This week, Marvel fans were on the edge of their seats as a live streamed video revealed which cast members are set to star in the upcoming blockbuster Avengers: Doomsday.
At least, I was. But it wasn’t unanimous. I saw comments from naysayers claiming that the Marvel Cinematic Universe was done and dusted and should have been snapped into oblivion years ago.
For years, some fans have felt as though the cinematic franchise was on a downward spiral that it had no chance of recovering from, claiming it reached its peak in 2019 with Avengers: Endgame.
And despite how strongly I’ll defend the franchise, I will admit that there was cause for concern.
Over the past few years, the MCU has suffered a few big misses.
2021’s Eternals, starring acting heavyweights including Angelina Jolie and Salma Hayek, received a measly Rotten Tomatoes score of 47% from critics, while the 2023 release Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania achieved a similar score of 46%.
The TV series Secret Invasion – which saw Samuel L Jackson return as the formidable Nick Fury – received a low audience score of 43%, while the show also faced a valid backlash for using artificial intelligence to create its title sequence.
But, to all the people claiming that the end is nigh for the MCU, that it should have ended ages ago, that its attempts to restore its former glory are futile – it’s time to put those worn arguments to rest.
We’ve heard them all before, and in my opinion, they’re just plain wrong.
Are those anti-MCU naysayers forgetting the spate of TV shows and films that have been released between 2019’s Endgame and now that were flat-out brilliant?
In 2021, the launch of WandaVision marked the MCU’s first foray into TV, and it’s widely regarded as one of the franchise’s best and most experimental releases to date.
And on the big screen, there have been plenty of hits too.
One of my personal favourite Marvel films ever is Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, with its heartfelt story, stunning visuals and thrilling fight sequences.
Simu Liu’s return being confirmed in Avengers: Doomsday has been a long time coming.
Four years ago, Spider-Man: No Way Home did the unthinkable – former Peter Parker actors Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield uniting with Tom Holland to reprise their roles.
A year later, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever delivered an absolutely stunning tribute to the late, great Chadwick Boseman, while his on-screen sister Letitia Wright stepped up to take up the mantle of the masked protector and superhero.
In 2023, I went to watch Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 in the cinema on my own when I had a day off work. I was sat there at midday bawling my eyes out, popcorn in hand.
Last year, Deadpool & Wolverine became a cultural moment and grossed more than a billion dollars worldwide, while Agatha All Along proved the enormous appetite that Marvel fans have for stories that are raucously camp and fun.
And far from my enthusiasm dimming, looking ahead to the future, some of the greatest dreams of Marvel fans who’ve read the comics since childhood are finally being realised.
Having been founded in 1939, Marvel has 86 years of content that serves as inspiration for the films and TV shows of the cinematic universe.
That’s why the MCU is bringing the Fantastic Four back after the last attempt at a standalone blockbuster with the team ended in disaster.
Mahershala Ali’s Blade is in the works… and the X-Men, including original stars Sir Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen and Rebecca Romijn are finally going to cross over with the Avengers.
I’m not going to deny there have been roadblocks and turmoil. Blade alone experienced its fair share of obstacles, with fans fearing if it’ll ever see the light of day.
Jonathan Majors’ being fired from his role as Kang the Conqueror after being found guilty of assault and harassment in a New York domestic violence trial threw the next phase of the franchise into chaos, with Robert Downey Jr taking his place as the supposed big baddie the Avengers will face.
Downey Jr’s return, as Victor Von Doom rather than Iron Man, sparked fears that the MCU was out of ideas, and bringing back the Oscar winner was simply a desperate attempt to bring fans back on side, while also a massive money grab.
But I have faith – faith that he and the Russo Brothers, also returning for the first time since Endgame, wouldn’t take this huge gamble if they didn’t think it wasn’t in service to the story, even if they will also end up earning millions in the process.
Downey Jr cares about the fans, and I believe he’ll do his utmost not to let them down.
There is also concern among the fandom that Avengers: Doomsday is going to be rushed, considering its due to come out in May next year, and has only just started production and is due to be released on May 1, 2026.
While I would much rather the studio take its time, let’s not forget that filming for Infinity War and Endgame took six and five months respectively before post-production began.
With the same big names in front of and behind the camera, it’s possible.
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The rest of the line-up for Doomsday is shaping up beautifully.
Aside from the fact that the lead cast list has far fewer women than men – something that hopefully will be rectified – this combination of characters has me feeling like a kid again, with the freshness of stars like Simu Liu interacting with legends of the genre like Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen, it’s exciting.
As long as the story and the fans are the top priority – and not the billions that the studios are guaranteed to inevitably make anyway – then I see no reason why the MCU has to die.
So with Phase Six of the Marvel Cinematic Universe underway, I for one can’t wait.
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