It seems even Marvel is aware of their reputation! Executives Kevin Feige and Louis D’Esposito speak on the recent dip in the MCU’s reception.
The MCU has had a rough few years in the public eye. While the studio continues to pump out hits like Shang-Chi and Guardians of the Galaxy, the internet seems solely focused on its recent failures like Black Widow and Secret Invasion. However, it seems Marvel has learned their lesson, with the studios’ co-president Louis D’Esposito stating they’re committed on bringing quality over quantity.
“It’s been a rough time. If we just stayed on top, that would have been the worst thing that could have happened to us. We took a little hit, we’re coming back strong.” D’Esposito explained to Empire in a recent interview. “Maybe when you do too much, you dilute yourself a little bit. We’re not going to do that anymore. We learned our lesson. Maybe two to three films a year and one or two shows, as opposed to doing four films and four shows.”
It’s interesting to note that the MCU won’t change much with Louis D’Esposito’s proposed schedule. While Marvel will be dropping four films in 2025, three has always been the standard for the studio. And while the studio dropped a whopping five Disney Plus shows in 2021, in the years since they’ve stuck to three, leading to only a single show being dropped per year.
Kevin Feige Speaks On Marvel’s Struggles
Louis D’Esposito isn’t the only Marvel executive who has some words about the current state of the MCU. Kevin Feige also chimed in about the studios’ woes in the same interview. While some fans yearn for the days where the franchise was on top of the world, Feige says he prefers to play from behind the surprise general audiences.
“It’s nice to be able to rally behind one feature project this year,” Feige explained. “I’m much more comfortable being the underdog. I prefer being able to surprise, and exceed expectations. So it does seem like the last year, which has not been ideal, has set us up well for that.”
It’s good to hear that Kevin Feige is in good spirits, even when faced with the MCU’s toughest years in nearly two decades. It’s clear Marvel isn’t going anywhere anytime soon, as much as some loud voices on the internet claim. There’ll always be room for the world of spandex in pop culture. The key is finding the right balance.
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