By Darius
Two days ago, I watched Marvel's new release, Thunderbolts* (yes, with an asterisk in the title), in a Hong Kong cinema. Rest assured, no spoilers here; the film is quite standard and doesn't stand out, but the viewing experience was relatively good. The humor and serious plot elements are well-connected, and the storyline is neither excessive nor forced. In the past, I wouldn't say this is an excellent work, but considering Marvel's recent offerings, it dramatically stands out.
Isn't it... ironic?
As we all know, since the release of Avengers: Endgame, Marvel's subsequent productions have largely been underwhelming. This phenomenon is not only due to the departure of iconic characters like Captain America, Iron Man, and Black Widow, but also reflects the strategic missteps of the entire film company.
Let's set aside huge flops like Madame Web and Captain Marvel 2, and examine visually stunning projects like Eternals and the performance of the second (or third?) Captain America which also fails to impress.
Some attribute the failure of these works to excessive compromise with "political correctness," while others believe Marvel's new characters lack originality, leading to a diminished audience interest compared to the original Avengers. Moreover, some point out that the special effects in Marvel films are deteriorating; for example, the flower scene in Captain America 4 shows clear green screen traces, and petals fail to drift past live-action actors, only appearing in scenes with CGI.
In my view, this reflects the natural cycle of rise and fall; when Marvel became complacent with the success of the Avengers, they did not adequately plan for the departure of the older characters. They aimed to create a different cinematic universe while still catering to old fans, choosing to highlight the connections between old and new characters for familiarity.
However, the differentiation between these characters is insufficient: before watching Thunderbolts, my impression of the second Black Widow (Yelena) was merely as "the first Black Widow's sidekick," let alone her rival, the "Taskmaster," or the villain "Ghost" from Ant-Man 2.
And I consider myself someone interested in superhero movies! Marvel, where has your audience engagement gone?
This approach may retain some old fans, but it is not friendly to newcomers; new characters seem like mere appendages to the past, failing to stand on their own.
With Thunderbolts*, however, a group of underwhelming characters has been assembled, transforming into Marvel's version of Suicide Squad, establishing new character identities with a relatively humorous tone. Perhaps Marvel will eventually realize that being overly cautious and considering too many factors does not lead to great works; the simplest and most direct methods are what can truly bring out popular superheroes.
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