The Post Endgame Problem

foreign have you seen Moneyball it's a really excellent sports movie from 2011 chronicling the story of how Billy Bean the general manager for the Oakland days transformed baseball at the start of the film the team is in a rut they had just lost a 2001 seasonal division to the Yankees and were in the process of losing three star players with their limited budget the team was no longer competitively viable there are rich teams and there are poor teams then there's 50 feet of crap and then there's us the team can no longer win against the odds stacked against them so Bean decided that in order to win he had to change the odds with the help of Peter Brandt a 25 year old yell economics graduate Bean came up with a completely new method of player assessment nicknamed Moneyball disregarding all other methods of player worth being mainly focused on one statistic while building his new team why do you like him because he gets on base with this team of Misfit yet consistent players the Oakland A's over the 2002 season would go on to win 20 consecutive wins the longest win streak in baseball history despite all their flaws they're consistent on-base percentage LED them to glory and while they didn't win that year's World Series they did succeed at changing the game and where baseball has Billy Bean Hollywood has Kevin feige with the goal of adapting the Marvel comic books Faithfully to the big screen foggy installed a similar philosophy while building his dream team it doesn't matter if the movies are flawed it doesn't matter if the stars aren't a-listers and it doesn't matter if this is the director's first action movie there's only one real stat that matters while other franchises soar to the heavens or crashed and burned Marvel Studios was uniquely consistent offering solid beat plus to a minus Adventure films that audiences could unwind and relax with like the 2002 Oakland A's baseball season the first phase of Marvel films was a miracle of strategy and Circumstance throughout this phase they scored base hit after base hit Iron Man Thor Captain America and now that the bases were loaded The Avengers the big team up film and development for over four years was on Deck Avengers walks up to the plate The Avengers was a hit it was a hit unlike anything the industry had seen and Not only was it a hit but people loved it they loved this world and these characters and they wanted to see more and so we did year after year two to three times each we would come back for that warm Marvel consistency and the more times they got on base the more we grew to trust them we knew that we had to see all of them to catch all the Easter eggs to see how our favorite characters would interact when they finally crossed paths and to see where this big Grand Story was heading and there was an end point it was heading to as the self-called infinity Saga came to a close with the release of Avengers end game where we got a fitting conclusion to the characters that made us fall in love with this world in the first place there were other home runs before end game but the way that film hit when it did well it was one of my favorite movie going experiences of all time it's truly a movie built by the ones before it a story that stands on its own yet rewards the viewings of the hits and even misses that came before it's the movie that finally fulfilled the mission statement laid out by Iron Man all those years ago it's one of my favorite Marvel movies hands down and despite some loose ends could easily serve as the ending to this entire universe and in many ways it was I mean it was immediately followed up by a mediocre Spider-Man movie but after that the future of Marvel for the first time was uncertain and right when this new phase was about to get started the blip happened in our world kinda went to [ __ ] which meant no Marvel for over a year well some escapism would have certainly helped during this time that break from Marvel really cemented how impactful an ending endgame was what more do you need to tell when you've finally said goodbye [Music] it turns out a whole lot if the last phase of Marvel was all about building to one big conclusion this condensed fourth phase has taken the exact opposite approach using the grand climax as a jumping off point to Branch off into countless unforeseen directions whereas Marvel in the past would balance new projects with returning franchises phase 4 was an onslaught of new faces new places and when we do get familiar characters we see them in unfamiliar environments or are using them to set up set new faces it's the four-year trial and error process of phase one crammed into two Relentless years now that we're finished in Marvel's most exhaustive phase ever I thought it would be important to assess how this new Direction has been going so far and to highlight the shortcomings of these Productions in the hopes that Marvel can tell the best versions of these stories they can before I begin I do want to preface that I still very much enjoy the MCU each of these Productions have been fun and entertaining if the most part proved to be worth their time however I would be lying if I said that I am as enthusiastic for this phase of Marvel projects as I was in the past for the infinity Saga and I do think that with this new Direction part of the magic that defined Marvel Studios has been lost in the process this is not a review of each MCU production in Phase 4 but instead a review of how they all come together to form a larger cohesive story a critique of how Marvel maintains our universe this is the post endgame problem one of the defining elements of the infinity Saga was of course the Infinity Stones the universe shaping mcguffins that drove 90 of the conflict from the First Avenger all the way through endgame while heavily criticized as the films were released due to their repetitive nature I do believe that these films center right around these Stones really helps shape and Define what the MCU is today it made it so that even though these characters had yet to cross paths they were all still part of the same battle making their inevitable crossovers not only organic but necessary the Infinity Stones were the glue that held all these stories together leading to the surprising interaction and growth that would become the mcu's greatest asset so with the Infinity Stones now dealt with return to their timelines never to be meddled with again what is to become the new clue that brings all these storylines