Recently, an infamous source within the entertainment industry named DanielRPK confirmed what he has heard from the inside regarding the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. To answer to the underwhelming MCU box office slate of 2023 (Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 aside), Bob Iger is looking to not taking as much risks with Marvel as before and is only looking to greenlighting movies that are a guarantee profit based off the names of the characters alone. That means that rumored sequels such as Eternals 2 and Captain Marvel 3 are no longer in development due to how disappointing they were at the box office. Instead, only guarantee recent successes, most likely films such as Shang-Chi 2 and Doctor Strange 3, will be given the most focus on in the future. This statement has led to many different opinions online and I might as well throw my two cents in there.
First off, we can’t even pretend to know what is going on from behind the scenes at Marvel Studios. Just because one entertainment source says something is happening does not actually mean it is indeed happening. The only way to know what is going on for ourselves is if we actually work at Marvel Studios, which I’m willing to bet that 99.99% of folks that are reading this piece are NOT. Or of course, if someone who works at Marvel explains the process of how a certain movie or show got made in an interview. Which again, I’m willing to bet that will NOT happen after uploading this piece. That being said, if these statements are accurate, that leaves me with nothing but dread for the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
If Iger’s response to the critical and financial disappointment to the MCU slate of 2023 along with a handful of content from 2021 and onwards is to take less risks, then he clearly forgot why the MCU became special in the first place. Marvel Studios didn’t become what it was due to cranking out content left and right from characters the mainstream audiences were already familiar with, they became what they were because they were FORCED to make content based off of characters that only hardcore comic book fans were familiar with. Because they didn’t have the rights to already proven mainstream hit superhero IPs such as Spider-Man and X-Men, that made them make films and shows based off of non-tested properties such as Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Guardians of the Galaxy, Black Panther, and of course leading it all to The Avengers.
When looking back on it, Marvel Studios NOT having the rights to Spider-Man and X-Men from the beginning is the best possible thing that could have happened to them. Because they were forced to sell off those properties in the past to avoid going bankrupt, that meant they had to make films constructed around characters that never had a feature length film before. Yes, they had The Incredible Hulk who already had his own film and they would eventually partner with Sony to deliver Spider-Man movies as part of that universe but for the most part, the characters that made the MCU what it has since 2008 was NOT because it revolved around characters folks were familiar with, they revolved around characters which folks were NOT familiar with. And even today, the MCU is only better off for it.
Here is one counter argument I could see in regards to Iger’s direction for Marvel being more based around familiar characters instead of not so familiar ones. When a franchise is in a slump, it is wise to have a safety net of some sort. What I mean by that is it is best to have projects in the work that will have folks at least curious about and be good enough financial wise to at least to break even. In hindsight, it’s understandable to have another Doctor Strange, Thor, and Black Panther movie in the works because their prior movies were all considered to be profitable for Disney and Marvel. However, you need some fresh blood thrown in there, characters which audiences are not familiar with or at least haven’t been for quite some time. If you don’t, then not only does it expose the fact that you no longer have any tricks underneath your sleeve but that you also don’t trust your audience with something new. And that’s what hurts most of all, not having faith in your audience.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe would not be where it is today if they did not take risks. If they didn’t take a shot introducing characters that were not well known to mainstream audiences, they would never be as big or expansive as they are now. Rebooting Spider-Man and X-Men ten different times would not have gotten to where they are today. Otherwise, they would have likely been hitting brick wall after brick wall as DC and Warner Bros have constantly throughout the 21st century, constantly relying on Batman to get them out of certain slumps. If Iger and company thinks that mentality will get them out of their funk they are in, then he is delusional.
