‘Game of Thrones’ creator reveals why Marvel reboot is doomed to fail
Author: Chris Snelgrove Published
The longer it takes him to write winter windthe easier it is to get angry (and stay angry) game of Thrones Founder George RR Martin. However, the man is a true geek at heart, and every now and then, he’ll say something so relatable that you can’t help but fall in love with him all over again.
For example, he recently reiterated that he hates Marvel Comics’ changes to Spider-Man’s “One More Day” storyline. His words are actually a warning for Disney’s upcoming reboot of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
The little things I once promised
Popverse recently reported on Martin’s hatred of changing settings: “I don’t like retconning,” he said, followed by “I don’t like reboots.” To fans around the world, game of Thrones Creators complain about the pain of “following a character or superhero…for years, sometimes decades,” before the writers declare “oh no…none of those things happened” and decide to “start the whole thing over again.” After reiterating his general annoyance, Martin got more specific: “Peter Parker married Mary Jane… You can’t undo those things, but now they can.”
If you’re younger, or just not a huge comic book fan, you might be wondering what George R.R. Martin is complaining about in the name of Uncle Ben at the end. It all goes back to the infamous “One More Day” Spider-Man storyline in the comics, which saw the breakup of arguably the greatest relationship in Marvel Comics history. When the comic was published, Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson tied the knot in the 1987 comic. The Amazing Spider-Man Annual #twenty one.
it will be may
In “One More Day,” Aunt May takes a bullet for Peter Parker, who the world knows as Spider-Man due to the events of Civil War. To save her life, Peter made a deal with Marvel’s version of the devil Mephisto. Mephisto agrees to save Aunt May’s life and even make the world forget that Peter is the amazing Spider-Man, but it comes at a price: Mephisto will also make the world (including the happy couple) forget that Peter Parker and Mary Jane were ever married.
Fans hated the story then and they hate it now because it ruins the literal meaning decades A cynical effort at comic book storytelling to make Spider-Man more marketable (i.e. more like the young bachelor in the movies) The Amazing Spider-Man). The fact is game of Thrones Creator George R.R. Martin’s oblique reference to One More Day while hyping the retcon and reboot is further proof of how outraged Marvel fans are by the change in premise. Furthermore, once Disney reboots the Marvel Universe, it’s likely to be discovered how many fans feel the same way as Martin. Avengers: Secret Wars.
Reset, reboot, and mutation (oh my!)
While details are scarce, Marvel guru Kevin Feige confirmed to Variety back in July that Secret Wars would “reset” (his preferred alternative to “reboot,” which he called “a terrible word”) the Marvel Cinematic Universe. This will include recasting popular characters whose actors have (mostly) retired from the Marvel Universe, like Steve Rogers and Tony Stark. Regarding the reset, Feige said “X-Men is where that happens next,” which means the Marvel Cinematic Universe will change enough to explain why the world is suddenly filled with mutants who’ve never been seen before.
As a lifelong comic book fan, I was happy with that last part… The Marvel Universe started before Disney acquired the rights to the X-Men, so there was always going to be some silly retcon required to bring them into this cinematic universe in any satisfying way. However, bringing back Captain America and Iron Man would mean canceling most, if not all Avengers: Endgame. Feige has tried to downplay the idea of a complete reboot of the Marvel Universe, but the plain truth is that if endgame is up for grabs, and essentially no aspect of the established lore can safely be “reset.”
Marvel’s greatest (and final?) gamble
I’m not rooting for Marvel to fail, and I’d be very excited if this reboot could effectively return this cinematic universe to its glory days. But George R.R. Martin’s recent comments are proof that the franchise’s superfans are deeply invested in every twist and turn. Removing characters and major elements of the story they love is probably the quickest way to drive these fans away entirely, and that’s an audience the studio can’t afford to lose.
That’s the dark irony here: Marvel is essentially betting that the reboot will bring back the mainstream audiences that once ensured most of its movies could become multi-billion-dollar box office hits. However, widespread superhero fatigue ensures that most die-hard fans keep the brand alive by watching every movie in theaters, going to every show, and just talking about Marvel on social media. Even if mainstream audiences continue to skip movies like this one, it can drive away these superfans thunderbolt and Fantastic FourMarvel may be effectively destroying their last chance at triumph in the dumbest way possible: one annoying retcon at a time.
