MCU’s Movies And TV Shows That Are Simply UNNECESSARY
Not even Spider-Man anymore, so there’s progress, but upon further reflection, I realized that there are plenty of other thematically unnecessary productions in the Universe than this weak spawn of superhero cinema, which is at least somehow tied to the main storyline being spun, albeit forcibly, in the MCU. It’s not entirely about the technical quality of the discussed titles, but their integration into the story. Unfortunately, as the MCU became more advanced in its narrative, so-called cinematic cameos began to occur more frequently, involving secondary characters, but allowing them to play out their own little stories. Consequently, there was an effort to retroactively connect them with some event in the MCU, which looked artificial. At the same time, there was no high quality to these films to at least defend themselves against criticism with their artistry. And so the MCU gradually heads nowhere. Below are 10 examples that contribute nothing to the universe, although they themselves may be interesting and should function outside the MCU.
Werewolf by Night, 2022, dir. Michael Giacchino
I’ll start with a production that has the least to do with the MCU, yet is one of the best in terms of artistry within Marvel’s stable. Worth noting are the form, editing, narration, and acting, especially by Gael García Bernal and Laura Donnelly. Werewolf by Night is a worthy nod to ghost and monster films from the first half of the 20th century, but made with 21st-century technical adjustments. I treat this production as an experiment, not a part of the MCU. The 50-minute short film tells a separate story about a gathering of monster hunters who come together to honor a fallen leader and decide who will be the next main Hunter. However, not everything goes as planned. If any of you haven’t seen this production and want to watch it just because of the MCU, you better not. There’s literally nothing in it that relates to the Universe. But if someone wants to watch the film for its value, I encourage it, especially the scene with blood flowing down the screen is noteworthy, but the whole story also proves that Marvel can make good films outside the MCU.
Black Widow, 2021, dir. Cate Shortland
Just a reminder, in 2019, Black Widow met her demise on the planet Vormir, sacrificing herself so that Hawkeye could obtain the Soul Stone, ultimately enabling the Avengers to reverse Thanos’s snap. The full-length film Black Widow was therefore the only MCU title released after the death of its titular hero in the main timeline of the Universe. So what did it bring to the MCU as a whole? Apart from purely encyclopedic information about Black Widow, nothing. Therefore, the MCU can function perfectly fine without it. There’s no necessity to watch it. Black Widow is part of the fourth phase of the MCU, but its action takes place at the beginning of the third phase, right after the events of the Civil War.
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, 2021, showrunner: Malcolm Spellman
A product made purely for commercial reasons, although here I have doubts whether it really paid off, because the critics’ reviews aren’t that great. Falcon and the Winter Soldier have always been superheroes who aren’t fully super. They were kept in the background to support the main heroes. Even the serial antagonist – Baron Zemo – is an enemy worthy of the protagonists. Everything in the series is just like that, not entirely superheroic. So why was The Falcon and the Winter Soldier made? The explanation that they needed to introduce a new Captain America is senseless because since Endgame, we know whom Rogers chose as his successor. And by the way, something serious must have happened to him during those time travels if he chose Falcon.
Moon Knight, 2022, dir. Jeremy Slater
I don’t recall any of the Moon Knight characters appearing in any other title within the MCU or being mentioned in it. As for the latter, if someone ever mentioned them, they must have done so very discreetly. So I’m waiting for your suggestions because maybe I missed something. Some echo in my head tells me that perhaps there was some information about Moon Knight in Black Panther. However, for now, Moon Knight is such an odd part of the Universe for me that it’s unclear why it’s even included in this family. It’s not just about its content but also its quality. It’s one of the best superhero series ever made in the history of this genre.
She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, 2022, showrunner: Jessica Gao
I’ve already expressed my thoughts several times on the quality of CGI in the series. In 2022, as part of the MCU, it’s unacceptable. I also have the impression that introducing the character of She-Hulk into the MCU is a desperate attempt to compensate for the lack of a production involving Hulk. However, he’s not a character captivating or “playable” enough to warrant more space. What happened within the MCU in 2008 is already sufficient, and even then, it’s not of great importance to the Universe. She-Hulk as a lawyer is rather something manifestational, made without any connection to the MCU, but only to show that a female superhero can handle herself in this world. But we already know that – we have the fierce Captain Marvel after all. So, I don’t see a deeper meaning in She-Hulk’s existence within the MCU.
