After a year of no MCU movies - have they taken a much needed timeout or have they just lost momentum?

[xyla]

It's been over a year now that End Game and by extent Far from Home screened in cinemas around the world. And much has happened since then.
To me, it feels like the MCU is a lot more distant by now and it almost has this "oh yeah, that was a thing once" feeling going for it.

We didn't get Black Widow in April as planned and as far as I know it doesn't have a new release date right now.
The Eternals got postponed to February 2021 instead of the November 2020 release it once had.

We didn't even get any new trailers for a while and the Marvel MCU hype machine has come to a stop.
Are you still looking forward to what's to come? Are you indifferent towards the upcoming movies right now? Or was it time for a much needed breather for the comic book movie machine anyway?

 

[Lightning Count]

It's good that this has slowed, they were maasively oversaturating the market.

 

[Deleted member 8166]

After Far from Home I am pretty much done with the MCU. Story is finished for me and I might watch the movies at home...but not in the cinema anymore.

 

[Aprikurt]

Oh for god's sake

How would you even know they've lost momentum if they haven't released one in a year?! Black Widow will release when it releases and be hugely successful. MCU just getting started.

 

[Deception]

I personally cannot wait for the new MCU stuff and very much looking forward to all the Disney+ shows plus next slate of films.

 

[Deleted member 8593]

I think I'm about ready to watch a new one... maybe I can get into a press screening for Black Widow.

 

[Sanka]

The MCU will only profit from this downtime. People are probably eager to escape to these simple worlds and forget the travesty that was this year.

 

[Odesu]

Heh, I just had that thought.

I think the forced time out is a great thing, especially in regards to timing. It was always weird to follow up Endgame first with Far From Home and then with Black Widow. The series needed some breathing room to allow people to gain some perspective and distance on Endgame - both to give that "finale" a little more weight and also to allow these new movies to stand on their own a bit more.

I just thought about this because I noticed that, yup, I actually feel like I'd want to watch another MCU movie. That feeling hasn't been there for years. I did watch them and I did enjoy them (mostly, Captain Marvel and Endgame were two huge disappointments back to back for me) but there were so fucking many of them that I never really got hyped anymore or even got the chance to really look forward to one of them.

It also helps that this coming line-up looks incredibly interesting and fun to me: Shang-Chi, The Eternals, Thor Love and Thunder and Sam Raimi's Doctor Strange? Probably the most exciting line-up of movies for the franchise ever.

 

[VideogameVices]

When we can go back to cinemas, they will be HUGE.

It's just because of a.... pandemic.

 

[Dragonyeuw]

After coming off the emotional peak of Endgame I would have been satisfied if the entire thing had wrapped up then. But with how much of a shitshow 2020 has been, I could use some MCU escapism right about now.

 

[Deleted member 47700]

I went to 'em when they came out but they were always far and away among the least interesting things I saw in the cinema in any given year. I can't say the momentum was ever there in the first place for me other than "yeah I saw them, some of which were okay fun", I'd probably skip Black Widow if they released it amidst this pandemic tbh unlike Tenet which I can't wait to see in 2 weeks.

 

[Wrexis]

It'll take another 10-15 years to reach the peak level of Endgame though in terms of a huge payoff.

Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, Infinity Saga. I wonder what the next big one will be.

 

[The Unsent]

Eh, I really miss going to the cinema and watching big, silly movies.

 

[Soupman Prime]

Can't wait and they should've kept on going. Clearly the world still wanted more seeing how Spidey finally joined the billy club and it was the biggest Spidey movie ever. This break might be the cure to the mythical superhero fatigue that I heard about though.

 

[xyla]

Oh for god's sake

How would you even know they've lost momentum if they haven't released one in a year?! Black Widow will release when it releases and be hugely successful. MCU just getting started.

Click to shrink...

I'm not saying they lost momentum - I'm interested if you think they have.
I also don't doubt that they will continue to release very successful movies.

I don't believe they can just continue with business as usual though. The cinema landscape has changed incredibly fast over the last year. We will be in the beginning of a major worldwide recession by the time the next MCU movie releases. People's priorities have shifted fast and hard over the last few month.
It might very well be possible that a lot of people that have gone to cinemas to watch MCU movies in the past will now wait for the Disney+ release to watch them safe and at home for "free" a few month later. Especially with the combination of no job and Covid.

 

[Temp_User]

They'll be fine. Most if not all live-action movies or tv shows has taken a huge hit with this pandemic and i honestly think they are in a better position to weather and recover from this setback compared to say the F&F, DCEU or Star Wars franchises.

 

[Indelible]

The break was much needed, I was getting burnt out on Marvel movies but I'am starting to miss them.

