10 Biggest Parts Of The Marvel Movie Formula (That Will Destroy The Series)

5. MacGuffin Driven Plot

There ain't nothing wrong with a good MacGuffin. The Indiana Jones series is built on seeing Harrison Ford run around the map tracking down some object and the first three are some of the best blockbusters ever made. Heck, Alfred Hitchcock loved the concept of a inconsequential plot device so much he even coined the term. But Marvel aren't just using MacGuffins to get the characters through the adventure; they're using the same idea each time. We've been introduced to three of the infinity stones and each one has served a similar purpose; be mystical and push the characters through cookie cutter plots. In the comics the Infinity Gems each have a different power, but on screen they're just exhibit generic destruction, which makes the focus on each one feel rather pointless. At least when Indy was after the Ark or Sankara Stones the story he found himself in had a distinct flavour; whether it's in Asgard, Knowhere or rural Tennessee, each Marvel movie doesn't feel like it's it's story is character specific. Of course, they get so much right that even with typical stories things are still entertaining, but its critics are well aware of this weakness and will pick on it the more prolific it becomes.