Marvel's Cinematic Universe franchise recently finished a marathon run with the iconic Avengers: Infinity War/Endgame story wrap-up. The next crop of MCU films has a lot of work to do in order to keep audiences entertained. Phases One through Three of the MCU have produced a dizzying 23 films that introduced key characters and set them loose within a larger story arc.
If the upcoming batch of MCU films beginning with Black Widow, Shang-Chi and Eternals want to thrive, their filmmakers are going to have to evolve. These ten major MCU clichés need to be jettisoned out of the airlock, or at the very least diminished. Here's to hoping Kevin Feige and the team are listening.
10 The Cardboard Villain Trope Is Dull
The MCU franchise has been a fun ride, and a lot of kudos should be given to those involved for making such an eye-wateringly high number of films that manage to connect so well with one another. That's a testament to a true vision. However, many things were overlooked in the process; notably the villains.
While many MCU villains have been stand-outs, most have been as deep as a puddle, and not overly interesting. Yellowjacket, Iron Monger, the Abomination, Whiplash, and Malekith come to mind. They show up quickly, give a bit of exposition as to their motives, and get permanently served up on a hot plate in the final act. In the end, nobody cares.
9 The Origin Stories Are Done, Let's See Them Evolve Now
Origin stories can be a great way to introduce a character, while pushing a larger narrative, but not all are created equal. The original Iron Man film is an example of an origin story done right, but at this point, it's become a bit of a crutch. Part of the allure of Tim Burton's 1989 Batman film is that it took place when Bruce Wayne was already gallivanting around Gotham as the Caped Crusader.
A little exposition leading into the final act was enough to give audiences the intel they needed about the character. Many MCU heroes should have gone down the same route. Thankfully, nobody bothered with a Spider-Man origin story, given that it was done to death in the stand-alone franchises that preceded the MCU.
8 The Ensemble Shot Is Overdone
The Avengers films are largely guilty of this cinematic sin, and it needs to stop. Everyone remembers that key moment in the original Avengers when the camera rotated around Earth's mightiest heroes as they struck a pose in one gigantic ensemble, ready to take on the Chitauri invaders.
It hasn't aged well. In fact, it looks a bit silly nowadays, and part of the reason could be that the filmmakers cheapened it when they decided to try and replicate it in sequels. Of particular offense were the overly choreographed ensemble shots in Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame, which seemed desperate. Guardians Of The Galaxy did it better.
7 Comedy Can Be A Great Tool But It's Not A Crutch
Everyone loves the smart-mouthed wit and humor that MCU films bring to the table. It cuts tension, it brings the heroes in question down to Earth, and it has served up some really hilarious and memorable moments over the years. That being said, comedy is also becoming a crutch that the MCU needs to move away from.
Guardians Of The Galaxy took MCU humor to a new height, and that had a rub-off effect on the films that followed. Captain America: The Winter Soldier was a film that sidelined much of the humor, and was better off for it. Not every MCU film needs to go that route, but care should be taken that comedy doesn't override the narrative.
6 Constantly Subverting Expectations Is Boring (Just Because The Audience Can't Predict A Plot Point Does Not Mean It's Good)
Many MCU films have gone exactly the way audiences predicted they would go, while others managed to toss in a few surprises to keep them guessing. Audience jaws fell to the floor in the final act of Avengers: Infinity War, which was a brilliant way to subvert expectations.
In the next film, however, many of those expectations were dashed in the worst way possible. Audiences wanted to see the Hulk have another go at Thanos, for instance. This was considered, but it never materialized. Sometimes, in an effort to switch up the story and make something unique, the moments audiences most want to see are trimmed.
5 The Recycled Threats Are Tired And Take Away From The Action
MCU films need to be big in order to draw an audience, but the threats posed by their villains seem to all take on the same formula. This was especially true as the films progressed into farther-reaching territory. The Avengers set up a planetwide threat created from the power of the Tesseract, and from there, the game was on.
Next was the release of the Aether in Thor: The Dark World, followed by Ultron's plan to wipe out all life on Earth, followed by Dormammu's impending invasion in Doctor Strange, etc. Some films need a climatic event to really sell the tension, but there's an argument to be made for smaller-scale battles as well, even for MCU films centered around magical or intergalactic stories.
4 The Empty Romances Are Entirely Unecessary
The romance between characters in MCU films has been a flat-out failure, right across the board. Some romances never materialized, while others teased audiences before flattening out on the side of the road. Part of this has a lot to do with casting, since many stars tend to move on, instead of sticking around for over a decade to build a character arc.
While some romances look like they might see a rekindling, others have been permanently erased. Bruce Banner got the worst of it. Not only did Betty Ross completely disappear from the MCU, but his next love interest, the Black Widow sacrificed her life during the events of Avengers: Endgame.
3 Characters Keep Disappearing For No Reason
When building standalone films that tie into one gigantic narrative, lesser characters are needed to drive each story. Many important characters show up, only to get sidelined later on. Again, this could be due to scheduling conflicts and/or actor disinterest, but a lot of M.I.A.'s feel scripted that way, on purpose.
Jane Foster showed up in the first two Thor movies, only to go AWOL for the rest of the time. Although she's slated to return in the upcoming Thor: Love And Thunder, other characters haven't fared as well. Dr. Selvig, Dr. Cho, and the Nova Corps (to name but a few) have all been mothballed. Will they see a resurgence? Time will tell.
2 The Underutilized Villains Are A Wasted Opportunity
Many of the villains in the MCU should have had far-reaching implications when it came to the overall story. As mentioned before, most disappear within one film, and are never heard from again. Others, like Baron Strucker are written out almost immediately after they debut, robbing Marvel fans of a potential storyline.
The most obvious and egregious display of this cliché took place in Iron Man 3, when the famous Mandarin was revealed to be nothing more than an irritating and obnoxious actor playing a frightening terrorist. Iron Man fans still haven't forgiven the filmmakers for that one, especially considering the comic book source material.
1 The Post-Credit Scenes Should Be Included In The Actual Project Itself
This is a controversial one, but let's be honest - post-credit scenes are overdone. In fact, they're so much of a cliché at this point that movie franchises unrelated to the Marvel universe are now adopting them. The first Frozen film even had one. These scenes used to be a super-fun highlight of going to see an MCU film, but it's time to tread new ground.
All necessary exposition and revelation can (and should) be worked into the story, as it progresses. Sure, it might be fun to hang around in the theater and discuss the film whilst waiting for the big moment to drop, but not all of them have been as big a payoff as that first initial reveal of the Mad Titan Thanos at the end of The Avengers.