Marvel Studios films get a ton of criticism for repeating themselves, concepts like the bad guy with the giant sky laser or the army of faceless minions are easy criticism of the entire medium. The MCU is ramping up to the 4th phase of its eternal sprawl, and this is the perfect time to address the problem with its big finales.
Every MCU film has been an action film and action is almost always the draw, with that in mind, the conclusion of almost all of the 24 films in the franchise is a massive fireworks spectacle. This is obviously fun, but much like a fireworks display, it often lacks any sort of nuance and they all start to look the same.
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It is unquestionably true that a huge amount of subtext, character, and emotional catharsis can be delivered within the bounds of an action scene, the MCU has proven that multiple times. But, often the third act blowout occurs around the important details. Some films in the MCU managed to make their third act and even their final fight scene mean something beyond the spectacle. Captain America: Civil War brings emotional catharsis to three major characters, satisfyingly wrapping up tons of emotional background over the course of one incredible third act fight scene. But even with those successes, having every film end the same way becomes dull and predictable.
The MCU's big finales generally come in two varieties, a 0ne-on-one clash with the main villain, as in Iron Man or Spider-Man: Homecoming, or an onslaught against an army, like in The Avengers. Often it incorporates a bit of both, an army of henchmen and a single main antagonist for the hero of the film to destroy. The experiences can feel route, audiences can often call the ending halfway through the film.
This problem ties in with the most common criticism of MCU films, the lackluster villains. The fact that many of the villains are dull and obvious makes it difficult to find unique or interesting ways to conclude the story. A great example of the problem is last year's Wandavision. The first several episodes of the show are revolutionary, a bold new direction for the MCU's content that no one saw coming, but as the show neared its conclusion, much of the mystery, comedy, and genre-redefining satire gave way to the hero and villain blasting each other. Only one great subversion of the formula has been released up to this point.
Doctor Strange was well received by most, but took criticism for being derivative in a number of ways. The film was compared to other MCU fare and a host of outside magic-based action films were cited in comparison. Doctor Strange featured a less than iconic villain as its main threat, not unusual for the MCU, but after a series of tangles with a much more identifiable villain, Stephen Strange faces off against Dormammu.
Earlier world-building established Dormammu as an existential threat, capable of ending life in the universe with a thought. Fans were primed for another violent clash with his army of minions and a laser fight against the new big boss, but Strange, well aware he can't win, finds a new solution. Using the time stone, Strange locks Dormammu in an inescapable time loop, forcing him to leave Earth to escape. The film carries plenty of action, but the conclusion defies expectation and "Dormammu, I've come to bargain" is immortalized for its uniqueness.
Phase 4 has the opportunity to lean into new and weird third acts, creating special conclusions shaped to the hero of the film. Every hero in the MCU seems to solve their problems with a massive explosion-fueled battle, no matter which weapons that scene is waged with. Many of the characters have unique aspects that could fit a wide variety of fun third act finale scenes. Guardians of the Galaxy vol. 3 is set to premiere in 2023, the cast of fun outlaws are suited to a variety of environments.
Instead of blasting their problems away like the first two volumes, they could enact a pulse-pounding heist or take to the stars in a race across the universe or a variety of other options. Doctor Strange will have his second solo outing next year in Multiverse of Madness, and his unique set of powers and bizarre magical universe could lead to battles of wits that break the mold. The grand action set piece certainly works for some characters in some films, but in phase 4, the MCU can bring forth new ideas and destroy the predictability of the earlier phases.
The first three phases of the MCU are folded under the umbrella of the "Infinity" storyline, which means that phase 4 is the first step into a new era of this media empire. With this bold step forward, Marvel Studios has the chance to introduce some new, unique and fun finales to keep this world fun forever.
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