History YMMV / MarvelCinematicUniverse

* ContinuityLockout: As the number of films increases, making any given film comprehensible to a new viewer becomes more difficult, and more prior knowledge is expected. In ''Civil War'', Hawkeye and Ant-Man show up midway through with little-to-no introduction and audiences are expected to already know who they are. By ''Infinity War'', the sheer number of named characters involved results in the creators spending no time whatsoever explaining to newcomers who these characters are or why they are important.
** This was also the general explanation for why none of the characters from the pre-Disney+ TV shows (''Series/AgentsOfSHIELD'', ''Series/Daredevil2015'', ''Series/JessicaJones2015'', ''Series/LukeCage2016'' and ''Series/IronFist2017'') appear in the movies, even the ones involving {{Crisis Crossover}}s. The movies generally have a wider audience than the TV shows (and are released in certain countries where the shows don't even air), and the creators don't want to have to spend time explaining who the hell these people are for the benefit of audience members who might not be familiar with them. ''Endgame'' and Phase Four later broke this rule, though; with Edwin Jarvis from ''Series/AgentCarter'' making a cameo in ''Endgame'' and [[spoiler:Matt Murdock and Wilson Fisk from ''Daredevil'']] later appearing with little buildup (in fact, ''No Way Home'' uses the lack of explanation as a joke).
** Exaggerated in Phase Four, which expects the audience to be familiar with not just the MCU backlog but ''whole other film continuities''. ''Spider-Man: No Way Home'' involves characters from the ''Film/SpiderManTrilogy'' and ''Film/TheAmazingSpiderManSeries'' (plus a cameo from ''Film/SonysSpiderManUniverse'' that might prove to be important later on); while ''[=WandaVision=]'' exploits the fact that one of its characters is recognizable as [[spoiler:the version of Quicksilver from the ''Film/XMenFilmSeries'']] (though that one turns out to be [[spoiler:a RedHerring CastingGag, and ''X-Men'' actually isn't connected]]).

** There are some who believe the franchise should've stopped after ''Film/AvengersEndgame'', and will treat anything that came after as if it doesn't exist. Some more forgiving fans will cite ''Film/SpiderManNoWayHome'' and ''Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxyVol3'' as good epilogues, but otherwise ignore the rest of the post-''Endgame'' [=MCU=]

* AudienceColoringAdaptation: A complaint from the more hardcore comic book readers was that the success of the MCU is causing narrative and appearance shifts to the source material so that it could cash in on the success of the MCU. Not only that, the ''ComicBook/FantasticFour'' and ''ComicBook/XMen'' were often put aside in {{Crisis Crossover}}s post-2012 due to not being part of it.

** Hank Pym gets a quick appearance midway through ''Avengers: Endgame'' when Steve and Tony time-travel back to UsefulNotes/70s, which is made quite memorable by being a hilarious scene that once again features a digitally de-aged Creator/MichaelDouglas.

** Hank Pym gets a quick appearance midway through ''Avengers: Endgame'' when Steve and Tony time-travel back to UsefulNotes/TheSeventies, which is made quite memorable by being a hilarious scene that once again features a digitally de-aged Creator/MichaelDouglas.

** Tony Stark frequently suffers from this, not helped by his being very much on the short side of the SlashFic Height Rule. Fanfic that pairs him with Steve Rogers or Dr. Strange often tends to turn him from a JerkWithAHeartOfGold with guilt issues into an outright clingy HystericalWoman. Doubly so if the fics fall into the Superfamily genre, which portrays Tony as being an outright maternal TeamMom figure to Peter Parker (sometimes [[MisterSeahorse literally]]) to complement Steve or Strange's {{Flanderization}} into a StandardFiftiesFather.

** After ''Film/{{The Avengers|2012}}'' became the 3rd highest grossing film of all time, 2014 being a huge year for comic book movies and the rise of proposed movie {{Shared Universe}}s including but not limited to a revival of Franchise/UniversalHorror, a Creator/{{Sony}}-led ''[[Film/Ghostbusters2016 Ghostbusters]]''[=/=]''Franchise/MenInBlack''[=/=]''Film/TwentyOneJumpStreet'' universe, and Creator/{{Paramount}}'s ''Film/{{Transformers}}''[=/=]''Film/GIJoe'' universe, a lot of people are now over the novelty of shared franchise universes and frequently complain about the lack of original properties being made into films.

* ''YMMV/XMen97''

** Creator/HughJackman as Wolverine has earned the respect of pretty much everyone, MCU fandom included, in spite of never wearing a comics-accurate costume. Praise for [[Film/{{Logan}} his swan song in the role]] cemented this. There are fan calls to ''recast him'' in the MCU now that Disney has bought FOX's film assets. This eventually ended up happening when Jackman was announced to be portraying Wolverine in Film/DeadpoolAndWolverine.

