The Evolution of the Marvel Cinematic Universe: Pivoting from the Saga Structure

The Risk and Success of the Infinity Saga

The Marvel Cinematic Universe pioneered a risky concept that paid off in the Infinity Saga. It all began with the brief introduction of Thanos at the end of The Avengers, setting in motion a franchise-wide story that took years of behind-the-scenes development.

Chris Evans as Captain America and Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man in The Avengers (2012)

The Infinity Saga was a risk not only because it had never been done before, but there was no guarantee that the MCU would even last to pay it off. However, the Infinity Saga was met with great success, establishing the franchise as one of the most successful in cinematic history.

Heroes from all across the MCU enter battle through portals in Avengers: Endgame

The Challenges of Franchise-Wide Stories

The Infinity Saga was the MCU's first overarching project, and it worked well when the franchise was smaller in scale. However, with the addition of the MCU Disney+ series and the increasing number of films, the franchise has become too big for franchise-wide stories to work effectively. The challenge lies in keeping audiences engaged and connected to an overarching saga amidst the overwhelming amount of MCU content.

Iron Man in battle walking toward Ebony Maw in Avengers Infinity War

The saga structure has also impacted the post-Endgame MCU, with some projects or characters being used solely as a way to introduce necessary concepts, thus affecting individual stories and character development.

Loki (Tom Hiddelston) sits on his thrown and holds together the timelines of the multiverse in Loki season 2 episide 6

The Need for Narrative Freedom

With the MCU's vast cast and numerous projects, it's time to consider pivoting from the saga structure. This shift would provide more narrative freedom to the talented characters and allow for diverse stories. It's clear that the Multiverse Saga's struggles have highlighted the need for a post-saga world that can explore characters without emphasizing their connections.

Kamala Khan (Iman Vellani) using her Quantum Band in The Marvels

The MCU can benefit from more narrative freedom moving forward, allowing individual character development to flourish and the franchise to evolve past the years-long saga format.

Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olson) channels the Darkhold in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness