kent/Kal-El/Superman who strived to find his place in the world. He was not perfect, he was wracked with uncertainty, he made mistakes, he was forced to kill. All of this may not fit into the ideal many had about Superman, but credit has to go to Snyder for having the fortitude to present a different look at Superman.

The film featured terrific performances, special effects and never-before-seen action sequences that finally let us see the horror and epic scale of superhuman battles. Even though many cannot appreciate the film for its own merits, Man of Steel established the template for the DCEU going forward. Simply put, Man of Steel is the DCEU at its best.

José Soto

Dec 22 2023

Celebrating The DCEU

Now that Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom has been released in theaters the DC Extended Universe (DCEU) has come to an end. As Warner Bros.’ answer to the might Marvel Cinematic Universe, the DCEU has had many hurdles that it could not overcome during its ten-year run.  Frankly, it’s a minor miracle that it lasted this long. The issues facing the DCEU have been covered at length and basically, the overall tone of the cinematic universe was all over the place with some truly great films (and one TV show) and some horrendous films. Still, in spite of its problems the DCEU had a lot of merits, which should be brought up as we commemorate the DCEU.

Bold New Takes on Characters

Man of Steel, the first entry in the DCEU, immediately stood apart from traditional Superman films with its darker and more grounded approach to the superhero. This turned off many fans, but others welcomed the refreshing take on the character as it explored the alienation and uncertainty that Superman felt during his emergence as a superhero.

Other characters also had interesting interpretations such as Batman portrayed as a world-weary crusader coming out of semi-retirement and finding a new purpose. Aquaman was reimagined from a being a joke to a formidable warrior with the personality of a surfer dude on hyper steroids. Shazam! presented the title character as an immature teenager reveling in the body of a superpowered adult superhero—the ultimate fantasy for most teenage boys and girls.

Excellent Casting

One reason for the successful re-interpretations of the well-known DC characters was the casting. Henry Cavill was so great as Superman, that for many fans his version of the superhero overtook the classic Christopher Reeve interpretation as Cavill’s Superman felt so modern. Jason Momoa’s version of Aquaman turned him into a fun-loving badass.

While many were skeptical of the casting of Ben Affleck as Batman, the actor shocked everyone with a solid performance and now many feel Affleck did the best portrayal of the Dark Knight. Gal Gadot electrified audiences with her portrayal of Wonder Woman and established the Amazonian princess as an inspiring role model. Meanwhile, Margot Robbie infused Harley Quinn with so much manic energy and verve that it is difficult to imagine another actor taking over the role in future DC films.

Electrifying Live-Action Debuts

Many superheroes and villains from the DC comics made spectacular live-action debuts in the DCEU films. The most recent being Blue Beetle;even though the film flopped, it was widely acclaimed for its retro back-to-basics approach with origin superhero films. As mentioned above, Harley Quinn was a bonafide scene stealer whenever she appeared in films, and let’s not forget, the other members of her teams.

The films devoted to the Suicide Squad team introduced audiences to many different DC villains. Anyone tired of the Joker or Lex Luthor being featured in DC films rejoiced at colorful villains such as Captain Boomerang, King Shark, Rat Catcher, Bloodsport and Peacemaker. The debut of these characters fleshed out the DCEU, which did not over-rely on its trinity of legacy characters, i.e Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman.

Distinct Visions

It’s true that the overall tone of the DCEU was inconsistent thanks to Warner Bros. executives who interfered with the films. However, many times the films were injected with distinctive visions from its directors. Zack Snyder established a hyper-realized look to his films which were a hallmark of the early DCEU films. Love or hate the Snyder films, they certainly stood apart visually from other superhero films.

Other directors like James Gunn, James Wan, Patty Jenkins (at least with the first Wonder Woman), David F. Sandberg and Angel Medina Soto infused their films with bright and bold directions, which celebrated the comic book roots of the DC characters. The result was that many of the DCEU films were distinct from other superhero films. This is not a small feat given all the many recent superhero films.

Topnotch Productions & Iconic Scenes

With certain exceptions (see The Flash), the DCEU films have boasted topnotch productions and unforgettable special effects. Some films received notable awards for their productions, including an Academy Award for Best Makeup and Hairstyling for Suicide Squad and a Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation, Long Form for Wonder Woman.  Many scenes, especially those from the Zack Snyder films, featured new and interesting depictions of superpowers, such as the epic airborne fights that took place in Man of Steel and when Superman first learned how to fly in the same film.

Several scenes from DCEU films were simply iconic like that moment in Wonder Woman when the title hero emerged from the trenches to fight enemy soldiers during World War I. Some other moments were just plain goofy and fun. A great example was a quick moment in Aquaman that featured an octopus playing drums (!). Then there was the madcap nature of The Suicide Squad, which allowed James Gunn to run wild with his imagination.

