The Admission of Failure
Since the success of Avengers Endgame, Marvel is facing difficulties in restarting the MCU machine. Phase 4 was not well received, and the fifth phase, which began with Ant-Man and the Wasp Quantumania, did not fare much better. In fact, this third Ant-Man film received mixed reviews from critics, with an average score of only 48% on Metacritic.
Despite this, Marvel had some success at the box office, earning $446 million. However, it was the reception from the press and the audience that posed a challenge for the film company. Joann Robinson, author of the book “MCU: The Reign of Marvel Studios,” recently revealed some interesting information about the situation.
The Cold Shower
During an interview about her book, Joann Robinson made an intriguing statement about Ant-Man and the Wasp Quantumania: Marvel was confident in their approach until they realized they had missed the mark. This failure made Marvel take a step back and recognize the slowing momentum of the MCU. According to Robinson, the disappointment with Quantumania shook Marvel, and the upcoming Secret Invasion project may have shaken them even more.
“They are aware of what is happening to their brand. From what I understand, after talking to some people, Quantumania really shook them and I’m sure Secret Invasion shook them even more. But Quantumania really shocked them because they felt like they had done something right. Because they were all internally thinking, ‘Everyone is going to love this.’ And then they released it and people didn’t like it.”
The Uncertain Future
Naturally, there are questions about the future of the MCU and the direction it will take. Joanna Robinson discusses the possibility of a soft reboot in her book, suggesting that it could occur after the film Avengers: Secret Wars, which is planned for 2027 and will conclude Phase VI. The future remains uncertain…
