In the past ten years or so, theMarvel Cinematic Universehas become one of the most popular movie franchises of all time. With that success has come immense achievements at the box office, with theMCUtaking in more money than any other franchise has in the history of cinema.
With that popularity comes, of course, intense speculation and whispers as to what will come next in this ever-expanding universe. The continual teases of Thanos, for example, where the purple villain appeared inThe Avengersin 2012 before showing up inGuardians of the Galaxy(2014) andAvengers: Age of Ultron(2015), led to an immense amount of rumors and fan theories as to when the inevitable matchup with Earth’s mightiest heroes will occur. As fans will remember, this led to rumors, or leaks, as to who would die inAvengers: Infinity WarandAvengers: Endgamein particular. All in all, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has such intense rumors and speculation that it can be a little too much at times, thus dampening the experience of seeing the superhero films for the first time.
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Interestingly, Marvel Studios and Disney have certainly played into the rumors and speculation as a means of attracting audiences to movie theaters to see a new film. Disney has done this with other franchises as well, particularly withStar Warsas they teased the mysteries of the sequel trilogy and the whereabouts of Luke Skywalker and the parentage of Rey. After the immense success ofThe Force Awakensin December of 2015, earning over $2 billion worldwide and including a regard $950 million plus at the domestic box office, Disney appeared to use a similar strategy for Marvel. This was seen especially in the latter twoAvengersfilms, where the fan speculation regarding which of the original Avengers crew would survive their final fight with Thanosseemingly significantly increased excitementand, in turn, box office numbers.
For those twoAvengersfilms, the persistent rumors ended up benefiting the box office intake and the experience of seeing the films for the first time. As many noted, it felt like a true cultural event to watchAvengers: Endgamein particular, especially after a year of rumors and speculation. The nature of the ending ofAvengers: Infinity Warmeant that conversations were bound to happen regarding the future of these popular heroes,and that only added to the overall tension, excitement, and experience.
Unfortunately, the post-EndgameMCU hasn’t had the same sort of success, with the sheer amount of rumors that are constantly present acting as a barrier to the story and the initial experience of audiences. For example,Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madnesswas a film that was the subject of intense rumorsand speculation due to its unique premise. The promise of the multiverse led to many rumors regarding who would show up, which heroes from Marvel’s past would appear, and even the possibility of alternate versions of well-known characters.
What ended up being in the film, which was directed by Sam Raimi (a fact that only increased the rumors and speculation), seemed to be heavily dampened because there was no way to meet those expectations. Fans were expecting Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine, Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man, Andrew Garfield’s Spider-Man, Wesley Snipes’ Blade, and more. None of them appeared, and that should have been clearer given that the likes of Maguire and Garfield had made their first appearances in the MCU only a few months prior.
Not eventhe first appearance of Mister Fantastic in the MCU, played by John Krasinski,was enough to satisfy the many fans and audiences that were expecting a level of cameos, appearances, and surprises that, if it came to fruition, would be greater than that of anAvengersfilm or any live-action Marvel story to date. The fact that Krasinski himself was the one to play the iconic member of the Fantastic Four didn’t even make up for this. For years, fans had pleaded with the powers that be to cast Krasinski as the hero, particularly after a piece of art depicted the former star ofThe Officein the iconic blue suit.
Ultimately, as stated, there was no way to meet those expectations because of the persistency of the rumors surrounding that Marvel film. The same can be said of other projects in the universe, and there’s also the huge issue of leaks as well. So many hidden details have been revealed prior to the release of a Marvel movie in recent years, most notably the fact that Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield would appear inSpider-Man: No Way Home.
In a franchise that values surprises and shocks, very little appears to stun audiences in the way that they once did. ForNo Way Home, Marvel Studios arguably got away with it as the thrill of seeing the two returning heroes was more than enough. However,leaks have unfortunately plagued the MCUand lessened the fun and excitement of seeing these movies and shows for the first time. Kevin Feige recently said that he had given up trying to stop leaks and rumors from coming out, which might be an unfortunate reality that it’s simply too hard to contain for a franchise that is as popular as this.
The MCU has had some ups and downs in the past few years, and it’s disappointing that rumors, speculation, and leaks continue to play such a huge part in the overall experience. Still, audiences seem to still be on board with the franchise, and the most important aspect is continuing to tell new, unique, and interesting stories.