 

[EinBear]

Timing-wise, it couldn't really have worked out better. Spider-Man was a nice epilogue, but after Endgame I was ready for a bit of a break. It'll all feel a bit fresher by the time we're back at Cinemas.

Imagine if Covid had hit in-between Infinity War and Endgame though haha

 

[Creamium]

Imagine if Covid had hit in-between Infinity War and Endgame though haha

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I've thought about that recently, Endgame came out at the perfect time. It was the last big hurrah moment for theatres before the lockdown. I'm okay with a break now, but I guess MCU will have to start building and proving itself again. Black Widow will be kind of Iron Man 2.0 but I doubt that movie will have the same impact. I think Eternals is when the new MCU kicks into high gear.

 

[gdt]

I don't agree with any of the choices

It's more like

I generally like or love the movies, and it's ok they took a break, but they probably didn't need to

 

[Rendering...]

I think it's bizarre that anyone would entertain the idea that Marvel movies are running out of momentum. It seems like pure projection by the same types of people who used the made-up notion of superhero fatigue to justify bogus predictions that the last few solo Marvel movies would underperform.

The pandemic happened and there's nothing much that theater chains or film companies can do about it. To interpret this slump, imposed by external circumstances, as anything other than an unplanned lull in Marvel's ongoing global takeover is laughable. The MCU is a well-oiled machine that consistently churns out competent entertainment that meets a reasonable bar of quality.

What's with that "they needed a time out" poll option, anyway? What? Maybe a string of badly reviewed and poorly received movies would justify that, but it hasn't happened.

I don't know, it seems pointless to court Marvel detractors here. They weren't happy with Marvel at its best (Infinity War + Endgame), and they won't have favorable things to say about the future of the MCU either.

Meanwhile, people who tolerate or enjoy Marvel films know exactly what to expect from Black Widow and the films that will follow.

I don't agree with any of the choices

It's more like

I generally like or love the movies, and it's ok they took a break, but they probably didn't need to

Click to shrink...

Pretty much this.

 

[StarsTurnCold]

The MCU films were always my favorite movies each year so I personally can't wait and didn't need the time-out. I imagine the general public will be extra thirsty for the films after the pandemic.

 

[Lotus]

I mean, I guess a movie like Black Widow (prequel about a character that has died) could only be helped by the forced downtime. Outside of that, the MCU never needed it, superhero fatigue is nothing more than a myth as far as general audiences go.

 

[YukiroCTX]

If MCU loses momentum, it'll be because of COVID conditions and theatre experiences never going to ever be the same again but I think interest remains high and There's no hint of interest slowing down. Personally, Im excited for more, never felt fatigued by the amount of films. Three films is like a seasons worth of TV content which really isn't much given the amount of stuff that comes out yearly so never really felt the complaints of it really. We're about to get far more diversity in the casts from here on forward which is always exciting to see especially for me considering chinese aren't really represented well in big budget super hero films.

 

[Teenage Fansub]

Except for Black Widow's delay, I think the cool-off is great and feels right.
We have very little idea of what the future holds in terms of a new Avengers and projects like Eternals are completely mysterious. Apart from some overhanging obvious sequels, the universe feels like it needs to ramp up to reform it's self into some new thing, and I think that's exciting.

 

[Timbuktu]

It kinda feels right to go into a new phase in the (hopefully) post-pandemic world. I do wonder if what's happened this year will affect the writing of the new phase at all. It will be quite different with Disney + shows feeding into the MCU as well.

 

[Bard]

if there wasn't a pandemic I think that the movies that were scheduled for this year would do well regardless. That said, I really just don't give a shit about Black Widow to pay to see her movie and I'm only somewhat curious about the Eternals movie. Haven't even seen Far From Home yet either.

 

[Mr. Snuffleupagus]

Bit of a weird selection for the poll - where is the option for:

- can't wait for the next one (and I understand why there was a break but if the coronavirus hadn't happened, I would have liked them to continue with the same pace as usual.)

 

[Ehoavash]

I miss the mcu so much :(

 

[Aprikurt]

if there wasn't a pandemic I think that the movies that were scheduled for this year would do well regardless. That said, I really just don't give a shit about Black Widow to pay to see her movie and I'm only somewhat curious about the Eternals movie. Haven't even seen Far From Home yet either.

Click to shrink...

I have a feeling Black Widow will have some wider connections

I smell Thunderbolts setup

 

[TheGhost]

Infinity War / FFH was the end game for me. End game was too bloated and pushed me over the edge of being annoyed by the films.

I'll be skipping all the space movies so my break will be longer. I don't care about the eternals either.

 

[Soj]

I don't think I've ever been as excited for a superhero movie as I am for Shang-Chi.

The MCU can't come back soon enough.

