The Marvel Cinematic Universe might be one of the most successful franchises in movie history, but it has also drawn criticism over the years. The movies of the MCU have delivered some true highs and lows, with the franchise’s best moments becoming iconic and forever etching themselves into the fabric of pop culture, and its worst becoming harshly judged against the overall quality of the shared universe. Adapting source material and rich and storied as Marvel Comics is no easy feat, but the MCU has largely done an excellent job. However, the franchise is far from perfect, and there are a number of key flaws that fans are growing tired of.
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For all the great aspects of the MCU, there are a few tropes that have grown increasingly tiresome. The franchise’s reliance on cliches has become fairly obvious in recent years, with certain ideas or practices becoming relatively infuriating. Overuse of these cliches can ruin even great Marvel storylines in the MCU, and has also led to the franchise being lightly ridiculed by some. While the franchise remains the biggest in superhero cinema, the following cliches really need to go.
7) The Villain & Hero’s Backstories Being Intertwined
One of the worst things about MCU villains is the overuse of the connected backstory trope. Introducing villains whose origins are explicitly tied to those of the hero they’re fighting has grown incredibly stale, as it has been regularly featured since the beginning of the franchise. Iron Man, Thor, Shang-Chi, Black Panther, and Black Widow are all key examples, although the problem spreads far beyond just those characters. It almost always leads to the equally played-out trope of the villain being a dark reflection of the hero, too, which could also do with being retired.
6) The Creation of Convenient Solutions to Impossible Problems
There have been many moments in the MCU where powerful villains have put the franchise’s heroes in impossible situations. This has led to a cliched plot development in which the hero is forced to create an impossible and convenient solution practically on the spot. The obvious example of this was Avengers: Endgame, where the heroes managed to invent time travel, but it was also clearly used in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, when Shuri casually invents a quantum computer to synthesise the Heart-Shaped herb she needs to become the new Black Panther.
5) Cringe-Worthy Pop Culture References & Dialogue
Another annoying MCU cliche that needs to go is a quirk of the writing that has never really landed. This has included references to memes and pop culture, such as Black Panther‘s “What are those?” line and Hulk encouraging a group of fans to dab. Others are simply lines of dialogue that sound clunky or forced, leading to a number of cringeworthy moments that fans absolutely hate, occasionally leaving indelible marks on otherwise excellent movies.
4) Teasing New Characters… Then Not Delivering
While the franchise’s use of final stingers to tease future developments was once a popular innovation, the increasing number of unresolved MCU post-credits scenes has grown into an issue. The worst of these tease the appearance of interesting new characters, like Ebony Knight, Blade, and Starfox, who remain absent five years later. However, even some that have since been resolved lost their impact due to Marvel waiting too long to deliver on the tease, and the cliche has now grown incredibly tired.
3) Villains Who Die After A Single Appearance
There have always been deaths in the MCU, but the sheer number of potentially interesting villains who have been wasted by an early exit is staggering. The death of a movie’s villain as part of the final act has been overused to the point that it has become an MCU cliche, and one that wastes an immense amount of narrative potential. It’s another MCU trope that needs to go, because it has not only wasted great characters, but has also ruled many potential comic book adaptations all but impossible.
2) Lazy Death Fake-Outs
The flip side of the MCU’s hair-trigger with certain characters is that it has led to a number of death fake-outs. Over the course of the franchise, the MCU has resurrected a number of dead characters, establishing that its previous depictions of their demises were, in fact, greatly exaggerated. Repeatedly bringing characters back from the dead has lowered the stakes considerably and has ultimately lessened the impact of every MCU death in the process.
1) Using Humor To Undermine Serious Moments
While the funniest MCU movies are generally loved by fans, the use of humor has become something of a problem for the franchise. The success the MCU has found in using moments of levity has led to attempted comedy in even the most serious moments, such as Korg’s infamous line about the destruction of Asgard. It’s a delicate balance that the MCU has now misjudged more than a few times, and the cliche of unwelcome humor in Marvel movies has simply got to go.
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Courtesy of Bones Film
