How can MCU regain its glory days? The Marvels star Iman Vellani has an answer

The Marvel Cinematic Universe (popularly known as the MCU) has hardly been what it was five years ago, with all the hype in the world behind some upcoming projects. Fast forward one entire phase (as Marvel likes to divide its content), and MCU fans are stuck with projects that have neither received the critical acclaim nor the financial success of earlier projects.

The downfall started after Avengers: Endgame, one of the most successful films of all time and perhaps one of the two biggest superhero films ever made. With some popular characters like Robert Downey Jr.'s Iron Man and Chris Evans' Captain America leaving the field, the ambitious MCU tried to rebuild with new arcs and characters, but most attempts have been okay at best, if not disastrous.

The most recent entry in the list, The Marvels, also failed to spark any significant argument for Marvel's return to its glory days. Iman Vellani, who appeared in the Disney+ limited series Ms. Marvel and made her film debut with The Marvels, recently spoke out about this issue in a recent interview with The Direct, where she cited that making fans care about the characters is the only way Marvel has of coming back to its very best.

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What did Iman Vellani say about the MCU?

Iman Vellani emphasized that the success of the films depended on the characters and how much audiences felt for the characters. She said:

"I don't know. I don't know if it's about just getting bigger and bigger and bigger. Because then, like, what's left? You know, I think it's just about making the audience care about their characters. And I think they've established so many wonderful characters in the last phase of the MCU that it would be nice to see them all again and see them team up."

This is actually a crucial takeaway for Marvel, as character development and character arcs were instrumental in making the previous Marvel films special. The entire appeal of Avengers: Infinity War came from the empathy fans felt for the characters, which led to a sense of real loss, something that will need a deep connection.

For the new characters, though there is likability, there isn't a bond yet. With a bond developing, fans will be able to resonate better with the characters.

Crossover stories and longer and more intertwined arcs also help the cause, giving fans more space to connect and emote with certain new characters. Iman Vellani also spoke about this, adding:

"I think, because there are so many new characters people want to like, start shipping people together and be like, 'Oh, seeing Kamala and like the Red Guardian together.' Like imagining all these pair-ups, and I think that would definitely pay off. It'll be like, you know, the next Avengers."

MCU will definitely have to fix some of these problems before the franchise heads towards the other two Avengers films, which are slated to come out in the next three years.

As of now, the universe is still indefinitely expanding, with many other characters slated to join in the coming few films. This also includes Ryan Reynolds' Deadpool.

The Marvels is currently playing in theaters.