I’m officially a half-century old, which still feels weird to type. I grew up reading comic books when the idea of full-blown Marvel and DC movie franchises wasn’t even on my radar. It was always one of those “man, it’d be cool if…” thoughts. I never really believed we’d get here.
That’s probably why, when I look at the last 20 years, I feel a deeper appreciation for what we’ve actually been given. I know online chatter makes it sound like everything is either trash or a masterpiece, and I also know the internet is a terrible litmus test for reality. Still, the sheer quality and consistency of comic book movies and streaming compared to what came before is kind of wild.
I get why people are critical. Movies are expensive now, especially if you’re taking a family. But speaking only for myself, I’m grateful for any and every comic book movie that’s been put in front of me. Even the ones that miss. Especially the ones that try.
With Marvel in particular, yeah, there have been some real stinkers. Thor: The Dark World and Marvel’s Secret Invasiondidn’t exactly set my soul on fire. But there’s also been solid work that got kneecapped by the mood of the fandom. The Marvels and Ironheart come to mind. Timing and perception matter more than we like to admit.
If we’re being honest, most Marvel swings have landed in the “above average” range. We look back at the Infinity Saga, from Iron Man to Avengers: Endgame, like it was wall-to-wall perfection. It wasn’t. Outside of a few standouts like The Avengers and the Captain America trilogy, a lot of those movies earned their reputation over time. There’s been a ton of revisionist history driven by nostalgia.
I’m hoping that same thing happens for the post-Infinity Saga era. WandaVision already feels like it’s aging especially well.
Right now, though, I’m a little uneasy about Avengers: Doomsday. It feels like a response to a restless fanbase that doesn’t fully know what it wants, and I absolutely include myself in that group. What we’re really chasing isn’t quality. It’s emotion. We’re trying to recreate how those early movies made us feel, and that’s not something you can manufacture twice.
You can look at Doomsday as a love letter, a proper send-off before Marvel moves forward. Or you can see it as a retreat, pulling back actors and directors who said they were done, reacting to short-term noise instead of long-term vision. Both reads feel valid.
I’ll admit, the Russo Brothers’ non-Marvel track record hasn’t blown me away. Cherry, The Gray Man, and The Electric State didn’t hit for me, which is strange because some of my favorite MCU films were Russo-directed. Maybe it’s not just them. Maybe it’s the mix of the Russos plus the right Marvel creatives that makes that magic work.
What I really hope is that Avengers: Secret Wars takes a page from Jonathan Hickman’s comic run and gives this era a meaningful, earned ending. A real closing chapter. After that, I want Marvel to go fully fresh. New characters, new tones, new risks. The comics are overflowing with incredible stories, and I’m still excited to see where they go next.
