The idea of superhero fatigue—of audiences tiring of superhero storylines after being inundated with so many over the years—has been around for a long time. Yet it wasn’t until 2023 that the concept resonated largely with viewing audiences and was featured prominently in pop culture debates and think pieces. Marvel especially, who expanded the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) into streaming television and placed greater emphasis on secondary characters, drew criticism for producing too much of too poor quality.
To understand more about Marvel superhero fatigue, SSRS conducted a survey asking Americans what they think about the quantity and quality of recent movies and television shows in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. These questions were asked along with others about MCU viewing behavior and fandom to see who exactly is experiencing fatigue. The findings are part of an SSRS Opinion Panel poll conducted September 9 – 23, 2024, among a nationally representative sample of 3,364 adults aged 18 and older.
The new SSRS Opinion Panel Poll finds :
- 78% of U.S. adults consider themselves regular viewers of MCU movies or TV shows (have seen all or most of them) or casual viewers (some, just a few).
- Among those who have seen at least one MCU movie or TV show, 34% believe Marvel has been releasing too many of them, and 29% believe the quality of the MCU movies and TV shows has gotten worse. These may be indicators of MCU fatigue among at least a portion of MCU viewers.
- The degree of fatigue varies by the level of MCU fandom, frequency of viewing, age, and gender of MCU viewers.
How Many U.S. Adults Are Viewers and Fans of the MCU?
Among U.S. adults, 33% are regular viewers of the MCU—those who have seen all or most of the MCU movies and television shows. Another 45% are casual viewers—those who have seen some or just a few of the MCU movies and television shows. Finally, 22% of U.S. adults have seen none of the MCU movies and television shows. [1] This makes for an expansive viewing audience, with nearly 4 in 5 American adults having seen at least a few MCU movies or television shows. Among those who have seen any MCU movies and television shows, 19% consider themselves big fans of the MCU, 44% consider themselves somewhat of a fan, and 36% say they are not fans of the MCU. This means that almost two-thirds of MCU viewers are fans to some extent.
Unsurprisingly, there is a large overlap between regular viewership and MCU fandom. The vast majority of regular viewers consider themselves fans of the MCU, with 41% being big fans and 49% somewhat of a fan. Yet, 10% of regular MCU viewers, despite watching most or all of the movies and television shows, consider themselves not fans. Among casual viewers, only 3% are big fans, 41% are somewhat of a fan, and 56% are not fans. While viewership and fandom tend to go hand in hand, there are important exceptions which may help explain why some are experiencing superhero fatigue.
[1] Only those who reported seeing at least a few of the MCU movies and television shows were asked the subsequent questions about fandom, movie and television show quality, and movie and television show release quantity.
Are There Too Many MCU Movies and Shows Lately?
When asked if Marvel has been releasing too many, too few, or about the right amount of movies and television shows lately, 34% of Americans who have seen any MCU movies or television shows said too many, 12% said too few, and 53% said about the right amount. Because superhero fatigue is largely tied to feeling inundated with the large volume of superhero content being released, these 34% of MCU viewers are likely experiencing superhero fatigue. These fatigued viewers include 38% of men and 31% of women who are MCU viewers. Fatigued viewers are also 47% of those 18-29, 38% of those 30-49, 28% of those 50-64, and 26% of those 65+ who are MCU viewers.
Opinions about the amount of movies and television shows released lately are split by Marvel Cinematic Universe viewership. Casual viewers are significantly more likely to think there have been too many MCU movies and television shows lately (39%) compared to regular viewers (28%). In contrast, regular viewers are significantly more likely to think there have been too few MCU movies and television shows lately (17%) compared to casual viewers (8%). There are no differences between regular and casual viewers on thinking that Marvel has been releasing about the right amount of movies and television shows lately, with a majority of both (55% of regular viewers and 51% of casual viewers) holding these opinions.
These patterns remain stable when examining fandom instead of viewership. Non-fans are significantly more likely to think there have been too many MCU movies and television shows lately (42%) compared to both those who are somewhat of a fan (33%) and big fans (22%). Those who are somewhat of a fan are also significantly more likely to think there has been too much compared to big fans. Conversely, big fans are significantly more likely to think there have been too few MCU movies and television shows lately (19%) compared to both those who are somewhat of a fan (13%) and non-fans (6%). And those who are somewhat of a fan are significantly more likely to think there are too few movies and television shows compared to non-fans. Big fans are also significantly more likely to think that there has been the right amount of MCU movies and television shows lately (58%) compared to non-fans (48%). The majority of those who are somewhat of a fan also think that there has been about the right amount of movies and television shows lately (54%).
Ultimately, a majority of people think Marvel has been releasing the right amount of movies and television shows recently, with regular viewers and fans more likely to want even more compared to casual viewers and non-fans. Despite this support, there are still many regular viewers and big fans who think it is too much and are experiencing superhero fatigue. Almost three in ten regular viewers find the quantity of Marvel releases to be too much (28%). About a fifth of big fans (22%) and a third of somewhat fans (33%) also think there have been too many movies and television shows lately. Marvel may struggle to attract new fans too, since more non-fans than fans oppose the current MCU release schedule.
