Summary
- The MCU Phases 4 and 5 have been disappointing so far, both in terms of fan popularity and profits.
- Ms. Marvel star Iman Vellani recently shared her thoughts with The Direct on how Marvel Studios could bring back the magic of the original Avengers.
- According to the actress, the key is to give people the time and space to fall in love with the new characters and to build exciting relationships between them.
The Marvels, which premiered two weeks ago, has become the third film in the MCU Phase 5 and a major disappointment at the box office.
While the majority of audiences enjoyed the team-up of Carol Danvers, Monica Rambeau, and Kamala Khan (the film has an 83% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes), it seems that the number of people who actually found time to go to the movies was too small.
Earning less than $200 million globally, The Marvels became the lowest-grossing film in MCU history, proving once again that the franchise's heyday may be over.
The MCU Renaissance Is Still Possible
All of Marvel's recent projects can't compete in popularity and profits with its past hits, like Infinity War and Endgame. So does that mean that with the era of the original Avengers over, the MCU is dying? The star of The Marvels and Ms. Marvel, Iman Vellani, doesn't think so.
As an old-time fan of the superhero universe, Vellani is sure that the hype and magic can still be brought back. The studio just needs to stop expanding the lore and allow fans to fall for the new characters introduced in Phases 4 and 5.
'I don't know if it's about just getting bigger and bigger and bigger. Because then, like, what's left? You know, I think it's just about making the audience care about their characters. And I think they've established so many wonderful characters in the last phase of the MCU that it would be nice to see them all again and see them team up,' the actress recently told The Direct.
Buzz & Profits Come When People Care
There's a lot of truth in those words. Marvel Studios seems to have taken a quantity over quality approach to its projects, creating many new stories and bringing many new superheroes into the equation.
At this point, a casual viewer has already lost track of all the MCU characters, some of whom (like Shang-Chi, the Eternals, America Chavez, Moon Knight, and others) we have only seen once and may never see again.
In contrast, before Endgame, there were dozens of movies that developed the arcs of each Avenger individually and created exciting dynamics between them.
Speaking of dynamics, Iman Vellani is certain that romance (however subtle) and personal connection are important. People need people. And yes, the adventures are great, but we want to see all kinds of relationships on screen. It works for dating realities, it works for the superhero genre.
'I think, because there are so many new characters people want to like, start shipping people together and be like, “Oh, seeing Kamala and like the Red Guardian together.” Like imagining all these pair-ups, and I think that would definitely pay off,' the actress said.
This is actually a great idea, and we hope that Marvel bosses are thinking along the same lines.
Source: The Direct.