Norm Felker
To think, just 17 years ago, the idea of a superhero franchise typically consisted of standalone hero films which, if they were successful at the box office, were followed up with sequels of varying quality and connectivity to the previous or the original source material. In 2008 that call changed when Marvel took a new approach to telling engaging superhero stories by abandoning the standalone superhero film to build a universe, The MCU.
After an incredibly orchestrated string of films Marvel allowed filmgoers across the globe to become immersed in their massive universe, one which just years before felt inaccessible to the general audience and neglected by established fans. The MCU quickly became the envy of every exec in Hollywood, a money making machine accompanied by films that were not only entertaining, they engrossed viewers while constantly raising the stakes.
This masterplan led to what many fans find as one of the best superhero moments of all-time. It was not a movie, it was an event when the amalgamation of hundreds of characters, storylines, worlds and fan dreams closed out an 11-year long chapter of filmmaking with Avengers: End Game. It’s a success story that may never be matched – the scope of which is not limited to the screen through captivating storytelling, but also in the accomplishment behind the scenes.
Disney and Marvel (under the vision of Kevin Feige) pulled off the ambitious Hollywood projects of all time and captured the hearts and attention of the worl while doing so. They harnessed a colossal catalog of characters and stories dating back decades to truly build a universe that had fans, old a new alike, mesmerized. Film after film the unprecedented level of excitement and anticipation was undeniable.
That was then and this is now. Fast forward to 2024 and Marvel has hit a bit of a rut, struggled to continue to build on that incredible momentum. In fact, the box office and TV ratings for the MCU have been returning diminishing results both critically and audience sizes. Everyone seems to have their own diagnosis, from the reasonable to the ludicrous. After several disappointments some fickle fans were ready to dismiss the MCU and move on. Luckily, there are millions and millions of fans who feel Marvel are more hopeful and believe can regain its mojo.
We at The ‘Verse! are not ready to pull the plug on the Marvel Cinematic Universe, instead we have decided to send it to the ICU – the MCU ICU – to better monitor the patient.
The doctors are in! The ‘Verse! squad is on call to diagnose this cinematic universe franchise that’s very close to all of our hearts – the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Setting aside our conflicts of interest, we diagnose and plan a course of treatment for the ailing franchise, taking into account patient complaints (aka whatever the general public thinks is the problem), current symptoms (aka whatever our resident MCU MDs know is the problem), propose treatment and give the prognosis. This is a can’t-miss episode for anyone who’s ever started a sentence with, “Here’s the problem with the MCU lately…”
Give a listen (below) to our Marvel cine-medical assessment and let us know what you think in the comments or on Twitter and Instagram @TheVerseCast. Give us a follow – it’s where we post cinematic universe news, announcements about the pod episodes, upcoming interviews, random madness, and collect listener questions.
Plus, ff you stick around after the credits, we get a little starry-eyed…
EPISODE 113
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