Has MCU Quality Suffered Recently?
When asked about the quality of movies and television shows in the Marvel Cinematic Universe in recent years, 24% of Americans who have seen any MCU movies or television shows think the quality has gotten better, 29% think the quality has gotten worse, and 45% think the quality has stayed about the same.
Perceptions of quality differed between regular viewers and casual viewers. Casual viewers are significantly more likely to think that the quality stayed about the same (51%) compared to regular viewers (38%). Regular viewers believe there was more change in quality—in both positive and negative directions. Regular viewers are significantly more likely to think that the quality has gotten better (29%) compared to casual viewers (21%). They are also significantly more likely to think the quality has gotten worse (33%) compared to casual viewers (26%).
When it comes to MCU fandom, those who consider themselves big fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe are significantly more likely to think that the quality of movies and television shows has gotten better in recent years (37%) compared to both those who consider themselves somewhat of an MCU fan (27%) and not an MCU fan (14%). Those who consider themselves somewhat of an MCU fan also are significantly more likely to think the quality has gotten better compared to non-fans. On the other hand, non-fans are significantly more likely to think that the quality has stayed about the same (55%) compared to both those who are somewhat of a fan (44%) and big fans (32%). And those who are somewhat of a fan are significantly more likely to think that the quality has stayed the same compared to big fans. There are no differences between levels of fandom on thinking that the quality of the movies and television shows has gotten worse.
When asked about the quality of movies and television shows in the Marvel Cinematic Universe in recent years, 24% of Americans who have seen any MCU movies or television shows think the quality has gotten better, 29% think the quality has gotten worse, and 45% think the quality has stayed about the same.
Perceptions of quality differed between regular viewers and casual viewers. Casual viewers are significantly more likely to think that the quality stayed about the same (51%) compared to regular viewers (38%). Regular viewers believe there was more change in quality—in both positive and negative directions. Regular viewers are significantly more likely to think that the quality has gotten better (29%) compared to casual viewers (21%). They are also significantly more likely to think the quality has gotten worse (33%) compared to casual viewers (26%).
When it comes to MCU fandom, those who consider themselves big fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe are significantly more likely to think that the quality of movies and television shows has gotten better in recent years (37%) compared to both those who consider themselves somewhat of an MCU fan (27%) and not an MCU fan (14%). Those who consider themselves somewhat of an MCU fan also are significantly more likely to think the quality has gotten better compared to non-fans. On the other hand, non-fans are significantly more likely to think that the quality has stayed about the same (55%) compared to both those who are somewhat of a fan (44%) and big fans (32%). And those who are somewhat of a fan are significantly more likely to think that the quality has stayed the same compared to big fans. There are no differences between levels of fandom on thinking that the quality of the movies and television shows has gotten worse.
Looking only at the fatigued viewers—those MCU viewers who think Marvel has released too many movies and television shows recently—tells a different story. Among fatigued viewers, 10% think the quality has gotten better, 55% think the quality has gotten worse, and 35% think the quality has stayed about the same. Clearly, there is a strong association between thinking there is too much MCU content lately and thinking the quality has suffered. Breaking this relationship down even further by viewership reveals interesting patterns between regular and casual viewers. Among fatigued viewers who are also regular viewers, 9% think the quality has gotten better, 68% think the quality has gotten worse, and 23% think the quality has stayed about the same. Among fatigued viewers who are also casual viewers, 10% think the quality has gotten better, 48% think the quality has gotten worse, and 41% think the quality has stayed about the same. Perceptions of poor quality are therefore highly prevalent among those who are both regular viewers and are fatigued by the high quantity of recent MCU releases. In sum, the majority of fatigued viewers think the quality has gotten worse recently, and this is especially the case for regular viewers of the MCU.
The majority of MCU fans are satisfied with the quality of recent movies and television shows. However, that doesn’t mean they are all thrilled—about a third of regular viewers (33%) and big fans (31%) think the quality has gotten worse. Indeed, recent releases like Eternals (2021), Thor: Love and Thunder (2022), Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023), and The Marvels (2023) rank at the very bottom of MCU movie critic review lists (per the Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer). Regular viewers, however, are polarized about whether the quality has improved or worsened, highlighting how Marvel superhero fatigue isn’t as straightforward as we may think.
Which Age Groups Are More Fatigued?
The main MCU audience skews younger, which is unfortunate for Marvel because those are the same people who are more likely to be dissatisfied with the quality and quantity of Marvel content these days.
Those aged 18-29 and 30-49 are significantly more likely to be regular viewers and less likely to have seen none of the MCU movies and television shows, compared to both those aged 50-64 and 65+. Similar patterns emerge when considering fandom among those who have seen any MCU movies and television shows. Compared to their younger counterparts, MCU viewers who are 65 or older are significantly less likely to be fans of the MCU.
