The current state of the Marvel Cinematic Universe is nothing short of a powerhouse, with three out of the last four movies grossing over $1 billion worldwide and even its lowest-grossing films being held in higher regard than most superhero films. Marvel has carefully crafted a legacy around films that are so interconnected it would take a lifetime to dissect all the secrets and find all the Easter eggs that are hidden and be near impossible to appreciate the scale at which these stories have been told over the last 11 years. So, Marvel fans should enjoy it while it lasts because it will not last for long.
One of the most prized aspects of the Marvel films has been the way in which they can seamlessly interweave characters so that any hero is likely to show up in any film, but none more so than the “Avengers” films and “Captain America: Civil War.” The best parts about these movies are the character dynamics and development based off their interactions with one another, but these are also the worst parts of the MCU as a whole. The thing that average moviegoers see when they watch Captain America fight Iron Man and Black Panther with the help of the Winter Soldier is a well-crafted action sequence and dialogue that build these characters’ relationships with one another.
That is the problem moving forward with the MCU post “Avengers: Endgame.” How are people supposed to understand the characterization of a complex and storied character such as the Winter Soldier when they have only seen him through the lens of one of the most simple characters to exist in “Captain America”? How are audiences supposed to accept Doctor Strange taking on a role in future Avengers team-up films (most likely filling the Tony Stark role based on their similar story arcs centered around redemption and having an ego check) when “Avengers: Infinity War” was the first time he has even interacted with other members of the Marvel Universe? The issue is that the Marvel team-up movies only work because of the development of these characters within their own solo films building up to these major events. The perfect example is the first “Thor” film, which led the title character perfectly into the first “Avengers” film. These moments help audiences relate to these fantastical heroes and feel earned in earlier team-up films through what was four years and five films.
Then it came time for the next team-up film, and rather than the solo films aiming to build to “Avengers: Age of Ultron,” they took on the task of continuing our heroes’ self-journeys and developing their own worlds, which then reflected in the fact that “Age of Ultron” was ultimately a garbled mess. Not only do the threats the heroes face in their solo films ultimately make the big team-up threat that is Ultron feel much less pressing, but it also ends up throwing the entire MCU for a loop, as it simply makes no sense why none of the other Avengers members showed up for any of the phase-two threats given their scale.
Rather than learning from its mistakes, Marvel did the same thing with “Civil War,” which, though not technically an Avengers film, has 90% of the team in it. Marvel again recycles the concept that this event will change our heroes for films to come, rather than having our heroes evolving through their natural progressions and then having Civil War be the cause of all of these heroes resolving to disagree with each other. It is much more interesting to watch Steve Rogers go from the all-American boy to a fugitive over the course of several films as opposed to half of one.
This is why Disney+ feels like the best-case scenario for a majority of Marvel’s superheroes. Now, rather than trying to fit 43 character arcs into one film, a feat which will inevitably lead to clutter like Infinity War, with Disney+, this will not be an issue. Winter Soldier or the Falcon can be developed further before they have to take up the Captain America mantle. Disney+ can develop Scarlet Witch and Vision’s relationship, so when it comes time to unplug that talking toaster, it does not leave audiences wondering why are we arguing over this matter when the fate of the universe is at stake.
The fact of the matter is that Marvel team-up films can work. With all the flaws the first film had, it still had the heart and soul of a film where individuals have to work together as a team, which is what these films need to be and sadly are not.
Image from Marvel Entertainment via YouTube
