Marc Guggenheim, co-creator of the Arrowverse, believes the Marvel Cinematic Universe is too big and is calling on Disney to “prune the tree.”
During an interview with The Aarthi and Sriram Show, Guggenheim explained that, from his perspective, Marvel Studios has spread its sprawling superhero franchise too thin. “I just can’t keep up. There’s just too much content,” he said. The producer, who played a key role in growing The CW‘s connected universe of DC shows, continued on to say that the MCU requires a major reset to trim excess characters and stories, and he hopes Avengers: Secret Wars will do the trick.
“I think honestly what the Marvel Cinematic Universe is going through right now is the same discovery that Marvel print universe and the DC print universe also went through… every now and again, you need to do some sort of reboot that scrapes off the barnacles, like Crisis on Infinite Earths,” Guggenheim elaborated. He concludes by stating that he hopes the MCU can eventually return to producing movies that not only fit into a larger tapestry but can be enjoyed as standalone experiences.
Too Much Marvel?
Guggenheim isn’t alone in his beliefs. Marvel Studios has faced a great deal of criticism in recent years due to its approach to content production. Many fans believe Disney+ series like Moon Knight, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, and Hawkeye offered little in the way of satisfying stories and served to rather over-inflate the universe. Even Disney CEO Bob Iger has said as much, promising that the company plans on severely cutting back on the amount of Marvel productions in the coming years.
How Disney’s decision to reduce Marvel Studios’ output will affect the established slate of films and shows remains unknown. At the time of writing, fans can still look forward to the release of The Marvels, Loki Season 2, and Echo, all of which are locked in for 2023.
