While 2023 may have been a dull year for Marvel’s massive legion of fans, the onset of 2024 brings new beginnings, holiday cheer and most importantly, several much-anticipated releases over the coming 12 months. The continuation of beloved sagas such as “Deadpool” and “Venom” promises to serve as redemption for what was a disastrous year for Marvel Studios, with scandals, flops, behind-the-scenes drama and poorly-curated storylines derailing what was billed to be a promising 2023 for the movie giant. For instance, the studio commenced its ‘Phase 5’ of movies and TV shows based on characters from the original comics, but many of these sagas were massive flops on-screen and left much in doubt when it came to the future of Marvel. However, said renewal of fan favorites and the introduction of new storylines based around their famed ‘multiverse’ concept has critics and fans alike hopeful for a strong year at the box office for the beloved studio.
For one, the highly successful “Deadpool” and “Venom” franchises, which feature darker, anti-hero type characters, have proven to be a massive success for Marvel, with each grossing over $1 billion worldwide. This has led to widespread anticipation for the third edition of both these films, and fans speculate that these will help right the ship for the embattled studio.
“I was a really big fan of “Deadpool” 1 and 2, and so I’m really hoping that the third movie slams it out of the park as well,” Lambert junior Moksh Vyas said. “If it does, then I’m pretty hopeful that Marvel will make a comeback.”
The prospect of these unique sagas being continued has fans optimistic of a brighter future for Marvel in the cinema world. The anti-hero dimension to these franchises serves as a refreshing deviation from the traditional superhero archetype, giving fans a new perspective and hopefully sparking renewed interest in Marvel’s content. Such developments have only served to validate fans’ hopes that 2024 will be a roaring comeback for the studio after a disastrous year on screen.
Furthermore, the addition of new sagas based around Marvel’s ‘multiverse’ concept bodes the possibility of creating novel yet familiar storylines for fans to immerse in. While they all tie into the concept of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), tying these new threads to a common phenomenon, they add further depth and dimension to the multiverse and could serve as a vivid addition to the existing cast of characters.
“Marvel’s shows can be a hit or miss sometimes, but usually they add a new perspective not seen on the big screen,” Lambert junior Samanyu Badam said.
With new shows like “Echo”, “Daredevil: Born Again” and “Eyes of Wakanda” on the horizons for eager viewers, the chance to focus on individual characters as well as introduce new ones only serves to enrich the MCU and its storylines. Marvel’s major movies often feature a wide variety of characters and often focus on one central conflict rather than individual storylines, the latter of which is explored more frequently in Marvel’s serials. This makes these more specialized shows all the more valuable to fans in gaining insights into specific characters as well as examining how new additions to the universe tie into the larger narrative.
While 2023 may have been a rough year for Marvel and its fans, the upcoming months serve as an opportunity to rebound from past disappointments for the studio. Upcoming releases featuring characters old and new further the possibility that Marvel is primed for a comeback year. In the end, only time will tell whether Marvel’s lineup for 2024 breaks their downward trend or serves to further it.
