May the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) rest in peace. The studio that brought us “Avengers,” “Iron Man” and “Guardians of the Galaxy,” and inspired a generation of young-moviegoers, has finally crumbled down. After my recent forays into the MCU, with films such as “Black Widow” and “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, I have reached a tragic yet simple conclusion: I simply do not find myself enjoying Marvel anymore.

It feels as if the studio is trying too hard to come up with something new when, in reality, their old formulas were perfectly fine and produced the gold standard for superhero movies. For instance, take a look at “Captain America: The First Avenger.” Although it might not be perfect, the movie ticks all the boxes: It contains great action sequences and storytelling while also featuring a formidable nemesis in the form of Red Skull. And, most importantly, it has a hero we can all get behind: Captain America. The timeless protagonist grows throughout the movie and, by the end, he is mature enough to make the right decisions even though it comes at a price. 

Its follow up, ‘Captain America: The Winter Soldier’ was even better in that it had more action sequences and its plot had ripple effects for the whole universe. Yes, both movies used computer generated imagery (CGI), but it is nothing compared to the newer Marvel movies, which are entirely reliant on CGI elements.

And, honestly, CGI can make or break a movie. If used intelligently, it can be the backbone of a story and take it to another level, like in “Guardians of the Galaxy,” where its use is essentially mandatory. In that movie, CGI does not feel cliché; instead, it adds to the impression that this universe might actually exist somewhere in outer space. Despite its benefits, CGI can also destroy a film if abused to its maximum potential. Rather than enhance an imaginary world, it takes out any level of relatability from the movie, making it impossible for the viewer to connect with it on a deeper level. Although CGI makes life easier for the producers since it allows them to film without going outdoors, the vast utilization of a soundstage ultimately makes the movie feel artificial to the viewer.

Even so, I am consistently surprised that Marvel is making more money than ever. They are constantly profiting from their new movies since people are going to theaters to see every new film. But Marvel is simply not producing good movies, especially when compared to 10 years ago. Clearly, seeing a good movie matters far less to viewers than the hype that surrounds it.

Personally, I dislike the fact that Marvel movies are taking up all of the time slots in movie theaters — slots that could be occupied by other, better movies. Studios simply cannot make money from the good movies they produce and so they start filming high-CGI attention-grabbers. This scenario, in my opinion, is a disaster because it removes art from the most beautiful form of entertainment.

Now, before I begin talking about more recent Marvel movies, I want to share a surprising exception: “Spider-Man: No Way Home.” I thought that this movie incorporated real-life elements like college admissions well into Peter’s life while also re-introducing old enemies and offering a well-thought-out storyline. And, when I saw it in theaters, I was truly awed by the energy the audience brought to the table and felt like I was watching a sports game, which was very cool. 

But other recent Marvel movies failed to meet the same standard.

Take a look at “Black Widow”, for example. I saw this movie in theaters back in 2021 and I thought it was decent, but looking back at it now, the movie was filled with CGI and unfunny jokes that just diverted attention from the story. Technically, the whole movie was pointless because Black Widow had been in the universe for almost 14 years and was already a fan-favorite. The movie also tried to imitate other successful origin stories like ‘Iron Man’ but it could not compete.

“Shang-Chi”, “Thor: Love and Thunder” and even “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” all suffer from fairly similar problems. They are too simple, use an unhealthy amount of CGI and every joke falls short. They try too hard to bring something new to the table, leaving viewers with nothing but a noisy and unintelligent plot.

For these reasons, I am officially done with the MCU. I am tired of the ridiculous CGI, the forced puns and the all too familiar scripts. I will not be watching “Ant Man and the Wasp: Quantumania,” and I doubt I will check out any future Marvel movies. It pains me to say this because I loved the older movies, but I cannot bear to watch the new ones. And no matter what the box office may say, I know I am not alone.