Because younger adults are the primary audience for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, their opinions about recent movies and television shows are more consequential. Those in the 18-29 age range are significantly more likely to think the quality of MCU movies and television shows has gotten worse in recent years (44%) compared to 30-49 year-olds (30%), 50-64 year-olds (26%), and those 65 or older (22%). Older audiences are more likely than younger audiences to think the quality has stayed the same, with significant differences between those 65+ (55%) compared to both 18-29 year-olds (33%) and 30-49 year-olds (43%). There are no significant differences between the age groups in thinking the quality has gotten better.
There are also age group differences in thinking that Marvel released too many movies and television shows lately. Those aged 18-29 (47%) and 30-49 (38%) are significantly more likely to think Marvel has released too many movies and television shows compared to those aged 50-64 (28%) and 65+ (26%). Conversely, older viewers (57% of those aged 65+ and 59% of those aged 50-64) are more likely to think Marvel has released the right amount of content compared to those aged 18-29 (40%). There are no differences between age groups in thinking there are too few movies and television shows lately.
Marvel superhero fatigue is very real among those under 50, and especially for those aged 18-29. Considering these age groups are the primary viewers and fans of the MCU, this fatigue is striking at the heart of the Marvel consumer base.
Which Gender Is More Fatigued?
Men are more likely to be dissatisfied with the quality and quantity of Marvel movies and television shows lately than women, whereas women are more satisfied with the MCU recently than men. However, fatigue is not directly tied to viewership in this case because women make up equal shares of the viewing audience as men.
There are no significant gender differences in regular viewers of the MCU (35% of men and 31% of women), nor are there significant differences in those who haven’t seen any MCU movies or television shows (25% of men and 21% of women). Women however are significantly more likely to be casual viewers (48%) than men (40%). Among those who have seen any MCU movies or television shows, men are significantly more likely to consider themselves big fans of the MCU (23%) compared to women (16%). There are no gender differences in self-reports of being somewhat of a fan (44% of men and 45% of women) or not a fan (33% of men and 39% of women). So although viewership is divided evenly between men and women, men may be engaging with the fandom more than women.
Women are significantly more likely to think the quality of MCU movies and television shows has gotten better in recent years (29%) compared to men (19%). On the other hand, men are significantly more likely to think the quality has gotten worse in recent years (36%) compared to women (23%). About equal shares believe the quality has stayed the same (43% of men and 48% of women). Similarly, men are significantly more likely to think Marvel has been releasing too many movies and television shows lately (38%) compared to women (31%). Whereas there are no differences in believing there are too few movies and television shows lately (14% of men and 10% of women), women are significantly more likely to think that the right amount of movies and television shows has been released lately (57%) compared to men (47%).
Of note, in the months prior to the close of this survey, the MCU saw an increase in content featuring women leads, including The Marvels (November 2023), Echo (January 2024), and Agatha All Along (September 2024). It is possible that women audiences are more likely to enjoy these latest MCU movies and television shows because they see themselves represented on screen. On the other hand, men may be missing traditional male superheroes. This is one possible explanation for why men and women have different perceptions of the quantity and quality of the recent MCU movies and television shows.
Conclusion
With multiple MCU movies and television shows premiering each year, most with storylines needed to understand the next set of movies and television shows, it can be a lot to keep up with. Now accompanied by declining critic review scores, the payoff may just not be worth the investment of watching every new premiere. Indeed, younger audiences and men are more likely to think recent MCU programming has been too much of too little quality. Despite these trends, the majority of those who have seen any MCU content remain satisfied with the latest releases, signaling that experiences of superhero fatigue may be limited to a minority of audiences.
Methodology
Interviews for this study were conducted on the SSRS Opinion Panel on September 9 – 23, 2024, among a nationally representative sample of 3,364 respondents aged 18 and older. The margin of error for total respondents is +/-2.7 percentage points at the 95% confidence level. The design effect is 2.49.
The SSRS Opinion Panel is a multi-mode panel (web and phone). Most panelists take self-administered web surveys; however, the option to take surveys conducted by a live telephone interviewer is available to those who do not use the internet as well as those who use the internet but are reluctant to take surveys online. Panelists take surveys in their preferred language (English or Spanish). All sample drawn for this study were SSRS Opinion Panelists who are U.S. adults ages 18 or older.
SSRS Opinion Panel members are recruited randomly based on nationally representative ABS (Address Based Sample) design (including Hawaii and Alaska). ABS respondents are randomly sampled by Marketing Systems Group (MSG) through the U.S. Postal Service’s Computerized Delivery Sequence File (CDS), a regularly-updated listing of all known addresses in the U.S. For the SSRS Opinion Panel, known business addresses are excluded from the sample frame. Additional panelists are recruited via random digit dial (RDD) telephone sample of cell phone numbers connected to a prepaid cell phone. This sample is selected by MSG from the cell phone RDD frame using a flag that identifies prepaid numbers. Prepaid cell numbers are associated with cell phones that are “pay as you go” and do not require a contract.
All SSRS Opinion Panel data are weighted to represent the target population of U.S. adults ages 18 or older. View the questions used for this analysis, along with the responses >>
