I fell off the MCU hard after "Avengers: Endgame" — and I'm far from the only one. Marvel has struggled to regain its momentum post-Thanos snap, a fact made crystal clear last year when Robert Downey Jr. was announced to rejoin the franchise.
Between a convoluted jumble of multiversal plotlines and TV spin-offs, the prominent exit of the MCU's next big bad, and extensive reshoots that left big-ticket sequels like "Captain America: Brave New World" a hot mess, the MCU is facing a reckoning.
Don't think that the MCU's stumbling means audiences are any less hungry for superhero flicks. The success of James Gunn’s “Superman” proves there's still a strong appetite for caped crusaders. It's the highest-grossing solo Superman film to date after earning $292.4 million domestically at the box office, overtaking the $291 million total of the 2013 "Man of Steel."
The critical success of recent MCU entries like "Thunderbolts" is a promising sign that Marvel may be close to finding its groove again. After seeing "The Fantastic Four: First Steps" in the theaters, I'm confident Marvel can keep this momentum going — but only if it commits to getting weirder from here on out.
When it comes to the MCU, weird works. That much was clear even before "Endgame." Taika Waititi's "Thor Ragnarok" was a huge middle finger to the previous Thor movies, steeped in '80s rock opera camp with a comedic bent. It injected new life into one of the most underdeveloped Avengers after his snoozefest of a second film.
In that same vein, "Wandavision" is the jewel of the MCU's catalogue of shows on Disney Plus, and it marked a stark departure for the franchise with its mix of sitcom shenanigans, fourth-wall breaking, and horror vibes. I wasn't surprised to learn the show's director, Matt Shakman, is in the director's chair for "First Steps, because both the TV show and the movie share a seriously impressive commitment to a distinct aesthetic.
With the Fantastic Four's track record of big-screen adaptations, I wasn't looking forward to this summer's "The Fantastic Four: First Steps." Then I saw the trailer, and I was immediately sold on the look, if nothing else. As a huge "Fallout" fan, the retro-futuristic aesthetic instantly caught my attention.
Marvel was able to craft such a unique style for "First Steps" because it's set on a new Earth apart from the rest of the MCU, one where the Space Age never came to a close. And that fact shines through in every shot of this strange, colorful retrofuturistic version of Manhattan. It feels straight out of a comic book, a fever dream of mod fashion, Flash-Gordon-inspired rocket ships, flying cars, and midcentury modern pizzazz. It's visually distinct from anything in the MCU we've seen so far, and I sincerely hope it paves the way for even more stylish (and strange) versions of Earth in future MCU outings.
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