After Avengers: Endgame, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has hardly seen any big profits or a blockbuster film that fans have been talking about for months. Marvel Studios has not been able to regain popularity despite its story or new series of superheroes. However, with the release of Deadpool and Wolverine approaching, statistics suggest that this could be the one film that can revive the fortunes of the MCU.
Will this film single-handedly act as a revival and does it have the capability to single-handedly lift the now shattered box office ratings of the superhero franchise? Keep reading to find out.
Destruction of the MCU
Comic book fans, like me, are crazy and excited to hear new news about not just the MCU but the DCEU as well. In the days when Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame were released, the hype was real as fans thronged the theatres, even for 3 am shows.
However, it was undoubtedly a big task for Marvel Studios to deliver something as promising as the above two films in the future, when expectations were already very high.
Talking about the TV series segment, after Endgame, the studio did well with WandaVision, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Loki (both seasons) and even Hawkeye. Especially when the first season of What If…? aired, people were surprised.
However, since then the studio has faced a string of disappointments. Whether it was TV series or movies, audiences had higher expectations than anything else. Gradually, many people began to think that “Marvel is over.”
While some fans were still hoping for a good movie, they were disappointed by the unnecessary jokes featured in these superhero movies, especially in Thor: Love and Thunder.
This is a demi-god who has the actual power of lightning, imagine if Love and Thunder was a serious movie like the first installment of Thor and didn’t have kids getting attacked at the end of the movie. The movie wasted a potential actor as well as the talent of Christian Bale’s character of Gorr. The same fate befell Cate Blanchett’s Hela in Ragnarok, who even made Hulk look ridiculous.
However, Phase Four was still saved with entries like Spider-Man: No Way Home, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
But then came Phase Five, which began with Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantamania. While many were eager to see the new big villain, Jonathan Majors’ Kang the Conqueror, on screen, the film failed to please audiences. On top of all this, the actor and writer’s strike also affected the studio to a great extent.
Guardians of the Galaxy: Volume 3 was the only big hit in Marvel’s fifth phase, with the remaining films stagnating the studio’s growth, and a new term called superhero fatigue acting as a serious downer.
However, there’s still hope that the glory days of the Marvel Cinematic Universe will return with the release of Deadpool and Wolverine.
Can Deadpool and Wolverine save the MCU?
There was no hope of any promise from Marvel for a very long time. However, since Deadpool and Wolverine, two of the most loved superhero characters have been brought back to the screen, fans are hopeful of the old days that they saw in the theatres. Although this mouthy mercenary comes up with a lot of jokes, they are not silly but rather deep and sometimes questionable.
Well, he’s not alone, as Hugh Jackman will also star alongside Ryan Reynolds’ antihero. Now that the film is just a few weeks away from release, some recent projections suggest the film will do well at the box office, indicating an opening gross of over $160 million in the US, reports BBC.
This is more than what Inside Out 2 has earned, which is currently the flagship film for 2024. The X-Men were always missing from the MCU timeline, and now that Disney has acquired the rights to these characters, the hype is at its peak.
On top of that, they’re bringing back two of the most fascinating on-screen characters in the history of mutants. That said, bringing back Jackman, who got his claws in the 2017 film Logan, is already proving to be a huge windfall.
All of this points in the right direction. Now, the fate of the film will be decided only after its release. However, even if it revives the MCU, will it last long?
Let us answer this as well.
Future MCU Projects
Deadpool and Wolverine have the potential to bring CBM fans to the big screen. However, there are still many big films ahead of us.
Recently, we all saw the teaser of Anthony Mackie’s Captain America: Brave New World. The clip not only introduced us to a new Captain America but also to a world-shaking character of Red Hulk. Moreover, the character being discussed here will be played by none other than the legendary Harrison Ford.
This gets everyone even more excited, as in the teaser, it appears that the body of Celestial Tiamut from Eternals has also returned.
Along with this, Thunderbolts will also be seen on the big screen soon. It will feature Florence Pugh as Black Widow, Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes, Wyatt Russell as John Walker aka US Agent and many potential characters on screen again.
Wait! There’s still more to talk about. We’ve already been introduced to the X-Men animated series, however, the live-action project is still awaited. But… we do know the date for the MCU’s first superhero family, The Fantastic Four, which is July 25, 2025.
The film stars a stellar cast including Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards aka Mister Fantastic, Vanessa Kirby as Susan Storm aka Invisible Woman, Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm aka Human Torch, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm aka The Thing.
The film has also announced the Silver Surfer, who will be a woman this time, played by Julia Garner. On the other hand, the planet eater Galactus will be played by Ralph Ineson.
Deadpool and Wolverine is set to release in theaters on July 26, 2024. Grab a bucket of popcorn and get ready to witness a potential resurrection of the massive movie franchise by Marvel Jesus.
Also read: Who is Shalla-Bal in Marvel’s The Fantastic Four? Everything you need to know about her