The bigger question here is that what if relying on familiar names does NOT work out in the long run with its current slate of movies. What if Deadpool & Wolverine does NOT become the billion dollar summer blockbuster juggernaut folks are claiming it would be? What if current events and production problems bring Captain America: Brave New World down at the box office? What if Blade and Fantastic Four aren’t the “familiar but not so familiar” brand hits that Disney and Marvel are hoping they will be? Most importantly, what if bringing back Hugh Jackman and Tobey Maguire for Avengers 5: and Secret Wars isn’t enough to make that even as close to profitable as the other four Avengers movies? If any of those unfortunate scenarios happens, that could be a sign that not only did refusing to take risks didn’t help your brand, it might have straight up KILLED it.
When thinking about it for the past few days, I can understand perfectly why Bob Iger wants to play it safe for the time being. It’s best to get audiences who stopped caring about Marvel superheroes back in the theaters with the remaining familiar characters they already know and like before taking other major leaps forward. However, I can only hope that’s not the ONLY strategy they have going forward. I do hope though that if the upcoming movies I just mentioned are profitable enough that it will inspire them to continue taking risks and introduce fresh new faces to the MCU roster. It’s only if they do that and do it successfully will the MCU continue to grow and expand, even 16 years later.
I’ve said in the past that as I get older, I’ve grown more welcome to having films take chances even if they don’t completely work out rather than constantly having films that play it safe all the way through with no risks being taken. And with the way PLENTY of big movies performed at the box office last year, I don’t think I’m alone there. The audiences WANT fresh and new takes on familiar material, not stale retreads that are scared of offending their audience. That’s why a film like Dune: Part Two has received massive praise and will have success at the box office while a film like Kung Panda 4 has underperformed critically and potentially at the box office. Audiences are NOT stupid and will accept new things done to things they love if it’s done well.
I can only hope these statements from Iger about the direction of Marvel are ONLY for the time being and NOT something they plan to thrive on for foreseeable future of superhero content. If that is the case, then it’s clear that Iger has forgotten completely why the MCU has been successful over the years and just thinks this plan will guarantee him easy, quick money. Well, *in Ron Howard’s voice*, it will not. And I sure hope he realizes that because if not, he would have killed the entire thing that he helped create.
There was a time when you went to cinema to see the next big blockbuster, it didn’t just feel like you were in for a new movie, it felt like you were in for a new experience. Whether you loved the movie or hated it, there was a magical feeling of being in the cinema for the next big movie with a sold out crowd on opening night or weekend. I will never forget the experience of watching Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame on the very first night with the crowd being on cloud nine the whole way through. To experience all the laughs, cheers, excitement, and even tears to come from the crowd was something truly special and will always be a lasting memory for me! However, as we approach the end of 2023 and see where cinema is in it’s current state, there is a strong argument to be made about how the magic of watching films in cinema is long gone.
To say that 2023 has been a brutal year for Hollywood and cinema would be an understatement. Not only with the handful of strikes that have gone on for the majority of the year but the way that new franchise installments have underperformed vastly and bombed spectacularly at the box office. It’s not only in terms of flicks involving Disney and superheroes like the media has made it out to be but almost every notable franchise out there minus a few exceptions. And it’s not only one or two specific reasons that stand out for these movies tanking but there are MULTIPLE factors here. Multiple factors that honestly has been years in the making!
Because of that, let’s go over ever single logical factor here! Every single concrete reason as to why cinema is in the state that is in right now and why major changes need to happening if cinema will continue to evolve in the comfort of movie theaters everywhere!
The Covid-19 Pandemic
The Covid-19 pandemic changed the lives of every single life form on planet Earth. A worldwide plague that forced everyone to quarantine for the majority of 2020 along with parts of 2021 and 2022. Because of that, entertainment around the world was put on hold. Theaters were closed, films were delayed, and productions of basically all forms of entertainment were put on hold. Coming right after a massive year of the box office in 2019, where there were NINE films that grossed over a billion dollars worldwide (SEVEN of them disturbed by Disney), this could not have occurred at a worse time for Hollywood.
