Since Avengers: Endgame's release in 2019, Marvel Studios has had a "quantity over quality" problem. That's a direct result of Disney pressuring Kevin Feige to develop stories for streaming and theaters, though attempts are now being made to right the ship.
The problem with so many movies and TV shows being in the works at the same time is that many of them have felt oddly standalone.
In this feature, we take a look at the Multiverse Saga projects that failed to tie into the wider MCU in a meaningful way. Yes, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness explored alternate realities, but it also made absolutely no mention of the fact that Spider-Man had torn reality asunder just months earlier.
To see where we think Marvel Studios dropped the ball, click on the "Next"/"View List" buttons below.
5. The Marvels...Ignored Secret Invasion
Some will argue that ignoring Secret Invasion is for the best, but it made absolutely no sense in The Marvels. Nick Fury had just staved off a Skrull invasion of Earth that was a direct result of his and Carol Danvers' actions in 2019's Captain Marvel.
Secret Invasion already failed to recapture the scale and excitement of the comic book event it shares a name with. However, The Marvels not even giving it a throwaway mention just cemented how meaningless it all was.
Talos' death should have played a much bigger role in what we saw from the Skrulls in this movie. The sequel was also the perfect place to bring the Super-Skrull and Sonya Falsworth back, but both characters are now stuck in limbo.
4. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness...Barely Acknowledged Spider-Man: No Way Home
COVID caused a few problems for Marvel Studios, and left them with no choice but to switch around Spider-Man: No Way Home and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness' respective releases. That ultimately led to America Chavez being cut from the Spider-Man threequel.
Still, Marvel Studios made it work, but when the Doctor Strange sequel arrived, Stephen's role in almost bringing all those Variants to Earth 616 wasn't mentioned, nor was the fact that Wong had warned him against getting involved. We did get a joke about Spidey's name, though.
Sam Raimi hadn't seen WandaVision when he was shooting this movie, also explaining why her character arc went off the rails. This story was key to the Multiverse Saga in some ways, but by failing to properly address what had become before, it left many fans underwhelmed.
3. Moon Knight...Acted Like Rama-Tut Didn't Exist
Moon Knight was a little hit-and-miss and is another MCU project that seemingly underwent some big changes in post-production. Something just felt off about that messy finale, but this show's standalone nature was an even bigger issue.
While we appreciate that Oscar Isaac was only willing to sign up for this six-episode series, how do you have a series that tackles Egyptian history and not at least mention Rama-Tut? Kang the Conqueror was already pencilled in as the Multiverse Saga's big bad at this stage, remember.
We didn't need Jonathan Majors to show up in a post-credits scene, but shouldn't this Variant have at least been given "Easter Egg" status? At the end of the day, it was a real missed opportunity not to make Moon Knight matter to the wider Saga.
2. Thunderbolts*...Should Have Referenced Daredevil: Born Again
While attempts have been made to explain this away, it's pretty hard to justify Thunderbolts*'s lack of effort in at least acknowledging the events of Daredevil: Born Again. In that series, New York essentially outlawed vigilantes and enacted martial law.
It wouldn't have taken much to make this work. A billboard showing Mayor Fisk, Val mentioning that the Thunderbolts weren't welcome in New York by its Mayor, the Anti-Vigilante Task Force showing up before Val tells them to stand down; these are all compelling possibilities.
In Marvel Studios' defence, making movies and TV shows super-connected is a big part of why Thunderbolts* struggled at the box office. Now, though, the events of Daredevil: Born Again feel positively small-scale.
1. Deadpool & Wolverine...Felt Way Too Standalone
Deadpool & Wolverine did a terrific job with the Multiverse, and even saw the TVA make its big screen debut. However, by deciding to act as a tribute to 20th Century Fox's X-Men Universe, it missed the opportunity to deliver the crossovers fans dreamed of before the threequel opened.
Deadpool's Earth 616 arrival was a thrilling prospect...that boiled down to him meeting Happy Hogan. Sure, it was fun to see the ill-fated Elektra and Gambit get their due, but imagine if the Merc with the Mouth and Wolverine had met Iron Man, Captain America, and Spider-Man?
The movie was still a blast, but that makes this no less of a missed trick. It was also strange to make the TVA feel so disconnected from Loki. There was no Miss Minutes and only a single character from that show when all was said and done. Perhaps the crossovers are being saved for Avengers: Doomsday...