Should Disney stop producing Marvel content?

Gina (No)

Since purchasing Marvel for $4 billion, Disney has output dozens of superhero movies such as The Avengers, Guardians of the Galaxy, and Black Panther. If Disney were to cease making these movies, millions of disappointed fans and production crew members worldwide would be impacted. 

Disney’s resources and Marvel Cinematic Universe’s (MCU) ingenious storytelling inspire future filmmakers. Movies have long inspired creatives, exposing them to ideas they would never have known. Disney and MCU all but ensure this tradition continues. The MCU has created thousands of jobs in many fields. Movie theaters, retail stores, distribution centers, graphic designers, artists, actors, and many more positions would be impacted, leaving thousands of people out of work if Disney were to stop making these movies.

As Marvel’s global appeal broadens, making new movies allows creators to showcase different cultures. Black Panther, for instance, was the first film in which the entire cast and crew were all people of color, broadening the minds of millions of moviegoers. Continuing to make Marvel movies allows directors and storytellers to answer fans' questions as they dig deeper into character development. With every new movie, fans develop a deeper understanding of characters, in turn, changing their perspective of people in their real lives. 

As Disney and Marvel continue to reach deeper into the character library and showcase new stories, different walks of life are represented, creating inclusivity. Fans of all ages are able to have a touchpoint, allowing multiple generations to be fans, which brings families together. With the positive impact of Disney and MCU movies on our lives, it is clear that Disney should not stop making Marvel movies.

Mark (Yes)

The last thing we need is more Marvel content. Disney CEO Bob Iger has cited 'superhero fatigue' as the reason for reducing Marvel content in the foreseeable future; he couldn’t be more right. There has been a tendency in the entertainment industry to squeeze every last drop out of something initially profitable. The problem is that Marvel has exhausted even their most loyal fan base, leading to recent releases significantly underperforming at the box office.  

Couple Marvel’s dwindling drawing power with the fact that their projects are incredibly expensive to produce, and you have no justification for future releases. Several Hollywood heavyweights, such as Martin Scorsese, have been critical of Marvel and their reductive effect on the movie business as a whole. Streaming services have now made Marvel content ubiquitous to the point of overexposure. Critics have pointed to Marvel’s decline in quality as being related to its compulsive tendency to flood the marketplace with uninspired titles. 

Recent Marvel projects, such as The Eternals, Ant-Man & The Wasp, and The Marvels, were major disappointments at the box office, putting the possibility of any sequels or spin-offs in jeopardy. Likewise, most Disney+ shows, such as She-Hulk, Echo, Hawkeye, Secret Invasion, and Ms. Marvel, failed to draw the interest and numbers among audiences to make these commercial successes. These projects and others have also been infused with divisive political messaging and cultural stances that alienate and annoy certain portions of Marvel's audience. Marvel is not in the business of creating thought-provoking or socially reflective art pieces; they offer much-needed escapism for audiences. Their core purpose is severely compromised if they become too focused on Hollywood messaging to turn a profit or entertain. It’s time to leave the comics to the books, once and for all.