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The news came, as such news so often does, at that annual summit of studio hype and intellectual property promotion, San Diego Comic-Con. Robert Downey Jr. — newly minted Oscar-winner, a star emancipated from green-screen duty — will be returning to the franchise that revived his career, the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Not, mind you, to the role of Tony Stark, the mogul-turned-superhero he played for about a decade, starting with the first MCU installment, Iron Man. No, Downey will be stepping into the armor of a different character: arguably the most iconic Marvel supervillain of them all, Doctor Doom.
The fans there in Hall H naturally went wild. How could they not? It was like a live version of one of the cameo appearances we’ve come to expect in an actual Marvel movie: From the studio that brought you John Krasinski as Mr. Fantastic and Chris Evans as a different superhero he played for a different studio comes… Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark as Victor Von Doom. Or something like that.
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At the risk of sounding like a total party pooper, isn’t there actually something kind of… desperate about all this? Luring Downey back with a boatload of money ($100 million, if estimates are to be believed), coaxing fellow Marvel alums the Russo brothers to direct another two Avengers movies — these are the moves of a studio in retreat. Beneath the roar of applause, you could hear the panic of executives convinced that the only way to climb to the summit of Hollywood again is to move backward, to transparently strain for the victories of the past.
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Not so long ago, it felt like Marvel could only look forward — to the next crossover, to the next summer, to the fun you’ll have later if you keep tuning in. The most damning case you could make against movies like Iron Man 2 was that they operated like glorified previews for other movies: a cinema of coming attractions, always teasing what’s on the distant horizon. Of course, that paid off big time with Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, the one-two punch culmination of every MCU blockbuster that came before, rewarding the patronage of the faithful with an all-purpose climax that smashed together every toy Marvel had dropped into the sandbox over the prior decade.
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But how do you keep audiences invested in a story that reached such a natural endpoint it was called Endgame? The Marvel movies released in the wake of that box-office phenomenon have lacked the sense of forward momentum that defined the first three “phases” of the MCU. If the mosaic plotting of the franchise has always been a triumph of branding more than anything else, recent entries have failed to create the impression of a larger story worth tracking. It doesn’t help that the series has lost its most appealing anchors of personality: Iron Man and Captain America. And the characters introduced since, like Shang-Chi and the Eternals, haven’t exactly filled those massive boots.
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Since 2019, it’s been quantity over quality for Marvel. Little more than a month ever passes without a movie or a Disney+ series hitting the market. That oversaturation may have satisfied stockholders (and saved the jobs of executives who only have to avoid risks), but it hasn’t necessarily grown or even entirely held onto the audience. Rushed through production — and sometimes into theaters with unfinished effects — the movies themselves have gotten worse. And that’s been reflected in the soft turnout for cruddy blockbusters like Eternals, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, and The Marvels. As Deadpool tells Wolverine in last month’s please-let-this-work team-up, “You’re joining at a little bit of a low point.”
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Marvel is, of course, still churning out plenty of hits — Deadpool & Wolverine being the most recent example. But the studio’s grasp on the imagination (and wallets) of the moviegoing public has undeniably slackened. So it’s no huge surprise to see Kevin Feige and company looking to yesterday. In that respect, the Multiverse has proved a useful gimmick. If you’re hemorrhaging popular characters and failing to replace them with popular new ones, why not go digging around in movie history for some ringers? It’s mostly paid off so far. Spider-Man: No Way Home, with its trio of web-swingers, nearly equaled the success of Endgame. And the recent Doctor Strange and Deadpool sequels have both drawn audiences to theaters in big numbers with the promise of seeing familiar faces from other universes.
As for bringing back Downey, that will almost certainly get butts in seats, too. There’s no reason to conclude that it can’t work creatively as well. Any comic reader will tell you that turning the good guy into the bad guy is a reliably entertaining twist on formula. And given how much Tony Stark looms over this entire franchise, there’s a lot the filmmakers can do to toy with the associations of the audience and the characters alike — assuming, of course, that Downey’s Doctor Doom is a version of Stark and not a whole different character. That would be odd.
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Still, Downey’s return betrays uncertainty about how to proceed. It says that everyone in charge is sweating the future of the MCU and banking heavily on its past. The overall impression is that Marvel is in its ouroboros era, devouring its own tail to keep from starving. That doesn’t seem like the soundest strategy for long-term success. Avengers: Secret Wars, coming in 2027, will likely play like one giant contract negotiation, arranging for appearances by every recognizable actor who’s ever slipped on the costume of a Marvel superhero. But then what? Once the cameo supply is exhausted, how do you keep people hooked?
