Fans still have a considerable wait ahead of them before Avengers: Doomsday, but one of the stars is already praising it as a pivotal entry in the superhero genre. While many details about the next MCU team-up movie are still unknown, we do know that it will see the return of Robert Downey Jr. to the cinematic universe, taking on the iconic villainous role of Doctor Doom. He will face off with several confirmed heroes, including Simu Liu as Shang-Chi.
Liu recently spoke with Screen Rant about Avengers: Doomsday, expressing his excitement about the project and confirming its ambitious approach. Liu called the movie “a love letter to the entire genre of superhero movies,” while also highlighting that he is working alongside some actors he has been watching in superhero movies for most of his life.
Avengers: Doomsday will feature a mix of new and old MCU heroes, with Chris Hemsworth as Thor, Anthony Mackie as Captain America, Paul Rudd as Ant-Man, Florence Pugh as Yelena, and Pedro Pascal as Mister Fantastic all confirmed. However, it will also continue the epic multiverse storyline by bringing in cast members from the Fox X-Men movies, including Patrick Stewart as Professor X, James Marsden as Cyclops, and Kelsey Grammer as Beast.
Downey Jr. isn’t the only MCU icon returning for the movie, as directors Joe and Anthony Russo will also be helming the project after initially suggesting they were done with the franchise following Avengers: Endgame. That movie was praised for being the perfect culmination of the MCU up to that point, so many are holding out hope they can help return the cinematic universe to its former glory.
The MCU is taking a new look at the superhero genre
While Simu Liu’s comments aren’t surprising, given that Avengers: Doomsday will be one of the biggest superhero movies of all time, it could indicate the new direction the MCU is heading in. There has been a lot of discussion about how the MCU has struggled with critics and audiences in recent years, with a lot of it being owed to superhero fatigue. That might seem like poor timing for a movie that is a “love letter” to the genre.
However, the MCU has also clearly not been blind to its decreasing popularity, and it has been addressing it more recently. Along with the new release schedule that ensures fewer movies and television shows premiering in a calendar year, there have been creative changes aimed at winning back some of the goodwill that has been lost recently.
Superhero movies are always going to be big special effects spectacles, but this year’s Thunderbolts* highlighted its use of practical effects and stunts in its smaller-scale story. Likewise, Spider-Man: Brand New Day is currently filming, and Tom Holland has talked openly about how this production feels different, with more real locations and stunt work. This feels like a conscious effort to address the criticisms of Marvel’s effects-heavy action in recent years.
The MCU has also been willing to speak openly about the negative reception in some of its own projects. Deadpool & Wolverine featured several jokes with the fourth-wall-breaking Deadpool pointing out that the MCU is not what it once was. The recent trailer for the Wonder Man series also showed that the Hollywood-set story would directly discuss the opinion that there are too many superhero movies. Even in small details, they suggest that the MCU is unwilling to take a closer look at its faults.
This year has been a mixed bag for the MCU, highlighting its troubles and its attempts to correct them. Captain America: Brave New World was lambasted as one of the worst movies in the franchise. While both Thunderbolts and The Fantastic Four: First Steps received strong reviews, they underperformed at the box office. Avengers: Doomsday will be a big test for the future of the franchise, but there are signs that the movie could be trying something more ambitious with the genre.