5 Ways Marvel Studios Has Dropped The Ball On Phase 4 (And 3 Reasons The Multiverse Saga Is In Trouble)

5 Ways Marvel Studios Has Dropped The Ball On Phase 4 (And 3 Reasons The Multiverse Saga Is In Trouble)

Marvel Studios' Phase 4 has been nothing if not chaotic, and with it close to ending, we're reflecting on their biggest mistakes and sharing why that's left us concerned for the rest of this latest Saga...

Feature Opinion
By HamiltonParker - Oct 14, 2022 12:10 PM EST
Filed Under: Marvel Studios

There was a time when the Marvel Studios logo guaranteed greatness and that time was...well, about three years ago. Since The Infinity Saga concluded, we've seen a notable dip in quality, a rise in inconsistency, and an approach to storytelling that feels more akin to the DCEU than the MCU.

Simply put, Phase 4 has been a mess. For the most part, the films and TV shows we've been treated to have been very good. In fact, the vast majority have been damn near great. Across the board of what has been dubbed The Multiverse Saga, however, we've seen Marvel Studios drop the ball with this opening wave of stories both in theaters and on Disney+.

From baffling creative decisions to a lack of connectivity and way, way, waaaay too much content, Marvel Studios appears to be swapping out quality for quantity. It's a worrying trend that, while potentially a minor bump in the road, also has us concerned about what's to come. 

Read our thoughts on Phase 4's biggest mistakes and why we're wringing our hands over the next two Phases by tapping the NEXT button below.
 

They Don't Know How To Tell Stories On TV

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To put it bluntly, Marvel Studios has made it abundantly clear they don't know what they're doing when it comes to small screen storytelling. Episode lengths are wildly inconsistent, too much happens one week and not enough the next, and most problematic is the fact each finale has had way too much to address (with mixed results). 

After over a decade of producing movies, it was never going to be easy for the MCU to suddenly shift to episodic storytelling without any bumps in the road.

There's plenty to love about all these Disney+ TV shows. However, whether it's Ms. Marvel's decline in quality with those middle chapters or Loki's exposition-heavy finale, it's apparent Marvel Studios needs to take a beat and figure out what they're doing before knocking out series after series. 
 

Subverting Fan Expectations (In A Bad Way)

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There's absolutely nothing wrong with subverting fan expectations because we certainly don't want Marvel Studios to become predictable.

Unfortunately, whether it's Mephisto teases that went nowhere, Jack Lockley's shoe-horned role in a mid-credits scene, "Ralph Bohner," or pretty much everything about She-Hulk: Attorney at Law's finale, that doesn't always work. Keeping fans on the hook with blatant false promises isn't a smart way to keep them on board, and it's growing tiresome. 

Look, we're not complaining that things didn't go exactly how we wanted. That's okay. Still, just like how the Disney+ TV shows wait until the finale to have their leads "suit up," this trope is wearing thin and indicates the MCU isn't giving fans what they want. 
 

Way Too Many New Characters

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As much as we appreciate this expanded Phase 4 slate giving Marvel Studios the opportunity to introduce new characters, there are just way too many. Having new faces like Hercules and Clea randomly show up in post-credits scenes has become an irritating bad habit, while others simply aren't getting their due.

Taskmaster was botched badly in Black Widow, while Eternals threw countless new heroes at us. The only one of those that left a lasting impact was the one the movie killed (we're talking about Ikaris, of course), and that's yet another example of the MCU needing to slow down. 

It's all well and good throwing Moon Knight, Kate Bishop, The Mighty Thor, White Vision, and Werewolf by Night into the mix - to name just a few - but not when there's no clear indication of where they're going next. It's throwing sh*t at a wall to see what sticks and doesn't benefit new or existing characters in this shared world. 
 

Where's The Connectivity Gone?

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This is a question we'd love an answer to. Not every MCU story has directly linked to another, but it's always felt like there's been a direct throughline for fans to follow. Whether it's The Falcon showing up in Ant-Man or a post-credits scene teasing the next step in a wider plan, the connectivity of this shared world has always been something really special. 

In Phase 4, nothing has really tied into anything else. There are tentative links, but those are ones fans have had to create in their own minds such as He Who Remains being responsible for the Multiversal madness in Spider-Man: No Way Home.

That film perfectly set the stage for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, but didn't get so much as a mention. In fact, Strange felt like a totally different character. This comes down to clashing production schedules and Marvel Studios' penchant for reshoots coming back to bite them. As a result, Phase 4 feels directionless and woefully disconnected. 
 

Too Much Of A Good Thing

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For anyone who has ever indulged in eating a lot of candy on Halloween, we're sure you'll be all too aware that, sometimes, too much of a good thing can in fact be bad. With a total of 17 projects in Phase 4 (one of which, The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special, still hasn't technically been officially announced), it's been a busy year.

Yes, Phase 4 kicked off in 2021 with Black Widow and will end this year. We should be grateful for such an immense amount of MCU content, but is it wholly necessary? 

Why Marvel Studios is so intent on rushing through this Infinityb Saga is hard to say. We'd guess pressiure from Disney to produce a greater amount of content for its streaming service is at the heart of this matter, but even then, this mad dash to the finish line - 2026's Avengers: Secret Wars - is perplexing. 
 

The Multiverse Is Underwhelming

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When it became apparent Marvel Studios planned to explore the Multiverse, we couldn't have been any more excited. Unfortunately, what we've seen of it thus far - outside of Spider-Man: No Way Home's fan-pleasing cameos - has been nothing short of underwhelming.

Whether it's Benedict Cumberbatch hamming it up as multiple Variants of himself or Tom Hiddleston having to act alongside a lot of bad actors playing Lokis (outside of Richard E. Grant), this hasn't lived up to expectations. The alternate realities we've visited haven't been up to much, and the whole thing just feels muddled and confusing for the most part.

As we head into Phases 5 and 6 in The Multiverse Saga, it's not exactly great that most fans don't have faith in the concept this entire wave of storytelling is based around. They're clearly making it up as they go and, this time, that doesn't fly. 
 

Kang Isn't A Convincing Threat...Yet

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Look, we are somewhat jumping the gun on this one, but Marvel Studios needs to do more if they hope to make Kang the Conqueror someone we can take as seriously as Thanos. 

In fairness, the Mad Titan had only made a single appearance by the end of Phase 1, with Phase 2 relegating him to little more than a couple of cameos before Avengers: Infinity War rolled around. In Kang's case, he's appeared for a dailogue-heavy exchange in Loki and now looks set to be the big bad...in an Ant-Man movie.

Jonathan Majors is terrific, but we're not convinced Kang is going to be the world-ending threat he's been billed as. The whole Variant concept has already made him feel interchangeable, so we hope things change on that front in the years to come.
 

It's Only Going To Get Busier

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We can't fault Marvel Studios' announcements at either Comic-Con or D23 as the likes of Daredevil: Born Again, Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, and Deadpool 3 are all incredibly exciting. 

The problem is, we're in store for two more overly busy Phases, with the same messy approach to storytelling - whether it's giving a supporting character like Agatha Harkness her own show or throwing a bunch of B-List characters into Thunderbolts - set to be prevalent throughout the entire Multiverse Saga. 

Unless Marvel Studios can quite rapidly get a grasp on how to tell so many stories in such succession, we can't help but think fans will soon be longing for the days of the Infinity Saga.

Oh, wait, are you still with us? We have one more blunder Marvel Studios made with Phase 4...
 

Letting Taika Waititi make Thor: Love And Thunder

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'Nuff said.  

