It’s Been 13 Years And Marvel Can Still Surprise Its Fans
Out of nowhere this week, Marvel Studios decided to surprise fans with a celebratory clip that highlights the past 12 years of MCU history and how these movies have pretty much established the superhero film genre as a thing. With new Disney Plus exclusives premiering in back-to-back fashion during early 2021, some might have forgotten altogether that when Black Widow releases it will have been over two years since Spider-Man: Far From Home came out.
All things considered, perhaps that long absence was for the best given that Spider-Man: Far From Home acted like the perfect cutoff between Phase Three and Four, and also because it meant fans were now able to remember what it was like to miss Marvel’s superheroes. As the saying goes, a little absence makes the heart grow fonder, and Marvel has come close to oversaturating the market at times.
2020 was never going to be a huge year for the MCU, its only scheduled films were Black Widow and Eternals, but the pandemic completely reshuffled Phase Four for the better. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier's release originally came before WandaVision's, yet the Wanda Maximoff sitcom planted the seeds for viewers to briefly start associating Marvel with television instead of the cinemas, a risky proposition if one factor in the current state of movie theaters worldwide.
In this regard, the title "Marvel Studios Celebrates The Movies" is simply the perfect homage, it's a rallying cry for Marvel fans to go back to enjoy the adventures of their beloved heroes the way they're supposed to. While Disney was being constantly asked to release Black Widow on its own streaming platform, the studio refused to back down on its decision to continue delaying Marvel's entire movie lineup. Sure profit was its biggest concern, yet one can't help but think Kevin Feige wouldn't be happy simply releasing all this work on something like Disney Premiere Access if it guaranteed close to the same revenue.
The beautifully edited video does a great job to convey this by focusing on an Avengers: Endgame premiere from the audience's point of view, it's a way for Marvel to recognize the importance of its fans. It's telling fans that Marvel needs people to go watch films at the movie theaters that they were made for. Even if there's no telling of how the pandemic landscape may evolve until July 9, the message is clear: if there's something capable of bringing back the fans under reasonable circumstances, it's Marvel.
Of course, inspirational speeches from Stan Lee only carry the message across so far, it's really all about the movies and Marvel leveled up by finally revealing the final titles for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and The Marvels, as well as definitive release dates for the entirety of Phase Four, with the exception of its hot new addition, the Fantastic Four.
Specifically, Black Panther channels the more emotional aspects of Marvel right now better than any other movie since, after all, 2020 also saw the MCU and the world lose the iconic Chadwick Boseman. The actor's role as T'Challa was so memorable he couldn't simply be replaced, and the movie's title promises Ryan Cooglee will try to honor his legacy the best way he can.
On a different end, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings teased the possibility that the MCU might still be able to come up with some new tricks even after 13 years going strong, as Shang-Chi blends Marvel with the best of kung-fu movies from past decades. To make things more interesting, Marvel Studios picked up Chloe Zhao to direct it, who's now just fresh off spearheading a critical wonder like Nomadland to win many Best Picture and Best Director accolades.
All things considered, Marvel's celebration of movies can be incredibly emotional for many people, whether it's the realization of seeing the heroes they grew up reading about in comic books or playing with their toys; or, in some cases, the MCU might have been the entertainment that was right there with them for important moments in their lives, whether those be happy or sad memories.
Like most artforms, the quality and meaning of movies are defined not only by the craft and techniques employed in making them, it also depends on their ability to deliver powerful emotions and the MCU certainly fits the bill. Though derided by many, the superhero film genre became a genuine vehicle to tell stories that matter, a trend that the MCU might be eager to build on in some cases for the coming future.
It happened almost completely by accident, nevertheless having three Marvel series come out in between feature films helps to draw the line between the two. If WandaVision was a sitcom and Falcon and the Winter Soldier embraced more cinematic values, maybe Loki can act as the perfect preamble for what's to come when Black Widow brings Marvel movies back to theaters.
Reviewed by Unknown
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May 06, 2021
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