This isn’t a hate piece. I’m not a hater. I’ve defended Marvel long after Endgame, when even the die-hards started grumbling. I found joy in WandaVision, cried in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, and even watched Ms. Marvel (Yeah, I gave it a shot). But I’m not sure I can do another round of this. Not like this.
I Don’t Need Another Iron Man. I Need a Reason to Care.
The first time Tony Stark died, it mattered. The build-up to that moment took over a decade. There were real stakes, real emotions, real consequences. Now we’re talking about plugging in a new actor, maybe even a younger version, for the sake of multiversal continuity?
Recasting is fine. We’ve done it before. We survived Rhodey, and we even made peace with Hulk. But recasting everyone, under the narrative Band-Aid of a multiverse reset, feels lazy. Like a soft reboot in disguise. Like we’re being asked to care again, from scratch, just because the logo says Marvel.
You don’t need to be an Uber-geek to feel this. You just need to remember what it felt like when the MCU was about character arcs, not chessboard moves.
Not Everything Needs to Be a “Saga”
There’s a line in the article that really got to me: “We want these new versions of our classic characters to lead a new saga after Secret Wars.” A new saga. Another phase. Another 10-year plan. We’re being scheduled for future hype, as if we’re part of some massive, ongoing pitch deck.
At some point, the question becomes: Are we watching stories, or just attending content strategy meetings?
What made the Infinity Saga work wasn’t just its scope. It was the build-up. The patience. The idea that you could follow a flawed man in a cave building a suit and end with a god-tier space battle that still felt grounded in character.
Now? It’s like we skipped straight to the part with seven timelines, five Spider-Men, and 800 Easter eggs. That’s not world-building. That’s exhausting.
Even the Mutants Deserve Better
Let’s talk about the X-Men. I love the X-Men. Not just because they’re iconic, but because they’ve always felt a little different. Messy. Political. Personal. When X2 came out in 2003, it didn’t need a multiverse to punch you in the gut. It just had Logan, Rogue, and Magneto being messy, and human, and complicated.
So yes, I’m excited for them to join the MCU. But not if they’re just another toy in the multiverse sandbox. Not if they get introduced during some post-credit fever dream that requires a YouTube explainer and four flowcharts to understand.
Maybe We’re All Just Tired
Let me be clear: this isn’t about “Marvel being woke” or “superhero fatigue” in the lazy internet way. It’s about emotional exhaustion. About being fed so much content that even the good stuff gets lost in the noise.
My husband still lights up when there’s a Marvel drop. But even he admits it’s hard to keep up. And my kids? They’ve gone from wide-eyed MCU fans to shrugging when the new trailers drop. That’s the real loss. We’re not just missing quality, we’re missing the joy.
What Marvel Needs to Remember
So no, I don’t need another Iron Man. I don’t need another Captain America. I need Marvel to remember why we watched in the first place.
We watched because Tony had PTSD. Because Steve was promised a dance. Because Wanda was grieving. Because Rocket Raccoon made us cry.
We didn’t show up just for the suits and portals. We showed up because, somehow, these larger-than-life characters felt human. That’s what Marvel does best, when it remembers to.
Final Thought
If Marvel really wants to reset, here’s an idea: reset expectations. Tell smaller stories again. Take real creative risks, not just visual ones. Make us fall in love with characters, not timelines.
And stop announcing the next five years of your content calendar like it’s Comic-Con bingo night. Surprise us. Delight us. Make us feel something again.
Because I don’t need a reminder of what I watched a decade ago.
I need a reason to keep watching now.