For this giant, ongoing, ungainly franchise to survive, it’s going to have to do more than simply retrace its own steps and arrange periodic hits of spot-the-reference dopamine. Feige will have to make people remember why they fell in love with Marvel in the first place — with new characters worth following, with new stories worth telling, with new movies worth lining up around the block for. Otherwise, sooner or later, it really will be doomsday for the Avengers.
For more of A.A. Dowd’s writing, visit his Authory page.
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Writer
A.A. Dowd, or Alex to his friends, is a writer and editor based in Chicago. He has held staff positions at The A.V. Club and…
3 underrated Amazon Prime Video movies you should watch this weekend (February 14-16)
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The middle of February can be a fairly gloomy time, at least from a weather perspective. Thankfully, the most romantic holiday of the year is sitting right in the middle of the weekend. If you’re looking for something to watch this Valentine’s Day weekend, we’ve got a lineup of great romance-adjacent movies that are all available on Prime Video.
If you want something fairly conventional or some picks that are a little more out of the box, we’ve got you covered. Here are three movies you should make time for this weekend, all available on Amazon Prime Video:
Along Came Polly (2004)
Along Came Polly Official Trailer #1 – Ben Stiller Movie (2004) HD
Along Came Polly is, undeniably, a movie about a boring dude who falls in love with a manic pixie dream girl. Even so, the undeniable chemistry between Ben Stiller and Jennifer Aniston makes the movie work anyway.
Even more crucial is Philip Seymour Hoffman’s supporting turn as a deeply embarrassing former child star who is also really bad at basketball. Along Came Polly is conventional, sure, but it knows how to hit every beat it’s going for, and it’s a reminder of just how great both Aniston and Stiller were at their peaks.
You can watch Along Came Polly on Amazon Prime Video.
Past Lives (2023)
Past Lives | Official Trailer HD | A24
Captain America: Brave New World: How many post-credits scenes are there?
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It usually goes without saying that a Marvel movie will feature an extra scene or two as the credits roll. Many fans expect a lot from Captain America: Brave New World, since the film is expected to set up the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. As Sam Wilson and his allies fight to stop a conspiracy that threatens to launch World War III, the movie introduces the element Adamantium, an essential part of Wolverine’s origin story in Marvel Comics. On top of that, the film has revisited both the Celestial Tiamut, making it the source of the Adamantium, and the Avengers getting back together with Sam as their new leader.
All these building blocks have laid the foundation for things like the next two Avengers movies and even the X-Men’s debut in the MCU. With the next two Avengers movies just around the corner, Brave New World has built up Sam to lead Earth’s Mightiest Heroes in the fight to maintain peace as the new Captain America. All in all, there is a lot to look forward to after the events of Brave New World, and what the film reveals during the credits hints at a dark future for Sam and the Avengers.
Captain America’s post-credits scene, explained
3 underrated Netflix movies you should watch this weekend (February 14-16)
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With Valentine’s around the corner, it’s the perfect time to get ready to watch romantic hits on Netflix like Hit Man and Love Actually. These are guaranteed crowd-pleasers that will definitely set the mood for date night or even entertain a group for Galentine’s.
For anyone looking to watch films that are hidden gems, well, Netflix has a wide selection, with movies spanning a variety of genres. The following three movies are among these underrated films worth checking out, including a musical pick, an emotional breakup flick, and a unique coming-of-age story.
We also have guides to the best movies on Netflix, the best movies on Hulu, the best movies on Amazon Prime Video, the best movies on Max, and the best movies on Disney+.
Sing Street (2016)
In 1980s Dublin, Conor (Ferdia Walsh-Peelo) is sick of his troubled home life and experiences being bullied at his strict Catholic school. The one positive is his crush on the cool girl, Raphina (Lucy Boynton). To impress her and escape his day-to-day struggles, Connor forms a band with a group of similarly misfit friends. The titular band draws inspiration from the era’s biggest acts — Duran Duran, The Cure, and The Jam — to create a nostalgic and eclectic sound that permeates most of the film.
Perhaps overshadowed by director John Carney’s previous hits (Once, Begin Again), Sing Street remains criminally underrated, never gaining the same mainstream traction despite arguably delivering the filmmaker’s most charming and heartfelt story. Its overly saccharine elements and naive optimism are soon forgotten thanks to the way its uplifting narrative pairs flawlessly with its irresistibly catchy soundtrack. It’s not exactly among the greatest musical movies of the new generation, but it’s undoubtedly an enchanting one that delivers humor and heart.