In the wake of the monumental success that was “Avengers: Endgame,” the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) faced a series of challenges that some argue has led to a decline in interests. This decline includes several factors including storytelling dynamics, character developments, and audience reception.
“I remember when people used to flock towards the theaters at the name of a new Marvel movie. I know Endgame was probably the best performing movie in recent times, but the falloff of the MCU was a very rapid decline. It feels like there is no hype for any superhero type movies anymore,” said Marvel enthusiast Rahul Agnihotri.
In discussions about Marvel movies, there’s a notable shift attributed to the prominence of Disney+ and a growing interest in side stories like Loki and Echo. The accessibility of the entire Marvel library on Disney+ has reshaped viewer preferences, steering conversations away from the mainstream releases to the intriguing narratives of lesser-known characters.
“I don’t feel like anyone even talks about Marvel movies since the last Spiderman movie. Especially with Disney+ having all the movies and shows on their program,” said Soham Belgal (‘25).
The absence of familiar faces that were once the franchise’s pillars seems to have triggered a ripple effect. Additionally, challenges like the court case of Jonathan Majors and failures of Mrs. Marvel has created new barriers in their way.
“Marvel has definitely changed since Endgame. I feel like the franchise hasn’t quite grasped that same attention it had in the past. To me personally, the actors that were the face of the franchise started this ripple effect and it continued with the follow-up of worse story lines due to the high expectations set on them,” said Kiwook Kim (‘25).
