The Projector #102: What If… We Took a Break from Marvel Movies For a Little Bit? (Patreon)

by Keith Phipps

Actually, there’s no "what if" to it: In an unexpected announcement, Disney today revealed it would be changing the release date for many of its big-ticket upcoming movies, including most of its MCU titles. That means that after the release of Spider-Man: No Way Home we won’t be getting another Marvel movie until the May release of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.

Does anyone else feel relieved? I like nearly all of the MCU movies. Some I like a lot and, pre-pandemic, going to see them in the theater together was a family tradition (one we’ll hopefully be able to pick up again soon thanks to vaccinations for kids in time for the new Spider-man, if not Eternals). But the MCU has become overwhelming. Beyond the way it’s inspired the rest of Hollywood to try to emulate its model and escalated the move to franchises-above-all-else, it’s just been too much in 2021. Between movies and television series (which will presumably continue on schedule in spite of these delays) there’s always something. And, of course, that’s the plan. But when is it too much? Are film and TV shows supposed to be as varied-but-interconnected as comic book line? Do we want that?

If nothing else, it’s nice to have a little breathing room for other movies. But here’s the problem: it won’t smaller, more daring films sweeping in to fill the void. Films like The Batman and Uncharted will mostly likely fill up the conversation. (And, hey, I love Batman and have spent many hours playing Uncharted but that doesn’t exactly make these adventurous selections.)

Back at The Dissolve in — oh, wow — 2013, I wrote a piece about how studios should just agree to have a year of new ideas, which I proposed could take place in 2017. This, um, did not happen. But maybe this could be a mini version of that? Maybe, in the absence of new Marvel content, moviegoers decided to get adventurous and look beyond the non-MCU-but-MCU-inspired-films offered in their stead? It’s unlikely, but what if…?

Also, what if you haven’t checked out our recent episode on The Godfather Part II? If not, you should. It has special guest Jason Bailey, author of Fun City Cinema.

And, as long as you’re reading this, why not read these pieces we like?

• At Vulture, Alison Willmore writes about the strange poignance of Ben Affleck’s tabloid life.

• At Polygon, special effects legend Phil Tippett talks about his work on Star Wars and finishing his 30-year dream project. And you’ll find an excerpt from the childhood novel that inspired Hayao Miyazaki new film.

• Also at Polygon, our pal Noel Murray writes about Blumhouse’s now-annual Welcome to the Blumhouse package and offers a guide to giallo.

• Where does James Bond go from here? We ask that question on an upcoming bonus episode but, for Vulture, Bilge Ebiri goes even deeper. 

• We’ll also be talking about Succession in a bonus episode soon. In the meantime, read Jackson McHenry on the path of Gerri, a character who emerged from the shadows to take center stage.

• Finally, at The Reveal, Scott Tobias considers the best films of the year, according to Metacritic, in two parts. Keith Phipps watches an Ozu movie chosen at random and reflects on working in a dying theater 30 years ago. Combined, they review The Velvet Underground, Bergman Island, and The Last Duel.