10 Reasons The Marvel Cinematic Universe's Best Days Are Behind It

3. The Tension Is Slowly Draining Away

When you sit down to a MCU movie, you pretty much know what you're getting. That's not to berate an established formula that, in a lot of ways, is clearly working in a number of aspects. But there's also an inherent issue with having a cinematic universe that needs to go on and on and on - you're not free to make the kinds of choices that most standalone movies are able to make, which ultimately leads to a noticeable lack of tension. We're not talking about characters being killed off, either (though that is somewhat of an issue, given that we're always pretty sure that everybody is going to survive past the credits, because money). No, there's something "wrong" with watching a motion picture that you already know is going to have a sequel. And because we know that the MCU has already been plotted out for years to come, there's a big price to pay in the drama department.