If there’s one thing, MCU proven over the past decade is that having an interconnected movie saga is where it is. The appeal of Marvel Studios managed to turn even the most unlikely of heroes into a hugely profitable business. Nevertheless, the old adage of “copy great artists, great artists steal” really doesn’t bode well for either Warner Bros. as Sony, something their executives might take note of.
In the case of the DCEU, the issue is a bit more problematic when it comes to plans for the MCU-inspired movie saga, as the blueprint was drafted nearly a decade ago when Man of Steel premiere. But in Sony’s case, it would have been wiser for the studio to take note of the current superhero film landscape. So at a time when even the almighty Marvel seems to be struggling to get a foothold in Phase Four, both the DCEU and Sony’s Spider-Man Universe make you wonder if the MCU can be replicated at all.
The grass is always greener on Marvel’s side
With at least 10 movies and 6 new series planned over the next five years, it seems rather ridiculous to question the success or viability of Marvel Studios. However, the numbers don’t lie. Since the beginning of phase four, the MCU has not reached the same numbers as when Cap and Iron Man were there. Now, six movies in what should be a new beginning for the franchise, the results have been mixed at best. Reactions range from the relative busts like Black Widow and Eternalsto more middle-of-the-road artists like Shang-Chito the proven classics like Doctor Strange and Thor.
The problem is even Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and Love and thunder seem destined to miss that coveted billion dollar milestone. None of its immediate predecessors have achieved this, but it is a feat that is becoming increasingly unlikely in the near future, despite rising inflation worldwide. The themes in Phase Four of the MCU have become more and more diverse from practically every point of view, but with so many current storylines with no clear route like the Infinity Saga did, it’s hard to imagine those record-shattering numbers reappearing until the next Avengers team-up. movie happens.
Even then, as budgets for all these CGI-packaged superhero blockbusters continue to climb, so do the studio’s expectations and goals. There is a lot of pressure on movies to become as profitable as they used to be. The fact that China took an anti-Marvel stance in phase four doesn’t help, as the country’s massive population has always been something studios could rely on to squeeze out that last $200 million that would normally be a film’s production budget. covered.
Disney Plus’ Marvel shows are a whole new breed. The platform currently acts as a playground where the studio can introduce new characters with extra depth. They don’t need to convince moviegoers in the same way that movies do, because, well, users are already paying for all the content. All things considered, although the MCU may not reach the same heights without a Secret Warsstyle film in the near future, the established fan base gives it more room for experimentation.
Building a cinematic universe from scratch
The issues Warner Bros. and Sony face are drastically different. The former is still dealing with the fallout from its failed attempt at a DCEU, while Sony has a series of critically panned films that can never live up to the high standard of friendly neighborhood Spider-Man. The Warner Bros. Discovery conglomerate has at least established HBO Max as a platform it can use to kickstart many new IPs, such as the successful peacekeeper or the promising one batgirl. Nevertheless, it’s debatable whether a large-scale interconnected universe plays the same way it did for Marvel. Movies like joker and the batter prove that isolation fosters creativity in a much better way than having to put on future movies or other superheroes, so why? The Batmans spin-offs aren’t necessarily a great idea.
As if that weren’t enough, the ongoing DCEU initiative has pretty much lost its course after that The Flashs protagonist, Ezra Miller, has become mired in so many legal issues that they are no longer a viable option to run the lines for DC. Sure, DC’s upcoming movies look promising, with Dwayne Johnson taking his box office powers to Black Adam and Shazam!but either way, their commitment to the DCEU hampers their individual potential, especially with Zack Snyder out of the picture.
Sony’s outlook is much brighter. Spider-Man is more than enough to make people watch something. But despite that, people like venom and morbius still don’t have Spidey of their own and both seem to rely too much on their weak MCU connection, as evidenced by Adrian Toomes’ nonsensical multiverse jump. Simply put, there can’t be Sony’s Spider-Man Universe if the only Peter Parker variant hangs out in the MCU.
Overall, both DC and Sony have had more success when their most iconic heroes live off their own adventures, rather than wasting precious screen time on other stories or compromising their own artistic vision for the sake of connectivity. So, until Sony unveils a new Spider-Man, Sony’s cinematic universe doesn’t have much more than its DC counterpart.
0 Comments