Marvel Cinematic Universe‘s true peak happened five years ago, and not in 2019’s Avengers: Endgame. Much has been said about the Infinity Saga and its success. Kevin Feige and Marvel Studios had an incredible run that changed the landscape of Hollywood — both with regard to how both its business and creative aspects were operating. As the culminating project of the Infinity Saga, the record-breaking Avengers: Endgame was often regarded as when the MCU was at its peak.
Leading up to the culmination of the Infinity Saga, Marvel Studios released hit after hit. After 2016’s Captain America: Civil War, it rolled out a couple of billion-dollar solo films in Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck’s Captain Marvel and Ryan Coogler’s Black Panther. Then came Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. At this point, it seemed like Feige could do no wrong, with Joe and Anthony Russos’ double ensemble project delivering one of the most rewarding cinematic experiences ever.
Taking a closer look now, however, and it’s easy to see that it wasn’t simply the case. While it marked the end of an era for the MCU, considering that it wrapped up Thanos’ arc and functioned as the swan song for some of the original Avengers, Marvel Studios was able to maintain its success past 2019, and even build on it.
Marvel Studios Kicked Off Its TV Division With WandaVision In 2021
In light of Disney launching its own streaming service in 2020 with Disney+, Marvel Studios also expanded its storytelling to include small screen offerings. Granted that Marvel TV had existed back then, with shows on ABC such as Agent Carter and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., those were handled creatively by a different team. Disney+’s MCU projects would be managed by Feige and his team, which meant better connectivity with the wider MCU.
Originally, Anthony Mackie and Sebastian Stan’s The Falcon and the Winter Soldier was supposed to open Marvel Studios’ Disney+ content. However, because of external factors, particularly the filming restrictions brought about by COVID-19. Instead, the MCU kickstarted the Multiverse Saga with WandaVision, which was, arguably, a more apt way to do so. The show followed Wanda and Vision as they lived what seemed like their perfect life in Westview.
Why WandaVision Was The MCU’s True Peak
By the time WandaVison released in January 2021, Marvel Studios hadn’t released anything since 2019. After Avengers: Endgame, Jon Watts’ Spider-Man: Far From Home functioned as an epilogue to the Multiverse Saga. The intentional break that followed was extended by the unexpected COVID-19 resulted in over a year and a half hiatus for the franchise. So, leading to WandaVision‘s release, the public was primed to learn what Feige planned after the Infinity Saga.
Further driving the interest in the show was just how different it was from anything that Marvel Studios had done at that point. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier was more grounded in its storytelling, akin to Captain America: The Winter Soldier, which wasn’t bad, but WandaVision felt so new and fresh, it was the perfect way to open a new era for the MCU where anything can happen. It also addressed arguably the biggest criticisms of Infinity Saga, which was that it was formulaic, as the show married sitcoms, comic book lore, and Wanda and Vision’s live-action canon.
The Greatest Quote In The MCU’s History Remains Unmatched
There’s no shortage of great lines throughout Marvel Cinematic Universe’s 18-year history, but there’s only one quote that is regarded as the best.
WandaVision‘s release schedule kept people fully engaged for eight weeks. People were invested in Wanda and Vision’s Westview story. Heightened by visual clues and unexpected cameos, including the much-discussed appearance of Evan Peters as Pietro Maximoff, viewers dissected pretty much every single frame of WandaVision to decipher what was truly happening. The commercial scenes, the changing color palette, as well as the ear-candy Agatha All Along song all added to the allure of the project. People were suddenly trying to decipher whether Herb cutting the wall or the beekeeper were clues to what was really going on.
Finally, none of these storytelling gimmicks would have worked, however, if WandaVision didn’t have a solid story. At its core was the exploration of love, grief, and profound loss. Wanda was one of the most tragic characters in the Infinity Saga, and despite being paired with a robot, not to mention the inclusion of magical elements, its narrative was incredibly human. Ironically, Vision delivered the best line in the history of the MCU: “What is grief, if not love persevering?”
What Marvel Studios Can Learn From WandaVision’s Enduring Success
Half a decade later, WandaVision holds up pretty well. Because creator Jac Schaeffer told a complete narrative, it can also be enjoyed as it is, although it birthed two more shows — Agatha All Along and the upcoming VisionQuest. It’s no secret that the Multiverse Saga’s set-up hasn’t been as smooth as the Infinity Saga, which is something that may be course-corrected via Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars. Beyond that, however, Feige and his team need to re-examine the success of WandaVision and learn from it.
For starters, Marvel Studios can come up with inventive endeavors while still being in line with the comic books. At this point in its run, people would be more lenient if they could see that the franchise is taking big swings instead of keeping it safe. WandaVision was an extremely risky project to take on, primarily because it was very different. While it wasn’t a perfect show, people appreciated that Marvel Studios was trying something new.
Secondly, characters remain the backbone of the MCU. People care about these heroes’ overarching narrative more than their next big fight. WandaVision did excellent work in this regard, carefully tackling Wanda’s tragic life and Vision’s internal turmoil upon learning about what really happened in Westview. None of their stories would have resonated without the years of build-up, however. It’s better for Marvel Cinematic Universe to keep a small group of characters and develop them over time instead of introducing new players that don’t get the focus that they deserve.
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