No one can deny that Avengers: Endgame was the height of the MCU. The build-up toward it and the epic conclusion it delivered are still one of the most unforgettable moments in modern cinema, whether you’re a fan of it or not. And the truth is that its success was due to how well crafted the whole MCU was, since its conception, to when the curtains closed. Unfortunately, we can’t say the same for the current state of the MCU. Instead of building up hype for the final confrontation in Avengers: Doomsday, it decided to split everything across TV shows, animated series, and underwhelming films, and now it’s playing the nostalgia card to hopefully salvage what these phases could have been.
The Ones Who Started It All
Thanos once said, “You could not live with your own failure. Where did it bring you? Back to me.” I can’t help but play those lines in my head whenever I see a new trailer for Doomsday. Why, you ask? Well, in case you haven’t seen Avatar: Fire and Ash, which is where at least two of the Avengers: Doomsday trailers are playing, both of them show two of the heroes that kickstarted the Avengers, mainly Thor and — hang on to your shield — Captain America.
In the case of the former, it doesn’t surprise me. After the monumental disappointment that Love and Thunder was, it’s great to see Thor back to his serious self, hopefully, and in a way that really fits his character. However, my biggest gripe and the thing that made me realize that these MCU phases are on the brink of collapse, hence the nostalgia card, is Captain America.
In case you’re the only living soul who hasn’t watched Endgame, then you should know that Rogers stored his shield somewhere, spent time with Peggy Carter, and lived a fulfilling life. Now, we see him in a new trailer, looking at his old suit, holding a baby, and with the well-known “[Insert Hero Here] Will Return in Avengers: Doomsday” title.
Any other time, I would have cheered at the sight of that. Tony Stark and Steve Rogers carried most of the MCU phases on their shoulders, so it was tough to see them retire. Yet, there has been zero build-up to these comebacks, which makes many audience members go, “What the heck is happening?”
A Mess of a Saga
The truth is that these reveals aren’t hitting that sweet MCU spot because they are coming out of nowhere. While many were excited to see RDJ trade one mask for another, it’s strange to see him as Dr. Doom. And before you hit me with the “actually” card, remember, the MCU, while tailored toward Marvel fans, managed to attract a bigger audience thanks to how easy the movies were to understand and how cohesive the majority of them felt, to the point that even those who only knew a handful of the characters had a blast in Endgame, which leads me to my next point: the convoluted phases.
The Infinity Saga worked so well because it put everything in one format: feature films. If you wanted to learn what Tony Stark was up to, all you had to do was go to the cinema. And yes, there was still a somewhat convoluted chronology, two different Hulks, post-credit scenes you had to remember, but it was all in one place.
The Multiverse Saga is on streaming services, movies, and probably even a few episodes of some series. Those who know about the characters’ comic book counterparts are fine. Still, every time my family and I go to the movies, I end up explaining why Tony Stark might be Dr. Doom, why Captain America could be back, why the Loki series is one of the most important pieces of this Saga, and how the X-Men from the early 2000s might suddenly matter again. In short: it’s a big ol’ mess. Sure, the Multiverse is inherently convoluted, but the formats Marvel has chosen to explain this Saga aren’t exactly making it any easier to follow.
Not the Same Hype
Ultimately, I’m curious to see what will happen in Avengers: Doomsday, but it’s ironic to see that my curiosity beats my excitement, and that’s the case with many fans out there. Will the film be bad? It’s far too early to tell. The nostalgia boat has just sailed, and many fans are happy to be onboard. However, it just shows that the MCU doesn’t even know what to do with the new stories, as bringing back old heroes diminishes the impact of the new ones in recent films. Yet, seeing heroes who were left in the dust return is never bad, and if No Way Home managed to bring two beloved Spider-Men without eclipsing the new one, Doomsday could make this Multiverse mess finally make sense. Here’s hoping, anyway.
