The Marvel Cinematic Universe has remained a consistently enjoyable world of movies for the better part of the last decade. However, no matter how good something is, people will inevitably become callous to the same thing over and over again. Responsibility falls upon filmmakers to break new ground and try things that audiences either haven’t seen or won’t expect. The Russos seem to understand this idea, and firmly believe that big changes are needed in order to make sure that the Marvel Cinematic Universe remains viable.
During a recent interview with EW to discuss the imminent release of Captain America: Civil War, director Joe Russo explained the importance of change with regards to keeping the MCU consistently fresh:
You build things up and people enjoy the experiences you’ve built up. But then you kind of reach an apex or you reach a climax, a moment where you go, ‘This structure is really going to start to be repetitious if we do this again, so what do we do now?’ So now, you deconstruct it. We’re in the deconstruction phase with 'Civil War' and leading into 'Infinity War,' which are the culmination films.
In the eyes of the Russos, the Marvel Cinematic Universe will only remain in top form if Marvel Studios has the gumption to take chances and deviate from the tried and true formula. Although the studio has consistently managed to break new ground by innovating with its characters, it must always remain vigilant and consistently endeavor to try and give audiences something new with each passing phase. Phase 1 of the MCU focused primarily on similarly structured superhero origins stories, and Phase 2 showcased how these heroes interact within an established world. Civil War will seemingly showcase what happens when that world is turned on its head, and Phase 3 will deal with the fallout of such a major event and the introduction of brand new heroes.
Ultimately it seems as though the powers that be at Marvel Studios share this idea. Based upon everything we have gleaned from the film, it looks like Captain America: Civil War will have far reaching ramifications that will echo throughout the remainder of Phase 3. Beyond that, Kevin Feige has recently come out saying that Marvel’s Phase 4 films will look and feel considerably different from what we as an audience have already witnessed from this universe. Although we don’t know what specific changes Marvel has in store for its cinematic universe, we like the idea of a new formula.
Based upon the context of the quote, we can likely assume that this means our favorite heroes are in for some serious drama when Captain America: Civil War hit theaters. The Russo brothers emphasize a need to take risks and make definitive storytelling decisions; while it doesn’t confirm anything, it seems like a possible hint that some seriously irreversible stuff might go down when Civil War finally hits theaters.
We won’t know for sure what’s in store for the Marvel Cinematic Universe until Captain America: Civil War hits theaters on May 6. No matter what, it looks like the entire series of Marvel films will see some drastic changes over the course of the next few years.
