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With cosplay affairs, signings, panels, and more exclusive happenings, NYC Comic Con goes all Marvel in booth #2153. Ever making such an announcement has set critical discussion among fans, with deep hopes and harsh criticisms of the cinematic and TV future of Marvel.
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Marvel Entertainment officially assured in a post there would be a complete deluxe ‘Marvel’s New York’ experience inside the convention, with all of the usual activities that fans love. However, a quick turnaround took the conversation away from the event itself to the content of, and direction toward, the Marvel U, with some very loud voices wishing they had concrete answers for some TV shows loved by millions. One said, “I wish there would be season 2 announcements at the ‘up next from marvel television’ panel. Some of the better shows like Moon Knight, Hawkeye, Agatha All Along and Ironheart really need direct continuations instead of being dropped entirely or having their characters spun off into unrelated projects.’” This makes a very large topic that concerns today’s franchise management: narrative closure and character development. Almost immediately leveling a very sharp, almost resentful retort to that hopeful comment, one voice said, “They are just building up for the movie. Thats all that ever was,” once again underscoring the well-known mood of, ‘movies are first, serialized storytelling will never take precedence.’
Not all comments were on upcoming projects. A small faction focused their attention on the actual convention experience. One of them was very clear with its denial: “Sounds great. Too bad I won’t be attending because New York Comic Con is very disorganized.” This points to a potential operational-level problem that would lessen greatly the excitement of the event for some prospective attendees. In the meantime, other followers would rather use this announcement as a launch pad to targeted creative critiques. Another cutting one arose on the Daredevil franchise: “Who’s writing the new daredevil series? Don’t ever let Saladin write for daredevil ever again.” This producer-directed talk shows the interest of its audience in the creative direction of their heroes.
It appears this set of promotional materials might have drawn some dissent. An eagle-eyed fan asked rhetorically about the authenticity of the artwork: ‘these renders look like AI, for example: why is ‘Iron FIST’s fist an open hand?’.’ This commentary feeds into the growing discussion inside the industry of AI in art against an extremely discerning fan-base demanding a commensurate level of detail and authenticity. Interspersed with their wishes and critiques were bare demands for more content in other Marvel spheres; a tabletop RPGer said, “Here’s hoping for a new expansion announcement for the Marvel Multiverse RPG,” showing the very diverse interests that exist in the Marvel crowd, far past just studio releases themselves.
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The uproar surrounding the plans for Marvel at the NYCC reveals a deeply concerted, thoughtful, and emotionally invested fandom on the legacy of its superheroes. They are not passive consumers but active participants who critique art, lament unfinished stories, and openly take stands against creative decisions. Cosplay signs the convention, but the conversations online reveal that what truly gnaws at the fans is the direction of their storyline and the respectful treatment of characters they sincerely hold. While Marvel Entertainment brining its Universe to NYCC, the fans bring with them all the ardor with which the discourse will eventually be received. Scarlet Witch and Marvel Studios have been central to recent fan discussions, as has the upcoming Marvel Zombies animated series. Additionally, John Walker’s recent appearance in a new clip has also generated significant buzz.
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