They don’t seem to care about the comics enough to base the stories on
Early on, the MCU felt very focused on adapting the tone and vibe of Marvel comics. While not one-to-one adaptations, they blended the spirit of classic Marvel, Modern Marvel, and the Ultimate line. Iron Man’s origin, for example, was captured perfectly, appealing to general audiences while wowing diehard fans by bringing beloved characters to life. Involving comic creators in the production helped strike the right balance to make it enjoyable for everyone.
But once the MCU hit massive success, it started treating the comics more as a hindrance than a guide. For me, that shift began with Captain America: Civil War. The setup and themes were changed completely. While the film technically split the heroes, most audiences were just excited to see Black Panther and Spider-Man debut. I’m not even a big fan of Mark Millar’s comic or his post-9/11 worldview, but the premise—young heroes botching a mission, sparking a national debate on superhero accountability—was compelling. In the movie, it boiled down to Tony being mad that Cap chose Bucky over him, and Zemo manipulating everyone. It stripped away the political nuance in favor of hero-on-hero spectacle.
Fans would ask what to read before watching Shang-Chi or The Marvels, and I had nothing to recommend. Even explainer accounts are often just guessing based on Wikipedia and trailers. Straying too far from the comics could repeat the mistake Game of Thrones made: abandoning the source led to a disappointing ending. Unlike that series, Marvel doesn’t have to guess—the stories are already there. Bringing more creators back into the fold would help course-correct.
The MCU should lean more on its strongest stories to win fans back. Let the comics lead, rather than just using characters as loose inspiration. I’d love to see them attempt stories like Annihilation, Avengers: Forever, Inferno, or Wolverine: Enemy of the State. They could spark wildly different films and shows, while recapturing the shared tone that once connected the comics and MCU so well.
