The MCU Is Growing Stale, But 1 Marvel Creator Knows How to Fix It: “You Don’t Honor These Characters By Treating Them as Fragile”

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Comic writer and artist Donny Cates knows exactly how to save the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Cates has contributed his skills to books for both Marvel and DC Comics, and he opts to use those skills to breakdown what’s wrong with superhero stories as a whole, movies and comic books included.

In an interview with Popverse, Donny Cates initially talks about how he was the original writer for Marvel’s current Ultimate Spider-Man run, as previously revealed by Jonathan Hickman last May. Due to outside forces, Cates had to step down with Hickman replacing him, but that quickly branches off into a much bigger, separate point about superhero culture and how the heroes themselves are written.

Donny Cates makes a larger argument that DC and Marvel treat their characters as too fragile, when actually they’re incredibly malleable and could withstand far more stretching in terms of the stories Marvel can tell.

Donny Cates Thinks Both Marvel and DC Comics Treat Their Characters as Too Fragile

This is a Universal Problem for Superheroes in Any Medium, Even the MCU

The interview begins with Donny Cates touching on his original pitch for Ultimate Spider-Man and the new Ultimate Marvel Universe at large. He talks about how superheroes tend to have their superhero lives thrust onto them, which is true. Most superheroes tend to acquire their powers by way of chance or a freak accident, like a radioactive spider. Then, due to a tragedy that takes place either right before or right after, they use those powers for good. Instead, Cates wanted superheroes to make “the ultimate choice” for themselves.

He frames this as a choice meant to serve a meta purpose in relation to Marvel’s hesitance to allow Peter Parker to be a father and husband. “I think it’s a powerful distinction,” Cates says, before addressing how this pitch was anchored by Peter himself, and Marvel’s reluctance to give such an “evergreen” character a family. After all, this is how Marvel manifested “One More Day” for Spider-Man. Cates admits he understands Marvel’s fears, as Spider-Man stops being timeless if his kids grow up, he grows old, or the family falls apart. “That’s their reasoning. That taints Spider-Man over time.”

Donny Cates Highlights the Responsibility That Superheroes Have Every Day

They Can Handle More Responsibility Than Marvel Gives Them Credit For

Still, Cates’ continues his counter-points. Essentially, he speaks to a larger point about superheroes having responsibilities, not just as superheroes, but as adults dealing with adult problems every day. Cates essentially talks about how Marvel fears that superheroes like Spider-Man will inevitably be forced to contend with adult problems like losing a child or divorce, and to a point, he’s right. Superhero stories are driven by conflict and tragedy, and eventually, in theory at least, problems have to unravel outside just superhero missions to entice readers into soap-opera-esque storytelling.

Cates, though, argues that life changes like this can be done right. As he continues, Cates talks about how creators and owners of these characters may be treating heroes like Spider-Man as too fragile, forgetting the consequences they’ve dealt with in the past that define their legacies as characters who overcome tough obstacles. Cates proceeds to use the much-maligned death of Gwen Stacy as a prime example.

My argument would be he killed Gwen Stacy like a year into it. He broke that b***hes’ neck. He’s okay. He’s been divorced. All these things have already happened. The way that I think of these characters is that you don’t honor these characters by treating them as fragile. I think it’s our job as the inheritors of the legacy of these characters to try to break them as hard as you can. And it’s only in doing that that they will show you how strong they are.

Not only does Donny Cates think that Marvel is forgetting that Spider-Man has handled worse before, but they are dishonoring these characters by assuming they can’t handle the worst that writers can throw.

Companies Like Marvel Forget Superheroes Have Endured Trauma in the Past

Marvel Can’t Fear Spider-Man’s Future if They Neglect His Past

Cates actually makes an excellent point that adds a new perspective to the conversation about superhero tragedies, and most importantly, tragedies centered around Spider-Man. The worst things imaginable happened to Spider-Man in the past, ever since the character’s first on-panel appearance. He’s struggled through them, yes, and some of his worst moments have remained in the back of his mind forever, like Gwen Stacy. However, much like adults who endure tragedies in real life, Spider-Man turned out okay and, in most cases, came out all the better and stronger for surviving.

Creators and companies are forgetting the legacy that superheroes like Spider-Man leave behind in moments like this. These aren’t just tragedies created to sell comics. They are meant to inform and change the characters forever by attributing new developments and growth to them. Characters are supposed to learn and grow from tragedy like real people do. To think that Spider-Man can’t handle familial drama when his marriage to Mary-Jane Watson showed similar dramas unfold is a disservice to Peter as a character. He turned out okay, and before it was stripped from him, so was his marriage.

Superheroes are Stronger Than They are Treated

Marvel, DC, and the Marvel Cinematic Universe All Have Notable Examples

As Cates continues his argument in the interview, he points to Spider-Man’s “Clone Saga” arc, the Death and Return of Superman, and Captain America’s Hail Hydra controveries during the Secret Empire storyline as a testament to the resiliency of these landmark characters – and questions why Spider-Man having a child is any different. These are all examples of superheroes who were either broken mentally by their challenges, spurred controversy over their storylines, or both. And yet, to Cates’ point, all of these superheroes are still standing. Cates has this to say:

Look, every character survived the ’90s. They can’t be broke. If we didn’t f**k up f**king Mullet Superman dying, coming back… and I mean Cap was a Nazi, and Peter can’t have a kid? What are we doing? Just say you don’t wanna do [it,] that’s fine.

Captain America is still beloved by the masses both in-universe and across the globe, despite Marvel underestimating Captain America’s biggest controversy. Spider-Man, as tough as his life can be, survived losing Gwen Stacy, his life, and nearly his sanity when the “Clone Saga” suggested he was a clone for years unbeknownst to readers. Superman survived dying, returning from the dead, and an ugly 90s mullet to have a bigger foundation for his family. Ironically, in contrast to Spider-Man, Superman is just fine with a wife and kids.

The MCU Can Learn from Donny Cates’ Words

The Marvel Cinematic Universe Has Long Been Stagnant

Much like comic books, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been playing it too safe with their superheroes, and in the MCU’s case, they are paying the price. MCU fans are starting to lose interest, as evident by 2023’s Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania being one of the few box office disappointments to come out of the MCU. Keeping Donny Cates’ assertions in mind, it might be no coincidence that the movie plays it safe with its heroes. The heroes get their happy ending, defeating Kang the Conqueror with no consequences.

Keep in mind this is the same Ant-Man who lost years of his life stuck in a Quantum Realm and, in the aftermath of Endgame, lost many of his friends. He, like many Avengers, can handle tragedy, and the sooner that the MCU understands that, the better and bolder their stories will become. That’s what fans want, after all, superhero stories of heroes overcoming major responsibilities and challenges, as evident by the success of Jonathan Hickman’s Ultimate Spider-Man. The blueprint exists in Hickman’s ongoing series, as well as Donny Cates’ words. The Marvel Cinematic Universe just needs to follow it.

Source: Popverse

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