In 1988, some of the biggest names in popular music, including Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, and George Harrison, all in the latter stages of their respective careers, banded together to form a supergroup by the name of the Traveling Wilburys. They weren’t particularly influential, but they did make some fun records, buttressed by their formidable talent.
This is effectively what Marvel has become today. Out of ideas or fresh talent, its entire cinematic universe is propped up by A-list actors whose names and performances do all the work. It was only last week that the studio announced Robert Downey Jr., previously eulogized and buried as Iron Man, would be returning as a different character. And the trailer for Marvel’s 2025 Captain America: Brave New World boasts an 82-year-old Harrison Ford as its biggest selling point.
