There was a time when Marvel movies were the highlight of the year, with fans eagerly lining up for midnight premieres and getting into passionate debates over which Avenger was the strongest. Nowadays, it feels like the only thing superheroes are saving is Disney’s bottom line—and even that is questionable.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) wasn’t always in trouble. In fact, it was once the crown jewel of Hollywood. From the first Iron Man (2008) to Avengers: Endgame (2019), Marvel had the Midas Touch, turning every film into a goldmine. Endgame alone has grossed a staggering $2.8 billion worldwide, making it the second highest grossing film of all time. But apart from profit, the film was a prominent moment in pop-culture. Serving as an epic culmination of countless stories, this film was the ultimate gift to fans who had dedicated their time to watching the previous 22 films—and the gift was happily received. According to Marvel.com, the flashy superheroes dominated Go search engine in 2019, a testament to the fanbase’s once-great ardor for MCU. 

Somewhere along the way, though, the magic faded—and the box office numbers clearly reflect it. Recent victims of this fatigue include The Marvels (2023), which earned $206 million globally, and The Fantastic Four (2025), which earned a respectable $521 million. While these dollar amounts seem impressive, these sums are a sharp drop compared from the $2.8 billion that Endgame raked in.

Rotten Tomatoes ratings tell a similar story. While early MCU films easily scored within the 90% range such as Iron Man (2008) and Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014), recent films like Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023) are struggling to meet their mark and can barely breach 50%. Even Disney+ spin-offs haven’t saved the day. If anything, the rising popularity of streaming services has harmed MCU’s popularity. In fact, viewer retention data reveals some Marvel series lost 40% of their audience between their first and final episodes. By removing the need to see films in person, the feeling of community is lost as well. 

What Made MCU So Appealing In the First Place?

Simply put, former MCU success is a result of various factors: the power of social media, fan engagement, and a unique organization of content. The comics provided a strong foundation for the movies to be built upon, but this formula helped the movies pave their own paths to greatness. Each movie set the fans ablaze: cosplayers scrambled to their sewing machines, theorists slaved over their whiteboards, and kids fawned over their new heroines. 

It’s clear that the films catered to a multitude of audiences – for you didn’t need to be knowledgeable about the comics to hop on the MCU bandwagon. What made the films particularly special was how they provided an experience rather than simple entertainment. It was up to viewers to keep an ear craned for hints foreshadowing the entrance of other heroes, and it was up to viewers to keep an eye out for end-credit scenes that might reveal the plots of future films. In just over a decade, MCU became a complex puzzle to be pieced together.

However, MCU has grown so incredibly complex that keeping track of the timeline has become more of a chore instead of an activity. After Endgame, Marvel was dealt an open field of opportunities as they scrambled to decide which heroes should have their stories told first. This caused the films that followed to become an amalgam of nostalgia-bait and plot holes. Fan forums complained about too many characters, too many multiverses, and way too much CGI. What made MCU special was its roguish charm and immersive storylines, not cameos or special effects.

Regardless, Marvel isn’t sitting still. New projects, darker tones, and “timeline resets” are on the way. Recent projects are beginning to closely resemble those of the Golden Age, but with their respective twists. Thunderbolts (2025) and Daredevil: Born Again (2025) received a sea of positive feedback, and the characters already confirmed to return in future content. Perhaps trial and error was necessary to get to this point?

So What’s Next?

The fact remains that upcoming films like Avengers: Doomsday (2026) and Avengers: Secret Wars (2027) are going to introduce even more characters and stir much more multiverse chaos. Fans remain cautiously optimistic, but social media polls have shown that only around half of respondents are actually excited for the next big release.

MCU may be faltering, but don’t count it out. With billions of dollars, loyal fans, and an infinite number of multiverse timelines to experiment with, it’s certainly here to stay—just slightly bruised and a bit lost. Maybe next time, Marvel should remember: sometimes less is more, even in a universe full of gods, aliens, and talking raccoons.