As superhero fatigue envelops movie-going audiences, producer Kevin Feige feels the pressure and reveals his desperation.
Information regarding the fifth Avengers film, “Avengers: Doomsday,” has largely been kept under wraps. At the 2024 San Diego Comic Con, directors Anthony and Joe Russo announced the role of Doctor Victor Von Doom would be played by none other than former “Iron Man” actor Robert Downey Jr. His return to the MCU is nothing short of nostalgia-baiting. The same can be said for much of the now announced cast for “Avengers: Doomsday.”
Feige revealed the cast via an excessive five-and-a-half-hour-long YouTube livestream. The stream began out of nowhere and displayed a director’s chair with Chris Hemsworth’s name, confirming that Thor will be returning in the next Avengers film. He is the only person besides Tom Hiddleston’s Loki from the original “Avengers” that will return. The list goes on to reveal many of the “Thunderbolts*” cast to be returning, along with Anthony Mackie’s Captain America and Joaquin Torres’ Falcon.
All seemed to be well for the casting. Perhaps Feige was going to focus on telling a good story of a ragtag team of heroes, much like the original film did; however, that probably would not make as much money though without some headline-worthy cameos and nostalgia-casting.
The move follows a similar path as other releases with castings from previous decades. “Spider-Man: No Way Home” told a multiversal story that included Andrew Garfield’s and Tobey Maguire’s iterations of Spider-Man. “Deadpool and Wolverine” featured long-sought Channing Tatum’s Gambit, Jennifer Gardner reprising her role as Elektra, the return of Wesley Snipes’ Blade and a cameo from Chris Evans’ Human Torch. “Spider-Man: No Way Home” earned $1.9 billion at the global box office, and “Deadpool and Wolverine” made $1.3 billion globally. While they performed well at the box office, these movies have aged poorly upon home video release, where there is no one clapping while Garfield pauses for his reintroduction or Gambit steps out of the shadows.
Due to the financial success of these films, it came as no surprise when the stream revealed chairs for Patrick Stewart, Kelsey Grammar, James Marsden, Ian McKellen, Alan Cumming and Rebecca Romijn. These actors played a role in the early 2000s “X-Men” films. Their inclusion marks Feige’s continued overreliance on film adaptations rather than offering a new interpretation of the classic comic book characters.
The cast sits at 27 members, including the Fantastic Four. Feige needs to understand that this is not “Avengers: Infinity War” or “Avengers: Endgame.” There has been no storytelling warranting the inclusion of these characters. It is a cheap ploy at catharsis, and it overwhelms audiences.
Rather than relying on an extensive roster, Feige should develop the Fantastic Four and create a definitive Avengers roster to fight against Doctor Doom. The nostalgia needs to end.
The Fantastic Four are Marvel’s first family, and Doctor Doom is their arch-nemesis. The story does not require a global catastrophe when Doom has not even been introduced to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The first family deserves a good story that does not rely on the audience erupting in applause every thirty seconds to be considered good.
English
Spanish