Feige has recently stated that the MCU hasn’t even scratched the surface, giving fans a lot to look forward to. The recent introduction of Kang the Conqueror and the slated Secret Wars and Kang Dynasty movies makes it an exciting time to be an MCU fan. Despite all this, there’s a noticeable lack of enthusiasm from many across the internet and that’s likely due to the poor reception of recent Marvel titles such as Thor: Love and Thunder. Does this point to a necessary changing of the guard behind the scenes?

Kevin Feige was Key to Marvel’s Success

It’s indisputable that the MCU would not be where it is without the likes of Kevin Feige. The man single-handedly shaped the MCU into the large shared cinematic universe it is. Few people around the world have the same knowledge of Marvel characters as Feige, making him a vital part of every MCU movie. While the brunt of the work and accolades go to the directors, writers, and actors of each individual movie, it was Feige who guided the development of each film, with his fingerprints all over the casting, script writing, and post-production roles along with making sure fans watched a cohesive story unfold across multiple films.

His goal was simple from the outset: Create a universe where all the movies shared the same universe and they each told their own story while working toward something bigger. This was an overwhelming success during the first three phases of the MCU. Iron Man and phase one was all about bringing together the Avengers. One little end credit scene kicked it all off and excited fans everywhere. Then the end of Joss Whedon’s The Avengers gave fans a new story to look forward to: Thanos and the collection of the Infinity Stones.

It’s Feige’s passion for the source material, coupled with his vision for a cinematic universe that made the first three phases of the MCU smash hits. However, as Marvel treads into the MCU’s fifth phase, the same energy isn’t there. From the fans and Feige, it seems. Each new property feels more disjointed as they lack a cohesive throughline that made the MCU as great as it was. Sure, critics can blame superhero fatigue for some of it, but that’s not the whole story. The MCU doesn’t have the same spark and even the mid-credit and end-credit scenes lack intrigue. The most exciting end-credit scenes in post-Endgame movies came from Shang Chi and Ant-Man: Quantumania.

That’s not to say that every Marvel project needs to set up the next movie because that’s not fair to the director and writers who have a specific story they want to tell. Some of the best post-credit scenes were ones that tied directly to the movie they’re in, such as Thor: Love and Thunder’s scenes, especially the one with Ted Lasso’s Brett Goldstein

It Might be Time for Kevin Feige to Step Down

If Feige’s going to receive all the praise for the MCU’s success, it’s only fair that its stagnation land at his feet as well. Phase four of the MCU was all over the place. While it told some solid stories that propped up many supporting characters and introduced completely new ones, it lacked cohesion that fans came to expect from Marvel projects. Honestly, the MCU doesn’t work without some form of cohesion.

Werewolf by Night received a positive reception from critics and fans alike despite being a one-off project that explored different themes within the horror genre. WandaVision was a wonderful story about grief and overcoming it while Falcon and the Winter Soldier dealt with racism, redemption, nationalism, and legacies. There is something to be said about standalone projects, but the MCU isn’t the MCU without some connective tissue between projects. Instead of looking at stories purely about superheroes, Marvel could shift its focus over to deeper themes like the previously mentioned shows. With mutants on their way to the MCU, it would be a missed opportunity not to delve into civil rights and bigotry.

Recent reports even suggest that Avengers: Secret Wars is going to act as a soft reboot for the MCU. That means Marvel will recast and re-introduce Iron Man and Captain America, falling into the same trap that the comics do. Instead of relying on the same characters, the MCU should progress and allow Anthony Mackie to continue as Captain America and push Riri Williams or Rhodey into the spotlight as the new Iron Man. Feige needs to let the MCU move on from the original characters. There might be nothing left for Feige to offer as the guiding force of this cinematic universe.

A New Leader May Have Better Instincts

Even though people love Steve Rogers and Tony Stark, a new architect of the MCU can adapt the source material to fit new characters. A new leader can come in with fresh eyes and fresh ideas that gives fans something new to look forward to. There are always going to be the more conservative fans who don’t want their characters or stories to change, who prefer everything to be just as it happened in the comics. However, change is necessary for the MCU’s continued success. Who could lead the MCU in a productive direction?

Before Disney fired her, Victoria Alonso would have been on the shortlist. She assisted with the development of every Marvel movie and worked side-by-side with Feige on a lot. With her no longer at Marvel, moving somebody from the comic book side of the company over to the cinematic side wouldn’t be a terrible idea. The position deserves a person with intimate knowledge of Marvel’s history who can spot mistakes before they happen and plan ahead to keep everything organized and tied together. Perhaps the Russo brothers even. Although, that would prohibit them from directing any other masterpieces. As beloved as Feige is, he’s not the forward thinker that the MCU deserves.