Ok, before getting into it, I already know most of you are saying “Marvel doesn’t need to copy DC as the studio is all-conquering”. That’s true and I get it, but we are entering the fourth phase of the MCU and this is potentially the most uncertain time since Phase 1. Over the next ten years, there is a feeling Marvel will have to vary its cinematic output to remain atop of the box office.
Of course, there is also an opposite argument that Marvel has perfected its strategy and shouldn’t move from it. That’s a fair assessment. After all this is the biggest movie franchise of all-time, containing the biggest movie of all-time. DC does not compete with Marvel so why would the company seek to copy movies like Joker (as excellent and successful as it was)?
Marvel is also a dominant force in terms of online exposure. Whether your searching for NetBet online slots (yes, there are Marvel-themed slots), connecting with people on Facebook or streaming on Netflix, you’re never too far away from the MCU.
Why Marvel Can Go Dark
The MCU will eventually need a new direction
Marvel has enjoyed huge success across its cinematic universe and on the surface, the movies are incredibly diverse. Captain America: The First Avenger is a period piece, Guardians of the Galaxy is a sci-fi epic saga, Thor Ragnarök is a punky colourful comedy, Captain America: The Winter Soldier is a spy thriller, and the Iron Man trilogy provides techno action. And then there are the Avengers movies, grand-scale blockbusters that combine all of the above into delightful comic-based ensemble movies.
However, if you scratch a little below that surface you will find those diverse movies are actually incredibly similar. Before continuing, I want to point out this is not a criticism of the MCU as some of my favourite blockbusters of all-time are within it. That said, there is no doubt Marvel has built these movies on a formula that was perfected during Phase 1 and into the first Avengers movie. By the way, it is a winning formula!
What is that formula? Well, Marvel knows the value of its characters and has created movies that are driven by them. Plot is hugely important and has spread over 23 movies to date, but Marvel knows people keep flocking to the cinemas around the world because they love those characters. Also, part of the formula has been a tilt towards humour and excellent action, without ever compromising drama and tension.
One question that persists around the MCU is how long Marvel can make this formula work, especially with some of those beloved characters leaving the MCU. Captain American and Iron Man (at least in the incarnations we know) are already out, and Thor and Guardians of the Galaxy are unlikely to go on much longer.
There is a feeling at some point Marvel will need to diversify its content. It is worth noting the studio seems to already be doing that with Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness (its first horror movie). It seems inevitable that Marvel will one day go darker and grittier than it ever has beore, and this could potentially happen with the X-Men characters the company acquired when Disney purchased Fox a year ago.
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