For many, the Marvel Cinematic Universe can do no wrong. It's brought the Marvel Universe's greatest heroes to the masses and told some amazing stories, ones that have made Marvel an elite name in entertainment. They're the undisputed king of both the box office and pop culture but that doesn't mean that they can't change and improve.
Contrary to popular opinion, the MCU does make mistakes and those mistakes can be solved in the 2020s. Nothing is ever perfect and with the way things in the MCU have changed, it needs to evolve to keep its place on top.
10 They Need To Start Bringing In The Young Marvel Heroes
The upcoming introduction of Ms. Marvel and Kate Bishop is a step in the right direction for the MCU. The MCU is in a very vulnerable position, as its biggest draws, RDJ's Iron Man and Chris Evans' Captain America, are gone and they need to start pumping some new blood into the mix. Ms. Marvel is the best new hero introduced in the comics in years.
Marvel has a whole slew of great young heroes they can bring into the MCU, new, compelling characters who can bring the product to the next level. The seeds have been planted as Phase 4 has already introduced members of the Young Avengers, so hopefully, they'll be allowed to blossom sooner rather than later.
9 They Need To Get The Fantastic Four Right
The Fantastic Four has proven a very hard nut to crack in the cinemas; in fact, in general, outside of the comics, the Fantastic Four have proven to be one of the hardest Marvel properties to sell to general audiences. This is weird since so much of the early Marvel Universe's Silver Age success stems from the Fantastic Four.
The MCU has to get the Fantastic Four. Their unique dynamic, perfect mix of sci-fi and superheroes, and epic villains need to be seen onscreen. Casting is important but they have to nail the story as well. The success of the FF is very important going forward.
8 They Need To Fix The MCU Villain Problem
The MCU has a villain problem. For the most part, the villains of the MCU have been generic, one-note bad guys that don't get a lot of development and quickly overstay their welcome. The number of excellent MCU villains can be counted on one hand and most of them are dead.
The MCU needs to do something about that in the coming years. While the movies are hero-centric, that doesn't mean they can't include great villains in them; in fact, they definitely should. A hero is only good as the villains they fight and right now, that makes most of the MCU's heroes pretty sorry.
7 They Need To Showcase The New Captain America As Much As Possible
Sam Wilson is the new Captain America and he's perfect. Anthony Mackie's character has long been an underrated part of the MCU and making him into Captain America is the perfect arc for him and a wonderful statement on what Captain America should mean. The MCU needs to do everything they can to make the character work.
Mackie's charisma is off the charts and his inaugural outing as Captain America was everything anyone could have wanted. The fans love him as Captain America. The MCU needs to listen to that and work with it, showcasing him as much as possible.
6 They Need To Break Their Formulaic Cycle
While each movie in the MCU brought change to the universe, they were mostly kind of formulaic. The plot was like an equation --the factors may have been different but they all slid into the same place and got the same answers. While this didn't hurt fan appreciation too much, many started to notice and comment on it, which is never a good sign.
Marvel Studios needs to change that ASAP. Formulas are fine if they're seamless but the MCU's aren't --even the most oblivious fan sees it. If they stay with the formula and fans get tired of it, it doesn't bode well for their future.
5 They Need To Pick A New Story To Work Up To
One of the biggest factors of the MCU's success was its build-up to Infinity War and Endgame. Fans waited with bated breath on the next development in the overarching storyline that drove the MCU through its first three Phases. With its end, it's time to pick out a new overarching story to work toward.
Secret Invasion seemed like a good place it could go, but Marvel Studios is doing that as a Disney+ show. While fans love the MCU regardless, an overarching story gives the whole thing direction and something to work toward, building fan anticipation to a fever pitch, which has proven to pay dividends.
4 They Need To Bring The Marvel Netflix Characters Into The MCU
The Marvel Netflix shows --Daredevil, Luke Cage, Jessica Jones, Iron Fist, and The Defenders-- were beloved by their fans. Showcasing an edgier side of Marvel than the movies did, fans loved them pretty much unequivocally. Since their conclusion, fans have wanted them brought over to the main MCU. That's something that Marvel Studios can make happen.
Most of the cast members are ready to take up their roles again and while it's doubtful the shows will be as violent or adult-oriented as they were, the characters would be great additions to the MCU and would make their fans happy, which is the definition of killing two birds with one stone.
3 They Need To Focus On Streaming Shows More Than Movies
Superheroes were born in a serialized medium that was made for long-form storytelling and honestly, they work better there than in the movies. As great as the MCU has been, the only reason it worked as well as it did is because of how many movies it put out in a year, allowing it to build a story with multiple parts. However, as Phase 4 has shown so far, superhero stories work much better as shows.
The paradigm is starting to shift away from theaters and multiple Disney+ shows would make it much easier to build big stories which can end in massive cinematic spectacles. Using Disney+ shows to set the pins up and movies to knock them down is a perfect solution.
2 They Need To Build Another Iron Man-Level Hero
Iron Man was the most popular character in the MCU. If there was anything close to a main character of the whole thing, it was him; he was even the hero of Captain America: Civil War, which wasn't even his movie. Iron Man was the biggest thing in the MCU and now that he's gone, the MCU needs to make another hero of his stature.
Whether it be an existing hero like the new Captain America or someone who hasn't appeared yet like Wolverine, the MCU needs a new hero to coalesce around. Without it, there's a good chance that things might never reach the level they were at.
1 They Need To Fast Track The X-Men
The X-Men are the most popular comics characters of the last forty years. Since the '80s, they have ruled the comic sales more than any other book. A whole generation grew up watching them on Saturday morning and while the Fox movies' legacy is checkered, they ignited a love for superhero movies that led to the MCU.
With Marvel Studios' acquisition of the X-Men, they need to put all their power behind getting them out there as soon as possible. The X-Men are Marvel's most important concept and their forward-looking attitude on civil rights and representation --the current X-Men books are the most diverse books Marvel is putting out-- is exactly the kind of thing that can lead the MCU to new success in a changing world.
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