There is a lot the Marvel Cinematic Universe and its fans have gotten right over the years, but there are a few things Marvel fans struggle to admit.
Since its launch in 2008, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has created a lot of conversations among its fans. Some good. Some bad. Sometimes these debates stem from the quality of a movie or show. Others over certain plotlines and choices made by Marvel Studios.
Marvel fans have always had a lot to say, but there are some times when they definitely struggle to admit when they might be wrong about something.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at some of the opinions fans don’t like to admit about the MCU beginning with one of its most glaring issues.
1. Marvel has a fridging issue
What’s fridging you ask? In short, fridging is the act of killing off or hurting a character in order to motivate or torture a main character. Can you see where this is going now…
Across the history of the MCU, the Marvel creatives have killed off so many of the MCU’s incredible female characters as a plot to further their male counterparts. There is a long list of characters on this list with the most notable examples being the likes of Maria Hill, Black Widow, and Gamora.
Despite being established to be three of the MCU’s most skilled fighters and tactical minds in the MCU, each character saw their character arcs end with tragic and pointless deaths used as plot devices to further male protagonists’ stories, rather than developing their own narratives.
Seeing so many amazing female characters tossed aside and momentum cut short within the MCU over the years has been heartbreaking and sickening, and it’s time we all admit a change is needed. And not just talk and promise of change, but actual change which sees these amazing women celebrated in the same way their male counterparts have long been celebrated.
2. It’s time for a soft reboot of the MCU
As someone who has been here from the beginning going all the way back to the movies that launched MCU, even I can admit it’s time for a reboot of the MCU. With more than 30 movies making up the MCU narrative as well as a handful of MCU set shows, the MCU has become a bit too vast and disconnected with fans picking and choosing what to watch rather than feeling a sense of urgency to watch each entry so not to miss an important piece of the puzzle.
So why a soft reboot instead of a hard reboot? While the MCU has become a bit bloated, there are still a lot of things to love about the franchise, and many characters fans want more of with stories still to be told. A soft reboot would allow Marvel to keep these characters and actors around while streamlining the process of introducing new characters and a more cohesive new storyline.
3. The MCU lost its direction after Endgame
Remember the days when it we clear Marvel was building towards a bigger story and the path to that story was actually visible? The early phases of the MCU kept fans guessing, but also had a clear sense of direction with each movie being a key piece of a larger puzzle that culminated in the events of Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame.
Since the Infinity Saga concluded, the MCU has seemed to lose its sense of direction. Yes, there have been amazing projects in recent years but there is no clear sense of what they each are building towards and, at times, how they’re connected if at all. Gone are the days when we had a sense of what Marvel was building toward and could see the pieces being assembled one by one. Instead, we’re in a state where there is no certainty of what new movies and shows are building toward or if they’ll even connect to a future project.
The MCU is more directionless than ever and it’s time we admit that.
4. She-Hulk was brilliant
Of the Marvel Disney Plus shows, I don’t think any one show has received more unwarranted hate and criticism than She-Hulk.
I thoroughly enjoyed the first season of She-Hulk: Attorney at Law. Jessica Gao and the talented writing team successfully captured the essence and humor of Jen Walters / She-Hulk, while Tatiana Maslany delivered a superb performance in the title role, embodying the character with charm and humor.
The show was absolutely fantastic and a brilliant addition to the MCU, which was hated on by so many fans who cried “woke” and tried to cover their toxic masculinity with complaints about the show’s CGI.
5. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier is underrated
When many rank the MCU shows, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier somehow always tend to end up toward the bottom of most lists. Arguments for why the show ranks so low vary with some calling the show underdeveloped and predictable.
Let’s get one thing clear right away, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier was never meant to be an award-winning drama. It was meant to be an over-the-top action thriller and that’s exactly what it was.
The series perfectly balances amazing action sequences with incredible buddy-comedy elements which highlights the incredible chemistry shared by Anthony Mackie and Sebastian Stan. Mackie and Stan inject the perfect blend of humor into the show to help balance the heavy topics the show focuses including race and terrorism.
It’s such a fun show and was one of the few Marvel series that had a clear sense of direction in building toward the fourth Captain America movie.
6. WandaVision is the best MCU show and Loki is overrated
Hot take incoming, Loki’s first season is so overrated and overhyped by our love of Tom Hiddleston. So many fans call it the best show Marvel has produced and couldn’t be more wrong with that take.
Did the show have high points? Yes, I’m not disputing this; however, its pacing lacked and if we’re be honest it needed less talking and more doing. The show lacked substantial developments in the story and it often felt like the plot was taking too much time to reveal key information leading to a full start and rushed finish.
