The Marvel Cinematic Universe has come back in full force with a plethora of shows and movies for fans to indulge in like WandaVision, Black Widow, and Loki. Looking ahead, the MCU shows no signs of slowing down with a constant barrage of new content inundating the upcoming years.
After the cataclysmic finale that was Avengers: Endgame, one of the main questions Phase Four contends with is: What is next for the MCU? Many long-time stalwarts of the superhero universe like Iron Man, Captain America, and Black Widow seem to have left the picture (for the time being), leaving the world open for new and original characters to step into the spotlight.
10 Fresh: Popularizing More Niche & Obscure Characters
The MCU seems to be returning to its more experimental roots with Phase Four and Five. Kevin Feige and the creative heads over at Marvel Studios can take the opportunity to present lesser-known characters and teams from the comics.
Such would be the case with the upcoming series Moon Knight that features Oscar Issac as the titular character. However, the niche and obscure isn’t exclusive to shows—James Gunn previously proved with Guardians of the Galaxy the potential these characters have. Speaking of the strange, Chloé Zhao’s upcoming Eternals shows promise in following Gunn’s footsteps.
9 Not Fresh: Risk Of Redundancy In Origin Stories
Any franchise that continues over an extended period of time will inevitably run into issues of repetition. The same can be said of the MCU. One of the critiques of later MCU films was how redundant some of the origin stories had become, particularly Ant-Man and Doctor Strange.
While Captain Marvel tried to invent a new take on the superhero origin story by interspersing Carol Danvers’s backstory throughout the film, the result was met with mixed reception that led Marvel to rebrand the sequel as The Marvels. So when original characters enter the fray, one of the foremost questions audiences will be asking is how their origins will be told in new and interesting ways.
8 Fresh: Opportunity To Create Different & Unique Team-Ups
One of the most exciting elements of Phase Three was the opportunity to really see different combinations of heroes team up to fight for a common cause or complete a specific mission. With the addition of Hulk, the Thor franchise went from being one of the most underrated series to one of the most popular with Taika Waititi’s Thor: Ragnarok.
Phase Four teases some promising team-ups as well. The She-Hulk mini-series is set to see the return of Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner. Furthermore, Kevin Feige has hinted that new, powerful characters like Shang-Chi and Dane Whitman as the Black Knight will appear as part of the next Avengers debut.
7 Not Fresh: Less Room To Spotlight Secondary Characters
Unfortunately, one of the downsides to introducing original characters to an already vast cinematic universe is the limited screen time. This makes less room for secondary characters like War Machine, Hawkeye, and Falcon who have been a part of the MCU for much longer.
While these characters have been given their own Disney+ mini-series, episodic shorts are undoubtedly different from the flagship films that the star MCU characters shined in. The premiering of original characters in their own mini-series only threatens to steal the small limelight these established secondary characters seem to have finally found.
6 Fresh: Branching Out From the Established Formula
Sylvie’s choice to break the Sacred Timeline at the ending of Loki spells all kinds of potential ramifications for the MCU. As a storytelling device, however, it’s a gold mine for Marvel Studios to tell a vast array of new stories that ventures into territory the MCU hasn’t dared to go before.
Likewise, the original characters they choose to introduce in the upcoming movies have the potential to help the MCU expand and evolve in new ways. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness promises to introduce audiences to a more horror-esque side of the MCU while the rebooted Blade hints at a return to the supernatural.
5 Not Fresh: Losing Sight Of What Made The MCU Popular
Branching out into new genres comes at a risk. Part of what makes the MCU so popular is the established formula it has come to adopt in its films. In short, audiences know exactly what to expect when they go to see a Marvel film—and there’s something to say for comfort in the familiar.
The introduction of new characters like adult Monica Rambeau or He Who Remains, in new genres like WandaVision‘s sitcoms and Loki‘s sci-fi world, puts a damper on this familiarity. Unfortunately, this leaves more causal moviegoers and fans lost or frustrated by the sudden changes in direction that the MCU seems to be taking.
4 Fresh: Hands Superhero Mantles To A New Generation
With many of the superhero mainstays out of the picture with the closing of the MCU’s Infinity Saga, one exciting aspect of the introduction of a new cast is the passing of mantles. Spider-Man: Far From Home was the first property to contend with this, with Peter having to come to terms with the passing of his mentor and what it meant for Spider-Man.
Many of the films and shows in Phase Four and Five seem to be contemplating the many ways that these mantles can be passed down. Natasha Romanoff indirectly passes the mantle of Black Widow to her fake younger sister, Yelena Belova, in Black Widow. The Ant-Man films have been teasing Cassie Lang’s transformation into Stature. The Hawkeye mini-series will see Clint Barton passing his mantle to Kate Bishop.
3 Not Fresh: It Is Increasingly Difficult To Keep Track of Everyone
While not necessarily a problem for longtime comic book readers or fans devoted to the MCU, many casual viewers have come to make up a large portion of the MCU’s audience over the years. They will struggle to keep track of the many moving characters and plotlines that permeate this cinematic universe.
Introducing more characters into this vast and complex universe (soon-to-be multiverse) only adds to the layman viewers’ confusion. The MCU already boasts a strong and wide cast of characters that seem to have long foreseeable futures in the narrative—is there really a need for more?
2 Not Fresh: Lack Of Emotional Investment In New Characters
Another concern that comes along with introducing more original characters into the MCU is that audiences won’t likely have a prior emotional investment in the character. This means that it falls on the actor or actress to really inhabit and sell the character they are portraying.
While the MCU certainly has a strong track record for casting individuals for roles, which they often become synonymous with—Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark and Tom Hiddleston as Loki—there is still a certain risk involved in casting new talent as an original character. After all, the entire universe is built on the risk Jon Favreau took by casting Downey Jr. as the titular character in the original Iron Man.
1 Fresh: Allows For More Cultural Diversity & Representation
With the roaring success of Black Panther in 2018, the doors were opened wide for the MCU to embrace the more diverse and culturally accurate superhero population that already inhabited its comic book multiverse. The success of Wakanda’s superhero king revealed that fans were clamoring to see more characters on the big screen that looked like them.
Needless to say, Marvel Studios is decidedly capitalizing on this opportunity with the first Asian-led superhero film in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings along with the introduction of the first Muslim-American superhero in Kamala Khan with Disney+’s Ms. Marvel.
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