Despite the fact that many like to focus on the many issues the DCEU had, there was so much to celebrate about the films. In the time before the James Gunn reboot, Superman: Legacy, comes out, it’s a good idea to reflect on the contributions the DCEU films made to superhero films and give them another look.

José Soto

Coming Soon: The DCEU films ranked!

Dec 18 2023

MCU Kang Actor Jonathan Majors Found Guilty

Jonathan Majors, very recently one of the most promising rising actors and best known for his role as Kang the Conqueror in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), has been found guilty today for assault and harassment in New York City.

Early this year, Majors had been on an upward trajectory with his acting career, winning a lot of acclaim for his many performances. His most prominent genre roles were as Kang/He Who Remains/Victor Timely in Loki and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, as well as Atticus Freeman in Lovecraft Country, and Rafe Drummond in Captive State. In March of this year, Majors was arrested for assault after a major domestic dispute with his girlfriend that turned physically violent. This arrest at the time put his future as Kang in doubt, as well as with other acting projects.

Now that he as been found guilty for misdemeanor charges of third-degree assault and second-degree harassment, Marvel Studios and its parent company Disney have already dropped him from his role as Kang and his acting career is over.

Ordinarily this turn of events would have been catastrophic for Marvel Studios and its MCU given that Kang was supposed to be the cinematic universe’s main villain for its upcoming slate of films including Avengers: The Kang Dynasty. However, being that the character is heavily involved with multiverses and variants as seen in Loki and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania it should be fairly simple for Marvel Studios to recast the role. To satisfy fans who would question why the character looks different going forward, an in-universe explanation could be that a new variant of Kang came into prominence. There is already precedent for other types of Kangs. In a post-credits scene for Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania we witness not just several thousand Kangs but some that were not even human. So, recasting Kang should not be an issue.

It is regrettable that this has happened given Majors’ talent, but he was found guilty and has to pay for his crimes. His acting career is over but after facing justice, Jonathan Majors will have a chance to get the help he needs.

As for Disney and Marvel Studios, this is just another headache they’ve had to contend with and the second time an actor was suddenly not available for a prominent role as we saw when Chadwick Boseman passed away. It is best for Marvel Studios to move on as they already have in order to prevent any more delays with their upcoming MCU projects. But, the best lesson for the studio is to properly vet the actors and other filmmakers to prevent any future controversies with its MCU projects.

Getting back to Kang’s future in the MCU, just because Jonathan Majors can no longer play Kang, this does not mean the character has to be discarded. Kang showed a lot of potential as a captivating villain and the storyline about a rampant multiverse is rather interesting and should be allowed to be concluded in Avengers: The Kang Dynasty. Hopefully, Marvel Studios will find the right person to replace Jonathan Majors and continue with the multiverse storyline.

Nov 27 2023

The MCU Woes, Part II: How To Correct Itself

The latest online trend has been to bash Marvel Studios and its Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Toxic trolls have been pouring out with uncontrolled glee proclaiming Marvel Studios is too woke and deserves to fail. They point to the disappointing reception for many of the MCU’s latest offerings as proof that the brand is dead. Further adding fuel to the fire, Marvel Studios has delayed many of its productions to improve them.

It is undeniable that the MCU brand has taken some hits and is not regarded as highly as it was during its heyday, to call the brand dead or beyond repair is a gross exaggeration.

Thankfully, Marvel Studios and its parent company Disney have recognized the situation and are taking concrete steps to course correct and ensure the MCU regain its reputation for quality superhero films and TV shows. Sure, the MCU has taken its lumps, but what brand is not immune to this? Many times it is good to take a tumble, this gives one the chance to learn from mistakes and improve. This is what is going on with the MCU.

First of all, Marvel Studios has shown the willingness to scrap what they have worked on and start over. One example is the Daredevil: Born Again TV show which has been scrapped and been redone. Another example is that Captain America: Brave New World has been delayed in order to rework it due to a poor test screening. Then there are the rumors that Kang will be written out of the future films and TV shows in favor of Doctor Doom. This would take care of the situation with Jonathan Majors facing trial for domestic abuse, especially if he is found guilty. These examples demonstrate that Marvel Studios is willing to take the necessary steps to take the time to produce the best projects possible.

Better Scripts Needed

However, the first and most important step that needs to be taken is to devote more time to the scripts. Allow the writers to tell proper stories and DO NOT GO INTO PRODUCTION UNLESS THE SCRIPTS ARE COMPLETED TO EVERYONE’S SATISFACTION. This would largely take care of the problem of realizing a film is not working and having to do major retooling with it in post-production. This is why recent projects like Secret Invasion fared so poorly. It’s been reported that Secret Invasion had major overhauls and rewrites in the middle of its production, which is why the end product seemed so underdeveloped and rushed. On the other hand, look at two recent MCU successes: Loki Season 2 and Guardians of the Galaxy, Volume 3. Both productions had well-crafted scripts that were full of heart and flowed well. More importantly the stories logically reached their conclusions while servicing the characters. This is a major reason why both projects received so much acclaim and performed well.