So many are quick to call Loki the best show from Marvel and that simply isn’t true. That honor goes to WandaVision.
WandaVision was a bold departure from the typical superhero fare, blending sitcom homages with a compelling exploration of grief. The show showcased Elizabeth Olsen’s and Paul Bettany’s acting abilities in a way the MCU had never allowed for before giving depth to characters previously underexplored which led to a master class in acting from the pair. While keeping a tight narrative, the show also found ways to weave in intriguing mysteries and easter eggs that kept fans engaged throughout its run.
WandaVision‘s emotional story arc was beautifully laid out making it a standout, proved that Marvel can successfully experiment with its formula and showcased the best Marvel can be.
7. Eternals wasn’t as bad
When looking at the movies that have come out since Avengers: Endgame, it’s fair to say that Marvel has had more misses than hits in the recent phases. However, there is one particular movie that gets so much unwarranted hated and that movie is Eternals.
Yes, the movie wasn’t perfect and had its flaws as most movies do; however, the movie was beautifully shot and had some truly amazing performances from its ensemble cast.
Angelina Jolie’s performance as Thena, in particular, was one of the most incredible performances we’ve seen in the MCU with Jolie delivering a masterful performance. Yet it’s often overshadowed and overlooked because many Marvel fans don’t want to admit they judged the movie before even seeing it.
Eternals was in no way a bad movie. What it was, was a movie unlike anyone had seen before from Marvel which challenged audiences in a way they hadn’t been challenged in years. The movie was an incredible addition to the MCU and deserves more love than fans have given it, as well as a sequel to further the storylines introduced in the film.
8. Six episodes doesn’t work for Marvel shows
We’ve seen that superhero shows can be done correctly on the screen, but the most successful superhero shows typically have a bit more time to build their stories. Take Superman and Lois for example.
The show operates on a budget well under those the Marvel shows have been given, yet manages to deliver some of the most compelling superhero stories we’ve ever seen on the small screen. A part of this has been the show’s 13-16 episode season format which allows the central storylines of the season to be fully developed, something that the MCU shows have been lacking.
Marvel has delivered some amazing shows since the debut of WandaVision, but the one thing that we need to admit is that the six-episode format doesn’t work for every Marvel show — or most for that matter.
The problem with the six-episode format is that it doesn’t allow the shows enough time to fully flesh out the storyline they hope to achieve. This has often led to a slow build in the early episodes as the shows attempt to lay their groundwork, only for the shows to have to rush their endings. Six episodes just aren’t enough for the stories Marvel is hoping to tell with some of these projects, and for others, it’s more time than is needed as certain stories would work better as movies.
9. The MCU is still lacking diversity
Marvel has made serious strides in recent years when it comes to bringing more diversity to the forefront of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but let’s be clear the MCU is still lacking diversity.
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings was one of the greatest Marvel movies to ever be released with an incredible ensemble of characters. Yet despite the success of the film, years have passed without any confirmation of a sequel or larger role for the characters.
The same goes for Eternals and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Both films marked major strides in celebrating diverse voices with the former making Marvel history through its inclusion of the first deaf superhero and the first openly gay hero within the MCU.
There are so many underrepresented communities who still deserve the chance to see themselves within the MCU and it’s time Marvel truly commits to celebrating diversity within its shows and movies.
It’s also time it starts showing its non-white heroes the respect they deserve by committing to diverse storytelling beyond one-off projects.
10. Marvel fans owe Brie Larson a major apology
Deep down, I think most Marvel fans know they owe Brie Larson a major apology but don’t ever expect them to admit that.
From the moment Larson was cast in the role of Captain Marvel, she became the target of cruel attacks by online trolls.
As the movie came together and promotion officially began, Larson was subjected to relentless misogynistic comments by fans online with many targeting the actress based on her gender and appearance. Even when the movie opened and made a billion dollars for Marvel at the box office, these toxic fans still managed to review bomb the movie with their toxic comments.
The amount of hate that Larson has received since joining the MCU in the role of Captain Marvel is truly shameful and utterly disgusting. No one should have to be subject to the hate that Larson has received from toxic fans and it’s time those fans reflect on their behavior and realize just how wrong they were for putting Larson through all they’ve put her through since she stepped into the role.
Larson has been a true standout in the MCU and perfectly captured the heart and essence of her comic book counterpart. She’s delivered a magnificent performance and helped the MCU soar to new heights, it’s just such a shame so many toxic trolls in this fandom refuse to give credit where credit is due.