What is happening at Marvel Studios? Since the conclusion of the Thanos storyline and the departure of its major characters, the studio founded by Kevin Feige appears to be facing challenges. With public fatigue towards superhero films and a lack of direction in recent productions, Disney’s reliable source of success seems to have diminished. Changes are underway within the MCU for upcoming projects, but in the interim, films completed during the pandemic must still be released. Following Thor: Love and Thunder and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, The Marvels is set to conclude this somewhat lighter tone established by a script personally written by Kevin Feige. However, this release might mark a significant turning point.
What is happening at Marvel Studios? Since concluding the Thanos arc and the departure of key characters, Kevin Feige’s company is encountering challenges. With noticeable public weariness toward superhero films and productions exploring various directions, Disney’s lucrative franchise is facing difficulties. Changes are underway within the MCU for future projects, but currently, films shot during the pandemic need to be released. Following Thor: Love and Thunder and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, The Marvels is set to conclude this lighter approach initiated by a script personally written by Kevin Feige. However, this release might signify a significant turning point.
Marvel Studios and Kevin Feige appear uncertain about how to proceed with the Captain Marvel character. If she were to maintain her original comic book powers, she would overshadow everyone else in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), as there is no comparable counterpart for her. As a result, similar to the approach taken with Hulk, her powers are being scaled back to make the stakes more relatable and human-sized. In “The Marvels,” however, she struggles to assert herself within the narrative. This issue is partly due to sharing screen time with Kamala Khan and Monica Rambeau, who require reintroductions for viewers who may not have seen Disney+’s “Ms. Marvel” or “WandaVision.” Consequently, the film includes brief introductions explaining who Kamala Khan and Monica Rambeau are, as well as a reminder of Carol Danvers’ identity. Given that the movie is already relatively short (1 hour 45 minutes), making it the shortest MCU film to date, losing this valuable time does not benefit its overall impact.
The plot involves an uncontrolled teleportation mechanism that randomly swaps the locations of three superheroes, regardless of their positions in the galaxy. This element is engaging during the initial fight scene and reasonably well-staged, but after 1 hour and 45 minutes, viewers may find themselves eager to move on from the unpredictable nature of these teleportations. The film also tries to build an emotional connection between the characters and the audience, though this effort falls short. Additionally, there is a contrived plot twist attempting to explain Captain Marvel’s absence in the MCU and her relationship with Monica Rambeau, which lacks credibility. It leaves one questioning whether Kevin Feige still views Carol Danvers as a crucial character…
THE MUSIC, YES THE MUSIC!
Marvel Studios employs another strategy when dealing with characters that become too powerful, which involves mocking or ridiculing them. This approach was seen in “Avengers Endgame” with Hulk and the She-Hulk series, as well as with Thor in both “Endgame” and “Love & Thunder,” and now it is Captain Marvel’s turn to be portrayed humorously. Therefore, I will activate the “spoiler alert” tag; if you do not wish to know anything, skip this part or fast-forward through the video. Otherwise, stay tuned because even when I describe the scene, it won’t seem as surreal as it actually is. In summary, “The Marvels” includes a sequence that transforms into a musical performance. Not just any musical, but one referencing Disney animated films in princess mode, complete with prince charming and all. Essentially, Carol Danvers, Kamala Khan, and Monica Rambeau arrive on the planet Aladna, home to a people who communicate exclusively through song. Speaking there means singing, and it turns out that Carol Danvers is married to Prince Yan of Aladna, played in the film by South Korean actor Park Seo-joon from “Parasite.” Yes, you read that correctly; the film shifts into a musical format with Carol switching her costume for a princess dress while retaining her suit’s colors. They sing and dance, the colors are vividly garish, and it becomes uncomfortable to watch. Even Brie Larson seems disbelieving of this scene. The kind of absurd ideas reminiscent of the controversial ending in “She-Hulk,” where we learn that K.E.V.I.N., a robot with AI capable of altering series events against a broken fourth wall, is revealed as the grand puppeteer of the story.
What developments are occurring at Marvel Studios? Following the conclusion of the Thanos storyline and the departure of several main characters, Kevin Feige’s production company is facing challenges. Public interest in superhero films has waned, and the diverse direction of current productions has led to financial difficulties for Disney’s once-lucrative Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). While changes are being implemented for future projects, films that were completed during the pandemic must still be released. After “Thor: Love and Thunder” and “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania,” it is now the turn of “The Marvels.” This film, penned by Kevin Feige himself, attempts to shift the lighter tone imposed by recent events but may further strain audience patience. The movie introduces Captain Marvel along with Kamala Khan (Ms. Marvel) and Monica Rambeau in an effort to build character dynamics for those unfamiliar with their Disney+ series backgrounds. However, at just 1 hour and 45 minutes, the film’s already brief runtime is further constrained by these necessary reintroductions.The plot centers on chaotic teleportation causing characters to swap locations without understanding why, which initially creates amusement but eventually becomes tiresome as the story progresses. The narrative aims to foster emotional connections among the superheroes and the audience but fails to do so effectively. Moreover, it awkwardly explains Captain Marvel’s absence from previous MCU films with a contrived plot twist that lacks credibility, raising questions about Feige’s dedication to Carol Danvers’ character development.A significant issue arises when “The Marvels” transitions into a Disney-esque musical sequence on Planet Aladna, where inhabitants communicate through song. In this scene, Captain Marvel is revealed as Prince Yan’s wife, wearing a princess gown while incorporating elements of her suit. The absurdity of this situation prompts comparisons to other controversial MCU plot devices and raises concerns about Feige’s management of powerful characters like Captain Marvel.
What is happening at Marvel Studios? Following the conclusion of the Thanos storyline and the departure of key characters, there are signs of change within Kevin Feige’s production empire. With public interest in superhero films waning and productions taking diverse directions, the MCU’s financial success has diminished. Internal changes have been initiated for future projects, but films produced during the pandemic continue to be released. After “Thor: Love & Thunder” and “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania,” the next release is “The Marvels.” This film, scripted by Kevin Feige himself, maintains a lighthearted tone that some critics believe may no longer appeal to audiences, potentially marking a significant shift in the franchise’s trajectory.
What developments are occurring at Marvel Studios? Following the conclusion of Thanos’ storyline and the departure of key characters, Kevin Feige’s company appears to be experiencing difficulties. With public weariness toward superhero films and productions diverging in various directions, Disney’s profitable venture within the MCU is showing signs of decline. Changes have been initiated internally for upcoming projects as concerns are raised. Meanwhile, films produced during the pandemic period continue to be released. After “Thor: Love and Thunder” and “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania,” the release of “The Marvels” concludes this somewhat light-hearted approach established by a script personally penned by Kevin Feige. However, this film might prove to be the tipping point for further challenges within the MCU.
Recent months have been challenging for Marvel Studios, which has had to reassess its direction amid growing disinterest in superhero films. This decline marks the end of a period when the genre dominated cinema and set box office records, leading figures such as Martin Scorsese to comment on it to protect their own interests. As Frank Ribery once observed, “the wheel will inevitably turn quickly.” Indeed, this shift has been occurring for several years since the conclusion of the Thanos arc. The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is currently grappling with the departure of key stars like Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, and Scarlett Johansson, to the extent that rumors have circulated about plans to bring back the original Avengers team to revive the franchise’s fortunes.
