Why RDJ and Chris Evans’ Return to the MCU Has Me Worried

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  • Why Are Chris Evans and Robert Downey Jr. Here?
  • The Marvel Cinematic Universe Can Do What the Comics Never Could
  • Marvel Has Bought Into the Negative Hype (And That’s Concerning)

As a lifelong Marvel fan who grew up watching Iron Man and Captain America save the world time and again, I must admit that the recent news about Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, and the Russo Brothers returning to the MCU has left me with mixed feelings. On one hand, I’m thrilled at the prospect of seeing these iconic characters once more on the big screen. But on the other, I can’t help but feel a twinge of concern that this might signal a step backwards for the franchise.

You see, I’ve been through the ups and downs with Marvel. From the early days of the MCU when I was just a kid, to the more recent years where we’ve seen the studio take risks and push boundaries, creating some of the most memorable and groundbreaking films in cinema history. The thought that this might be a sign of the franchise returning to safer ground is somewhat disheartening.

But hey, let’s not forget that Marvel has always had a knack for surprise. Remember when they brought back Spider-Man and made him a part of the MCU? Or when Thor: Ragnarok turned out to be an absolute masterpiece? So, while I may have my reservations, I’m still holding onto hope. I want to believe that this is just another clever move by Marvel, designed to keep us on our toes and remind us that they’re still the masters of surprise.

And if all else fails, I always find solace in a good joke. So here goes: “They say the MCU is entering a low point, but hey, welcome to the MCU – you’re just in time for the reboot!

Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Evans, who were thought to have finished their roles in the Marvel Cinematic Universe after ‘Avengers: Endgame’, are coming back. However, I’m not as thrilled about this news, much like Charlie Brown in ‘A Charlie Brown Christmas’. Although I appreciate the acting talents of both Downey Jr. and Evans, and enjoyed their past MCU appearances, I find myself less enthused about Captain America’s return compared to learning who else might be on the team. My concern isn’t so much about the actors returning, but rather what this development implies for the future direction of the Marvel Cinematic Universe as a whole, as it suggests a concerning trend.

Reflecting on two highly-anticipated Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) releases at the beginning of Phase 4 – Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and Eternals – reminds me of the exhilaration I felt for early MCU films like Thor and Captain America: The First Avenger. These newcomers, with their unique concepts and untouched franchise mythology, offered tantalizing prospects for future storytelling. There was an element of surprise that added to the excitement. However, it seems that now the MCU is not fully capitalizing on the promising foundation laid by Avengers: Endgame, instead opting to rehash familiar characters over nurturing new ones. In many ways, they are neglecting the very lesson that initially propelled the franchise to success.

Initially, when the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) started out, they didn’t have well-known characters such as Spider-Man, X-Men, or Fantastic Four. Instead, they decided to focus on less popular characters like Iron Man, Thor, and Captain America, transforming them into audience favorites. The MCU took risks, and their success was a result of investing time in developing these characters and having faith that they would become hits.

Now, it appears as though they are shifting their strategy, choosing to rely on big names such as Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Hayley Atwell, and the Russo Brothers to boost their popularity rather than introducing new characters we might not yet know we want, which is less thrilling compared to the original approach.

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Why Are Chris Evans and Robert Downey Jr. Here?

It’s not my intention to come off as critical, but I find myself curious about why Marvel Studios is reassembling Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr., and Hayley Atwell for the upcoming film titled “Avengers: Doomsday“. While we will delve into the actual reasons shortly, it’s worth noting that from a narrative standpoint, “Avengers: Doomsday” and “Avengers: Secret Wars” mark the conclusion of the Multiverse Saga, much like how The Infinity Saga concluded with “Infinity War” and “Endgame“. Yet, there were also two additional Avengers films prior to these.

The film “Avengers: Doomsday” has a dual responsibility: introducing a fresh group of superheroes who haven’t crossed paths before, all while delivering an epic climax to a long-running saga. Essentially, it should embody the essence of both “The Avengers” and “Avengers: Infinity War”. However, instead of concentrating on forming the New Avengers and solidifying the team, it appears that the focus is on bringing back actors whose storylines have concluded rather than those whose characters still have unfinished business.

It’s surprising to learn that Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, and Hayley Atwell will appear in Avengers: Doomsday, given that it might not be unusual to see Tom Holland, Simu Liu, Brie Larson, Letitia Wright, Paul Rudd, or other Marvel Cinematic Universe actors as well. The fact that Downey Jr. is playing the main antagonist, Doctor Doom, raises questions about why Evans and Atwell are returning. This casting choice for the upcoming Avengers film seems to focus on characters who may not be as crucial.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe Can Do What the Comics Never Could

One distinct characteristic of the Marvel Cinematic Universe versus its comic book counterpart lies in the fact that actors who take on these roles will eventually have a finite tenure. While Captain America, Steve Rogers, for instance, can remain in his role indefinitely within comics due to being a static illustration and not subject to aging or salary increases, the same is not true for live-action portrayals. In essence, having specific actors portray these characters restricts the amount of time fans get to engage with them, as opposed to requiring periodic reboots and recasting to continue the stories of Tony Stark or Steve Rogers. Instead, their tales can reach satisfying conclusions and welcome new protagonists to carry on the legacy.

In the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), characters such as Sam Wilson’s Captain America and Riri Williams’s Ironheart might have more prominent roles, a luxury the comics can’t always offer due to their constant need to maintain established character statuses. Rather than continually relying on figures like Iron Man, Captain America, and Thor, it would be intriguing to see characters such as Doctor Strange, Captain Marvel, and Black Panther take the lead in the franchise, becoming its new central figures.

