In 2012, Marvel changed the game with The Avengers. Their massive superhero crossover had never been attempted before, and it paid off with critical acclaim and commercial success. Other studios rushed to try and build their own cinematic universes while Marvel continued to build upon its intersecting movies.

In 2014, the studio pushed further outside the box than they ever had before Guardians of the Galaxy, an obscure title that sent the Marvel Cinematic Universe into the cosmos, melding James Gunn’s unique sensibilities with a set of unusual heroes. While the film was still tethered to the MCU via the Infinity Stone, Thanos, and a few other elements, it’s largely free from the constraints of the other movies, which gives it the freedom to be its own thing.

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Image via Marvel Studios

With the release of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 this weekend and filming on Avengers: Infinity War well underway, it seems like what will protect Marvel in the long run is Guardians, and Vol. 2 exemplifies how to be successful without relying on crossovers.

To be clear, I like that the MCU has been largely interconnected. While I get the criticism that this makes it “TV on the big screen”, it’s a unique form of storytelling that no one else has been able to nail down, and while the movies aren’t without their faults, I like the level of ambition and the reward of seeing characters interact with other characters from different universes. And I’m sure it’s going to be a blast to see Tony Stark sparring with Peter Quill when Infinity War comes along.

But the problem with crossovers is that they can become exhausted. Avengers: Infinity War is a two-part story and it’s jam-packed with characters. That means the writers are trying not only to service the overarching narrative—specifically, Thanos trying to acquire the Infinity Stones—but also every single character. I don’t know how you do a movie where the heroes from Captain America: Civil War and the lead characters from Thor: Ragnarok and the surviving characters from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 all get individual arcs, and maybe that’s not possible. Maybe in order to give Captain America more to do that means Hulk needs to take a backseat.

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Image via Marvel Studios

However it all clicks together, at the end of the day, it will have been a massive undertaking, and then the question becomes, “How do you top it?” Marvel head Kevin Feige has already indicated that what comes next, Phase 4, will be different than what comes before to the point where it may not even be right to call it “Phase 4.” And that makes sense. How do you top something that took 21 films and over ten years to come to fruition?

The best move is to break it all apart and follow the lead of Guardians of the Galaxy, a series that’s largely concerned with following its filmmaker’s attitude and focusing on the characters. While this may disappoint people who think that Marvel movies need to be building to subsequent chapters in every installment, I don’t see that as sustainable, especially after the Universe-shaking events of Infinity War and Avengers 4. The better move, it seems, would be to take the foot off the gas and try to be more like Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.

I’ll admit that Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 isn’t for everyone, but I think it works extraordinarily well at what it’s trying to do, which is to just be a hangout movie that builds the relationships between the characters and then lets them be loose. There are still thrilling set pieces, terrific humor, and eye-popping visuals, but it’s all contained within a single narrative. Yes, a couple of the post-credit scenes hint at what’s to come down the line, but those don’t get in the way of the larger story or Gunn’s voice.

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Image via Marvel Studios

If the Marvel Cinematic Universe is going to thrive, it’s going to eventually need to go against what made it a sensation, and I understand that’s weird. It seems odd to build a strategy against the thing that changed how Hollywood approached franchises. But the conclusion of Phase 3 will really be the culmination of a plan that began back in 2008. And it’s time for Marvel to close that chapter, not because they could never “top” Infinity War, but simply because it takes so long to build to that kind of event. If they come back every few years with the Avengers, Guardians, and whomever else sharing the screen, that impact will be diminished.

Instead, Marvel should focus on trying to build the kind of relationship they’ve had with Gunn, a filmmaker with a unique voice who still understands how to work within the constraints of the Marvel system. And there are still so many stories yet to be told! I don’t care if a Black Widow movie sets up a massive threat ten years down the line; give me an interesting filmmaker who wants to make an amazing spy movie that features the character. I don’t need Spider-Man: Homecoming 2 to tease an interdimensional threat that only every hero in the MCU can handle if they come together; I just want a good Spider-Man movie where the character has a strong arc.

There will still be room for both the Guardians and the Avengers in the years to come, and I have no doubt that Marvel will keep making movies featuring both teams. But when it comes to individual movies, the freewheeling, character-driven path laid out by the two Guardians of the Galaxy movies is probably what will keep audiences coming back rather than teasing a crossover that promises more mayhem than the last one.

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Image via Marvel
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Image via Marvel Studios

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Image via Marvel Studios