The death of the superhero genre

It has been said for years since the COVID-19 pandemic, but it finally appears to have become true: Superhero movies, as presently constructed, are dead.

Marvel has struggled since Avengers: Endgame wrapped up its decadelong narrative told over multiple films in a satisfying bow in 2019. Since then, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been cluttered with shows and movies that range from forgettable — do you remember Eternals? — to terrible, such as the fourth installment in the Thor franchise, with exceptions few and far between.