Star Wars And Marvel Are Just Homework Now, Make Them Feel Like Recess Again
When it comes to major Hollywood blockbuster franchises like Marvel and Star Wars, a lot of explanations have been thrown around for their declining ticket sales and critical reception. Theories such as superhero fatigue or oversaturation of the market with new Star Wars properties. But another really simple explanation? It is getting harder and harder to watch a new entry in either franchise without doing tons of homework first.
It Started So Simply
We are far removed from the days when the MCU allowed each of their individual superheroes to exist in their own little storylines and then join up for an occasional star-studded crossover. Now, every Marvel movie or TV show is a crossover. Meaning even if you are just interested in one particular hero, you could still be lost from going to see their latest movie because you did not see the movie that their sidekick was also in.
The Exact Moment It Happened
A perfect example of this is Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. One of the chief complaints about this movie was that it was confusing to find out why Scarlet Witch was suddenly a villain in the franchise. But that is because the movie makers assumed you had watched all nine episodes of WandaVision beforehand to witness her character shift.
Explain The X-Men And Try Not To Sound Insane Challenge
Even if you had seen that, you would also have needed to have seen the previous Avengers movies to understand the plot points referenced in the movie. Not to mention the cameos from the likes of Patrick Stewart reprising his role as Professor Xavier, which required you to be familiar with Fox’s X-Men films. Is this beginning to sound like work yet?
Star Wars Is Bloated
And it is no better on the Star Wars side of things. You wanted to check out The Book of Bobba Fett because you have heard how cool this bounty hunter character is? Well, first, you obviously have to start with the original Star Wars trilogy. Think you’re ready for The Book of Bobba Fett now? Nope! You actually need to watch The Mandalorian first to see Bobba Fett’s true return to the franchise.
Required Viewing
But don’t just YouTube the Bobba Fett scenes. You actually need to know all about the Mandalorian character, who is prominently featured in The Book of Bobba Fett. And just as an extra layer of complication, you will have cameos from characters like Cad Bane, who require you to watch The Clone Wars animated series to get his backstory.
Too Big To Not Fail
That is so many hours of preparation work just to watch that new show or movie everyone is talking about! Everyone is wondering why the latest Marvel or Star Wars property is declining in popularity. Maybe it is just because people are exhausted from having to watch hours upon hours of other stuff just to watch the thing that actually interested them, to begin with.
Self-Contained Movies
Remember the days when you could just get your buddies together and watch something like The Dark Knight, which only required one prior movie to understand? What happened to self-contained movies?
It is not often acknowledged how much of a nightmare it is for any new fan to try and dive into the MCU and Star Wars nowadays. Everything is either a multiverse or so interconnected that you need an online guide to understand where to even start watching. Maybe it is time to admit that the issue is not superhero fatigue or too much Star Wars but that both franchises have been turned into full-time jobs to enjoy now.
