Top 10 Worst MCU Disasters of All Time
#10: The Firing of Victoria Alonso
Since the MCUs inception with 2008s Iron Man, Alonso has worked in various capacities in the franchise. This led to her getting the prestigious role of president of physical production, post-production, VFX, and animation. However, in 2023, she was suddenly fired by Marvel for a breach of contract for promoting her work on Argentina, 1985. Reports soon came out that Alonso was responsible for the toxic work environment in the VFX department. Yet there were also contradictory reports stating she was professional and was being used as a scapegoat by management. Alonso claimed the real reason for her dismissal was due to speaking out against Marvels lack of LGBTQIA+ representation. She considered a lawsuit against the company, but a settlement was quickly agreed.
#9: Inhumans (2017)
When 21st Century Fox had the film rights to the X-Men, one of Marvels most popular franchises, the company decided they couldnt let a rival earn from it. So, Marvel instigated a company-wide plan to replace the mutants with the Inhumans. After benching the X-Men in the comics, the MCU released the live-action TV show Inhumans in 2017. And it was a disaster. Fans and critics tore the show apart, with the small budget and confusing story being the main concerns. The lack of enthusiasm caused the CEO of Imax, which showcased the first episode, to comment that the underwhelming box office income was disappointing. As one of the MCUs major first creative falls, the show was canceled in 2018 with little fanfare.
#8: The Lackluster First LGBTQ+ Character
Representation is important, giving the audience a chance to see characters they can relate to. As such, for years, fans had been calling for LGBTQ+ representation in the MCU films. Beyond slight nods and reports of cut scenes that pointed towards this, there was nothing. Well, in the lead-up to 2019s Avengers: Endgame, directors Joe and Anthony Russo stated that would change with the introduction of the first openly LGBTQ+ character. Yet when it happened, it was underwhelming as Joe played a gay man in a support group for those struggling with the loss of half the universe. Some fans were frustrated that the role was played by a director whos straight rather than bringing in an actor involved in the LGBTQ+ community.
#7: Directors Out
Its not a great look when a director departs a franchise, but several is a completely different matter. Joe Johnston was one such casualty of the MCU. After directing Captain America: The First Avenger, he spoke in interviews about wanting to bring in the Winter Soldier for the sequel. Instead, he was gone, replaced with the Russos, and his Bucky dream was taken. In 2011, Patty Jenkins left the Thor sequel, later stating her desire to not be blamed for a bad script was a major factor. After working on the idea for years, in 2014, Edgar Wright quit Ant-Man over creative differences. Then, after success with 2016s Doctor Strange, Scott Derrickson dropped out of the sequel, also claiming creative differences.
#6: The Terrence Howard Debacle
2008s Iron Man will go down as one of the most important films in cinema for being the launching pad for the MCU. Yet for its sequel, a scandal erupted when James Rhodes looked vastly different as Don Cheadle replaced Howard in the role. Reportedly, despite having already signed a three-film deal, Marvel approached Howard with an offer that would pay less and give him a reduced role. There were also reports that Howard was difficult on set and clashed with director Jon Favreau. The Oscar-nominated actor accused Robert Downey Jr. of being behind Howard's wages dropping by an eighth as Marvel gave him all the cash, which Downey denied. Howard also claimed he helped Downey get the Tony Stark role, which Marvel disputed.
#5: The Pietro Spoiler
For episode 5 of WandaVision, fans were set to be in for a surprise. Well, unless you followed Spanish voiceover artist Rodri Martín on social media, that is. The actor had worked for the Spanish dub of Fox's X-Men films in the role of Evan Peters Quicksilver. So, before the episode dropped, Martín celebrated on social media that he was reprising his role as Peters Quicksilver, completely giving away the apparent reveal. While he tried to do damage control by deleting his accounts, word had gotten back to Marvel. The company soon fired Martín from the role and had Manuel Gimeno step in as Spanish Pietro Maximoff for the series.
#4: The Firing of James Gunn
With two successful MCU films under his belt with 2014s Guardians of the Galaxy and its 2017 sequel, Gunn was one of Marvels prized assets. However, in 2018, just before he was set to begin production on the third installment, his social media history was discovered. From 2008 to 2012, Gunn had made several bad jokes about controversial subjects. With an itchy trigger finger, Disney fired the director quickly as he released a public apology. This decision received a lot of backlash, even causing fans to create a petition that received thousands of signatures. Gunn, on the other hand, signed on for DCs The Suicide Squad. Marvel reinstated Gunn to finish his trilogy before he departed to be the co-CEO of DC Studios.
#3: The Marvels Flop
When The Marvels dropped in 2023, the response was devastating. Some critics saw it as a prime example of the juggernaut franchises decline. Fans also agreed with their money. With a gross production budget of $374 million, the box office only brought in $206 million. Thanks to marketing costs, this meant the movie cost Marvel an estimated $237 million. Disney CEO Bob Iger threw director Nia DaCosta under the bus, claiming there was a lack of supervision during COVID-19, causing outrage among her supporters. Another major factor thats been pointed to is Marvel oversaturating the market with content. With several films per year and Disney+ giving them a platform for TV shows, arguably, the audience is tired, which is something Iger has also been concerned about.
#2: AI Secret Invasion
The Secret Invasion comic story is one of the most well-known Marvel tales. So, when a TV show with the same name and similar concept was announced for 2023, fans were excited. But when the opening sequence came on, that changed when people discovered itd been made with generative artificial intelligence. Industry professionals quickly condemned its use. Method Studios, who made the sequence for Marvel, claimed AI was used as a tool, and no artists lost work. With Iger stating his admiration of AI, its no surprise this isnt the first time Marvel has caused controversy with the technology. During the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike, background actors from WandaVision stated they were scanned for AI use without complete consent, essentially making their future work redundant.
#1: Jonathan Majors
2023 was a year of ups and downs for Majors. Firstly, after popping up in Loki, he debuted in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania as Kang the Conqueror and was set to be the MCUs successor to Thanos as its big bad. Then, months later, Majors was arrested for assaulting and harassing his partner. In 2024, after being found guilty on several counts, he was sentenced to probation and had to complete a 52-week domestic violence intervention program. This fiasco saw Marvel, as well as his management and PR teams, drop Majors. The MCU, now having to change their years-long plans, went back to the nostalgia well by casting Downey as Dr. Doom for Avengers: Doomsday, bringing a mixed reaction from fans.
Are there any major MCU disasters that we missed? Let us know below!
