#some of them are very hardcore/desperate for validation from within their bubble

[staghunters]

So Jhonen Vasquez (of invader zim fame) recently tweeted this and my media analysis brain can't get enough of it because it points out Exactly my problem with Marvel films.

Disclaimer that I've never been a marvel fan, and this development will only minimize the chances of becoming one.

So multiverse of madness is currently in theatres and people can't get enough of it (that's fine, ill let people enjoy things). What this tweet points out, however, is that this film will probably signify marvel going in the direction of requiring having seen previous films to enjoy the next ones.

Of course, this is nothing new. Trilogies (or longer, but those are rare) have existed for a while now. What is different with the recent marvel films is how, where trilogies were tied together by a storyline or a character, marvel is tied together by a brand.

F.e. if we would use the logic of character names in the title, Harry Potter would make sense as a film series. Yet, if we would apply that to Doctor Strange it wouldn't work. Watching Doctor Strange: Multiverse of Madness after seeing Doctor Strange will not provide you with the necessary information to understand the new film.

And there are two ways to solve this: 1. Provide context/exposition with each film. 2. Require the audience to be dedicated to watching each addition to the marvel brand.

Naturally, Disney is interested in the latter part. See for example the rollout of spinoff series that is exclusively on Disney+ but are necessary to understand the films that are accessible to everyone. (F.e. you have to have seen Wandavision in order to understand Multiverse of Madness).

Is it daring to pull off a story spanning multiple films/series? Of course. Given the various directors, I'm surprised it managed to hold up. But don't think that this is solely for creative vision. Disney also wants you to pay them €9,~ a month on streaming and an additional €11,~ on tickets at the cinema

This is a good video that mentions bits of this more clearly at points