For years, Marvel dominated the theaters with their blockbuster films, becoming the building blocks of modern superhero movies and culture alike. However, within recent years, the studio’s progression has slowed, with fans and critics voicing their disappointment with the last few films. Most are underwhelmed, uninspired and failing to capture the magic of their early years. The recent waves of Marvel movies had many hoping they would serve as a turning point for the studio.
One of these films was the Fantastic Four. A group of four heroes who gained powers after a disaster in space caused their genes to mutate, with their new found powers they serve as earth’s protectors. The hype for this movie was unlike anything Marvel had seen in a while, being fueled by trailers, online speculation and eager fans who believed Marvel still had something to offer. This was Marvel’s big “make-or-break” moment for many, a chance to prove that superhero films could still bring back the excitement they once were. Fully believe this to be the start of a new era for the franchise, one to make at that lost time worth it.
The reactions ended up mixed, the film itself brought a whole new feel to the Marvel franchise. The film has a well established core theme of family and how as a family you always remain strong together. I feel that for many being able to see such beloved characters like “Mr. Fantastic” and “The Thing” back in action was a nice heartwarmer, also to see such a towering villain like Galactus brings forth both fear and glee through just seeing such amazing characters. In the end the film lived up to most expectations with fans ready to see where this story takes the characters with the end credits introducing Dr. Doom, likely to be the next main villain for the franchise.
While still implying the idea of multiple universes, the film itself felt very self contained, remaining within its own new universe rather than the main Marvel Cinematic Universe. It brought a bright energy to the series, using its plenty of twists and turns to keep the viewer on the edge of their seat, such as when we learn the reason why Galactus wanted to invade Earth. Showing the strength of family bonds like the Fantastic Four has never failed to do. I believe that the movie was a big sigh of relief for many, even those who disliked it are able to see the good progress Marvel is making.
It was a stark contrast to the films before it that the movie ended up in high regards to the major. While it was received more positively than many of Marvel’s recent releases, its numbers have not reached the record-breaking heights that once seemed guaranteed for the studio. This suggests that Marvel may still be facing challenges in convincing audiences that their films are the great pieces of work they once were.
It still remains a mystery on whether this film marks the beginning of Marvel’s return or a slow end to it. Even so, one thing remains clear, the conversation around superhero movies isn’t going away anytime soon, as it continues to spark interest in both media and entertainment.
