The Marvel Cinematic Universe is rapidly expanding, with Phases 4, 5, and 6 taking place over a mere four years. In comparison, the first three Phases played out over eleven years, though the greater number of movies in theaters and Disney+ have seen Marvel Studios pick up the pace in terms of storytelling.
None of these newer projects have gotten lost in the shuffle yet, but many fans have argued that there's been a slight decline in quality over the past couple of years.
While Lost and Watchmen showrunner Damon Lindelof didn't comment specifically on that perception during a recent interview with Vulture, he did share his take on why he thinks Marvel Studios should slow down. The filmmaker suggested that fewer Marvel movies could ultimately make them feel more special.
"It's always going to be hard because once you’ve got someone’s attention, you want to keep it. And so the idea of letting it go and not knowing if you’re ever going to get it back again is sort of like it’s antithetical to the way that we’re wired."
"From a slightly sort of more cynical standpoint, this is a business. It's an industry. And if you make a couple of great Marvel movies, the instinct is, 'We need to make more Marvel movies, and we need to expand this,'" Lindelof continued. "And I have this sort of interior feeling of like, 'Wow, I wish they made less because it would make each one that came out a little bit more special.' But I watch all of them, Sam, all of them.
"People don't want things to end. I do. I don't begrudge them the right to keep it going. I've made prequels and sequels and reboots, so I can't be a hypocrite and say, ‘God, come up with an original idea.' Meanwhile, I'm making two 'Star Trek' movies and 'Prometheus.'"
It's true that MCU movies did feel a little more special when we got fewer of them, but it's also hard to complain about the sheer amount of content we've been treated to in recent years. Ultimately, there's a fine line between quantity and quality, and it will be down to Marvel Studios to make sure they don't drop the ball as we head deeper into The Multiverse Saga.
What's your take on Lindelof's comments?