Ever since the huge success of “Avengers: Endgame”, which pulled together characters from a decade of Marvel films and delivered one of the biggest box office smashes of all time, something has been different within the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

That huge high has been followed by a low, as superhero movies and shows have struggled to live up to their previous instalments.  Both Marvel and DC have gone through a bumpy patch, as their extended universes fall apart as they’ve continued to grow, leading to audiences feeling burnt out and confused.   Both Marvel and DC have been pumping out multiple films and shows a year, trying to grab as many subscribers and box office ticket sales as possible, but this hasn’t worked.  There have been some diamonds in the rough, but overall, fans have become jaded about superhero films and shows.

Looking at the box office numbers for the last few superhero movie releases, show that audiences aren’t as engaged as they once were.  There are many reasons for that, Marvel has diluted its brand with way too many films, shows and specials, as it’s been feeding the Disney+ machine to get new and retain subscribers.  Sony has also been pumping out random Spider-Man villain movies to try to capitalise off the success of the recent Spider-Man movies, and next year will be giving us “Madam Web” and “Kraven The Hunter” (are those origin stories we need ?).  DC has decided to reboot(ish) its superhero universe and start again.

With falling viewers and declining box office numbers, Disney has decided to pull back the reigns on Marvel Studios, delaying, adapting or cancelling projects, with an aim to focus more, to improve the overall quality of the shows and films, with better storylines, better visual effects and a general idea that less is more.

Some fans have disputed that superhero fatigue is a real thing, but during a recent interview with Total Film magazine, “The Marvels” director Nia DaCosta

“I think superhero fatigue absolutely exists”

“The Marvels” movie is set to arrive in cinemas this November and is a sequel to “Captain Marvel”, plus it also brings some characters from the Disney+ shows, Ms Marvel and “WandaVision’s” Captain Monica Rambeau, to the big screen.

The film sees Carol Danvers, AKA Captain Marvel reclaiming her identity from the tyrannical Kree and taking revenge on the Supreme Intelligence. But unintended consequences see Carol shouldering the burden of a destabilized universe. When her duties send her to an anomalous wormhole linked to a Kree revolutionary, her powers become entangled with that of Jersey City super-fan Kamala Khan, aka Ms. Marvel, and Carol’s estranged niece, now S.A.B.E.R. astronaut Captain Monica Rambeau.

Nia DaCosta explained how the upcoming film will be a little different from previous instalments in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

“The biggest difference from the other MCU movies to date is that it’s really wacky, and silly.  The worlds we go to in this movie are worlds unlike others you’ve seen in the MCU. Bright worlds that you haven’t seen before.”

While “The Marvels” looks to be a little different to previous instalments in the MCU, the words wacky and silly might send a warning shot across the internet for Marvel fans, following the backlash to “She-Hulk: Attorney At Law” and “Thor: Love & Thunder”, which many people enjoyed, but the humour didn’t hit with everyone.

The film’s executive producer Mary Livanos also has said that fans should expect something unexpected from “The Marvels”.

“The Avengers movies are these epic conclusions to chapters of storytelling, whereas this is a team-up within the narrative that we didn’t necessarily expect for Marvel.  Usually, you wait for characters to show up all together in Avengers movies. We were excited to design a team-up featuring characters that women from all walks of life could relate to.”

Disney plans to slow down its release schedule, and the current strikes may assist them in doing this, with many shows and films having delays during production.  But it still has the second season of “Loki” to arrive on Disney+ in October, but ultimately, if the show, and “The Marvels” are good, audiences will be happy, resulting in great viewing numbers and good box office numbers, but if it is just average, fans no longer just show up, just because its Marvel.

Do you think superhero fatigue is real?  Let us know on social media!

Roger Palmer

Roger has been a Disney fan since he was a kid and this interest has grown over the years. He has visited Disney Parks around the globe and has a vast collection of Disney movies and collectibles. He is the owner of What's On Disney Plus & DisKingdom. Email: Roger@WhatsOnDisneyPlus.com Twitter: Twitter.com/RogPalmerUK Facebook: Facebook.com/rogpalmeruk

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