Disney CEO Bob Iger said that the Marvel Cinematic Universe is about to start focusing “on some of its stronger franchises going forward,” according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Iger also recently confirmed that most of Disney's and Pixar's upcoming projects are sequels to fan favorites and that it will be the same for Marvel as well.
According to CBR, this could mean that projects that fans have long waited for such as a new solo Hulk film could be on the horizon. That project has been gestating for years, mostly due to the character's cinematic rights still belonging to Universal. And Iger's statement of stronger franchises could also mean that Marvel is done experimenting on other MCU characters as it has done in Phases 4 and 5.
In 2019, Marvel reigned supreme with Avengers: Endgame. After the Avengers went on their own separate ways, its universe has struggled to try to equal the greatness it once achieved. The main challenge had been due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Only two movies from the Avengers, Spider-Man: Far From Home and Spider-Man: No Way Home made over $1 billion at the box office. Other projects didn't reach the heights of the Avengers. And the Marvel properties on Disney+ received mixed reviews from the audience.
In 2023, another Avenger character-headlined movie, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania faced financial disappointment. According to Box Office Mojo, it only made $476 million worldwide. Later that year, the series Secret Invasion faced harsh criticisms from both fans and critics alike. On Rotten Tomatoes, the show received a 53% critic score and a 47% audience score. The 2023 movie The Marvels also bombed at the box office, making only $206.1 million worldwide.
It makes sense for Disney to go back to what they know works best: successful movies from characters who have a history with scoring well with the audience. In the future, I believe we will see more films from Spider-Man, Black Panther and maybe even a reboot of a new live-action X-Men. With James Gunn now co-CEO of rival DC, Marvel will need a new director for Guardians of the Galaxy.
While Marvel chief Kevin Feige has shot down rumors of the Avengers reuniting, it still needs to patch up the issues with The Kang Dynasty. Kang was supposed to anchor the Avengers comeback, but with the role vacant due to Jonathan Majors' firing, the MCU needs a hero.
Maybe Blade could bring Marvel back to life. We're still short on updates, but the Daywalker could just be the salvation the MCU needs.
And as for Disney+ shows, maybe the studio can wait and see how fan-favorite Daredevil fares in its revival.