The Marvel Cinematic Universe had a rough start. Starring Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man/Tony Stark in the 2008 movie Iron Man, they started on a journey that would bring them to the zenith. When Phase 3 of the MCU culminated with Avengers: Endgame, that was the end of an era. With many original stars of the MCU, like RDJ, Chris Evans, and Scarlett Johansson saying goodbye to the franchise, it became difficult for the Studio to retain its audience in the same capacity as before.
When Phase 4 came about, except a few handful of projects like the Disney+ series Loki, and the movie Wakanda Forever, the Marvel Cinematic Universe looked to be in some hot waters. Most projects were unable to maintain the streak that the franchise had kept until then. Now, with even more projects in the roster, and new characters coming into the fold, things still aren’t looking to get back in track.
X-Men ’97 Producer Thinks Marvel Has Lost Its Magic
After the success of the animated Disney+ series, What If…?, executive producer Brad Winderbaum proposed for more animated shows under the Marvel banner. Studio president Kevin Fiege was onboard immediately, and when things landed on X-Men ’97, he was sold. Talking to THR, Winderbaum said:
“Following the success of What If…?, when we were able to make more animated shows, [X-Men ’97] was my first idea out of the box. And Kevin [Feige] was like, ‘Alright, if we can get the [original] cast and we can get the song, let’s do it.’ And fortunately, we were able to do that.”
But even with so many new projects being streamlined, it will be difficult for Marvel to bring back the magic that let to the success of the franchise in its initial phases. Most of the big names actors have either already left the franchise or on their way to say farewell. So even with the Fantastic Four and X-Men joining the scene, it won’t be easy to recreate the same emotional impact that fans felt during Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame.
Marvel Is Making Netflix Canon
When Netflix canceled the Defenders universe, fans were not happy. Things took a turn for the better when MCU announced Daredevil: Born Again. But even then, fans weren’t sure if the show would be a continuation of the Defenders storyline, or will be something brand new but with the same actors. Talking about this, Winderbaum said:
“When the Netflix shows were coming out and being made, we were building towards Infinity War and Endgame. We were trying to balance all of these film franchises and get them to culminate onscreen in these two epic movies. To say it was a challenge is not even correct. It was one of the most challenging creative endeavors the studio ever undertook.”
He further added:
“I’m not sure there will ever be anything like it again in cinema. It took so much to get all that stuff to galvanize in that one place and in that one time so that people could have that experience in the movie theater.”
Daredevil: Born Again is set to start streaming on Disney+ in 2025.
