It takes a lot to kill an empire. TheMarvel Cinematic Universewas unquestionably the mightiest force in pop culture whenEndgamecame out, but many believe it’s been bleeding out ever since. It’s suffered one wound after another with occasional breaks for auteur-driven success. 2023 presaged a bitter ending for superhero movies, but Marvel won’t go down without a fight. They’ve gotDeadpool & WolverineandFantastic Fourto prove they can still do this all day.
Marvel wasn’t alone in its superhero movie difficulties. 2023 felt like theend of the superhero crazein a way that almost mirrored the zombie crash of a few years earlier. DC movies likeShazam: Fury of the Gods, The Flash, andAquaman and the Last Kingdomflopped with critics and audiences. The genre tanked like a bad stock.Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3was the year’s only winner. This and next year must be better.
Deadpool 3Trailer Breaks Records
Deadpool & Wolverinedropped a teaser alongside the Big Game that floored Marvel’s usual audience. In 24 hours, theDeadpool & Wolverinetrailer drew 365 million views online. That extraordinarily impressive metric makes it the most-viewed movie trailer ever released. This is excellent news for Marvel, though the previous record holderthey beat was themselves.Spider-Man: No Way Homeheld that honor with 355 million views in its first 24 hours.
The new horizon suggests a few things.Deadpool 3,now known asDeadpool & Wolverine, is unquestionably one of the MCU’s most anticipated projects.Hugh Jackman’s return tothe role he’s occupied for more than two decades excited fans. Deadpool has some of the most ardent devotees in the genre. Onlookers are excited to see something different come out of the House of Mouse. These hints will likely guide the franchise in the upcoming years for good and ill.
Fantastic FourCast Reveal Drops Unexpectedly
Riding the high ofDeadpool & Wolverine’s hype, Marvel Studios revealed the cast for its upcomingFantastic Fourfilm. Though the project isn’t set to hit theaters until 2025, the world knows the cast.The Mandalorianfans and John Krasinski haters rejoice.Endlessly likable superstar Pedro Pascalwill finally join the MCU as Reed Richards, AKA Mr. Fantastic. Vanessa Kirby ofMission: ImpossibleandNapoleonfame will portray Susan “The Invisible Woman” Storm. Joseph Quinn, the breakout star behindStranger Things' Eddie Munson, is riding his sensational rising fame to the role of Johnny Storm, The Human Torch. Finally, Ebon Moss-Bachrach rejoins the MCU after portraying Micro inPunisherto take on Ben “The Thing” Grimm.
The cast is excellent across the board. Pascal was a popular fan-casting option, and people want to see him everywhere, but his ongoing grumpy dad persona fits the role perfectly. Kirby brought so much to Joséphine inNapoleon, arguably making her as central a character as the man the film was named after. Quinn is a flawlessly on-the-nose choice, given that he played themost popular rebellious teenof recent memory. Bachrach is the only outside-the-box pick, but his voice and presence inThe Bearmake the vision clear. The sixties flair of the announcement also inspires confidence. This week featured Marvel’s two best marketing decisions in years.
Is Marvel Trying to Keep its Momentum Going?
Disney announced they’d be slowing down Marvel projects last year.2023 was a rough yearfor the franchise, leading to heavy changes behind the scenes. That decision evokes a driver slamming on their brakes after several near-misses or paint exchanges.Echowas entertaining in parts, but it was also hastily chopped into pieces to fit various studio mandates. The promise ofDeadpool & Wolverine, with projects likeDaredevil: Born Again,suggest several returns to form.Fantastic Four, on the other hand, could imply strong creative decisions and new blood in future projects. The former will quell some complaints from fans, but the latter is the only thing that can save the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
No one has seenDeadpool & Wolverineor the MCU’sFantastic Four. They could be the two best projects to come out of the studio. They could set the standard for the genre. They could also just as easily squander the overwhelming hype they’ve carefully cultivated.Excitement is a double-edged sword, but the sharp redirection of Marvel’s cultural presence is likely a great relief to the studio heads. Marvel shifted from the most powerful empire in entertainment to a mild pariah through endless repetition, cowardice, awful decisions, and diminishing returns. The spotlight is burning into them. The microphone is in their hand. The crowd looks on expectantly. Marvel engendered cautious optimism with itsDeadpool 3andFantastic Fourannouncements. Its next moves will determine the fate of the franchise.
