Has phase four release schedule played into narrative over ‘declining’ MCU?

There’s been a lot of talk about how the MCU has been in decline in Phase 4, due to disappointment over several recent projects. For the record, I don’t personally subscribe to this view - I think Phase 4 has had some good bits and some not-so-good bits, just like all the previous phases.

But has the timing of the latest releases played into that narrative, particularly among fans who prefer darker, more serious fare from Marvel?

She-Hulk and Thor: L&T, speaking objectively, are certainly both at the lighter end of the MCU spectrum. MoM, while a lot darker than L&T, was still pretty camp. And Ms Marvel, due to its high school setting, could also appear to be lighter when compared to previous Disney+ shows (although I actually thought it had a lot of depth and maturity).

So we’ve had a spate of MCU releases that could all be considered more comedic and less serious than average.

But then you look at what’s coming next: in terms of films we’ve got Black Panther 2 and Quantumania - both of which could be decidedly more serious in tone. The former obviously deals with the death of a major and much-loved character, and the latter could potentially also involve a major death, while also properly introducing the Big Bad of the Multiverse Saga.

And then in terms of Disney+ shows we’ve got Secret Invasion and Echo, and all signs point to both of those being pretty serious dramas too.

I guess what I’m saying is that the narrative against Phase 4 has been allowed to build up in recent months at least partly due to a certain subset of fans feeling like they’re being repeatedly ignored and neglected - but if you look at the slate from November to next spring, there could be plenty of stuff coming up that should satisfy them.

submitted by /u/No_Imagination_2490
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