Are Cinematic Universes Ruining The Film Industry?

Each week it seems like there is a new superhero reboot, spin-off, prequel, or sequel and it’s starting to get old

With the success of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it’s no surprise that every studio is going to want its own. Now we have the DC universe and a monster movie universe; e.g. King Kong and Godzilla. Hollywood is dominated by reboots, spinoffs, sequels, and prequels and it makes me worry about the future of cinema as a whole.

There are currently several movies showing that fall under this category. This includes Wonder Woman, Pirates of the Caribbean, Guardians of the Galaxy, Alien Covenant, and Beauty and the Beast.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying any of these movies are necessarily bad. Wonder Woman has received fantastic reviews and they were well deserved. It’s just astonishing how many of these films are either part of a cinematic universe or a past movie franchise.

I am interested in having certain characters and storylines explored through sequels and prequels, such as Alien Covenant, but let’s not forget, original screenplays are just as entertaining. I like to have complete story arcs in movies and I hate waiting years to see where a story will go. Usually, once the sequel arrives I have forgotten key parts and details from the original movie.

There is also the problem with long overdue sequels that totally miss the point, only to disappoint frustrated fans. (We have seen this polarizing effect with the latest Alien movies).

This year Marvel is going to release three movies that are part of their cinematic universe. When Iron Man came out I loved it and I have greatly enjoyed most of the other movies that they have released. But I have reached the point where I am starting to get superhero movie fatigue. It’s hard to keep up with the story when so many plot lines and characters are constantly being introduced.

I’m someone who likes to understand what is going on in a story before watching a movie that expands on it. It’s hard to keep up with the MCU and its beginning to make me lose my interest. Even when the movies including some of my favorite heroes working alongside each other, like Spiderman and Iron Man.

It also makes me sad when I see a wonderful original movie and it ends up being a bomb at the box office. For example, The Nice Guys was a fantastic movie, but very few people watched it. I hope that Hollywood will recognize that stand-alone films are the foundation of their industry. Hopefully, they see the importance of continuing to invest in original films.