Marvels, 2023, dir. Nia DaCosta
The Kree storyline was sufficiently closed in Captain Marvel. Why dig it up forcefully? Why use already worn-out tricks with interdimensional travel, especially when we had a mature version of it in Doctor Strange? I see the film as a promotional product that was supposed to give Captain Marvel a bit more screen time, even though she had her own standalone movie. However, both the acting and the narrative are a failure. We won’t experience any deeper relationships between the characters, and the acting issues are delivered like in a school play. It’s important to make an appearance, fight a bit, and of course, win, but after so many blows, it looks comical and unnatural. Another unbearable issue generally plaguing Marvel is the episodic nature of adventures. Something begins, lasts, ends, and we don’t get a sensible continuation, but instead, there’s a persistent attempt to prove that somewhere in the past, there’s some connection to the next insignificant event in the MCU.
Incredible Hulk, 2008, dir. Louis Leterrier
From today’s perspective, it’s clear how much the MCU has changed since 2008, as has the superhero film genre itself. The world of cinema has also changed, particularly in terms of its capabilities. This is evident, for example, in the elaborate fight sequence between Hulk and Abomination, where the creators insisted on showing their facial expressions done in CGI. It didn’t look good. Even today, creating lifelike representations of well-known beings still presents difficulties according to the psychological principle of the “uncanny valley“. At that time, perhaps Marvel still thought that the MCU would take a different form, so making The Incredible Hulk made sense. However, today there’s no trace in the Universe of the characters from that film; even Hulk has evolved, and no one is interested in him as the hero of another standalone film. Most of the basic information introduced in The Incredible Hulk is relatively simple. Therefore, there’s no necessity to even watch this version of Banner’s adventures, hoping for some knowledge to help understand the MCU.
Hawkeye, 2021, dir. Jonathan Igla
From the beginning, it has always been difficult for me to see any real spark of superheroism in him, which is based on superhuman abilities, of course, compared to other Avengers members. Hawkeye himself is clearly more capable than 99.9 percent of the human population. Therefore, he could easily function outside the MCU, and the gap left by him would be quickly filled. Hawkeye is a small thread in the MCU, focusing mainly on the cooperation between Clint Barton and Kate Bishop. In the background, it’s the Christmas holidays, so it’s kind of a holiday series. Hawkeye and his protege spend it on the run from Kingpin’s henchmen. There isn’t much time to train Bishop, but tell me, what does it matter for the MCU? Will the world cease to exist? Will another Thanos appear? Maybe I missed something, but what new (and important) thread in the Universe does this series develop?
Inhumans, 2017, creator: Scott Buck
Does anyone even recognize this series as part of the MCU? And overall, are the Inhumans more science fiction or perhaps more fantasy? Generally, the series can be called a big flop for Marvel. Not only did it receive low ratings, but their number on sites like IMDB is shocking. It’s no better on Rotten Tomatoes, where the reviews are very “green.” The connection to the main MCU storylines is also minimal, unless the death of Anson Mount’s character in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness has any significance for us. Scarlet Witch killed him quite spectacularly, first erasing his lips, and then directing his own voice to his brain, which turned to mush in a split second. There are no other significant connections between the Inhumans and the MCU.
Iron Fist, 2017, creator: Scott Buck
The explanation that the belonging of such series to the MCU is due to the possibility that some superhero appearing in them will appear in the Universe in the future is just plain silly. It’s like making a Superman movie as part of Marvel’s activities, explaining to viewers that the title with this superhero was made because he might miraculously transfer from the DCEU to the MCU someday. For now, Iron Fist is an unnecessary product, and he himself is not outstanding, even compared to characters from the MCU. To make matters worse, the series was the worst-received title created as part of the Marvel-Netflix partnership. Both critics and fans have sharply criticized the weak acting, script, and fight sequences. The ratings on Rotten Tomatoes prove this, and it’s not fantastic on IMDB either.
Odys Korczyński