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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Mercurius" data-source="post: 9180158" data-attributes="member: 59082">Good article. I have to diverge a bit from this, though:I see the problem as two, or really three-pronged - with the third being "and a few other things":1) Marvel seemingly doesn't understand that quantity cannot replace quality. From what I've seen and read, the quality of almost everything dipped substantially after Endgame, and replaced with--as the quote above says--a deluge of shows. Formula ruled over innovation, and we got more wow-zap! while even the CGI dipped to pre-2010ish "This is obviously CGI" levels.2) I think it is understated just how much the franchise rested on the charisma of its two leading characters: Robert Downey Jr's Iron Man/Tony Stark and Chris Evans' Captain America. I like Anthony Mackie, but his version of Cap is just not as interesting or magnetic as Evans' character. And of course Downey was so central to everything, his wit and ability to bridge the absurd and serious second to none. He was and is irreplaceable. To a lesser extent this was true of Scarlett Johansson's Black Widow, who while not carrying the films like Evans or Downey, at least expressed a distinct vibe that potentized every scene she was in.3) And of course the death of Chadwick Boseman didn't help (May he RIP). While he didn't have the clever humor of Downey or the preternatural heroism of Evans, he had his own brand of charisma that would have made him a centerpiece of the new era of Marvel. And no one else could carry the torch. Let's be honest: Brie Larson is just not very likable, at least not as a superhero. I remember first seeing her back in 2009 with United States of Tara and thinking "this young actress has a future." This was more than fulfilled by 2015's Room. But then she turned that rise to mainstream success into (unfortunately) action stardom, and the promise actualized in Room withered. To some extent, I think the same is true of Elizabeth Olsen: from Indie actress to if she just focuses really hard and gets over her demons, she can defeat anyone. Not to mention that both Captain Marvel and Scarlet Witch have the same "More power than personality" problem. And while Tom Holland's "Golly, gee" was endearing at first, it didn't really develop. Similarly with Chris Hemsworth's Thor and Mark Ruffalo's Hulk: great as secondary characters, but they just don't work as the leading heroes. So we were left with a host of lesser heirs and one-noters for leading roles, with no heavy-hitters carrying the torch of Marvel-style heroism. Just MHO, of course.So it may boil down to that phrase: more power than personality. And this in different variations: more cgi extravaganzas than meaningful personal dynamics; campy humor that peaked back with "That guy's playing Galaga" and tried to keep squeezing juice form the same dried up lemon for another decade. And of course characters that became more and more powerful, but less and less interesting.What I think Marvel needs more than anything are specific personalities to center the franchise on. Story is important, of course, but you need those characters. It doesn't have to be Downey's Stark or Evans' Cap, but they really need to hit it out of the park with the actors who play the Fantastic Four, or whomever the baton is being passed to.</blockquote>

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