Summary
A new iteration ofThe Avengersis on its way to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and the franchise’s most prolific filmmakers are back for the ride with a clear view of what the Marvel Studios brand needs to improve on to go back to its peak.
The Avengerswere the titans of the Infinity Saga, and the franchise had to build the team up to that lofty level brick by brick, starting with Robert Downey Jr. bringing Tony Stark and Iron Man to life in 2008. The team and franchise would grow and peak withAvengers: Infinity WarandAvengers: Endgame,which saw the central narrative of the MCU quickly escalate and then end satisfactorily for fans. This was overseen by the Russo brothers, who would leave the franchise forever after this masterful conclusion to the overarching story. That is, until they announced a return for the next twoAvengersfilms alongside a surprising on-screen star return. The duo also confirmed that they had returned specifically toimplement exciting ideas they had for the nextAvengersfilms, getting fans excited for a course correction that could see the franchise beat out the superhero fatigue that’s become more and more real in the last few years.
The Russos have made it clear that they want tooutdoInfinity WarandEndgamewithDoomsdayandSecret Warswith their return toThe Avengersfranchise, and one major facet of that is identifying where the MCU has gone astray since that first peak. In a recent interview withThe Sunday Timesin which the duo (among other things) took a stand against the idea of comic book adaptations being just for kids, Anthony Russo highlighted one major issue facing the franchise today. “Yes, the MCU has got quite large, that’s for sure. I mean, frankly, we struggle with that same issue,” Russo explained. “But part of the reason Joe and I decided to go back is exactly what you’re talking about. There needs to be more of a central narrative. That was something we were very specific about when we worked with Marvel [before]. We would like to bring the focused narrative back.”
Few fans will disagree with this assessment from the duo, as the franchise has only gotten bigger with time, and the lack of an Avengers team or project to interconnect the shows and films in the MCU’s interconnected universe has become glaring. Half measures likeThe Marvelsand the (hopefully more successful) upcomingThunderbolts*simply haven’t been working, and the Russos see that. Part of that fix has also beenworking to blockAvengersleaks and spoilers, something that has become a reality for Marvel Studios projects, permeating social media so effectively and frequently that they’re unavoidable even for fans actively invested in avoiding them. Bringing a central narrative back in view and making sure that fans are actually surprised when the action plays out onscreen seem like solid, broad steps to reclaim some lost ground for the franchise.
While fans might be glad to see the duo back, the creatives themselves will likely also enjoy the return to familiar territory.The Electric Stateproves the Russos are best attuned to the MCU, and the franchise itself has clearly shown that it needs the Russos to maintain the sort of unimaginable success it saw in the Infinity Saga. With the two back together for the comingAvengersfilms and Robert Downey Jr. along for the ride in a new but equally prominent role within the franchise, Marvel Studios has done as much as it possibly can to position the franchise for a return to that former glory.
