The Marvel Cinematic Universe Gets an Honest Trailer

Now that Avengers: Endgame has hit theaters most fans are looking ahead to what's next for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. They'll get a taste of that next month when Spider-Man: Far From Home, the first MCU film to be set in a post Endgame MCU, opens in theaters, but even as things move forward, there's still plenty looking back at the MCU. And that's exactly what the folks at Screen Junkies are doing, giving the MCU an Honest Trailer in its latest video.

The MCU Honest trailer marks the 300th Honest Trailer for Screen Junkies and it both notes a very abbreviated take on the origins of the MCU -- specifically the crack about how Marvel Studios took characters "no one wanted" and turned it into a truly epic franchise -- as well as gets in plenty of digs about the franchise's formulaic elements. Clocking in at a bit longer than most Honest Trailers and admittedly not including Avengers: Endgame or any of the non-movie offerings of the MCU, the video is a humorous attempt to poke a bit of fun at the MCU while also honoring the popularity of the films. Screen Junkies even takes a crack at itself, noting that the Marvel movies have helped keep Honest Trailers alive.

And it's perhaps that acknowledgement of just how popular and successful the MCU is that is the biggest takeaway from this Honest Trailer. With a current tally of 22 movies and a massive box office take of $21.4 billion globally (and counting), the MCU isn't just an entertainment success that many other franchises have attempted to emulate. It's helped redefine popular culture by making superheroes cool on a broader scale and while Endgame brought the Infinity Saga to an end, the MCU's not done yet. Phase 4 is coming with new heroes, new stories, and more diversity and inclusion in the stories that will shape the future of the MCU.

"I would feel honored to have a member of the LGBTQ+ group represented in our films and I hope the future shows that," Marvel Studios EVP of Production Victoria Alonso said in a Reddit Q&A earlier this month.

In a separate comment, she expressed the studio's commitment to making the future of the universe more diverse and inclusive.

"I can tell you we are actively on making our universe as diverse and inclusive as we can," Alonso said. "Be patient with us. We have a lot coming in the future."

Avengers: Endgame is in theaters now. Other upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe films include Spider-Man: Far From Home on July 2nd.