The Marvel Cinematic Universe Has Failed

In 2009 Disney bought out and saved Marvel Comics from financial ruin after the company failed to maintain an audience with their Ultimate Marvel line. Disney, taking notice of the financial and critical success of Jon Favreau's Iron Man, saw opportunity in turning a profit through their newly acquired IP. Disney shifted Marvel's focus away from comics momentarily to produce a handful of films starring characters across the company's rich history of super hero magic. The end product, of course, was the cinematic equivalent of a comic book. Across a handful of films we were introduced to a small cast of characters: The Hulk, Captain America, Iron Man, and Thor - among others. We discovered their origins and saw glimpses of the heroes interacting with one another despite the independence of each film's story. Come 2012, and we saw all these characters come together in The Avengers. At this time, the concept of the "cinematic universe" was unheard of in the world of cinema, and for Disney, their experiment was met with unprecedented success. A decade later and the Marvel Cinematic Universe has grossed over 10 billion dollars in the box office. They have also single-handedly cultivated a culture in the acceptance of media originally considered for "nerds" only, and of course, they have shaped the way mainstream blockbusters function for years to come. No other company can claim the success Disney can nor can they claim to have shaped society's consumption of media like Disney has. To put it bluntly, the Marvel Cinematic Universe is the biggest success story in cinematic history.... So then why have I taken the stance that, despite all this, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has failed? Well, when weighing these films by their financial and cultural success then yes, Disney and Marvel have succeeded and this is a fact that cannot be debated. However, when looking at these films themselves and the scope of cinematic storytelling they proposed and promised... they have failed to deliver that grand and epic story that seemed so tangible in 2012 with The Avengers. I argue that the storyline of the Marvel Cinematic Universe has fallen apart. The idea of seeing this massive cast of characters coming together, falling apart, and reuniting to defeat the galaxy's biggest threat (Thanos) has been simultaneously rushed and underdeveloped due to the massive scale of films that have been produced under the Cinematic Universe's flagship name. This debate will rely heavily on subjectivity and opinion, so awards should go to who could push the more convincing argument. I will be spending these rounds highlighting what I believe are the biggest flaws of the cinematic universe and will be presenting films and evidence to show this. I will also be arguing that the financial incentive from Disney to create these films has pushed the cinematic universe into being a spontaneous introduction of characters instead of being a calculated build up to any tangible finale - even IF the comic storylines these films are based on contradict my claim. And to make myself clear, I AM NOT arguing that these films have failed on a financial, cultural, or critical level. I am speaking purely of the storyline that these films have been developing since day one - if there even really is one to begin with.