Marvel has not wasted a penny on advertising their new projects hitting theaters and Disney+ this year. “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” and “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” are sure to attract large audiences as anticipation builds over the next chapter of the intricate Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Despite the excitement, do these films spark the same excitement that Avengers movies used to a couple of years ago? The hype around “Avengers: Infinity War” and “Avengers: Endgame” was unlike any other we have seen in film history. Though Marvel has followed up with big hits, is the act of going to see Marvel movies in theaters getting a little old?
According to a new study released in November 2022 by Fandom, over one-third of Marvel fans “feel fatigued from the constant stream of content served in theaters and on Disney+.” In comparison, only one-fifth of DC fans, another massive superhero franchise, say the same about the DC Universe. Marvel fans are more inclined to watch any Marvel project, while DC fans focus on one or two characters they prefer. The study infers that this is the main reason why 36% of Marvel fans are feeling “superhero fatigue.”
According to Screen Rant, the “idea of a franchise going through fatigue essentially means that something is happening to make a large portion of its fanbase feel exhausted by it, regardless of whether they still like the franchise, as a whole.” In this case, the concept is known as “Marvel Fatigue.”
Phase 4 of the MCU has achieved great financial success, especially whilst facing a universal decline in movie theaters, but the idea of “Marvel Fatigue” persists. 2019 featured the culmination of over 20 interconnected films, and after the grand finale to the “Infinity Saga,” no new heights for drama and action have been repeated, even with the release of multiple films just months after the box-office record setter.
The new films aren’t fulfilling the satisfying character moments and action-packed scenes that “Avengers: Endgame” did, simply because they aren’t the conclusion of years of character growth and interweaving plotlines. We don’t know what each film is working towards yet, and with no connected purpose, for some viewers, it can feel kind of pointless. It just isn’t worth it for many fans to go to watch in theaters when the films are guaranteed to be on Disney+ only a few months later.
Is the superhero trend finally falling out of fashion? Marvel has movies planned out years in advance, so there will be no decline in content from Disney anytime soon. The new projects are sure to be building towards a second saga of intertwined stories – the question is: Are fans willing to wait to be enticed once more, or will “Marvel Fatigue” continue to plague audiences who once fought tooth and nail to get tickets for opening night?