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SonOfAGif
SonOfAGif - 10/14/2022, 12:31 PM
Loki and Spider-Man No Way Home were excellent. Last time I recall Phase 2 had some duds and so did Phase 3. Did that derail the glory that was Infinity War and Endgame? No. These opinion pieces come off as desperate.
Spoken
Spoken - 10/14/2022, 12:36 PM
MyCoolYoung
MyCoolYoung - 10/14/2022, 12:37 PM
Is the multiversal saga in trouble? Resounding.. Nah. I've enjoyed phase 4 more than most, but I understand why some have been let down.
regularmovieguy
regularmovieguy - 10/14/2022, 12:40 PM
@MyCoolYoung

BRO! Need to get your ass on X-Box soon. Play some games, talk some movies.
MyCoolYoung
MyCoolYoung - 10/14/2022, 12:43 PM
@regularmovieguy - 100% this weekend might be tough lol my family got 10 birthdays in October including mine so it's just event after event, but I'm on it. When's the next time you jumping on?
regularmovieguy
regularmovieguy - 10/14/2022, 1:05 PM
@MyCoolYoung

Dude, hell yes. Happy early b-day.

I will be on this afternoon and tonight and after that probably on Sunday during the football games. But we gotta link up!
thewanderer
thewanderer - 10/14/2022, 1:09 PM
@MyCoolYoung - it's not in trouble at all. If anything, they've just been experimenting more.

And there's connectivity all over the place.
MyCoolYoung
MyCoolYoung - 10/14/2022, 2:25 PM
@regularmovieguy - preciate it! I'll be checking for your parties, even if I'm not able to hop on I'll hop in the party
MyCoolYoung
MyCoolYoung - 10/14/2022, 2:31 PM
@thewanderer - exactly. People have been saying everything been formulatic and she hulk just attempted to stop that lol
thewanderer
thewanderer - 10/14/2022, 2:37 PM
@MyCoolYoung - People don't know what they want lol.

They complained Stars Wars wasn't original enough, so Star Wars adapted. Then people complained it was too different.

People complained that Marvel was too formulaic, so Marvel experimented more with Phase 4. Then people complained that it was too different.


The only thing that stays the same, is people like to complain.
TocharianMonk
TocharianMonk - 10/14/2022, 12:37 PM
For the most part I agree. I disagree with the unconnected feeling, good just like in the comics not everything needs to be connected. Also loki was amazing. Also the bohner joke sucked lol
Spawnnn
Spawnnn - 10/14/2022, 12:39 PM
Phase 4 has 16 tv shows and 19 movies to handle. Of course it gonna suck as a whole. It became a Disney+ content machine and has nothing to do with the MCU in its prime.
DoubleD
DoubleD - 10/14/2022, 12:39 PM
There is a great Planet Hulk animated movie available prior to World War Hulk. Great watch and will learn everything you need to know about a possible World War Hulk movie and Hulk's son.





MrDandy
MrDandy - 10/14/2022, 12:40 PM
For me, right now, if feels like Kevin and his team are stretched too thin. 3 movies a year is fine but 4 films and 4 shows is A LOT and makes quality control on Kevin’s part much harder.

While (with exception to No Way Home) the movie side has been more hit and miss this past phase, the real culprit is Disney+.

I’ve really enjoyed Loki, WandaVison, and Warewolf by Night but everything else (regardless of my enjoyment level) has been a disappointment. This is due to a lot of factors but I’d break it down into main ones

1. Lot letting their shows be shows and turning them into low budget spliced up movies making them not a satisfying weekly watch. Ironically the Netflix model of releasing all episodes at once would work better for how these shows are developed. WandaVision is the only one that really embraces TV as what it is. A different medium from movies.

2. Not choosing characters who are better for TV. People like Daredevil and Punisher are great for TV as they work great on a lower budget. Instead of characters that need full CGI models leading to questionable cgi (She-Hulk) or people rarely using their powers (Falcon and Moonknight)

3. Not giving the shows the episode count and room to breath. I would MUCH rather have less shows with larger episode count and more time for the production team to make sure it is a quality product than Marvel pumping out 4. Year.

For me, I used to get pumped for the Disney+ shows and now they are turning into chores halfway through the runtime- like I’m doing homework. Hopefully, much like phase 1, Marvel can learn from their mistakes and adapt.
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