I was kidding - it's weird how everyone seems to get it wrong, though.
I'd be very, very surprised if there were significant creative differences on the film. Directors are absolutely clear on what they're getting into when they take on an MCU film - their process is widely known, and the number of folks who've been involved in the process and talk about it freely within the filmmaking community make it unlikely there were any surprises. "Studio meddling" isn't really a relevant term, since the entire process is tightly controlled from start to finish, and everyone knows it. If DaCosta was unaware of what she was getting into, she'd have to have been remarkably oblivious.
I think Marvel's difficulties are multi-faceted:
1) The build-up to Infinity War and Endgame was much more of a factor then Marvel and many analysts understood, and without a clear end point, their ability to make a hit out of any character at all has diminished considerably
2) The pandemic break really harmed their momentum and hurt the D+ roll out
3) the Multiverse stuff is too complex and directionless and diminishes dramatic stakes
4) The "zeitgeist" has turned, particularly in the entertainment press, which quite frankly has been eager to push a "fall of the MCU" narrative from the moment the series began
5) Ant-Man and Eternals underwhelmed, but I think the significance of this can be overstated - Marvel survived a few stinkers on its way up, and their impact is only really significant because of its interaction with other factors
6) The box office has changed post covid and no one really knows what the new normal is - despite isolated mega-hits like Mario and Barbie, a lot of films, even well-reviewed ones, have underperformed dramatically
7) Yes, the culture war nonsense really does matter, and The Marvels is enemy #1 for the grifters pushing it
8) It may also not be very good - we'll know in a few days
Was thinking today about this as The Marvels approaches. As someone who enjoyed Ms. Marvel but has become lukewarm with the MCU as a whole, my main gripe with it is too many of the narratives have gone nowhere. Phases 1-3 had stand alone films but the majority were crafted with a purpose even if they weren't integral to the overarching narrative, they at least had a subtle tease they existed in the same universe, or a cameo from another character. The Eternals and Secret Invasion act as if they are in separate universes for example as Secret Invasion says nothing about the giant Celestial sticking out of Earth.
So it got me wondering what would have been a Phase 4 slate that would have been better received? At least to me. And really a lot of the elements exist already, which if I have time, I'm curious if Phase 4 will be more digestible watching it this way. That said, I would change two things that go hand in hand, that being WandaVision needed a Season 2 to better establish her turn in Multiverse of Madness, and MoM needed to be an Avengers level film to bring together more elements of the Phase, similar to the stakes of Civil War.
Other than that, it's pretty much the same slate subtracting out things that take away from the multiverse saga.
Phase 4
Jan 2021:
WandaVision (D+ Show); establishes Wanda as the anti-hero of Phase 4, X-Men intro
May 2021:
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings; Ta Lo, Wong, Captain Marvel, Hulk cameo
July 2021:
Loki (D+ Show); Est TVA and introduces Kang
Dec 2021:
Spider-Man: No Way Home; Crossover multiverse film, Dr. Strange second lead
Dec 2021:
Guardians of the Galaxy: Holiday Special (D+ Film); lead up to Guardians 3, but can watch without it.
Feb 2022:
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever; essentially unchanged
Mar 2022:
Ms. Marvel (D+ Show); a potential Young Avenger, X-Men, Captain Marvel tease
May 2022:
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3; wraps up their story, leaving room for more cosmic teams (ie Fantastic 4)
Oct 2022: **
WandaVision Season 2 (D+ Show) Combines Agatha show ideas, illustrates how Wanda becomes a villain.
Mar 2023:
The Marvels; Ties together Ms. Marvel and some WandaVision elements, more X-Men teases
May 2023: **
Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness; Avengers-level film with Counsel of Kang teaser.
July 2023:
What If? (D+ Show); Essentially unchanged, a tangential segue into more multiverse stories of Phase 5
Oct 2023:
Loki Season 2 (D+ Show); Essentially unchanged
-------------------------------------------------
Cut from the slate:
Black Widow
The Eternals
Thor: Love and Thunder
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania
Moonknight (D+ Show)
She-Hulk (D+ Show)
Hawkeye (D+ Show)
Captain America and the Winter Soldier (D+ Show)
Secret Invasion (D+ Show)