This led to many of the big movies that were to come out in 2020 and 2021 being sent to streaming with some occasional theater showings for some of them. With over half the theaters around the country being closed and streaming services being more popular than ever, of course most chose to stay at home and watching the upcoming movies on streaming services. However, that line of thinking of just waiting to watch movies in the comfort of your own homes has clearly played an impact on the way movie goers chose to watch films in the 2020s.
With a handful of exceptions, most new franchise installments that always tended to make a guarantee profit have underperformed or bombed in this post-Covid timeline. A large reason for that has to do with the fact that most audiences would rather wait for new movies to be able for digital or streaming services then shelling a few extras bucks on concessions and theater seats when new movies come out in cinema. The theatrical experiences for most big movies nowadays is just not worth it in the eyes of the consumer.
Strikes-a-palooza
2023 was a year that was litter with strikes going on in Hollywood, with some that either is still happening or most likely to happen soon. You have the writers strike that lasted for nearly five months, you have the actors strike that lasted for four months, there’s a strike going on at the moment with the VFX artists from Disney and Marvel, and if reports are to believe, you can bet that a strike within the gaming and animation industry is likely to occur sooner rather than later.
The strikes involving the writers and actors caused a halt in production of films along with the promotion and marketing of upcoming films being practically non-existent. This caused films like Dune: Part Two to be delayed and films that have been released during it such as The Marvels to suffer severely at the box office. While we might not have felt the direct impact of upcoming films in production that were halted because of the strike, we will certainly feel it in the next two to three years. Just as we all felt the impact of the previous writers strike with films that came out in 2009 or 2010. If the impact wave of Covid is about over, a brand new wave involving all the strikes is about to come. Surfs up!
Too Many Mid-icore Movies
While the other two reasons mentioned is a great argument of the amount of money studios spend on their movies and the amount of moment audience will spend to watch them, maybe the big reason as to do with the actual quality of the motion picture. Maybe it has to do with audience no longer wearing their rose-colored glasses and seeing how it’s become quantity over quality for a lot of franchises right there. Movies that just exist for the sake of existing and not because it’s something the audience actually want to see.
That would explain greatly how films like Barbie, Oppenheimer, The Super Mario Bros. Movie, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 and Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse have been the most notable successes at box office in 2023. Not just because they were names from a familiar brand but because of the strong impact they had on mainstream audiences which led to repeat theater viewings and strong worth of mouth. While not quite the most successful films of all time, it was able to exceed expectations, and possibly even surpass them due to how good those movies actually were. The same thing can’t be said about the other big movies that came out in 2023.
Fast X was seen as more of the same, over-the-top nonsense that has become accustomed to this franchise at this point. Transformers: Rise of the Beasts was seen as a passable if not disposable entry for a franchise that is still dealing with the aftermath of the overblown Bayformers flicks. The Flash was seen as a ugly CGI mess made solely for course correcting and the hope that having Michael Keaton back as Batman along with Sasha Calle’s Supergirl would be enough to overcome any shortcomings. Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny was seen as an unnecessary and forgettable finale to a series that already had two definite finales beforehand. The Marvels, Shazam: Fury of the Gods, and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom might have been considered “good enough” when superhero movies still felt like events but not in the year 2023. And Wish was seen as lackluster of an 100th year anniversary film for Disney that you could possibly imagine. While two or three of these might be enough to guarantee a solid three out of four stars ratings, they all did not receive the best reviews or the strongest word of mouth to make any of these worth buying a ticket for. Because of that, they were not able to make their money back or break even.
Even Good Movies Are Bombing
I’m sure most of you reading this thinks that the easy solution would be just to make better films and more people will be more eager to see them in theaters. While there have definitely been films this year that have accomplished just that, there have been other notable critically successful films that suffered at the box office regardless of it’s high quality.
These include the likes of Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning- Part 1, Blue Beetle, and Killers of the Flower Moon. All four of these films were ones that gained mostly very good reviews from critics and received a certified fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes but still lost money. While plenty will argue it had to do with awkward release dates or going ridiculously overbudget, it still doesn’t change the fact that these were all very good films in the eyes of critics and folks that went to see them but still underperformed or flopped at the box office.
