Does the MCU want to become a laughingstock?
Martin Scorsese and Francis Ford Coppola have already lamented how these comic book films “aren't cinema” and are just theme park rides. And for the longest time, you could probably make the argument that they are more than that.
Occasionally, these films do have emotion. Just look at what Avengers: Endgame did by paying off the character arcs of Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) and Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) alike. Kevin Feige and Co. found a way to thread the needle and land the endings for these characters.
Or look at Chris Evans' Steve Rogers/Captain America. All he wanted was that dance with Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell), and he got it.
The ride to Endgame wasn't always smooth — there were a few Thor: The Dark Worlds in there — but it culminated in something special.
And perhaps that's where the MCU should have ended.
Sure, some films like Spider-Man: No Way Home and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 were able to channel the classic MCU feel, but the franchise has been on a slow but steady downfall. They've overwhelmed their own dedicated fan base with Disney+ series galore that suck the fun out of fandom. (Who wants to watch five series just to understand the next film?) The MCU has also oversaturated the market it once owned.
But now it appears that the MCU could be bringing dead characters like Iron Man and Black Widow back into the fold for an Avengers movie.
Bringing back legacy characters is a potentially monumental mistake. You risk all of the goodwill you spent 15+ years building up just to throw it away for a cheap clap from your audience that plays like a greatest hits CD.
Where the rumor began
This rumor of Iron Man and Black Widow being revived stems from Variety's cover story. Sources told them that Disney and Marvel Studios were discussing bringing the OG group of Avengers back for another film. That would include reviving the dead (Iron Man and Black Widow) and reuniting them with those who are still alive such as Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), and Thor (Chris Hemsworth). I imagine Chris Evans' Captain America fits somewhere in there as well — though it's unclear if he's still alive in the present day in the MCU.
It should be noted that nothing is set in stone. These are just discussions being had. Plus, it'd require massive checks being paid to the likes of Downey and Johansson on top of the other MCU stars.
I doubt it'll happen, but with Disney's (seemingly) bottomless funds, I won't be surprised.
A stake-less series
The biggest mistake with bringing back Iron Man and Black Widow is what it tells your audience. Is the MCU really willing to admit that their films have no stakes?
Bringing back a character that no one remembers like Liv Tyler's Betty Ross is one thing, but characters the magnitude of Iron Man and Black Widow (and Captain America) is another realm. I don't remember the fate of Betty Ross from The Incredible Hulk (don't act like you do), but her return is nothing more than a paycheck for the actress and a reliable cheap clap from the audience.
Whereas the returns of Iron Man and Black Widow would cause fans to jump out of their seats and clap like seals. It's a cheap move, and it'd be Marvel admitting that they're low on ideas and need the old No. 1 hits to save their sinking ship.
How would you even go about their returns? Yes, the multiverse is a big part of the MCU, but would these be alternate versions of the characters? If so, that's disappointing. But if you somehow just revive them, that makes Endgame's stakes weightless.
It's a no-win scenario that Marvel seems hell-bent on putting itself through. And then the issue of their role size arises. Are they going to be cameos? Or will they be major players in whatever film they appear in?
We have to move on
It appears that all of the OG Avengers have moved on from the MCU. Sure, Ruffalo is still collecting checks and appearing in the likes of She-Hulk and Renner starred in Hawkeye, but even Hemsworth seems so-so on the idea of a fifth Thor.
The likes of Downey, Johansson, and Evans have all moved on, too.
Beginning with Downey, he had a bit of a rough start to his post-MCU career. He starred in and executive produced Dolittle — enough said. He then produced and appeared in the Netflix documentary, Sr., about his father, Robert Downey Sr. But it was Christopher Nolan who reminded Downey that he can actually act — something you wouldn't think a former Oscar nominee would forget — when he cast him in Oppenheimer. Downey is one of the driving forces of that film, and it's refreshing to see him in a non-Tony Stark role.
Because, yes, while Downey played other roles while playing Iron Man, he typically retained his Tony Stark snark, especially in the 2010s. Films like The Judge and Chef are great, but his performances aren't more than a stone's throw from what he does in the MCU. Oppenheimer can be the catalyst of Downey's return to proper acting, and The Sympathizer, from Oldboy and Decision to Leave director Park Chan-wook, will likely continue that.
Scarlett Johansson always maintained more of a balance. During her MCU tenure, she starred in films like We Bought a Zoo, Chef, Her, Lucy, Sing, Ghost in the Shell, Isle of Dogs, Jojo Rabbit, and Marriage Story. It's hard to argue that any of those films are similar, and Johansson has proved that she outgrew the MCU years ago.
And especially after the prequel film Black Widow, why would Johansson ever come back? I suppose wanting to end it on her own terms instead of the monstrosity that Black Widow was could be an argument, but I doubt she even cares.
Chris Evans has returned to his roots after playing straight-arrow Captain America for so long. It's easily forgotten how good of a jerk Evans can play when he's not yelling at his cohorts about their “language.”
Immediately after Endgame, Evans starred in Knives Out as Ransom — the cousin we all wish we didn't have. He has continued playing good guys like Buzz Lightyear in Lightyear or Cole Turner in Ghosted, but he has also played the antagonists in Knives Out and The Gray Man (perhaps the lone standout in the Russo brothers' film).
The point is, while Downey, Johansson, and Evans are all great, they've outgrown their MCU parts.
The final stance
I hope that the MCU doesn't opt to bring back its legacy characters this soon. Endgame wasn't even five years ago — though Tony Stark's death technically happened just a few days ago — and it still feels too soon.
Perhaps the MCU should have taken a longer break after Endgame instead of going head-first into Spider-Man: Far From Home. The franchise as a whole has taken a big step back since Endgame, likely due to the uptick in productions and titles in the works, and has resulted in them scavenging for anything of quality that they can hang their hat on.
MCU fans are like Swifties and will likely defend anything they put out. But they also aren't quite as loyal (or cult-y), generally speaking, so the pressure is on to stick the landing here.
This is a no-win scenario for the MCU, and they brought it upon themselves.
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