For nearly a decade, a large number of superhero films have dominated the film industry in their box office numbers and in reviews from both audiences and critics alike. Being a comic book fan, I greatly enjoy the idea of seeing my favorite superheroes on the big screen. This being said as the years have passed, so has my enjoyment of superhero films directly related to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. This is not to say that I absolutely hate Marvel films. As a comic book industry, I respect Marvel d. In fact, I read their comics as a child. I greatly enjoyed Spider-Man along with mini-series such as Marvel's "Civil War" (2006-2007).
As for the films themselves, I have a large amount of difficulty with them to the point where I am not willing to see the films a second time or am not excited based on the given trailers. After having to explain myself multiple times to different people and friends, this article lays out my full-length reasons on why I dislike the Marvel Cinematic Universe. This is not directed at everything Marvel based film, only those within the MCU, so the "X-Men" and "Deadpool" franchises are of a different category.
1. Quipping.
Quipping is defined as having or making a witty remark, which Marvel is widely known for having. The films that I make an exception to are "Guardians of the Galaxy" (2014) and "Ant-Man" (2015) since it fit well within those films based on the characters given. However, throughout "The Avengers" (2012) and "Avengers: Age of Ultron" (2015), I have had a large difficulty with the countless quipping and sarcastic remarks between characters. When heroes are dealing with a very serious situation — especially when that situation includes mass genocide by advanced, self-aware technology — they should take it seriously and so should audiences. I am not saying that they cannot have fun, but when that is all over the film, it really becomes noticeable to the point where it is run into the ground.
2. Lack of Depth.
Marvel has the ability to dig within their scripts and storylines to have the audience ponder about the bigger issues in superhero films other than just good guys vs. evil. At first, "Avengers: Age of Ultron" (2015) was going in that direction for the first 40 minutes only to expand in different directions, from a forced love connection to unnecessary laughable moments and one-liners. I remember asking a colleague of what they thought about the upcoming film "Captain America: Winter Soldier" (2016) and they responded that they did not want to see it because it appeared as too dark and that they did not like the idea of heroes fighting each other. Seriously?
Heroes have a large amount of dark moments and battles, even amongst each other. Not everything can be like the golden or silver age of comics where it is simply good guys win and bad guys lose (no disrespect to those comics). This is not directed at every Marvel film, for there have been few that stood out such as "Iron Man" (2008) and "Captain America: Winter Soldier" (2014). Winter Soldier especially stood out as a well-developed comic book story while dealing with ethical issues on national security and technological power. I wish I could say the same about other Marvel films, but I honestly cannot.
3. Uninteresting Villains.
Having a huge appreciation for antagonists in comic books, very few of Marvel's villains are really worth remembering. Either they have an average amount of significance or are completely useless. I cannot tell you how much I cringed during Iron Man 3 when the true identity of the Mandarin was revealed. Ridiculous, greatly anti-climatic, and was pretty much an insult to the comic book villain as a whole. Other villains such as the Abomination, Whiplash, and Malekith were really underdeveloped and could have been greater than how they were portrayed on the big screen. The only villains that have greatly stood out have been Loki, the Winter Soldier (which is debatable), and Ultron to an extent. Other than those three, Marvel really hasn't had an outstanding villain that pushes the protagonist in multiple areas.
4. MCU Phase 2 Letdown.
The whole point of the MCU's first phase ("Iron Man" - "The Avengers") was the setting up of the "The Avengers" (2012). While I still had my difficulties with the films, they all were aiming towards the same goal, which was one large movie. Phase 2 ("Iron Man 3" - "Ant-Man") of the MCU fails to deliver as it focuses more on the lead up to Phase 3. Throughout Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015), there is a large amount shoehorning of upcoming films of the 3rd Phase. This would include the vibranium being located in Wakanda (set up for Civil War & Black Panther), Thor having visions of his Asgard (set up for Thor: Ragnarok), Tony Stark and Steve Roger's bitter arguing (set up for Civil War), and yet another Thanos cameo at the end of the film (set up to Avengers: Infinity Wars), which has really toyed with the audience's emotions and expectations. They set up so much for the 3rd phase that they forget the importance of having a compelling and thoroughly engaging plots.
5. Clean Endings.
I greatly understand that superheroes are supposed to save the day and as many people as they can, I really do. That is the whole point of why they do what they do and believe what they believe. However, one must recognize that not every civilian can be saved and Marvel really misses that. I'm not asking for bodies to pile on top of each other, but at least have audiences recognize the fact that not everyone can be saved and why it is a burden for heroes to carry.
Especially in "Avengers: Age of Ultron" (2015), the heli-carriers were able to hold all the civilians of small city of Slakovia. The fact that the whole city was able to be evacuated just made me cringe. What even bothered me more was the fight between The Hulk and Iron Man's Hulkbuster suit. Was it cool? Absolutely, but seriously, a number of civilians should have lost their lives in that scene. When Hulk gets thrown against an elevator with people in it, they all somehow survive, which really did not make any sense when you really think about it. Again, I am not saying that they have to pull a Man of Steel (2013) and have that large an amount of civilian casualties, but at least reveal to the audience the cost of having superheroes in the world.
Throughout my college life in the past year, I have been asked about the Marvel films and when I give people my answer, they get shocked. I get these responses that I am too analytical about films or that I am biased since I'm a DC Comics fans. I am a DC Comics fan, but even then I have my difficulties and problems with the DC Extended Universe. Second, while comic book films are meant for entertainment, they are also meant to challenge audiences and make them think. Can't we have both in one film? Based on what was shown in Winter Soldier, yes we can. This was in no way meant to offend dedicated Marvel fans or the industry, but to give an in-depth response on my opinion of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