This just goes to show you that even films that are well-acclaimed are not guarantee to be box office hits either. Sometimes a movie bombing has nothing to do with it’s overall quality, it’s that audience didn’t have the interest or knowledge of it’s existence to check them out while it was playing in theaters. There are plenty of good to great films in recent memory in the past that have been guilty of that: Dredd, Edge of Tomorrow, The Nice Guys, Blade Runner 2049, Annihilation, and Doctor Sleep just to name a few. While I’m sure all four of the 2023 films mentioned will find or already has found it’s audience through digital or physical media, the fact they were unable to gain them at the time it came out in theaters goes to show how even well quality films have suffered from other dire consequences.
Overbudgeting At It’s Finest
This is the one that everyone and their mother has pointed out but it’s certainly worth pointing out again. The amount of money that is being spend on these big movies is beyond ridiculous. Going past the traditional of $150 to $200 million budgets to big blockbusters in favor of now $250 to $300 million budgets. You have Elemental and Wish costing $200 million to make, The Flash costing $220 million to make, The Marvels costing $275 million to make, Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning- Part 1 cost $291 million to make, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny costing $300 million to make, and even Fast X costing $340 million to make. And that’s not even including the amount of money that was spent on trailers and marketing which you could add at least a few more million with. The overconfidence in box office has certainly been Hollywood’s weakness throughout the entirety of 2023.
I’m sure many people will point out how the larger budgets may have to do with Covid-19 halting many of these projects while they were in development but that doesn’t excuse how others movies released this year which made either just as much, more, or even less than any of the big movies were able to be a financial hit. You have John Wick: Chapter 4 which made a franchise record, 432 million worldwide, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse making over 600 million worldwide, which is a record for Sony Animation, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 making over 800 million worldwide, and The Super Mario Bros Movie making over 1.3 billion worldwide.
When looking at the movies mentioned from this year, only Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 was able to have a budget over 200 million dollars and was able to be a financial success. The rest of the movies either underperformed or flat out bombed at the box office. It makes you wonder how in the world movies such as The Super Mario Bros. Movie and Across the Spider-Verse were able to have a cheaper budget than Elemental despite having more impressive animation and more well known celebrities in the cast. Even so, it goes to show you how easy it is to make back your money on movies if you keep your expectations and budget in check without going too overboard.
If a movie making half or 3/4 of a billion dollars is considered underperforming, the studios need to take a good, hard look at themselves and figure out what has allowed that to happen. If you need to make at or near a billion for your big movie to make a profit, then that just speaks volume how little connection you have with yourself or the general public. Even if Covid was a factor in some extra money being spent, that can’t be the only factor to do it.
It must be no coincidence that the three highest grossing films of the year in Barbie, Mario, and Oppenheimer were all films that only cost 145 million or less. Take a hint, Hollywood!
Theater and Concession Prices Are Ridiculous
Is it me or has the prices for movie tickets and concessions skyrocketed quite a bit to the point of insanity? No matter what time or day it is, it seems like movie tickets nowadays cost a total of at least 12 to 15 dollars with 15 to 20 dollars involving food and beverage. That’s at least 25 to 35 dollars spent on one night at the movies, possibly more if you are going with friends or family members. That is just insane!
While there are certain theater companies out there that offer paid monthly subscriptions that helps save money with going to the movies such as Regal, not all theater companies are like that. At best, you will get a five or ten dollar discount after spending 50 to 100 dollars worth on your local theater and that’s basically it. And if you don’t find yourself using any of those subscriptions, that’s just a few extra bucks you got to fork over just for one or two times at the cinema.
