Oh, how far the Marvel Cinematic Universe has come. From the humble beginnings of Edward Norton’s short-lived run as Hulk, to Tatiana Maslany’s twerk-happy turn as She-Hulk, the MCU is closing in on 15 years of some of the most beloved entertainment in recent history, and it shows no signs of slowing down.
As the franchise enters the prime of its adolescence, perhaps now is the perfect time to reflect on the change that has come with such age. In the last five years alone, we’ve seen departure after departure in the form of Chris Evans’ Captain America, Robert Downey Jr.’s Iron Man, Scarlett Johansson’s Black Widow, and, lest we forget, the original comic-centric opening sequence that has been lost to the more modern, flashier rendition featuring key characters and moments throughout the MCU.
Indeed, one nostalgic user over at r/marvelstudios stuck their neck out for this curious withdrawal, and, somehow, it caught the attention of quite a few of the subreddit’s more opinionated members.
One user identified the first opening as an ode to the MCU’s source material, while the modern one that we’re all now familiar with is more a dedication to the MCU itself, noting a preference for the first one as it seemed to symbolically usher in Marvel content to the big screen.
Another user admitted that this old intro leaves a sour taste in their mouth, now that it more closely resembles Sony’s library of Marvel content more than anything else, and, well, we all know why that’s not the best association these days.
One other responder joined the original poster on this side of the fence, lamenting how verbose the current one is, especially with how often it pops up during the Disney Plus shows.
Say what you will about the MCU, but this fanbase has a conversation for just about every single detail. No matter which way you swing it, that sort of dedication deserves to be commended.