 

[Parthenios]

Personally, I thought Endgame was a great finale and felt like I didn't need more. Now that I don't have more I realize I was wrong. Gimme Black Widow.

 

[Bard]

I have a feeling Black Widow will have some wider connections

I smell Thunderbolts setup

Click to shrink...

I mean, sure that's possible, but I just don't care about Black Widow as a character.

 

[iHeartGameDev]

Personally have enjoyed the moment of silence. Endgame was such an epic movie that it needed some space to soak in. Although Spiderman came out not too long after... but that was a fun ride anyway. This has been a nice moment to just rewatch the enjoyable movies in the MCU.

 

[LinkStrikesBack]

It's good that this has slowed, they were maasively oversaturating the market.

Click to shrink...

But... Nothing about that has changed? There just literally isn't a market for cinema right now and the moment there is , it'll be right back front and centre.

Obviously they probably won't be doing endgame numbers any time soon, but once covid is really actually under control, these are going straight back to ~billion dollar box offices and dominating the market.

 

[Bjorn]

Much needed break, and hopefully more (natural) planned in the future. With the Disney+ shows on the horizon there is bound to be fatigue/drop.

 

[SolidChamp]

I'd be totally fine if they never released another movie again. They were never this monumental achievement in filmmaking and they were never even setting the bar particularly high in the genre. I enjoyed going to a good number of these because they were a fun diversion and you were always going to get your money's worth at the theater, but they were ALWAYS totally forgettable (aside from Infinity War).

Infinity War/Endgame really felt like a great way to cap off such a crazy franchise endurance run, though Infinity War is the only one I care to revisit of those two. Far From Home was another fine movie, but did absolutely nothing to convey the gravity of what came before and was once again another hollow piece of entertainment.

Whatever they do next, I'm not interested.

 

[astro]

I was personally losing steam and had no plans to see BW at the cinema after seeing almost every single MCU film there so far, and a gap for me is actually a good thing, but I have no idea how this translates to the general public.

Oh for god's sake

How would you even know they've lost momentum if they haven't released one in a year?! Black Widow will release when it releases and be hugely successful. MCU just getting started.

Click to shrink...

The "oh for god's sake" is more suitable for your own post here...

OP was perfectly reasonable.

 

[Slacker247]

Not sure why anyone feels Marvel have to prove themselves suddenly... they spent over 10 years- they proved themselves with their first couple of movies, homies, and then they proved they can wrap up an arc and plant seeds for a new arc at the same time. What more does Marvel/Disney need to "prove" to some of you, exactly?

Anyway, Balck Widow isn't my jame. Never has, but I'll watch it. I am curious for Eternals and of course whatever/however FF and X-Men show up. For sure!

 

[RLCC14]

After the fuck up that was Far From Home the MCU can go away for all I care.

 

[Lewpy]

I think the train has lost momentum, but it's not a bad thing.

By the time Endgame was released, I was having MCU fatigue. The idea of watching another origin story immediate after its release wasn't enticing. The finale needed to rest and marinate before starting up again. It's probably why I was not really fussed with Far From Home.

But let's be honest, considering the events of this year, the MCU laying low couldn't have happened at a better time. I think when their new stuff drops, people would have gotten over the constant barrage of films, and they can slowly ramp up the pace again.

 

[Blue Ninja]

Endgame/FFH were a perfect endpoint, so I think the series will have benefited from a year off. I definitely am very interested to see where it all goes.

 

[takriel]

After Far from Home I am pretty much done with the MCU. Story is finished for me and I might watch the movies at home...but not in the cinema anymore.

Click to shrink...

Sesuadra in 2 years: Fuck that Avengers 5 movie was sick, everyone in the cinema was fucking standing up at one point, myself included!

 

[Foxnull]

After Endgame I don't need more. It was a proper and satisfying finale, it should end right there.

 

[JediEagle]

I am looking forward to more, but if everything sux, I am happy that it ends with Endgame. After watching that... Ok... these 10 years were worth it. Anything good in the future is just a cherry on top :D

 

[takriel]

The new MCU or phase 4 or whatever will launch when people are starting to return to cinemas in masses. The movies will be very successful because they will be a stark symbol of society overcoming the Coronavirus and stand for a return to normalcy.

 

[Biske]

Hard to say how much covid has really slowed or put on hold.

Even aside from that I'm fine with a good long break. MCU movies are just okay

 

[Lemony1984]

Black Widow is unlikely to do aswell as say Captain Marvel but how much of that is down to People not going to the cinema because of corona vs. lost momentum. I don't think there is any real way to measure that.

 

[Tobor]

I'm dying to see the MCU Xmen and Fantastic Four. I've been waiting patiently for 20 years for an Xmen movie that actually respects and celebrates the team I grew up with. I can wait a little longer.