Whether this is due to Covid-19 or the power of inflation, the increase of price in tickets and concessions has to play an effect on the way audience select the upcoming blockbusters they want to see. The movie going experience is more expense now than ever before, almost approaching the level of the expenses of gaming and sporting events. Because of that, it’s obvious the mainstream audience are mostly picking and choosing at random which movies they want to see on the big screen and which ones they would rather wait to watch in the comfort of their own homes. They’ll go see their Barbie and Oppenheimer but they will likely rather wait for The Marvels and Killers of the Flower Moon to come to streaming.
Maybe, just maybe, if theaters and cinema would have the urge to lower the prices on tickets and concessions or offer more events like Cinema Day, perhaps folks might be more willing to check films out in cinema when they arrive on the big screen.
Movies Are No Longer Events
To repeat what I said at the start of this article, remember when going to a movie of a big franchise felt like a cinematic event? Almost as if you are about to witness a moment in history you would be eager to tell your kids and grandkids many years later down the road? Is it me or has the movie theater experience lacked that hype and event feeling at least since 2020 rolled around?
There have been exceptions of course. You have the likes of Spider-Man: No Way Home, Top Gun: Maverick,Avatar: Way of Water, The Super Mario Bros. Movie, Barbie, and Oppenheimer that were able to achieve that cinematic feeling for most moviegoers out there. But, those are really only exceptions compared to other franchise films that have come out since then. Instead of the feeling you are about to watch the cinematic equivealant of the World Series in theaters, it now feels like you are watching the cinematic equivalent of a Spring Training game.
When I saw The Marvels and The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes in theaters, the things that took me off guard the most when watching them was how uncinematic it felt watching those in theaters, especially compared to the series prior installments. I remember theaters being mostly packed when I saw the first Captain Marvel and the other Hunger Games films when I saw them in theaters, with the feeling that the hype and anticipation of so many folks was about to pay off. When I saw the newest installment of Captain Marvel and Hunger Games, I can only count on hand about eight to ten other folks with me in the theaters, which made about less than a quarter of the whole theater. If that’s not a sign how far the feeling of being in a movie theater has fallen, then I don’t know what is.
I could also give other examples, most recently with Aquaman: The Lost Kingdom set to be an absolute bomb despite the first film being the highest grossing DC film of all time, but the examples I just mentioned really gave me that depressing feeling about how the theater experience isn’t the same anymore and likely never will be.
This is likely because of how most franchise installments nowadays don’t feel like events anymore. Whether that’s due to Covid-19 or being oversaturated with them or just the overall declining quality with most of them, they just don’t feel as grand or rewarding as they used to be. Because of that, what’s the point of going to theaters anymore when you can just wait a couple of months to watch them in your own homes where you will save yourself extra cash? It’s like they said, vote with your wallet and that’s what many moviegoers have done since the pandemic rolled around.
How To Fix This?
There has been plenty of discussions going around on what Hollywood needs to do to fix their current problems. I’ll tell you right now that there is no simple solution to fix all of this. They have dug themselves into massive hole that it will take years to come even close to climbing out of it. If I were to give a simple bit of advice, it’s to probably go back to the “old school” ways of making films.
Don’t feel the need to go overbudget, don’t overthink every single bit of detail, don’t needlessly overwork your VFX artists, use every old fashioned camera trick and editing technique in the book, work at a reasonable time and pace, and most importantingly, make them all feel like films that deserve to be seen in movie theaters. Also, lowering the prices on tickets and concessions would help as well!
Of course, this won’t solve every single problem that Hollywood is currently having, especially with the amount of strikes that are likely gonna occur in the future, but at least it would give a reason as to why the theatrical experience should still be a thing in the year 2023 and onwards. Why going out to theaters to see the newest blockbuster when it comes out is important instead of just waiting a few extra months to watch on streaming or demand!
All of those things and much more need to happen if the theatrical experience is to thrive in the future. Otherwise, streaming and digital media will be the absolute future with no need for theaters and physical media.
Thanks a lot, Trolls: World Tours! You destroyed cinema!
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