MCU Rumored to Bring Back Original Avengers: Here's Proof It's a Dumb Move

Summary

• Phase 4 is a mess.
• Rumors of former cast members return.
• Are Disney really that desperate?
• Let them rest.

It’s no secret that the MCU has been on a downward turn of losing audience interest since the end of Phase 3, and their most successful film to date, Avengers: Endgame. As they have endeavored to bring newer and fresher characters to the forefront of the franchise, the reception has been arguably mixed. Not to mention a fair few recent controversies behind the scenes of their latest releases; including the Jonathan Majors domestic violence case, which has caused significant disruption to Marvel’s upcoming plans.

What the studio could use right now is a reliable win. It’s therefore not surprising to hear rumors of discussions within the superhero empire to bring back the original Avengers cast for another joint movie, including Robert Downey Jr. and Scarlett Johansson. Although this certainly would attract a lot of attention, it has to be considered if it really would be a good idea for the MCU. There is a lot of risk attached to tampering with what were Marvel’s most successful movies. If they were to bring back the past for one more go around, would this be at the expense of everything the franchise has worked so hard to develop?

Could they afford to do it?

One obvious danger is that the studio may find themselves stuck in a pit financially if they don’t succeed. Marvel is obviously owned by Disney, one of the wealthiest film studios in the world. And yet it wouldn’t be the first time in its long history that the House of Mouse has attempted to fund expensive projects to revamp itself, instead to find itself in extensive debt.

Considering that Robert Downey's salary alone for Iron Man 3 was $25 million, bringing the whole gang back would require a significant budget. If the film were to fall flat, it could mean dire consequences for the studio and the MCU as a whole.

It would undermine the characters and previous movies

One of the reasons that the previous phases were so successful was because each character’s arc carefully progressed over multiple films, eventually creating some fantastic movies and great chemistry between the actors. The decision to sacrifice Tony Stark and Natasha Romanoff was an important one that fitted well with their developed arcs.

If these characters are simply brought back once again for the necessity of another sequel, doesn’t this diminish the significance of their past films? What's more, what would it mean for the new directions that the other characters have taken since within the franchise?

Old characters coming back could be disruptive to the newer established characters

While some characters have simply taken more of a prominent role within the MCU (Spider-Man, Doctor Strange, Captain Marvel) many new faces have also begun to establish their place within the universe. By reinforcing the dominance of the original Avengers, what does this do for the other heroes who are set to take their place?

They’re delaying the inevitable

Of course, the appeal is strong for any studio during a difficult period to fall back on what is tried and true. And yet it seems obvious that like any band-aid that is providing some fleeting protection, it will eventually need to be ripped off.

It’s about time that the nervous execs at Marvel realize that focusing more on the company's future legacies and not hanging on desperately to its past successes is what will help it continue to thrive.

It might never be as good as the original Avengers

It’s a known truth that when you try to recreate something perfect it is never as good the second time. Expecting another Avengers movie to be as good as their last few movies together feels very much like a pipe dream. Marvel needs to be very careful about placing all their trust in a movie that cannot live up to the high expectations it has created for itself.

After all, if the future of the MCU is dependent on this film’s success, it may be digging its own grave if it continues to provide audiences with just another underwhelming Marvel movie.