For the first time ever, genuine panic seems to be sweeping through the Marvel Cinematic Universe fandom in the wake of Kevin Feige’s previously-impenetrable franchise disappointing even its most ardent supporters again and again and again.
The three worst-reviewed installment in the 31-film series – as well as its four weakest performers on CinemaScore – have all been released since November of 2021, while the MCU’s seven steepest box office drops in terms of week-to-week earnings are comprised entirely of the septet to land in theaters immediately after Avengers: Endgame.
As a result, hype for the Multiverse Saga has taken a nosedive, with the sentiment beginning to grow that Feige may have finally bitten off more than he can chew with ambitious plans to drop anywhere up to 10 new projects a year across the big screen and Disney Plus, even if the top brass at the Mouse House have reportedly urged him to slow things down to focus on quantity over quality.
It was previously rumored that Avengers: The Kang Dynasty faced up to a 70 percent chance of being delayed, with a new slice of scuttlebutt intimating that The Marvels being pushed back from July to November is only going to be the tip of an iceberg designed to give the MCU some breathing space to deliver the best possible version of each upcoming title.
It’s worth noting that there’s been no confirmation or denial from Marvel Studios, but scaling things back to the more staggered release schedules of Phases past instead of overloading audiences with new offerings is the smartest move, considering that even those truly immersed and invested in the spandex-clad shenanigans are beginning to see their interest and excitement replaced by apathy.