Why Men In Black: International Failed

6. Sony Had No Idea How to Reboot The Franchise (And Wasted The Two Leads)

Once MiB 23 was dead, Sony turned their attention to rebooting/reviving the franchise on their own terms, but apparently didn't have a clear direction in mind. Again, THR reports that the studio struggled with landing on a single vision, unsure whether to bring back Will Smith (or if the actor would even come back) or attempt to usher in a new, riskier era with a new set of stars to lead the franchise forward.

Tessa Thompson and Chris Hemsworth were eventually chosen as replacements, essentially with the thought that they worked so well together in Thor: Ragnarok, and that they'd do a similarly good job here. Of course, in the actual movie, the talents of both actors feel totally wasted.

The pair's natural chemistry helps carry the script through, but neither were given the kind of material that suits them best. Thor: Ragnarok worked because it felt like there was trust between the director and the actors to improvise and collaborate, whereas Men in Black: International feels like both actors were forced to deliver one-liners at gun point.

There's the sense that Sony simply assumed fans would flock to see the two MCU staples together again, without understanding that it was more than their natural chemistry that made their other pairings so successful.