If you think you’re lonely now, wait until you’re no longer able to distinguish a Marvel project from anything else.
That’s the reality Marvel Studios is facing. Several missteps have created a swirling microcosm of chaos that is slowly growing into an impossible mountain to climb.
“The quality is suffering,” says Joanna Robinson, co-author of the book MCU: The Reign of Marvel Studios. “In 2019, at the peak, if you put ‘Marvel Studios’ in front of something, people were like, ‘Oh, that brand means quality.’ That association is no longer the case because there have been so many projects that felt half-baked and undercooked.”
A new blockbuster report by Tatiana Siegel of Variety tells the potentially tumultuous journey Marvel has recently undertaken to be at the top.
Here are the top five revelations from the report:
1
The pandemic created forced storylines and possible fan fatigue
Marvel cracked the code on box-office success. Produce your own movies (32 to be exact), and you can make $30 billion. Simple. However, the pandemic of 2020 pushed the pressure to be successful to new heights.
With viewers spending more time at home, Marvel felt pressured to create interwoven storylines that connected its movies to its shows. The plan was to keep everything going at all costs so there was never a lapse in what viewers saw.
But, the demands of putting out that much content unraveled the inner workings of the company. So many storylines going on at one time created confusion, and lower revenue seemed to indicate that fans weren’t really into it.
2
Marvel's VFX unit could not keep up with the never-ending stream
When pressure builds, it has to find somewhere to go. In Marvel’s case, their VFX department became flooded with extreme anxiety and expectations to satisfy the demands of President Kevin Faige and upper leadership.
Throughout projects over the last year, fans noticed several terrible editing jobs that seemingly nobody bothered to fix because there were production schedules that had to be met.
The most glaring example happened during the premiere of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. According to a veteran power broker in the audience, there were “at least 10 scenes where the visual effects had been added at the last minute and were out of focus.”
It was reportedly so bad that even the children of company execs were talking about the awful CGI.
3
Marvel employees had no choice but to unionize
The backlash from a string of films littered with scathing reviews, low pay and 14-hour days with no overtime took its toll on Marvel VFX employees. Eventually, in September of this year, they unanimously voted to unionize.
The unionization sparked an industry trend and spotlighted the unreasonable deadlines and working conditions Marvel Studios had created.
Eventually, Marvel VFX employees met with the Congressional Labor Caucus on October 19 to raise awareness around VFX’s role in storytelling, creating revenue, and the need for equity and respect for those in the industry.
4
Any possible available solution to fix things looks extremely messy
With cash flows not meeting expectations and workers essential to production dissatisfied, Marvel has been scrambling to find solutions.
The path to good intentions is secretly paved with gluttony, and the ghost of decisions past is currently driving a massive bus down the road.
The decision to go all in on Quantumania actor Jonathan Majors has come with some severe consequences. Subpar box office numbers and domestic violence allegations charges are tanking plans.
Bringing back other actors for new projects is also a problem. Reviving any Avengers movies would have at least a $25 million price tag to get Robert Downey Jr. on board.
5
21st Century Fox could save the Marvel Cinematic Universe
In 2019, Marvel purchased 21st Century Fox. That deal came with control over the Fantastic Four and X-Men.
With fans already excited about 2024’s Deadpool 3, which includes an appearance from Hugh Jackman as Wolverine, Marvel could right the ship. There’s hope that Deadpool and a 2025 reboot of Fantastic Four could revive the company.
“Writing the Marvel obituary would be ill-advised,” says Jason Squire, professor emeritus at USC’s School of Cinematic Arts. “Kevin Feige is the Babe Ruth of movie executives, and Marvel has the most profitable track record in movie history. No question.”