** Creator/HughJackman as Wolverine has earned the respect of pretty much everyone, MCU fandom included, in spite of never wearing a comics-accurate costume. Praise for [[Film/{{Logan}} his swan song in the role]] cemented this. There are fan calls to ''recast him'' in the MCU now that Disney has bought FOX's film assets. This eventually ended up happening when Jackman was announced to be portraying Wolverine in Deadpool 3.

* CommitmentAnxiety: There's a growing sentiment in the MCU's viewership since Phase 4 that having to follow the Creator/DisneyPlus series to catch up on plot points followed upon in the films feels like homeworks or chores.

** In the years following ''Endgame'', a persistent current of anti-MCU sentiment has circulated on social media, primarily on Website/Twitter and film communities like Letterboxd. This was fueled in part by the phenomenon of superhero fatigue and a growing public exhaustion with movies branded as "capeshit", but also by the public comments of "prestige" directors like Creator/MartinScorsese (see FandomRivalry above) and others like Creator/FrancisFordCoppola and Creator/JaneCampion expressing their [[SciFiGhetto disdain for the superhero genre]] or frustration with the movies' market dominance. The incensed reactions of select MCU fans to said comments, often repeating the phrase "[[{{Webcomic/BooksOfAdam}} let people enjoy things]]" seemingly as a sort of shibboleth to shut down all criticism, has led defenders of these directors to rather unkindly stereotype all MCU fans as uncritical corporate consumers.

** With ''any'' fandoms for arthouse and so-called "high-brow" films, particuarly those directed by Creator/MartinScorsese or any other director with a critical opinion of the MCU. This is due to, in Scorsese's case at least, vitriol directed towards the entire concept of the MCU and superhero movies in general as a front for Hollywood executives to fully dominate the film industry with soulless cash grabs directed purely by film studios at the expense of creator independence or actual quality. While somewhat restrained when Scorese made his initial comments, this has heated up in Phase 4 with defenders of Scorsese's viewpoints claiming that the weaker reception of MCU related media from Phase 4 as well as recent events placing Hollywood executives in greater scrutiny(namely the causes of the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes) proves Scorsese right. On the other hand, fans of the MCU argue that many of Scorsese arguments that Superhero movies were just "theme park attractions" devoid of any emption ignores supposedly emotionally charged moments in the MCU, they also accuse Scorsese fans of downplaying the impact of the MCU along with arguably blockbuster and franchise films in general while painting a extremely overhyped and rose-tinted image of the historical legacy of arthouse and indie films.

* SeasonalRot: While Phase Four got off to a strong start, as a whole it is considered to be weaker than those before it. Common criticisms include the basic stories [[StrictlyFormula becoming repetitive]] and [[StatusQuoIsGod lacking status quo changes]] (often despite promising major shake-ups), lower quality special effects, a lack of consistency in setting up the multiverse, little clear sense of plot progression (as opposed to Phase Three, where every film made a clear contribution to the overall MythArc), and being paradoxically too long and also [[TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodPlot too short]] to make the most of their runtime, as well as [[ContinuityLockout overly continuity-heavy]]. Some have pointed out that at least part of this can be attributed to coming off the high of Phase Three and Marvel being unsure [[ToughActToFollow what could possibly live up to or surpass it]].

* ''YMMV/TheIncredibleHulk2008''

* ''YMMV/TheAvengers2012''

* ''YMMV/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy2014''

* ''YMMV/DoctorStrange2016''

* ''YMMV/BlackPanther2018''

* ''YMMV/CaptainMarvel2019''

* ''YMMV/Loki2021''
* ''YMMV/BlackWidow2021''
* ''YMMV/WhatIf2021''

* ''YMMV/Hawkeye2021''

* ''YMMV/MoonKnight2022''

* ''YMMV/MsMarvel2022''

* ''YMMV/WerewolfByNight2022''

* ''YMMV/SecretInvasion2023''
* ''YMMV/TheMarvels2023''
* ''YMMV/Echo2024''

* ''YMMV/Daredevil2015''
* ''YMMV/JessicaJones2015''
* ''YMMV/LukeCage2016''
* ''YMMV/IronFist2017''
* ''YMMV/TheDefenders2017''

* ''YMMV/ThePunisher2017''
* ''YMMV/Runaways2017''
* ''YMMV/CloakAndDagger2018''

** Creator/HughJackman as Wolverine has earned the respect of pretty much everyone, MCU fandom included, in spite of never wearing a comics-accurate costume. Praise for [[Film/{{Logan}} his swan song in the role]] cemented this. There are fan calls to ''recast him'' in the MCU now that Disney has bought FOX's film assets.

