The Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Phase 4 changes may have been controversial, but they might also be the best thing to ever happen to the franchise.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe Phase 4 made several changes to the franchise’s winning formula, which could have a terrific effect on future films in Phases 5 and beyond. After over a decade of dominating the box office and the superhero genre itself throughout the Infinity Saga, the MCU used Phase 4 as an opportunity to drastically alter its tone, expanding into many genres and corners of cinema that the franchise had never explored before. As controversial as some of these explorations might be, the MCU’s recent genre shift may be the key to the future of the franchise and superhero movies as a whole.
Phase 4 of the MCU received mixed reviews, with far more negative reactions to certain projects than the franchise typically garners. Although Phase 4 has seen some of the MCU’s greatest successes, like Spider-Man: No Way Home and WandaVision, it has also seen some of the lowest-rated projects of the franchise’s history, with Eternals becoming the first movie therein to earn a rotten score on Rotten Tomatoes. This pushback comes as the MCU begins to branch out into new territories, using projects like Ms. Marvel and Werewolf by Night to explore genres that were outside of the franchise’s wheelhouse, though such endeavors may become common practice in the near future.
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MCU Phase 4’s Genre Selection Open Its Audience Up To More Movie Types
The MCU’s exploration opens its audience to different movie genres. Fan expectations drive the reaction to MCU projects, making it understandable that the reaction to the franchise’s sudden shift was so divisive. While series like She-Hulk: Attorney at Law may feel tonally disconnected from other projects like Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, this disjointedness also serves to widen the horizons of the MCU and, by extension, its audience. After Phase 4, there are truly no limits to where Marvel movies can go, leaving the franchise open to explore any genre that best fits the story being told, and therefore giving the filmmakers greater creative freedom than ever before.
As divisive as reactions were to certain projects, Phase 4 improved the MCU immensely while also broadening the horizons of its viewers, who have now been exposed to different genres and methods of storytelling. In a recent interview, Joel Crawford, the director of the hit CGI animated film, Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, attributes the success of his movie to that of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, which introduced audiences to a new form of animation. Similarly, the success of Marvel’s more experimental projects could open the door for other similar films outside of the MCU to find a wide audience where they otherwise might have faded into obscurity.
How Phase 4’s Genre Expansion Was Worth Its Controversy
Recent Marvel movies and series may have been divisive, but Phase 4’s formula is perfect for the MCU moving forward, even with the controversy that inevitably follows experimentation. Not only has the MCU introduced its devoted followers to different genres like Werewolf by Night‘s horror or She-Hulk‘s legal comedy, but it has also potentially attracted new viewers in its expansion into untapped genres. By testing different modes of storytelling, the MCU has broadened its appeal, even if certain projects don’t end up connecting with everyone all the time. This brings a new level of longevity to the franchise’s fanbase, even if it ruffles feathers along the way.
Furthermore, while not always popular, Marvel’s recent changes managed to fix one of the Infinity Saga’s biggest criticisms in Phase 4 by making each film feel different and unique. Certain films leaned hard into comedy or horror, while others embraced wholly new genres. Likewise, certain projects succeeded while others failed as the MCU continued to explore new areas. Nevertheless, one constant remains throughout all of Phase 4’s films and series: each felt like its own story with a distinct style and tone. If Phase 5 keeps testing the waters with new ways of storytelling in various genres, the Marvel Cinematic Universe Phase 4 can cement its legacy in the franchise.
