The MCU Should Bring Tony Stark Back—But Not as Iron Man
As He Who Remains, also known as Kang (Jonathan Majors), lays out his plan to preserve the Sacred Timeline in the finale of Disney+’s Loki, the titular god of mischief (played by Tom Hiddleston) says to himself, “What a waste of time!” I’m glad Loki said it, because this ironic summation of Loki’s second season—itself a profound waste of six hours—is concise and perfect. It also means I can write about something else.
With Loki’s sophomore season leading us right back to where we started six weeks ago, where the MCU heads next feels more nebulous than ever. This is only amplified by The Marvels’ rough box office receipts; it had the lowest-grossing opening weekend ever for an MCU movie. It is, however, important to note this is the highest-grossing opening ever for a film by a Black female director—which may say more about the industry than the movie—and its poor box office receipts should be contextualized around the effect the recently ended strikes likely had on the film’s promotion.
Even before Loki’s lackluster finale or the concerning numbers surrounding The Marvels, however, rumors of chaos regarding the franchise’s future have been circling. In recent months, the MCU has faced plenty of criticism, with the lengthy shadows cast by allegations against Jonathan Majors principal among them. Disney’s continuing use of generative AI has alienated many fans, as has the impending debut of controversial Israeli superhero Sabra (Shira Haas) in the next Captain America movie; her introduction will follow Disney’s recent $2 million donation to humanitarian efforts in Israel, which has proved controversial among some groups.