By: Maya McComb
The Marvel Universe is largely considered one of the best franchises in history, with an unparalleled grasp on the movie industry. Yet, recent trends show that the latest Marvel shows have had a decrease in viewership despite high Rotten Tomatoes ratings. This article will explore the factors that contribute to this phenomenon and whether or not the Marvel Cinematic Universe is doomed or just getting ready for its cinematic climax, Avengers: Doomsday.
To prepare for the upcoming release of Spider-Man: Brand New Day on July 31st and Avengers: Doomsday on December 18, I have begun the process of rewatching the movies in cinematic order. This journey has reminded me how easy it is to become fully immersed in the characters’ development. Iron Man, for example, has been the face of Marvel since the very beginning. Throughout his movies, the audience has grown attached to his character development from a condescending playboy genius to a complex representation of altruism. These stories are what keep the audience wanting to see these heroes succeed over the force of evil.
After Avengers: Endgame, Marvel began producing more movies and shows, and adding heroes to connect to the “next generation of viewers.” The problem I’ve noticed is that Marvel tried to expand and change the trajectory of the universe with movies and shows right when a worldwide phenomenon was taking place. This said phenomenon is our short attention span due to social media hurting our cognitive ability to sit, watch, and unpack complex shows.
The overall Multiverse Saga has felt very scattered and hard to focus on, which makes the shows less appealing to the mainstream audience. This audience is not motivated to keep track of the multiple timelines occurring, how they are overlapping, and what this means to the future of the entire universe. Honestly, I don’t blame the audience. Despite seeing great potential in the new heroes, I (who loves Marvel) do not feel the desire to watch the new shows and would rather watch the other movies.
To bring this back to Endgame, the Marvel Universe has established a cohesive goal to defeat Thanos since the very first Avengers movie, when they planted this seed. Now, it feels like we are missing that cohesive feeling, and it’s just a free-for-all out there with no real backbone. In addition, losing core characters such as Iron Man, Black Widow, and Captain America makes me and others less inclined to jump back in and see what’s happening in the Marvel universe.
Now, let’s specifically talk more about the show and how the viewership has been taking a stronger hit than the movies. Marvel has been releasing a high volume of content on Disney+. This may be a little dramatic, but every time I open the app, I feel like a new Marvel show has just been released, to the point where I am no longer interested in clicking to see what it is about.
Not only do I have to understand the shows or new movies, but I also have to watch three different series to understand the concept, making the Marvel Universe seem less accessible to casual viewers who want to connect with the characters. But we can not connect with the characters if we are missing half of the backstory that was established in another series.
One of the latest Marvel releases was Wonder Man on Disney +, which premiered on January 27, 2026. The show is certified fresh with 91 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes. According to data shared by Variety, Wonder Man had 549.6 million minutes watched in the first 10 days of streaming, and later, unfortunately, dropped out of the Top 10 in the second week, highlighting the lack of viewership after the initial buzz of excitement. This show performed worse than Echo (premiered January 9th 2024), which had 731 millions minutes the first 10 days. I can not comment on the quality of either show because I have not watched them yet.
According to Statista, Marvel’s shows peaked with Loki in early 2021, with an estimated 2.5 million viewers as of 2023, and ever since, there has been a gradual decline in viewership. The latest show recorded on the graph was Ms. Marvel, released in 2022, with around 0.78 million viewers.
The fate and future of the Marvel Universe relies heavily on the success of Avengers Doomsday. This movie should close the doors on the past heroes that we have grown to love, while successfully introducing the new heroes so the audience can connect and grow fond of them, and stay invested in the character development, similar to how we were at the beginning of the movies with Iron Man and Captain America.
I can not claim to be a Marvel Cinematic Universe expert, just someone who enjoys sitting on the edge of my seat, cheering on my favorite characters, and enjoying the fast-paced banter between heroes. I do not watch these movies to be critical of the cliche narrative arcs or the plot armor, but rather to enjoy a good action movie that has heart. We are losing the heart of the movies that have been formed from the original comic books.
This is what Marvel needs to remember: the audience does not need complex storylines just for the sake of being niche, but a story that will leave viewers feeling similar to when we first watched Iron Man, or End Game. Avengers Doomsday will determine if Marvel really is doomed, or can live to fight another day in this ever-changing world.
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