and developing characters together is it the Fallout of the blip and the struggle of rebuilding Fallen societies maybe it's the introduction of the celestials and the galactic oversight they have over this universe or is it the branched timelines created by endgame and the chaotic worlds of the Multiverse or is it the yep you get it it's all the above for the first time in the MCU it really feels as though these characters are off in their own separate worlds on trajectories that don't overlap the issues that Sam Wanda and Clint deal with on Earth don't seem to tie into the galactic Stakes of the eternals or the time-betting shenanigans of Loki this of course inherently isn't a criticism in fact I would say the biggest strength of phase 4 so far is the sheer diversity of Stories being told for casual viewers not strictly following along phase 4 has taken on a trail mix approach with such a variety of tastes we can now pick and choose the stories we want to follow but this individuality comes at a price a price I imagine will be very problematic going forward and that's the lack of cohesion for instance I enjoyed the characters in shanxi and eternals but I can't imagine them teaming up for a shared Adventure anytime soon they both seem to be on fixed paths wrestling with their own demons with no care for what the other is going through the magic of Marvel isn't just these characters on their own it's also how they come together Marvel really hit their stride when they started mixing and matching the heroes in their solo projects putting in Black Widow for Winter Soldier Hulk for Ragnarok Civil War works as a standalone Captain America film and an Avengers film at the same time it's clear to me that these characters work best when they're together it wasn't just that these characters interacted but that the consequences of each character's storyline led into the greater narrative the destruction of shield and exposing of Hydra and Winter Soldier established the stakes for Age of Ultron the endings to Ragnarok and black panther set the stage for Infinity war and pretty much all of phase 3 was a response to the events of Civil War the overlapping storylines and filmmakers building on each other's narratives are what made Marvel a universe but in the era of the Multiverse it seems this technique is being abandoned eternals ends with the biggest Stakes event in this universe save for Infinity War the entire world is nearly destroyed and at the end a giant [ __ ] Celestial comes right up to Earth to threaten the planet this is a universe altering moment and yet we only see it from the eternal's perspective because this conflict only concerns them everyone else only needs to deal with the conflicts in their own narratives the films and shows try to connect the stories but they only manage to do so through name drops and quick cameos in almost every subsequent release Steve Rogers and Tony Stark are brought up and have their absence mentioned so now that Captain Rogers and Iron Man are both gone who do you think is going to lead the Avengers but I could lead them but instead of making the universe feel connected it only goes to highlight how much we miss anchor characters like those two and how lost the MCU can feel without them this all leads to one big question where is this all heading that's a question necessary for all stories as we want to know whether our two hours or eight episodes of investment will be worth the payoff and perhaps these stories aren't building to some big Grand conclusion maybe they're just telling their own self-contained stories like the vast majority of films and television we see in which case great however just like every other film or television show these stories need to lead to their own satisfying conclusions and character arcs that incentivize us coming back and uh yeah about that [Music] foreign [Music] two-thirds into the film adaptation where Charlie Kaufman is seeking advice on how to finish his script from Robert McKee you know the dude that every video essays references anyway the Nugget of advice that McKee gives Kaufman to finish his script is to nail the third act you can have flaws problems but wow them in the end and you've got ahead the first phase of Marvel films is a testament to this advice as one large story it isn't perfect there were some major stumbles in the setup films but they wowed Us in the end and that's all that matters not only do I believe this advice but I believe the inverse is true stumble at the third act and you can kill an otherwise promising story and when it comes to phase four stories so far nearly every single one of them has started out promising with an interesting hook only to trip and face plant right at the Finish Line flying back on outdated tropes Marvel should be far away from at this point want division starts out as a brilliant deconstruction on sitcom storytelling using it as a metaphor for grief and the failure to move on and then over the final two episodes absolves Wanda of all Ron doing and evolves into a generic CGI mirror match Black Widow starts with a compelling dramatic focus on Natasha confronting the sins of her past and taking accountability for her actions and then ends in a final battle where everything goes comically right and none of the characters actually face any consequences Sean Chi builds up such a compelling conflict between Sean and Wen Wu with a final battle centered around the right and wrong ways to move on from tragedy and that throws all that work out the window for a battle with a giant dragon but I believe we can do better across the board especially on the television front Marvel has struggled with its climaxes this phase these weak climaxes are a reflection of the Marvel team not quite adapting to the strengths of episodic storytelling as these shows feel like two hour movies stretched into four hour series not only do they lack the depth and self-contained Adventures one gets from a serialized story but they also miss out on the finality in catharsis that can come from a singular film what really doesn't help things is that pretty much all of these shows relied on one Trope that needs to be buried six feet underground and that's the surprise villain surprise villains are what you do when you don't actually want to build a meaningful conflict or dynamic between your main hero and villain I will give them a pass in family films as kids do need to be taught not to trust every nice person they see but these reveals