Improving The MCU: A Necessary Evolution For Marvel's Cinematic Universe

Felix Dubois

4 min read

Post on May 04, 2025

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Revitalizing Storytelling & Character Development

The MCU's early success was built on compelling characters and unique storylines. However, a perceived formulaic approach in recent years has led to criticisms of repetitiveness. Improving the MCU requires a renewed focus on originality and creative risk-taking.

Addressing Formulaic Plots

Many recent MCU projects have been criticized for following a predictable three-act structure, often culminating in a large-scale CGI battle. This formulaic approach, while sometimes effective, can lead to a sense of predictability and a lack of originality. To address this:

• Introduce more diverse genres: Explore horror, comedy, or even musical elements within the superhero framework.
• Embrace complex narratives: Move beyond simple good vs. evil dichotomies, exploring moral ambiguities and nuanced character motivations.
• Focus on character-driven arcs: Prioritize character development over plot-driven narratives, allowing characters to evolve and change organically throughout the story. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings offers a strong example of a character-driven narrative, while some Avengers films have been criticized for prioritizing spectacle over character development.

Deeper Character Exploration

The MCU needs characters with relatable flaws, complex backstories, and compelling internal conflicts. While characters like Peter Parker and Wanda Maximoff have demonstrated depth, others remain underdeveloped. To improve this aspect:

• Explore personal struggles: Delve deeper into the personal lives and struggles of characters, revealing their vulnerabilities and insecurities.
• Embrace moral ambiguities: Allow characters to make difficult choices with significant consequences, blurring the lines between good and evil.
• Develop complex relationships: Create multi-faceted relationships between characters, exploring both friendships and rivalries with greater nuance. Prioritizing diverse and well-represented characters is also essential for fostering inclusivity and authenticity.

Enhancing the Interconnectedness of the Multiverse

The introduction of the multiverse presents both challenges and opportunities for improving the MCU. While it offers exciting possibilities, it also requires careful management to avoid narrative confusion.

Streamlining the Narrative

The sheer scale of the MCU's multiverse can be overwhelming. To enhance the viewing experience:

• Better integrate storylines: Create clearer connections between films and series, ensuring that events in one project have meaningful consequences in others.
• Improve the pacing of the multiverse storyline: Avoid information dumps and ensure that the multiverse concept is gradually revealed in a way that is both engaging and understandable.
• Maintain thematic consistency: Establish overarching themes and motifs that unite the diverse projects within the multiverse, creating a cohesive narrative experience.

Exploring the Multiverse's Potential

The multiverse concept holds immense untapped potential for storytelling innovation:

• Introduce fresh characters: Explore alternate versions of existing characters or introduce entirely new characters from different realities.
• Explore alternate realities and timelines: Use the multiverse to explore "what if" scenarios and create unique storylines with unexpected twists and turns.
• Foster creative crossovers: Enable unexpected collaborations and creative crossovers between characters and storylines from different eras and realities. This offers a fantastic opportunity to introduce fresh ideas and expand on existing lore.

Improving the Production Quality & Visual Effects

Maintaining a high level of production quality is essential for the MCU's continued success. Consistency in visual style and high-quality CGI are crucial elements.

Maintaining Consistent Visual Style

While individual creative visions are important, a cohesive visual style across all MCU projects is crucial.

• Establish a visual guideline: Create a style guide that outlines the overall look and feel of the MCU, ensuring consistency across different projects while allowing for individual creative interpretations.
• Balance creative freedom with brand consistency: Allow individual directors and filmmakers to express their creative visions while adhering to a consistent visual language that defines the MCU brand.
• Learn from successful examples: Analyze the visual style of critically acclaimed MCU projects and apply those best practices to future productions.

Refining CGI and VFX

While the MCU has pushed the boundaries of visual effects, some projects have been criticized for overly reliant or poorly executed CGI.

• Invest in advanced VFX technologies: Utilize cutting-edge technology and techniques to create more realistic and believable visual effects.
• Prioritize quality over quantity: Focus on creating high-quality visual effects, even if it means reducing the overall number of effects shots.
• Employ skilled and experienced VFX artists: Ensure that the best talent in the industry is employed to create the highest standard of visual effects.

Conclusion

Improving the MCU requires a multifaceted approach focusing on revitalizing storytelling, enhancing multiverse integration, and improving production quality. By addressing the issues discussed above – from formulaic plots to inconsistent visual styles – Marvel can ensure the continued success and longevity of its cinematic universe. The MCU's future depends on its ability to adapt and evolve, embracing new creative directions while remaining true to its core values. How can we further improve the MCU? What are your ideas for improving the Marvel Cinematic Universe's future? Let's discuss how to improve the MCU together!