9 Theories On How The MCU Could End

Any film with the Marvel branding stamped onto it is almost guaranteed to be box office gold. Edward Norton's The Incredible Hulk is the closest thing the MCU has had to a flop so far, and even that made $263.4 million off a budget of $150 million.

So it's safe to say there's little risk of box office bombs being its unmaking, but what about negative reviews? Most MCU films have stuck that magic balance between critical acclaim and commercial success, but Hollywood is awash with cautionary tales about how quickly things can change.

Take the Amazing Spider-Man franchise, for instance. One minute Sony was plotting its own cinematic universe based on the success of the first movie, the next it was licking its wounds from a critical battering and sending Spidey back to Marvel on loan so he could repair his dented reputation.

Granted, the MCU is built on more solid foundations than Sony's SpiderVerse plans, and it would take more than just one critical flop to derail its cinematic universe; but what about a string of poorly-received movies that spark a backlash from both fans and critics? As these stories grow more complex and hero-stuffed it could happen.

It's clear DC and Warner Bros were just a few bad reviews away from putting the kibosh on their cinematic universe before Wonder Woman came along, and Marvel could similarly be just a handful of misfires away from dismantling its long-running series in favour of a new approach.