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It’s hard to imagine Marvel Studios as an underdog. The multi-billion dollar studio has done the impossible over the past two decades, releasing dozens of movies and TV shows that all share a universe, culminating in some of the biggest and most successful films of all time. But, over the past few years, Marvel looked slightly vulnerable. It looked like the wheels were in danger of coming off. Then 2024 changed that, and it happened mostly behind the scenes.
That’s because in 2024, Marvel only released one film: Deadpool & Wolverine. It’s easy now to think of the film as a huge hit, but despite its very popular characters, it was initially viewed as something of a risk. It’s not every day one of Disney’s brands goes against its family-friendly style but Deadpool & Wolverine was Marvel’s first R-rated film. And a hard R at that. The risk paid off though. The violent, irreverent superhero comedy went on to break all sorts of box office records, eventually becoming the highest-grossing R-rated film in history. Think about that. Think about all the R-rated movies you’ve watched over your lifetime. Deadpool & Wolverine has outgrossed all of them.
It was a major, major win for the studio after a few years which, for the most part, fell way below its 2008-2019 expectations. Those years, referred to as the Infinity Saga, saw damn near universal praise and box office success for Marvel’s work, changing the face of Hollywood as we knew it. But, in the years that followed, the huge successes have been as numerous as the disappointments. For every Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness, there’s a Thor: Love and Thunder. For every WandaVision or Loki there’s a Secret Invasion or Moon Knight. This culminated in 2023 with less-than-stellar reviews, and returns, for Ant-Man & the Wasp: Quantumania and The Marvels. Those were balanced by the hit that was Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, but as that was raking in the dough, its filmmaker James Gunn was already down the street making movies for the competition. So, not a total win.
Those missteps necessitated a refocus that resulted in Deadpool & Wolverine being the only Marvel movie released in 2024. Which, as we just stated, was a success. Things also largely worked on the TV side too. Marvel Animation released the highly anticipated X-Men ’97, which quickly became a smash, and later the release of Agatha All Along followed suit, pleasing fans as well as critics.
That’s significant because very little of that was part of the original plan. In 2022, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige showed up in Hall H at San Diego Comic-Con and presented the slate for the next few years. Agatha was on there, as well as a few films from the previous years, but the cohesive direction fans saw in the years leading up to Avengers: Endgame wasn’t there. What was all of this building up to? We didn’t know. And there was no mention of its eventual 2024 saviors Deadpool, Wolverine, or the X-Men.
Some of that uncertainty continued in 2024 as creatives like Michael Waldon and Destin Daniel Cretton left their posts on some upcoming Avengers movies. Echo didn’t quite hit, and films like Thunderbolts and Captain America 4 were moved back months while one, Blade, was postponed indefinitely. A lot was riding on Marvel’s return to Hall H on July 27 this year and that’s when it all changed.
By the time San Diego Comic-Con 2024 came around, Marvel had reloaded and then some. We got to see footage from 2025’s The Fantastic Four: First Steps, which had barely started filming. The Russo Brothers, directors of several of the biggest and best Marvel movies ever, were coming back to helm two more Avengers movies: Doomsday and the big one, Secret Wars. Then, the very expensive cherry on top, the first star of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Robert Downey Jr. would be returning, as its next big villain: Dr. Doom. Later in the year, plans for a fourth Spider-Man with Tom Holland also added to the goodwill.
Finally, things had a direction. Finally, things we wanted to see were happening. And though it felt ever so slightly like going back to what worked before, at least some hope was restored. The return of Downey and the Russos, Spider-Man, the promise of one of Marvel’s biggest untouched properties in the Fantastic Four, plus the success of Deadpool & Wolverine—which itself set up all sorts of new potential thanks to cameos from the likes of Gambit, Blade, and Elektra—all worked together to make 2024 a great year for Marvel. After a few years of stumbling, the studio finally regained its footing and happened at just the right time. As Marvel readies several major projects for 2025 and beyond, its old friend James Gunn is opening up his own DC Universe in direct opposition. Let the games begin.
Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.
