Why Are Marvel’s Phase Four Movies Scoring Lower?

In Phase Four of the MCU, recent films have gotten abnormally low ratings on review sites like Rotten Tomatoes. Let’s take a deep dive into why this is and if the accuracy is there.

Eternals:

This trend began with Eternals in November of 2021 which scored a shockingly low 47% on RT. But was the movie really that bad? We didn’t think so. With solid visual effects and outstanding cinematography, there is no reason for it to have scored this low. The one trend that we see between these three films is that they’re all director-driven, as the directors are given creative control and use their own styles of visuals, editing, and pacing. While Eternals may not be the best MCU movie, it certainly isn’t the worst.

Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness:

This film certainly wasn’t perfect, finding issues in pacing and plot, but it did shine with stellar performances and incredibly creative moments. Scoring a 74% on RT, this was Marvel’s second director-driven film, and Kevin Feige admitted to giving up most of the control of the film and would be on set less frequently than for past projects. Raimi’s directive style and flare is seen in the film, but one must wonder how these projects just don’t succeed as other Marvel director-led content, like episodes 4 and 5 of Ms. Marvel, directed by Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy.

Thor: Love And Thunder

The final part of this entry is the most recent MCU film, Thor: Love And Thunder. Currently sitting at 69% on RT, Thor’s issues mainly stem from pacing and an accelerated plot. This is likely due to the shortened runtime, and how the story goes from point A to point B over and over again, with minimal interruptions and interferences. With a longer runtime, and more of Christian Bale’s Gorr, the film could’ve been outstanding. But the film is strong overall, and is definitely a good watch.