One of the first things to expect when watching a superhero movie is the action. The action could be superpowers, seeing buildings explode in the background, or an intense scene between characters. Marvel certainly does not fail to bring comic book and superhero fans the right amount of action. However, their usage of comedy as of late has started to outshine the action and other serious moments. This trend started with their films and has now taken center stage in their shows.

Marvel has fallen into the habit of pushing out quantity over quality. As we are entering Phase 5 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) with Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, fans are expecting significant changes and even bigger projects. Some familiar faces are set to reprise previous roles, like Hugh Jackman as Wolverine. Theories have been speculated about what exactly will come next. However, the Marvel formula’s repetitiveness could ruin the next phase.

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The Shifting Tone in Disney+ Series

     Disney Platform Distribution

Marvel has a large archive of live-action and animated shows. That archive continues to grow with the Disney+ originals that are part of the MCU. The shows started strong with WandaVision and Loki, implementing more magic and suspense that fits well with the comedic moments. Marvel seemed to be on the right track with implementing more dark themes of grief and accountability. As the entertainment company continues to produce shows, however, productions like She-Hulk: Attorney at Law and Ms. Marvel have “flopped” for fans.

This may not be entirely Marvel’s fault. Disney’s primary target audience is families. More specifically, families that have children or are children at heart. While Marvel has wholesome moments in their content, there are scenes of violence and the occasional spilling of blood. Disney bought Marvel Entertainment back in 2009 after Marvel’s independent releases of The Incredible Hulk and the first Iron Man movie. For so long, the two companies have produced quality entertainment that brings comic heroes to life and built an ongoing library of content. Now Disney’s brand of family friendliness has put a damper on what Marvel can do for the future of the MCU.

Appropriate Use of Comedy in Marvel Shows

     Marvel Studios

The act of comedy is intended to provide a good laugh or release the tension off of someone’s shoulders. While it is an important part of cinema, that does not mean that everything needs to be a joke. One trope that Marvel does poorly is invoking societal problems (ex: cultural representation) and bringing unneeded humor into the topic.

Take She-Hulk for example. This show was intended to be a full-out comedy that not only breaks the fourth wall but has Jennifer Walters (Tatiana Maslany) breaking the Disney+ homepage to change the finale of her show. This series was not designed to take itself too seriously. Yet some critics praise the show for this and fans who are still feeling the fatigue of the Marvel formula. What did not bode well was the standard MCU formula while tackling women’s empowerment. Jen talked about the problems women face with misogyny, but Marvel did not do much with that concept except make the problems light-hearted.

Then we have shows like Moon Knight, which still follows the MCU comedic tropes while diving more into the horror genre. As a horror comedy miniseries, this surprising combination of genres proves that Marvel can still use their sense of humor without taking away from the story or issues presented in a show. The show starts with Steven going into a sort of sleep trance during dangerous situations, only to wake up from said trance with bloody hands. Over time his “other selves” become more expressive in not only bodily functions but in personality. It starts silly, and as the show progresses, takes a deep dive into scary situations and dark secrets. Marvel proves that they can take themselves seriously in their shows without having to fully take away their jokes.

Comedy is one of the top five most popular genres in the film industry. The genre matches well with action, but there has to be a distinct line regarding when funny one-liners or scenes are necessary. This is not to say that Marvel isn’t whimsical or has dry humor. There are times when comic relief is needed to lighten the mood of an especially sad or painful scene. However, that does not mean that comedy should be a placeholder every five minutes to draw out a particular interaction or be the set-up for another bad joke. The comedy hits or it does not hit. In recent cases for Marvel, their jokes do not hit the way that they should.

There is still hope that Marvel could break away from their usual direction. Phase 5 is beginning this very year with a proper introduction of Kang the Conqueror, the MCU’s soon-to-be most powerful villain. Kang could overpower Thanos in a heartbeat and this is the direction that fans want to see. With the past dark characters like Daredevil and Blade returning and now entering the MCU, Marvel has the perfect opportunity to immerse themselves in grim themes that could (ironically) bring new light to the formula.