Even though it is important to follow a certain narrative as dictated by the higher ups and to meet deadlines, the screenwriters should be given more autonomy with their scripts. It is also important at this point with the MCU to hire great writers who have a record of turning in terrific and solid screenplays.

The same should go with directors. This is a difficult task given that Marvel Studios is more hands on with their productions than normal. Still, the past has shown us that great directors like James Gunn and Ryan Coogler, and the Russo Brothers can work within the confines of an MCU production and deliver great films. Oftentimes, Marvel Studios hires relatively unknown directors who wilt under the pressure and demands of the studio and turn in mediocre films or TV shows. Marvel Studios has to make sure that the best possible directors are hired for their projects. If they want to go with lesser known (and cheaper) directors, have them feel their oats with some of the TV shows. Michael Giacchino is a prime example of this. Known only for his film scores, Giacchino blew everyone away with his directing duties in Werewolf By Night.

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Nov 18 2023

The MCU Woes, Part I: How Did It Get To This?

Given all the downbeat news lately about Marvel Studios’ Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), it’s pretty understandable why MCU fans are so alarmed. It was not that long ago when the MCU was an undisputed entertainment behemoth that could not do anything wrong.

Now, there have been noticeable tumbles with their projects, especially this year. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania underperformed in the box office, the Disney+ TV series Secret Invasion was widely derided and what was worse is that the recently released MCU film, The Marvels, is performing worse than the third Ant-Man film.

Then the behind-the-scenes turmoil further added to the impression that the MCU is falling apart. Reports have revealed that productions were rushed and reshot. This explained why many MCU films and TV shows felt so disjointed and undeveloped.

Another dilemma involved the actor Jonathan Majors who plays Kang the Conqueror and is slated to be the major villain in the next few MCU films. He was recently arrested for domestic abuse and Marvel Studios and its parent company, Disney, is struggling over what to do with Majors and the character of Kang because if he is found guilty this would disrupt any upcoming films or TV shows.

Then there is the issue of what direction should the overall MCU should take. In the first three phases of the cinematic universe there seemed to be a goal that the films were reaching towards. Although the Multiverse Saga has been introduced in the Phase Four and Five of the MCU, many films and TV shows have ignored the concept and as a result the overall narrative of the MCU seems aimless and less interconnected than previous films.

Adding to the disjointed and convoluted nature of the current MCU is that a lot of characters and storylines have been introduced but many of them have not been followed up. For example, what happened with the Eternals after the Celestials kidnapped half of them? What is the story behind the Hulk suddenly having a son? Will we ever see Hercules carry out his quest of vengeance against Thor? What happened to the symbiote fragment that was left behind in the main MCU by Venom? What happened with the crusade of the United States against aliens?

What happened behind the scenes was that most of the productions had their scripts drastically altered during filming, which led to a slapdash feel to the finished film or TV show. This in turn strained the special effects department who were forced to work under insane deadlines and resulted in horribly bad special effects that in some cases were tweaked after a film or TV show was released.

What was worse is that the MCU was such a victim of its own success that the higher-ups at Disney demanded more projects from Marvel Studios to pad out the roster of Disney+ inventory. The reason for this as many know was due to the launch of Disney+, which had few original programs, and the COVID-19 pandemic. Both incidents caused Disney to demand more productions to be launched on the streaming app since it was the only way to present the MCU productions during the outbreak of the pandemic. As a result multiple projects were put into production, even though the demand for some of them was questionable. Does anyone actually want to see an Ironheart TV show?

This stretched ability of Marvel Studios to deliver quality films and TV shows and people noticed. Productions were rushed in order to meet deadlines and were heavily reshot during post-production. This in turn not only drastically changed some plots but disrupted the narrative flow of the stories. The results were less than satisfying films and TV shows, though the quality of the MCU productions varied. Still for every WandaVision or Black Panther: Wakanda Forever there was a Secret Invasion or Eternals. Marvel Studios saw diminished returns for their projects, which became very apparent this year given how poorly Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, Secret Invasion and The Marvels were recieved.

So is all lost? Is the MCU headed in the same direction as the hapless DC films?

No, to both questions.

Marvel Studios has shown that it’s capable of putting out truly great films and TV shows. Just look at this year’s offerings of Loki and Guardians of the Galaxy, Volume 3. There is still demand and goodwill for upcoming MCU projects like the third Deadpool film and Avengers: Secret Wars. But more importantly, the film studio and Disney are being proactive and are addressing the situation. The best days for the MCU may still be ahead of us.

In a follow up post, we’ll look at what Marvel Studios can do to right the ship and point out how they are taking concrete steps at this moment.