Can The Avengers Save the Marvel Cinematic Universe?

Can putting the band back together pull Marvel Studios out of its current funk?

According to an article published by Variety.com, Disney may be toying with the idea of bringing back the original cast of the Avengers. Bringing characters back from the dead to squeeze a few more bucks out of them isn’t exactly a new process in Hollywood. Granted, it often results in mixed success rates. With the Marvel Cinematic Universe receiving lackluster praise, it’s clear why the studio may think that this is a wise decision.

While some fans have expressed excitement over the prospect of seeing their favorite characters return, others have criticized the move, arguing that Marvel may be running out of new ideas. This would be interesting, seeing as how there are thousands upon thousands of various storylines and events that happen within the Marvel Universe.

The original Avengers cast, which included Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Black Widow, Hulk, and Hawkeye, has become a pop culture phenomenon since the release of the first Avengers movie in 2012. However, with the deaths of Iron Man and Black Widow in Avengers: Endgame, it seemed that we had witnessed the end of their stories. In the same movie, Captain America passed on his iconic shield to his friend Sam Wilson, marking a transition to a new era of heroes.

There Was An Idea... To Bring Together A Group Of Remarkable People To See If They Could Become Something More. - Nick Fury

The report of Marvel's plans to bring back the original cast has understandably caused confusion and speculation, considering its original members' story arcs, and the reality of their actors either aging out of their roles or choosing to move on to other projects. Chris Hemsworth has stated that would rather focus on other projects at the moment but would be willing to return if the script was creatively rich. And Robert Downey Jr. chose not to lend his voice to the Marvel streaming show “What If”.

One possible reason that Marvel may be considering such a move is the commercial success of the first phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The original Avengers cast was the face of the MCU throughout its first phase, laying the groundwork for the vast array of characters and storylines that followed. It's possible that by revisiting this cast, Marvel aims to recapture the success of the first phase.

However, some fans and critics argue that bringing back the original cast would be a sign of creative bankruptcy on Marvel's part. Fans believe that the storylines and character arcs of the original Avengers have already concluded in an agreeable way. To retcon this or come up with a way to bring them all back to life would be disrespectful to both the characters and the fans who went through the trials with them.

Some fans have stated that bringing back these characters would be a simple cash grab for Marvel, leveraging the popularity of the original cast to generate ticket sales and merchandise sales, rather than investing in new storylines and characters. However, if the new films were successful it would open up new sources of funding for future Marvel productions.

Ultimately, whether Marvel's decision to bring back the original cast is a good idea or not depends on the execution. A fresh take on the characters with new storylines and a new direction for the MCU could reinvigorate the franchise. However, a haphazard return that disregards the conclusions of the characters' story arcs or retreads old ground could lead to the franchise jumping the shark.