There’s no doubt that the Marvel superhero franchise of the past decade has been a cultural milestone for the current generation. Its most recent production, Avengers: Endgame boasts a box office of 2.798 billion USD. BILLION!! But, no matter how much we may be absorbed by the stunning visual art and masterful storytelling, Hollywood is a business, first and foremost. And this business has something called proof of concept.
Proof of concept, in terms of the film industry, refers to a story, a franchise, a ‘concept’, that has proven to be successful before, and thus, has potential to be successful again. Behind each blockbuster is a studio and long list of sponsors, all of whom are gambling millions into this high risk, high reward industry, and they’re looking to make a profit. So, how do you get some assurance that you won’t lose millions of dollars on a movie? You make one that’s made millions before. That’s why you decide to make another Star Wars sequel, a Terminator remake, or even a Sonic movie. This is how Hollywood has been for decades now.
So, what’s the point I’m trying to make? Well, the Marvel Cinematic Universe utilized proof of concept, drawing from its widely popular comics, and used that nostalgia to draw in a large audience. Obviously, its reach has extended beyond comic book readers now, but its success set an example for the industry nonetheless. As the popularity of the Marvel movies have grown, so have the amount of action/sci fi movies that try to copy them. I used to think that the lack of original ideas in recent years was because many of them had already been exhausted, and while that may be true to some degree, it’s also because original ideas don’t have a high success rate.
Those who’ve watched any of the recent Marvel movies will know what I’m talking about when I say comedy is a staple in these films. The studio has gotten good at intertwining punch lines with crazy action every five minutes, and that’s part of the appeal of these movies. People just want to turn off their brains and be entertained. Marvel is proof of the action/comedy concept. But when others try and replicate it, it just doesn’t land. So many of us have watched DC or Star Wars movies try to replicate the quippy writing in Marvel movies, but most of the jokes are either not funny, childish, or straight up cringey. But similar jokes seemed to work in Marvel, so why does it feel so weird everywhere else?
Well, a few problems come to mind. First is the matter of tonal consistency. Marvel has a decided advantage at the moment, simply because of how many movies it has under its belt. When people enter a theater to watch a Marvel movie now, they expect it to be a light-hearted, action/adventure experience. The humor could hardly detract from the movie’s tone, because it has long been established that humor is a part of the ride. Let’s compare that to Zack Snyder’s DC movies. They have a dark tone and attempt to introduce mature ideas. There’s even a gritty looking color filter in all of them. But at random points, characters are delivering goofy lines or doing slapstick comedy. So of course it feels forced.
Another issue is the variety in humor. Here’s one of the funniest exchanges ever written in the Marvel cinematic universe.
DR. STRANGE
Alright, Let me ask you this one time. What master do you serve?
STAR-LORD
What master do I serve? What am I supposed to say? Jesus?
The takeaway here is that this was an obvious setup for a punchline, but it didn’t feel out of place, because these characters would say these things. Dr. Strange was a professional doctor and is a sophisticated master of sorcery. Star-Lord is a goofy space pirate from Minnesota stuck in 80s culture. These characters are charismatic and distinct from one another, so even their jokes are tailored to their personalities. A big reason why punchlines in other movies feel awkward is because they are derived from the same comedic persona. They all seem to be going for that awkward, relatable teenage kind of humor. The result is a bunch of different characters dispensing the same kind of jokes that don’t fit with any of their character traits and feel forced in the end.
This also relates to how Marvel approaches their projects as opposed to other franchises. The people who write the Marvel movies have an extensive knowledge of the material they are working with. As such, they are able to craft unique and engaging stories that put characters in funny scenarios. You wouldn’t get hilarious characters like The Grandmaster or Drax if the writers didn’t know their stuff. Simply put, Marvel really cares about what they put out. The same can’t be said for other franchises. Even in the case of Star Wars, the writing hardly takes advantage of the vast cinematic universe at its disposal. If the jokes aren’t tied in any way to its story or its world, then it’s usually a cliche one that can be repeated in any other genre.
Marvel comedy isn’t always perfect by any means. In fact, many would argue that it’s forced in some places too. But it is probably the most consistent in terms of comedic value, and when done right, it’s hilarious. If there’s a lesson to be learned here, its that studios should take a second look at the factors that drove Marvel’s success.