The franchise might develop and transform over time, becoming a constant presence across different eras. However, the reappearance of Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Evans could suggest that the MCU is hesitant to introduce fresh characters. It seems that Downey Jr.’s character may be Doctor Doom, possibly doubling as an Iron Man variant in a safer choice. The specific role of Chris Evans remains undisclosed, but it appears he’ll be playing Captain America once more, which might diminish the impact of Sam Wilson taking up the mantle in “Captain America: Brave New World.

Marvel Comics boasts a vast array of characters with potential to captivate audiences for years, introducing new favorites along the way. The X-Men series alone seems capable of sustaining an entire Marvel Cinematic Universe saga. It’s thrilling to envision the MCU creating a solid base where in 15 years, characters like Faiza Hussain’s Excalibur, Brother Voodoo, and Genis-Vell might headline the franchise. Don’t dismiss this idea so quickly; remember that Marvel Studios transformed Guardians of the Galaxy and Ant-Man into beloved heroes – anything is possible! However, it can’t achieve this if it remains fixated on its past successes.

Marvel Has Bought Into the Negative Hype (And That’s Concerning)

With Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, and the Russo Brothers returning to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), it’s hard not to think of this as Marvel Studios taking a moment to regroup. After dominating global box offices for a decade, recent years have seen fans expressing dissatisfaction with the MCU: “The quality hasn’t been as high since Endgame.” In response, Marvel Studios seems to be making an effort to recapture the success of 2019 by bringing back essential talents. This move follows a series of less successful films for Marvel Studios, including “The Marvels” in November 2023, the lukewarm reception of “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania,” and the unfavorable reviews for “Secret Invasion.

Despite claims suggesting a decline, the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s popularity has been underestimated. Movies like “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,” and “Thor: Love and Thunder” ranked among the top 10 worldwide films in 2022, with each earning close to $1 billion without Chinese box office contributions. Even “Spider-Man: No Way Home” and the anticipated “Deadpool & Wolverine” stand as some of the highest-grossing MCU movies. Remarkably, a film like “Eternals,” initially considered a disappointment, still outperformed “Black Adam” at the box office, despite the latter benefiting from Dwayne Johnson’s star power and debuting during a time when audiences were more cautious about attending cinemas due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Given these figures, it appears that the MCU remains a force to be reckoned with, making continued progress seem like the logical next step.

It appears that, similar to the universe of Star Wars, the Marvel Cinematic Universe seems to be catering more to its vocal fanbase who express criticism rather than praise. Movies such as Deadpool and Wolverine incorporate jokes that seem to have been lifted from Reddit threads or YouTube comments, for example, “Welcome to the MCU, you are entering at a bit of a low point” or “The Multiverse has been miss after miss after miss.” This defensive approach seems to overshadow the enthusiasm for new characters with the sentiment that “nobody wants this,” which is a stark contrast to the studio that, following the disappointment with Thor: The Dark World, chose to think outside the box and let Taika Waititi revitalize the franchise with Thor: Ragnarok. Now it seems as though they might disregard Thor entirely.

It’s not far-fetched to suppose that the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) might sometimes be swayed by a vocal minority’s opinions and make misguided decisions, as it appears that Disney has been doing this with various aspects of its business for some time now. For instance, Lucasfilm is still grappling with fans who haven’t moved on from their displeasure with Star Wars: The Last Jedi after seven years, and they seem to be adjusting their approach by catering to these fans, such as canceling The Acolyte due to a targeted review bombing campaign and also failing to support their actors against harassment. On the other hand, Disney seems to attribute the poor performance of films like Lightyear to unnecessary controversies, like the uproar over two women kissing. They’ve made numerous revisions to Inside Out 2 in an attempt to remove any hints of queer subtext, but they’ve failed at this. Moreover, they recently chose to withdraw an episode from the upcoming series Win or Lose that focused on a transgender athlete, presumably to please the most problematic segment of viewers.

It seems possible that the comeback of Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, and the Russo Brothers to the MCU might be indicative of a larger issue at Disney – their reluctance to take new risks and instead sticking with familiar elements may be influenced by negative criticism, which in turn is influencing the creative direction. Previously, Marvel Comics were renowned for being innovative, but these recent developments give the impression that they are struggling to come up with fresh ideas.

As a lifelong Marvel fan who grew up with these characters, I can’t help but feel a mix of excitement and trepidation as we approach the future entries in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Don’t get me wrong; I adore the MCU and eagerly await each new installment. The universe has given us so many memorable moments, and I can see great potential in what’s to come. However, I hope that the creators will take risks and not fall back on safe choices, as I believe this is the key to maintaining the magic of the franchise.

I remember when the MCU first started, it was a breath of fresh air in a sea of generic superhero movies. The risk-taking and innovative storytelling made each film feel special and unique. It’s essential that they don’t forget those roots and continue to push the envelope.

Now, I can only dream of a future where Chris Evans returns for a small cameo as Captain America and Robert Downey Jr. graces the screen as Doctor Doom. That would be an absolute delight! But more than anything, I want the MCU to stay true to its core values: taking risks and never settling for safe choices. If they can do that, they’ll continue to captivate audiences and create unforgettable stories for years to come.

Oh, and by the way, you can catch all the MCU movies on Disney+!

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2025-01-02 04:32