do not come with any catharsis or learning for their heroes in one division's case it exists to take away responsibility from Wanda's actions it's also worth noting that when every story ends with a surprise villain it's no longer a surprise you're conditioning us to see this coming the main reason these villains are kept as Secrets is because these finales do not Mark the end of their stories these are important antagonists that comic fans know all too well and will surely have long lasting effects on the MCU going forward if anything their surprise entrance is more an introduction for them into this world as a whole commandeering the shows they debut in they're put at the end so as to be as fresh as possible in the viewer's mind their introduction themselves is the payoff the ending that pained me the most of all of phase 4 was Loki the Multiverse setting was a perfect fit for the character with the manipulative nature of the TVA effectively countering the controlling and disruptive nature of Loki for five wonderful episodes The Narrative thoroughly interrogated Loki as he unraveled the TVA with him learning in the process what it truly means to love oneself and then for the final episode we mainly focused on the introduction of Kane the Conqueror the mystery man behind the TVA and delayed any and all resolution between our Loki's for a second season Marvel for the most part have been good at organically setting up its future characters and story lines that's what the post-credit teases are for but here is a story stopping dead in its tracks to set up an antagonist for a completely separate film Ant-Man and the WASP quantumania or as I like to call it Ant-Man and the WASP this could potentially work if all these characters were crossing paths in an upcoming Avengers project but they all seem to be in their own lane meaning these stories must be satisfying on their own the story is Marvel told in Phase 4 have been fun entertaining and often exhilarating but few of them have been truly satisfying which becomes a real issue when it comes to their frequency foreign [Music] projects has always been a contentious topic and over the last two years most people have found their breaking point I think I speak for everyone when I say this is too much it isn't healthy to absorb this much content from One Source Disney has always structured their releases so as to be the main Studio audiences will flock to when they go to the movies or watch a television show but now it seems they are trying to achieve this with the MCU alone they've actually reached a point where the hype machines seem to be overlapping and cannibalizing each other Loki took a lot of attention away from Black Widow's release the Multiverse of Madness overshadowed the Moonlight finale and no way home hype completely drowned up discussions for eternals and Hawkeye this has reflected itself in the box office where many of these projects are performing far below the Marvel average obviously the blip hurt everything but other Studios have mostly recovered to pre-blip attendance numbers and Noe home shows us that MCU event films are stronger than ever the Disney Plus shows have also steadily declined in ratings as they've continued to come out during the infinity Saga the MCU was always able to grow its audience with each subsequent release not every movie would break records like The Avengers films but you could be certain that they would grow Their audience with each phase the fact that this isn't carrying over to the television side is at the very least concerning the more that the MCU puts out the less likely it is for each individual project to make an impact as the shows and films are released concurrently oftentimes within days or even hours of each other their opportunity to be discussed diminishes without that discussion these projects stop being stories that impact culture and instead become content a momentary distraction before ushering the audience along to the next attraction Marvel in the past changed the game to better their odds but their move to adapt to the new game has hurt their individual projects the MCU has become another casualty in the streaming Wars a weapon used to get as much content on these platforms as possible so as to be more lucrative than their competition who has a lot of issues right now but the one issue they don't have is a lack of greatness I mean there was a great power comes great responsibility some of my favorite MCU moments have happened in Phase 4 including the romance between Wanda and vision all the wonderful variant low Keys we were introduced to how Wen Wu and John Walker were handled as antagonists and it was really nice to see Sam Remy bring back his chaotic horror energy if I had to pick a favorite element that buzz scene from Sean Chi might just be the best fight scene in the entire MCU and while many phase 4 projects missed the Mark it's undeniable that no way home was a smash success where the spin-offs have struggled no way home excelled reaffirming that Marvel is at its best when it brings its Heroes together Pros have been countered by the mounting disappointments in each story not just the anticlimactic third acts throughout but also their over Reliance on comic relief the subpar color grading and compositing and the complete lack of an overall direction or connecting theme the pros become less exciting when other Marvel films or Blockbusters do them better and the cons begin to compound as their persistent frequency makes them way more noticeable phase one wasn't perfect but due to Marvel's planning and patience it was greater than the sum of its parts and phase four is a collection of disconnected entertaining yet frustrating parts in conclusion go watch Moneyball it's a very good movie well that was an absolute beast of the video I don't think I'll be covering an entire phase of Marvel projects anytime soon of course I'm always down to cover Marvel and if you want to see those videos make sure to subscribe and check out my Marvel videos you know right here also if you want to keep up to date with all things me follow me on Twitter and if you've made it this far let me know what your favorite project of phase four has been mine would probably be Sean Chi you know I still don't know where to end these things so uh

Channel: Films&Stuff

Views: 3,661,469

Keywords: Phase 4 Critique, Phase 4 Problem, Post Endgame Problem, Marvel Review

Id: -3-SuGV4Sqk

Length: 20min 51sec (1251 seconds)

Published: Wed Oct 26 2022