** Since the start of Phase 4 the MCU's continued focus on comedy has become quite divisive. Supporters feel the comedic bent of the films gives the MCU a flavor that makes it stand out from the typical Science-Fiction fare and makes the characters more relatable by [[AudienceSurrogate having them react to situations the way a normal person would]]. Detractors however, feel the MCU's focus on comedy has become a crutch for the writers, causing several characters [[ItsTheSameNowItSucks to feel homogenous]], making it hard to take the stakes of any story seriously due to [[AngstWhatAngst the characters' lack of worry or dread]]. This camp also notes that with how many [[FollowTheLeader film franchises follow the MCU's example]], this focus on comedy is, at best, [[SeinfeldIsUnfunny no longer a unique selling point]], and at worst, detrimental to cinema as a whole.

* SeinfeldIsUnfunny: With how big the cinematic SharedUniverse model in filmmaking is, it's easy to forget that the entire franchise was a ''very'' risky idea back in phase 1, a {{Crossover}} on this scale was seen as risky at best and downright impossible at worst, nowadays [[FollowTheLeader many are trying to be the MCU]]!

** ''Film/{{Black Panther|2018}}'' directer Ryan Coogler gets a huge amount of pre-emptive worship for his [[Film/FruitvaleStation genuine]] [[Film/{{Creed}} talent]] and his casting choices.

* ArchivePanic: As of 2020, there are 24 movies currently released, each about two hours. On top of that there are seven seasons of ''Series/AgentsOfShield'', three of ''Series/Runaways2017'', two of ''Series/AgentCarter'' and ''Series/CloakAndDagger2018'', and one of ''{{Series/Inhumans}}'', plus all the Netflix series that nearly work in a continuity of their own. Not helping is that Phase 4 is reliant on plot points that are established in the television series, which has led to complaints from audiences that watching the series now feels like homework.

** From ''Film/AvengersInfinityWar'' the Hulk began getting this sentiment from fans. After a rather impressive bit of CharacterDevelopment for them in ''Film/ThorRagnarok'', the Hulk spends much of his time [[AchillesInHisTent refusing to emerge]] after being subject to a CurbStompBattle from Thanos, leading many fans to believe he was being overly cowardly just to keep him out of the movie. His reappearance in ''Endgame'' as Professor Hulk has similarly not been well-received, due to him barely participating in any action scenes, and having a more light-hearted and comedic personality that constrasts with his previous BloodKnight tendencies shown previously.

* EvilIsSexy: [[Creator/TomHiddleston Loki]], Grant Ward, Raina ([[spoiler:before her KarmicTransformation]]), [[spoiler:[[Creator/GuyPearce Aldrich Killian]]]], Lorelei, [[Creator/KarenGillan Nebula]] and [[Creator/BridgetRegan Dottie Underwood]] all manage to make for impressive villains while simultaneoulsy being fairly attractive. Note that only [[GreenSkinnedSpaceBabe Nebula]] and [[spoiler:[[FanServicePack Killian]]]] are intended to be (downplayed) {{Fanservice}} in the context of the movies.

*** A much bigger change than Iron Man is ''Doctor Strange'' having a snarky personality. In the comics, he's traditionally tended toward dignity and stoicism. Now the comic writers are starting to depict him more like his movie counterpart, and for long-time readers, it feels... [[JustForPun strange.]]

** Thor's more comedic characterization starting with ''Film/ThorRagnarok'' was originally embraced by fans, due to Thor's previous appearances having him act [[TheComicallySerious as a boring straight man]] to the Avengers' snarky and jokey chemistry, making him feel relatively flat by comparison. As such, giving Thor some more lighthearted and funny moments was a nice change of pace, and also made sense given all his time spent with the Avengers at the time. By the time of ''Film/ThorLoveAndThunder'' however, Thor's goofy personality had become exaggerated and had long overstayed its welcome, to the point where the ''Guardians of the Galaxy'' were now more serious characters than he was. As such, many people now think that making Thor more comedic ultimately changed the character for the worse, given his inability to take anything seriously for more than a second.

* SeasonalRot: While Phase Four got off to a strong start, as a whole it is considered to be weaker than those before it. Common criticisms include the basic stories [[StrictlyFormula becoming repetitive]] and [[StatusQuoIsGod lacking status quo changes]] (often despite promising major shake-ups), lower quality special effects, a lack of consistency in setting up the multiverse, little clear sense of plot progression (as opposed to Phase Three, where every film made a clear contribution to the overall MythArc), and being paradoxically too long and also [[TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodPlot too short]] to make the most of their runtime, as well as [[ContinuityLockout overly continuity-heavy]]. Some have pointed out that at least part of this can be attributed to coming off the high of Phase Three and Marvel being unsure [[ToughActToFollow what could possibly live up to or surpass it]].