As a Marvel fan, the beliefs that everything is good in moderation and that it’s possible to have too much of a good thing have been hitting a bit harder these days. Superhero fatigue is plaguing many MCU fans, myself included, and sometimes it feels like we’re watching the same thing tonally over and over. Well, now some comments Joe Russo made on the set of Captain America: The Winter Soldier have re-emerged a decade after the movie's release where he gave an analogy that related Marvel movies to eating too much chocolate ice cream. And I have to admit, his words are still very relevant all these years later.
If you’ve seen the Marvel movies in order, there’s no question that Captain America: The Winter Soldier is ranked as one of the best MCU projects. Bringing the energy of a ‘70s spy thriller into this world of superheroes, directors Joe and Anthony Russo made a wholly unique superhero movie that felt different and new. Speaking to this point ten years ago on the set of the beloved film, Joe Russo told Total Film that they wanted to change things up because they felt it was important to add a new tone and voice into this growing superhero world. Using a great ice cream example, the co-director said:
We haven’t felt a great deal of pressure and I’ll tell you why. The movie’s so tonally different from everything that’s come before, it’s a bit of its own animal. I would feel pressure if there were a lot of similarities between our film and some prior Marvel films, because all you can do is try to outdo a movie that’s in the same tone. That’s very difficult to do. Kevin Feige, in his brilliant guidance of the Marvel universe, knows that you have to mix things up. Because people can tell you they love chocolate ice cream, but if you give them too much chocolate ice cream, pretty soon they’re gonna be sick of chocolate ice cream. We get to bring some vanilla ice cream to the table.
He’s right, even all these years later, Winter Soldier – a five-star film in our book – still stands as one of the best MCU installments because they took a tonal turn, focused on character and made a movie that didn’t fully conform to what we’ve come to know as Marvel’s signature style. Basically, it feels like a political thriller first and then a superhero film, and that’s the kind of different flavor we need in a cinematic universe that is constantly expanding.
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The same can be said for other beloved MCU projects, like Guardians of the Galaxy and one of Marvel’s best shows Loki. Like the Russo Brothers’ movies within this superhero universe, these projects had their own voices and styles while still fitting into the greater universe that’s being constructed. That can’t be said for all other projects, and at the moment I think we’ve had a bit too much chocolate ice cream rather than experimenting with new flavors.
In 2023, it felt like too many MCU projects were coming out, and between the serious yet humorous tone Marvel has made their standard, the constant talk about the infinite multiverse, and the seemingly neverending number of mid-credit setups that might not go anywhere I felt overwhelmed. Now, fans are fatigued, and I’m hoping Marvel will be back on the upswing soon.
It feels like they are! As Joe Russo said, with The Winter Soldier they were trying to make something new and different that would be totally unique within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Based on what we know about Deadpool and Wolverine – which is set to premiere on the 2024 movie schedule on July 26 – it feels like through the characters’ snarky humor, the jaw-dropping action and the R-rated-ness of the film, they’re attempting to add a new flavor. Plus, the studio seems to be slowing down their output and really putting time into perfecting their projects. As a longtime Marvel fan, this is very encouraging to hear, because, like ice cream, I like my movies high quality.
Hopefully, as the upcoming Marvel projects come out, we’ll be able to see more filmmakers applying the mindset Joe Russo explained so many years ago on the set of Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Clearly, it worked for them, because the second Cap movie (which you can stream with a Disney+ subscription) is highly regarded and loved to this day.
