Marvel is Finally Admitting the MCU Hasn’t Really Worked Since Endgame

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Since the release of Avengers: Endgame in 2019, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has faced some significant challenges. While factors like the pandemic, the writers’ strike, and the legal issues surrounding Jonathan Majors certainly played a role, Marvel also contributed to the difficulties by releasing too many projects too fast. Even Disney has acknowledged that this overexpansion weakened the brand. Although there have been some recent hits, especially in the past year, declining ticket sales demonstrate that the approach isn’t working as well as it used to.

A lot is happening this year in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. After a seven-year break, the Russo brothers are returning to direct a new Avengers film, Avengers: Doomsday, and even Robert Downey Jr. is involved – though this time as the villain Doctor Doom instead of Iron Man. While Endgame felt like a celebration of everything Marvel had built, Doomsday and next year’s Avengers: Secret Wars are intended to be the culmination of 26 years of Marvel films. The current ‘Multiverse Saga’ is bringing back characters from the X-Men films (originally from Fox) alongside the Avengers and Fantastic Four, creating a lot of excitement. However, there’s also a quiet acknowledgment that the MCU hasn’t been consistently successful for the past seven years.

Avengers: Doomsday is A Sequel to Endgame

Marvel is bringing Avengers: Endgame back to theaters to celebrate the Doomsday event. Director Joe Russo says this isn’t about making more money or trying to beat Avatar’s box office record. He explains that the re-release is important because it will include new footage connected to the Doomsday storyline. This extra footage will act as a link, smoothly connecting Doomsday and Avengers: Endgame for viewers.

It’s understandable why Avengers: Endgame was such a huge deal – it was a unique moment in pop culture. However, the way Marvel is promoting The Kang Dynasty (formerly Doomsday) suggests a worrying trend. They’re positioning it as a follow-up to Endgame rather than the natural conclusion to the current Multiverse Saga. This implies they don’t think audiences would be interested in seeing the saga finish on its own merits, which is a pretty harsh judgment of the recent phases of Marvel movies. It’s the closest Marvel will likely get to acknowledging that the Multiverse Saga hasn’t resonated with viewers as they’d hoped.

Avengers: Doomsday is Coming Out at the Wrong Time

It’s important to remember that Marvel isn’t alone in facing challenges. For years, Hollywood thrived on interconnected universes with complex backstories, but tastes are changing. Recent successes like Sinners, Oppenheimer, and Project Hail Mary demonstrate a growing preference for standalone stories. Other franchises are also struggling – the recent attempt to build deep lore into Doctor Who didn’t work, Star Trek‘s future is uncertain, and the newest Star Wars film intentionally minimized connections to other movies. Director Christopher Nolan believes we’re moving away from big, interconnected franchises, and he’s likely correct. The sheer size of Marvel might actually be contributing to its current difficulties.

Marvel is now focusing heavily on nostalgia, and that’s the main idea behind the upcoming film, Avengers: Doomsday. The movie will feature beloved actors from the past, and finally give fans the long-awaited battle between the Avengers and the X-Men. Alongside familiar X-Men faces like Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, and Rebecca Romijn, we’ll see the return of original Avengers – Steve Rogers, Robert Downey Jr., and Chris Hemsworth – even though some were believed to have finished their roles after Endgame.

Marvel emphasized this strategy by releasing four trailers for Doomsday alongside Avatar: Fire and Ash. The Avatar franchise is unusual in that it consistently performs well in theaters even without a strong online presence. These trailers were specifically targeted at people who aren’t regular Marvel fans – those who might have seen Endgame but haven’t followed the MCU since. The goal was to evoke nostalgia for earlier storylines, focusing on characters like the X-Men, Steve Rogers, Thor, and Wakanda (with Black Panther being a particularly significant cultural and financial success, earning $1.35 billion globally).

Doomsday and Secret Wars Need to Do What Endgame Could Not

While Endgame was a huge hit in theaters, it created some significant challenges for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The title itself suggested a definitive ending, wrapping up the first eleven years of Marvel movies and, unintentionally, making it a convenient place for new viewers to start. The film’s conclusion also felt complete – Sam Wilson naturally took over as Captain America, and the Guardians of the Galaxy set off on a new journey, with Thor joining them. This made it harder to continue the story in a way that felt fresh and engaging.

The Russo brothers now face the task of creating films that stand apart from their previous work. While Doomsday and Secret Wars are likely to be successful due to their connection to beloved stories, their main purpose should be to set the stage for the next phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. After Secret Wars, the focus will shift to the Mutant Saga, and Marvel needs these Avengers films to reignite audience interest in the broader Marvel brand. This will be difficult in a world where long-running franchises are becoming less common, but it’s crucial for the long-term survival of the shared universe itself.

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2026-04-22 17:42