We’ve been conditioned – with good reason, it’s worth noting – that Kevin Feige is a meticulous mastermind who has every single minute detail of the Marvel Cinematic Universe laid out in advance, but is that truly the case?
The ongoing backlash towards the franchise’s recent slate of projects has created more questions than ever about the long-term sustainability of the most successful film and television property the industry has ever seen, with the latest bugbear among fans on Reddit being the addition of post-credits scenes or cameos that don’t end up going anywhere.
There are obviously exceptions, but can anyone really say with any degree of truthfulness that bringing back Tim Blake Nelson’s Leader almost two decades down the line for Captain America: New World Order was some genius masterstroke that had always been bubbling at the back of Feige’s mind?
Similarly, Harry Styles was cast in Eternals because director Chloe Zhao wanted him in the movie, but we’ve got no idea when, where, or even if we’ll see Eros again. Michael Mando’s Scorpion was teased at the end of Spider-Man: Homecoming, while Brett Goldstein’s Hercules was set up as the primary antagonist of a fifth Thor outing that may never see the light of day. Even if it does, who’s to say whoever does or doesn’t end up replacing Taika Waititi behind the camera even wants to go in that direction?
On the whole, the MCU has been one of the biggest wins for audiences there’s ever going to be, but when the quality begins to slide downhill, things are going to be placed under more scrutiny. There is a plan of some kind, but an increasingly jaded fandom needs to be gotten back onside sooner rather than later.