Is Marvel Finally Understanding Their Audiences?

Photo by Sebastian Huber on Unsplash

For the longest time, Marvel was seen as an enjoyment for men who especially read the comics and the thought of women liking the shows was either “pick me” behavior or simply marked them as nerdy. But the Gen Z’s who were raised with Iron Man in their early childhood and the Avengers in their teen years, have completely altered that. The military propaganda with the patriarchal jokes and sexualized female superheroes doesn’t work for these youngsters.

That’s why shows like Loki, WandaVison, Agatha All Along and movies like Thor: Ragnarok, and Deadpool x Wolverine have broken records and are now fan favorites.

The writers and the producers are learning what works for their projects where as before, some jokes just didn’t land because it was the wrong project. Would queer jokes from Agatha All Along work in The Hulk, no probably not. Knowing to cater campy costumes, singing performances and Agatha and Rio’s romance to a fanbase from WandaVision that statistically is more of women and of people whom are gay ("if you wanted a straight answer as I straight woman") really helped with creating a show that has episodes with high IMDB ratings.

Are they taking to social media to learn about which superhero has what kind of fanbase? Probably. And it’s working. I’d expect lots of action, and fight scenes from Thunderbolts, and with Yelena Belova and other Gen Z characters, I’d also expect some awkward humor in there as well.

I felt in The Avengers movies, characters like Tony Stark having a bit of awkward humor just didn’t work. “That's America’s ass” in regards to Captain America/ Steve Rogers to me just didn’t hit the same as “Point Break.” Which is exactly why shows like Falcon and the Winter Soldier completely flopped!

Movies where many characters come together for one movie will only be authentic if the writers do deep character analysis and assess who will most likely watch it. The days of trying to captivate all the different types of Marvel fans is over, because frankly there are so many groups of different Marvel fans, and luckily they’re so big as individual fanbases, it’s best to just give them the best of the character and stick to their comic and suit accuracy.

If I were in the room of the Marvel creators, my advice would be, cameos are great if they further the plot. And secondly, creating a superhero character that fans can “stan” will be how you keep lasting fans that show up in the theaters. You do this by making them relatable, but in a way that is true to the character.

Even as an evil Wanda in Multiverse of Madness, she still had the fans from Wanda Vision, and the Avengers who didn’t turn their back on her with lines like the dialogue with Dr. Strange telling her that her kids weren’t real because she created them through magic and her response being “that’s what every mother does.”

My last advice to Marvel would be to stop trying to create “viral movies.” Instead cultivate storylines that resonate, and feel like Marvel with the desire to help others and be a superhero, but also feel cinematic in a way of telling stories that are memorable and go beyond the comic narrative. The virality of all the Spidermans in one movie was awesome as a longtime Marvel fan, but lines or moments that resonate in a humorous or touching way, were far too limited.

The absence of the big names Marvel is known for is the best thing Marvel has done. Getting an entire generation hooked on a cinematic universe is the second best, as this allows room for thousands of new stories to rise through the MCU and be just as memorable as Peter Parker.

Keep doing what you’re doing Marvel, we can’t wait for what’s in store. I like to believe the best is yet to be seen!