It’s been three years since Thanos was defeated and Tony Stark and other beloved Avengers died in the highest grossing film of all time, Avengers: Endgame. 

    With Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame grossing over four billion dollars, many fans of the comic movie franchise question if Marvel can ever reach the same heights. Without beloved characters such as Iron Man and Steve Rogers, can Marvel achieve pre Infinity War and Endgame interest?

     With new television series and a number of character origin movies, Phase 4 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) tackles the aftermath of the events of the two previous movies. Beginning with Marvel’s first TV series WandaVision, and ending with this year’s highly anticipated Black Panther sequel Wakanda Forever, MCU’s Phase 4 has been both loved and hated by many die hard fans. 

     “Phase 4 is the most unfocused/messiest phase ever.” writes Twitter user @DegernatAlpha. This isn’t the only Marvel fan who is dissatisfied with the direction of the MCU. Fans have taken to Twitter, Reddit, and TikTok to express their growing disinterest in Marvel. Many are calling this distaste a result of “Marvel fatigue.” Containing 7 TV series and 7 movies, Phase 4 has more content than any other previous MCU Phase. With movies and TV series releasing at the same time, many fans are having a hard time keeping up.

     This fatigue is not only felt by die hard fans but also in box office sales. Phase 4 films from 2021 like Eternals, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, and Black Widow did not generate nearly as much as previous Marvel films. Most notably, Thor: Love and Thunder, which was Marvel’s 2022 summer release, grossed nearly $145 million during its opening weekend, but dropped in sales by nearly 70% the following weekend. Is this a sign that Marvel’s success is unsustainable? The content in recent MCU films isn’t being received well by critics either. 2021’s Eternals was expected to be a massive hit with stars such as Angelina Jolie and Salma Hayek and academy award winning director Chloé Zhao, yet it was given a 47% Rotten Tomatoes score. The movie took the title as the lowest rated Marvel film on Rotten Tomatoes. Not even star actresses or award winning directors can save Marvel. 

     It’s hard to know where Marvel will turn next. Many are hoping that Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will turn the tide for the blockbuster franchise. Early critics are already calling the movie “Marvel’s Magnum Opus.” As the closing title of MCU Phase 4, many are hoping that it ends Marvel’s content plethora.