You Don't Need To Like Everything Marvel, And That's OK!
Image Source: Comicbook.com
It's hard to argue that the creation of the Marvel Cinematic Universe was a stroke of genius. The concept of several stand-lone movies, linked together by an overarching storyline that was hinted at in each film and whose main characters finally come together in one (or several) climactic movies, goes far beyond the typical way of making sequels and prequels to successful movies that Hollywood blueprint for decades.
And although Marvel mostly released several films each year between 2008 (the first Iron Man) and 2019 (Avengers: Endgame), it was still rather easy to keep up with everything that happened in the MCU. Expectations grew with every new film, and movie-goers could not wait for the next new release, so most fans just wanted to see "Everything MCU".
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It's Complicated
Image Source: Legacy Effects
This changed after the defeat of Thanos when the slate was cleaned for Phase 4 and beyond. Not only did subsequent films like Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings or The Eternals introduce new heroes and villains, but Marvel also started to release new content via Disney+ several times a year.
And soon, the ingenuity of the MCU turned into a double-edged sword. For one, to this day, the MCU post-Endgame lacks the cohesiveness of the Infinity Saga. There has not been a come-together of the (new) heroes since 2019, and it often seems as if each film and each TV show exists in its own "universe" (no pun intended) without referencing or maybe even noticing each other. Part of the problem is that the Multiverse Saga lacks a main villain. Kang the Conqueror was introduced as the new big bad in season one of Loki and then only appeared in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania before Marvel had to change its plans due to the conviction of Jonathan Majors. They chose Doctor Doom to be the new main villain, but the problem is he has not appeared in any MCU movie yet.
Second, the frequency of new releases on the big and the small screen makes it harder and harder to keep up with everything. And still, many fans feel "obliged" to watch everything because every character and every storyline might become important somewhere further down the road. Only "obliged" is not the same as "wanting".
When Is A Fan A Fan?
This brings us to whether you have to like everything Marvel. Can you call yourself a Marvel fan if you did not watch (and like!) all of the MCU movies plus all of the Disney+ shows plus all of the Sony Marvel films, and ideally have also read (and liked!) all Marvel Comics since 1939?
Some will tell you that it is exactly this all-or-nothing approach, that you have to like everything, or you're not a fan at all.
But to quote someone from another big Disney franchise: "That's not true. That's impossible!". And the good thing is, you don't have to like everything.
What If I Don't Like Westerns?
Image Source: Comingsoon.net
The MCU now covers various genres, aside from the typical superhero stories of Iron Man, Captain America, or Thor: There are space-bound stories like the Guardians of the Galaxy, The Eternals, or Captain Marvel, earth-bound shows like Daredevil or Echo, or more horror/mystery like projects like Agatha All Along, or Werewolves by Night.
Marvel comics cover practically every genre imaginable, and each could be turned into the next movie or TV show. So, there could one day be a Marvel Disney+ show taking place in the Wild West.
If you are not a fan of this particular genre, chances are you might not find yourself drawn towards it, regardless of the quality produced.
And this is OK!
The MCU Is Dead!
Image Source: Comics Universe
And then there is the question of what "everything" actually means. Has there ever been a film, a TV show, a book, or a comic in which you liked everything? Every single moment, every scene, every page, or every panel? Doubtful, right?
Yes, Marvel had quality issues with some of its more recent films and shows, but you likely will find scenes in Captain America, Civil War, or even Endgame that will leave you relatively unimpressed. So, not liking "everything" can still mean you enjoyed most of it.
We (sadly) live in times when everything is either black or white. When someone doesn't like the casting of a certain actor or the way a director has staged a scene, this someone is quick to put out a video, telling the world how much he or she hates the whole project and why you have to hate it too and why the whole franchise is dead now. Even if this he or she has seen nothing of the respective project but a few pictures or maybe a trailer.
Of course, most of these videos are clickbait (negative reviews always get more impressions than positive), and to get clicks, it is not enough to tell the world that you didn't like something, no, you have to crush it. These people may be a minority, but they are loud, and it is easy to see why a movie or show is "killed" by word-of-mouth long before it even airs. And it is easy to get caught up in this negativity, thinking that if "everybody" dislikes a film or a show, it has to be really, really bad, right?
But this "everybody" may just be a bunch of sad, lonely guys living in their mother's basement, desperately longing for likes and comments (and yes, maybe the money of their sponsors).
See For Yourself
Image Source: The Reveal
It is nearly impossible to escape this negativity, but it is important to become not too influenced by it. After all, these are just opinions (even if they are often stated as facts), and they may very well be quite different from your own. So watch a new movie or a TV show as unbiased as possible, even if "everybody" tells you beforehand that it will totally suck. If you don't like it in the end, that's OK, but maybe you do.
And both ways are OK.
Not All Roads Lead To Rome.
Finally, with the amount of new content that Marvel releases every year, it is more and more unlikely that they will (be able to) tie together every story and every character into one big climax. Yes, there are two more Avengers films planned for 2026 and 2027, but it is unlikely that they will feature every new character the MCU has introduced since 2019, given the complexity, that was Infinity War and Endgame.
And things will only get more complicated when the X-Men and Fantastic 4 officially become part of the MCU. Marvel itself acknowledged this by creating sub-brands like "Marvel Spotlight", "Marvel Animation" and "Marvel Television", indicating that these stories are not part of the Multiverse Saga. This isn't to say that these shows can be ignored or are of lesser quality, but you don't have to feel obliged to watch them all to avoid being lost and confused when Doomsday and Secret Wars are released. Give these shows a try, and if they are not your cup of tea, that's OK.
Bottom Line
Not liking everything Marvel has put out since 2008 doesn't make you a lesser or a non-fan. Nor does not liking every scene or every episode of every Marvel show. With 34 films (and counting) and more than a dozen TV shows, it is practically impossible to like everything, as there are different scopes and genres, and the quality of the final result naturally fluctuates.
Marvel is still (and probably will be forever) the highest-grossing franchise of all time, and the MCU has revolutionized the way of telling interconnected stories and will continue to do so in Phase Seven and beyond after Secret Wars. Although Marvel and Disney are naturally about making money, there is (and will be) an enormous amount of talent working on the movies and TV shows who want to put out good content, now and in the future.
Will you like all of it? Probably not. But that's OK.
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