After a year devoid of the constant outflow ofMCUsuperhero blockbusters audiences all over the world had grown accustomed to, Disney and Marvel Studios are back at it in 2021 with an entirely new hand of cards in the form of brand new miniseries which might just prove to be the kind of play to breath new life into the superhero film genre.
It all started in 2015 when the company started laying the ground for the streaming service that would end up becoming Disney Plus, however, at the forefront it needed to have its pop culture aces, Marvel andStar Wars. That process culminated in 2020 when Disney finally reclaimed the last pieces of theMCUstill inNetflix’s hands (GTA VIis a different story), but the plan was laid out in 2017 when most of the current wave started development.
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Disney really can’t be blamed for this, at the time MCU films had blossomed to be the box office juggernauts they’re known to be today, yet they were also starting to grow in depth and complexity after most of the Avengers and their entourage were already fully introduced. Though wildly successful, Marvel movies also drew some criticism for the type of “rollercoaster cinema” they embodied and also found themselves clashing with the interests of comic book purists.
The Problem With MCU Films
It must be said that Marvel Studios has put in some work to fix these perceived weak points in later MCU films, so in most cases, Phase One and Two Movies tend to be the biggest offenders. Although it largely depends on the source material,villains in the MCU don’t get nearly enough background storyexposition that allows audiences to accept them as more believable and charismatic antagonists.
There’s a huge difference between the beliefs andorigins of characters like Thanos and Killmongervs. the Yon Roggs and Mysterios of the MCU, with the latter group usually just playing on the “good guy to bad guy” twist or the quest for godlike power and being evil for the sake of being evil. Added to that is the fact that these villains are often discarded or shunned aside after a single appearance, and it really makes perfect sense for writers and directors not to waste precious screen time on revealing complex personality layers on disposable characters.
While most won’t care if Laufey and Yellowjacket never come back, it’s a far more regrettable creative choice for the likes of Red Skull, the quintessential Captain America villain. Even on the good guys’ side, the role of supporting characters like Sif, a much more powerful and meaningful person inThor’scomic book life, is reduced -admittedly- due to time constraints.
How MCU Miniseries Change The Game
Tony Stark’s and Steve Rogers’ exits mean a lot in the context of the MCU because of what they were built up to be throughout several films. They’re the perfect blueprint for characters that start off and say goodbye as very different men. to achieve a similar effect for former sidekicks like Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes, packing three films’ worth of exposure intoThe Falcon and the Winter Soldier’swas a necessary task and it certainly does the pair justice.
In the case ofWandaVision, the show serves as a nine-episode explainer on whyWanda Maximofff became so iconicand powerful inAvengers: Infinity WarandEndgame. Again, a much-needed affair ahead of the Scarlet Witch’s involvement inDoctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, but it’s what both shows do for its supporting cast, not the heroes, what really makes them stand out.
Unlike most Marvel films tend to do,The Falcon and the Winter Soldierdoesn’t finish off its antagonists. Instead, it leaves fans with atrio of mysterious characters with no set allegiancesin Sharon Carter, U.S. Agent, and Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, plus Baron Zemo; with the less complex Flag-Smashers getting the MCU disposables treatment. In WandaVision, again it turns into a case of the show being used to reveal a new hero in Monica Rambeau and a villain like Agatha Harkness, plus a rogue White Vision somewhere out there.
Even supporting characters are getting a bigger stage to shine on,as was the case for Isaiah Bradleywhose story is the perfect blend of a comic book easter egg that drives Sam’s character arc, it’s a huge part of his quest to accept himself as Captain America, and it even introduces Eli Bradley whocan eventually become a Young Avenger.
It’s hard to imagine how all these smaller stories would have been fledged out in a two-hour movie because the series format simply allows for more setups, meaningful scenes, and ultimately, better payoffs for non-protagonists.
It’s Good For Business
Budget-wiseAvengers: Endgameis the most expensive MCU film at $400m, and it recouped roughly six times that amount at the box office; meanwhile,Ant-Manbarely went over $100m, yet it still managed to bring back almost five times more money. For all its grandeur, shooting a 3-hour special effects fest likeEndgamethat requires bringing together the entire MCU packs some seriously diminishing financial results.
These insane numbers mean Disney will probably start putting an even bigger focus on MCU exclusive miniseries, fortunately for fans, they could also be better suited to superhero storytelling than over a decade’s worth of movies.
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