Marvel fatigue or just higher standards?

The Marvel Cinematic Universe used to feel like a fresh idea. Now, according to Invincible creator Robert Kirkman, that freshness has faded and audiences are less easily impressed. Even with big titles on the calendar, the MCU is not performing as it once did at the box office.

What Kirkman is saying

Kirkman points out that when the MCU started, seeing characters like Iron Man, Thor, and Captain America together felt new and exciting. That novelty carried the franchise for a long time. Today, he says, the audience is asking more of storytellers. They want something that feels special and different, not just another well-made superhero movie.

His main idea: superhero storytelling has to bring a new angle. Being merely competent is not enough because viewers have many choices now and are more selective.

Invincible does things another way

Invincible, the animated series on Prime Video based on Kirkmans comics, leans into long-term storytelling instead of one-off villain-of-the-week episodes. That approach includes recurring threats and plotlines that stretch across seasons, such as:

  • Sequid invasion  a storyline teased for a long time and paying off in season 4.
  • Flaxans  an alien menace that appears intermittently and grows in threat.
  • Viltrumite conquest  the looming danger of a powerful empire looking to take Earth.

These elements let the show build stakes over time, which feels different from the straightforward MCU template. Kirkman argues that works because audiences now reward novelty.

Context: box office trends

Even with high-profile upcoming releases generating buzz, 2025 marked the first year since 2011, outside of the pandemic years, where no Marvel Studios film made the years top 10 highest-grossing list. That is one sign that the old formula does not guarantee the same returns anymore.

Bottom line

Kirkmans takeaway is simple. If you want big superhero attention today, you must add something distinctive. Invincibles serialized, comic-style plotting is one example of that strategy. Fans looking for more can watch the first three episodes of season 4 when they arrive on March 18.