Damon Lindelof (Lost, HBO’s Watchmen) is a big Marvel Cinematic Universe fan and watches every film and series Disney releases. However, sometimes, he wishes the MCU would come to an end or at least slow down to make each individual production a little more special. In a recent episode of Vulture’s Into It podcast, Lindelof discussed his interests in endings, which led him to talk about how Marvel Studios seems to have the opposite mentality.
Since Iron Man teased the idea of an interconnected universe in 2008, the MCU has been gaining speed and showing no signs of stopping. While we first had one or two MCU movies per year, the franchise has expanded to multiple theatrical releases, and TV shows constantly poured into Disney+. This year alone, we had Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Thor: Love and Thunder, Moon Knight, Ms. Marvel, and I Am Groot, with Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, and the Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special still to come. And if we take into account Marvel Studios’ recent unveiling of “The Multiverse Saga” plans, 2022 is a slow year compared to what comes next. Of course, Lindelof understands the nature of business, but he still wishes things would reach an end. In his words:
“From a slightly sort of more cynical standpoint, this is a business. It’s an industry. And if you make a couple of great Marvel movies, the instinct is, ‘We need to make more Marvel movies, and we need to expand this.’ And I have this sort of interior feeling of like, ‘Wow, I wish they made less because it would make each one that came out a little bit more special.' But I watch all of them. People don’t want things to end. I do.”
Lindelof also points out how it’s hard to bring things to an end in Hollywood, a multibillion-dollar industry that wants to stretch its most profitable IPs for as long as possible. As he explains it:
“It’s always going to be hard because once you’ve got someone’s attention, you want to keep it. And so the idea of letting it go and not knowing if you’re ever going to get it back again is sort of like, it’s antithetical to the way that we’re wired.”
While Lindelof's comments might seem harsh, they come from a place of admiration. During the podcast, he underlined how he keeps watching every MCU production and, in general, enjoying them. However, he wished Marvel Studios would focus on fewer productions to ensure they all have the time needed to become exceptional. Then again, Lindelof is a busy writer and producer who got involved himself with major Hollywood franchises. As he puts it: "I don’t begrudge them the right to keep it going. I’ve made prequels and sequels and reboots, so I can’t be a hypocrite and say, ‘God, come up with an original idea.’ Meanwhile, I’m making two ‘Star Trek’ movies and ‘Prometheus."
The next MCU production to be released is She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, which will debut on Disney+ Thursday, August 18. Check out the series trailer below: