Avengers saga vs. Star Wars sequel trilogy

Aside from Spider-Man being somewhat huge, Marvel Entertainment didn't really have any heroes that blew up outside of the US.

Iron Man?

But hey, they had a smart strategy and churned out a ton of fun, massive hits.

Star Wars got watered down back during the George Lucas era, and while DC Comics saw a massive boost with the Batman trilogy, they totally tanked afterward—even though they owned two of the biggest icons on the planet: Superman and Batman.

So yeah, nothing is ever guaranteed or permanent.

Brandon Fox3 said:Exactly.
The Avengers are... hollow. Just a bloated blockbuster and a massive cash cow. At least that’s how it feels to me—I haven't seen them all because, honestly, the thought of catching up on an Avengers sequel hasn't even crossed my mind since I saw the first movie.
Star Wars, even with its messy sequels, is still hands down one of the best things I've ever seen in that genre.

I’d argue that the Avengers are blockbusters WITH SOUL that also happen to make money, whereas the new Star Wars trilogy was designed EXCLUSIVELY to make money. Honestly, if soul were sitting right on Disney's doorstep, they wouldn't know how to bake it into a Star Wars film, nor would they particularly care to.

Because of that new trilogy, Star Wars hit rock bottom—no matter what anyone says or how much the Star Wars sequels rake in (which, let's be real, doesn't even touch Marvel's earnings), those sequels dragged the franchise into the dirt. This time, time isn't going to heal the wounds.

Here is how I’d describe the Star Wars sequels: it’s like being in a relationship with someone who looks amazing, but there’s zero personality and zero chemistry—or at least, not the kind you actually want. You end up lying to yourself, convincing yourself it’s "the one" because she reminds you of an ex you truly loved, and she looks a bit like her. You are literally LYING TO YOURSELF. You can't stop the self-deception because you're so hung up on a past love that you've completely lost your standards for the future. That is what the Star Wars sequels are, and that's what all those Star Wars fans who love them are doing. They can lecture me all they want about how I'm wrong, but I know the truth.

They desperately want the Star Wars sequels to be good even though they can see the garbage right in front of them—not to mention the "expert criticism," which was just... nonsensical. Real sense only started being made during the final sequel film when people finally realized what was actually happening.

Whether you love the Avengers or not, the Star Wars sequels aren't even in the same conversation. A new era has been born.

With every NEW Star Wars film, the franchise will die a little more, essentially becoming what it already is: a CIRCUS, as long as it stays under Disney's thumb.

But those foolish fans—the ones who used to nitpick everything George Lucas did—were convinced that once he left, something magical would happen. They actually thought they might get something like The Empire Strikes Back under Disney, ahahahahahah, good grief... ugh...

That's like me being convinced that The Godfather 4 would be better than The Godfather 3, even though it wouldn't be based on any book by Puzo or directed by Coppola. Expecting a fourth installment to outdo the third like that? Just think about how ridiculous that sounds.

The Star Wars fan base has become the most laughable group of fans ever due to the Disney trilogy. Honestly, it's more pathetic than funny, but hey, in a way, those fanatics asked for this themselves.

Ethan Martin said:Whether you dig the Avengers or not, the Star Wars sequels aren't even in the same league as them. We're looking at a whole new era.

Well, you were the one who lumped them together in the title to begin with. Honestly, it feels like you started this entire thread just to keep pairing them up, fueled by that same intense energy you used in your opening post and every single reply since.

Brandon Fox3 said:Well, you were actually the one who lumped them together in the title to begin with. It feels like you started this whole thread just so you could keep pairing them up—using that same intense energy from your intro and every single follow-up post.

Like I said, my goal was to bring the Star Wars sequels back down to earth. To really highlight how much of a miss they were, I intentionally—and I mean completely intentionally—compared them to The Avengers. I wanted people to get a clear sense of how far Star Wars has fallen. There was a time, long ago, when Star Wars held the same level of popularity and cinematic quality that The Avengers enjoy today. That was the point: to ground these fanatics and show them exactly where they stand with these Star Wars sequels.

When a topic like yours carries this much weight, it’s almost inevitable that the responses and perspectives will follow a predictable pattern. They're exactly what you'd expect. The real question is, where would your headspace be right now if people had actually voted differently than you anticipated? If you ended up exactly where I suspect you would, then you’ve really just achieved a hollow victory.

Brandon Fox3 said:When a topic as heavy-hitting as this one suggests certain answers, the responses you get are bound to be exactly what you expect—predictable. The real question is, where would your headspace be if people had voted differently than you anticipated? If you ended up right where I think you would, then you’ve really only achieved a hollow victory.

Look, it's not exactly a mystery why people vote for quality; they aren't exactly lining up to support Star Wars sequels just because of some sentimental whim.

It’s also hardly my fault that seeing how much ahead of the Star Wars sequels the Marvel Cinematic Universe stands feels devastating—I honestly don't know what kind of reality some people live in to think the opposite is true.

Regarding movies like these, we were clearly living in the era of Marvel—whether people liked it or not—which was a far cry from what Star Wars used to be before it became nothing more than constant chatter.

Just look at the comparison here (the sheer mastery of building emotion through music, visuals, and direction before that massive emotional payoff in this scene):

Compared to this absolute JOKE? 😁 😁

Good grief.

Yeah, those Star Wars sequels just aren't quite hitting the mark—especially The Last Jedi...

Some of The Avengers are better, and honestly, even Pirates of the Caribbean was more solid.

But that doesn't mean Marvel Entertainment has reached the pinnacle of cinema... not by a long shot.
In twenty years, these Marvel-like movies will—once again, some of them—reach the status of Jurassic Park. Fun entertainment, great technical execution, and all that...

Besides, we've had superhero movies before. The only reason they're working now is because they finally have the massive budgets to make them look polished—technology has simply caught up to the vision.
But the stories are pretty shallow, let's be real. And that’s why they’ll end up being like Jurassic Park in the long run.

Nobody is claiming what they did with Star Wars is good, because it really isn't. And I don't get why anyone thought things would improve once George Lucas left—that just doesn't follow any logic...

Emily Myers32 said:Yeah, the Star Wars sequels aren't exactly anything special—especially The Last Jedi.

Some of the Avengers movies are better, they turned out better, and even Pirates of the Caribbean was a better ride.

But just because that happened doesn't mean Marvel is somehow the pinnacle of cinema... not really.
In twenty years, these Marvel flicks will (again, some of them, not all) have the same standing as Jurassic Park. Fun entertainment, incredibly impressive technical execution, and so on.

Well, as far as I'm concerned, Jurassic Park still holds cult status to this day. 🙂

Speaking of Jurassic Park, can any film—from its release right up until you guess which one—match the opening day haul it pulled in? It would be The Phantom Menace, but people were so busy arguing about Jar Jar Binks (who, for the record, is also irritating to me, though he was the first character built entirely with CGI) that they couldn't see the forest for the trees.

Emily Myers32 said:Besides, superhero movies existed long before this. The reason they've hit big now is simply that they finally have the budget to pull off the technical side, and the technology has actually caught up to the vision.
But the stories are shallow, honestly. And because of that, they’ll end up being like Jurassic Park eventually.

I'll say it again: in my opinion, Jurassic Park maintains a cult status even today. 🙂

I think the Avengers—specifically when I'm thinking of the first film, Avengers: Infinity War, and Avengers: Endgame—will absolutely stand the test of time. They'll be part of history, not just in the superhero genre, but in cinema overall, serving as a symbol of this specific era—let's put it that way.

Emily Myers32 said:Nobody is saying what they've done with Star Wars is good, because frankly, it isn't. And I don't know who ever thought things wouldn't get better once George Lucas left—that makes zero logical sense.

👍

Some people overanalyze the depth of Star Wars, when George Lucas himself said it was basically just a family drama, almost a sitcom.

Richard Wilson4 said:Aside from Spider-Man, MARVEL didn't really have any heroes that were popular outside of the US, especially not Hulk.

Keep in mind they didn't even have the rights to both of them at first. They had to develop Hulk offscreen or just as a sidekick because a solo movie was out of reach, and we all know how things went with Spider-Man—they basically built a franchise out of whatever scraps they could get.

I’d argue they actually nailed it by using a Shonen-style approach (Hulkbuster, Civil War, Avengers assemble)... which is essentially the core essence of American superhero comics. It serves as a perfect counterpart to Japanese Shonen like Dragon Ball and the rest.

Also, I don't know if anyone else noticed, but the Avengers Soundtrack plays during those one-liners from the main four in almost every film.

hulk avengers

iron man ultron

thor iw

and finally Captain America: Endgame with that epic "Avengers assemble" moment.

Matthew Johnson30 said:So that’s your issue, but you don't seem to mind the hyperdrive chases and lasers leveling entire planets?
BTW, if we're really comparing what counts, shouldn't we factor in the Star Wars spin-offs—you know, Rogue One and Han Solo?

For me, the Avengers saga is number one.
A bunch of second-tier characters (aside from Thor) managed to lift the Marvel Entertainment franchise to stratospheric heights, while Star Wars just keeps failing to hit those massive box office numbers without relying on the "resurrection" of their icons (like Darth Vader, Han Solo, or Sheev Palpatine).

Signed.

The only thing that can truly save Star Wars is Darth Vader—he’s always been the only one capable of doing it.

Instead of the Disney idiots churning out Solo movies and stuff like that... if they had made a movie about Vader—just one single film focusing on a slice of his life (maybe a storyline between the Prequels and the Original Trilogy)—that movie would have crushed it...

Honestly, that one scene with Vader in Rogue One (where he just mows down that whole squad) is better than all the Star Wars sequels combined. I tip my hat to it.

P.S. You know what I find funniest about Star Wars Fanatics?

I remember it like it was yesterday, how they used to tear into George Lucas for trying to add depth and complexity to the Prequel films (since, according to them, the Original Trilogy was just some simple space serial—because THEY know better than George Lucas), and now they show up to argue that Star Wars is somehow a deeper story than the Avengers 😁, hahaha...

In my opinion, Star Wars Fans don't actually have any clue what they want. Honestly, kudos to Lucas for stepping away; suddenly, all over YouTube and the internet, you see everyone wailing for Lucas, with piles of videos from Star Wars Fans titled "Why the Prequels aren't actually bad," and so on and so forth...

When you see all that, it's no wonder the man walked away. Who wouldn't leave when faced with these LITERAL MADMEN?

It's the same kind of lunatics that caused the actor who played Jar Jar Binks (the guy the CGI version was built upon) to be in psychiatric care for years due to the threats and mockery he faced day and night.

And don't even get me started on the kid who played Anakin Skywalker; today, he's a Schizophrenic in a mental health facility.

In my view, Star Wars fans aren't just regular fans—they're fanatics. They don't know what they want, and I truly respect Lucas for escaping it all (for the sake of his own mental health). Naturally, I opened this thread specifically to drive a nail into the coffin of their "wonderful DISNEY" Star Wars trilogy using the Avengers.

Secondly, they deserve nothing less than this reality check. And frankly, they got it. No matter what they write, say, or claim, Marvel and the Avengers have absolutely crushed them in this era, regardless of who it might offend.

rustywalker1 said:Some people over here are trying to analyze the sheer depth of Star Wars, when George Lucas himself basically said it was just a family drama—almost a soap opera.

That's true, but—hold on now—let’s rewind the tape for a second. Please, go back and read my previous post.

I'll say it again: I remember it like it was yesterday, when those same Star Wars Fanatics were tearing Lucas apart for trying to inject depth and complexity via the Prequels. Now, suddenly, they're popping up here to argue about how much deeper Star Wars is than the Avengers 😁—that’s my number one issue right there.

And number two: Lucas only made those statements because he was cornered. The man was essentially pushed into a corner after the Prequels (with the exception of ROTS).

I really wonder how many of those absolute lunatics who spent years trashing Lucas had any clue what he actually went through to protect the integrity of New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back. He fought to keep them exactly how we know them, despite Hollywood studios trying every possible way—legal, illegal, you name it—to force him to change those films before they even hit theaters. If he had given in, they wouldn't be the classics they are today. And keep in mind, this was back when Lucas literally didn't have the cash in his pocket—literally—but he had enough backbone to refuse to make the original Star Wars trilogy at all if it wasn't done his way.

ROTS (which I absolutely love as a movie) definitely has DEPTH—true depth—both as a story and a film. But some of these perennial Star Wars fanatics just couldn't wrap their heads around it back then. Fast forward to today, and they are CRYING for Lucas (well, many of them, not all, but plenty). Honestly, tell me—are these people sane? They aren't. They definitely aren't, no matter what you tell me.

Then you have Mr. Plinkett, who basically built an entire career on YouTube by bashing The Phantom Menace. That very same guy, Mr. Plinkett, didn't see "anything too bad" in The Force Awakens or The Last Jedi 😁.

He said it with such a defeated tone in his RedLetterMedia video... 🤦

🍿

And then, after this third film comes out, that same Mr. Plinkett and the RedLetterMedia crew will probably offer their "insight" into what a total Recycling horror and continuity-free mess the Star Wars sequel trilogy actually is. I guess that's just "character" for Mr. Plinkett... calling it "character" is about as much substance as the junk I find in a seashell these days.

The Avengers series is honestly way more satisfying for an audience than the recent Star Wars trilogy.
Why is that?
It’s because they actually put in the work—years of planning out the narrative and meticulously crafting the characters and how they all clash and connect.
People actually had the chance to "bond" with these characters and the overarching story, making them genuinely invested in what happens next in the series.
Meanwhile, the new Star Wars trilogy felt like it was filmed haphazardly—no cohesive master plan, no central theme, just... vibes.
In the new Star Wars trilogy, every movie feels like its own isolated thing; there's almost no connective tissue holding the themes together.

The Avengers are better than the Prequel trilogy, too. Why?
Because the characters feel alive and engaging, and the whole thing is paced with such dynamic energy.

BUT... the real question is: what kind of legacy will these films actually leave behind?
Which one sticks in the cultural memory longer? Star Wars or the Avengers?
If I had to bet, I'd say Star Wars.

Ethan Martin said:...
And that same Mr. Plinkett—the guy who basically built his entire career on YouTube by trashing The Phantom Menace—that exact same DAMN MR. PLINKETT didn't see "anything too bad" in The Force Awakens or The Last Jedi 😁.

He actually said it with this totally defeated tone in a RedLetterMedia video... 🤦

🍿

Then, after this third movie drops, the same MR. PLINKETT and the RedLetterMedia crew come out with their big "insight"—claiming the whole Star Wars sequel trilogy is just a total Recycling horror with zero continuity. But hey, that’s just "character" for Mr. Plinkett, right? As much "character" as the trash I found in my backyard today.

The guys over at RedLetterMedia stated in their latest review of Rise of Skywalker that just because the new trilogy isn't great, it doesn't magically mean the Prequels suddenly became good. They aren't—the Prequels are still garbage, just like they were back then.
When you really think about it, it's true—if something is bad TODAY, that doesn't mean something from the past automatically becomes better because of it.

nimblemarlin6 said:The folks over at RedLetterMedia recently shared their thoughts on >, suggesting that just because the new trilogy might miss the mark, it doesn't magically retroactively make the Prequels any better. They argued that the Prequels remain just as flawed today as they were when they first hit theaters.
When you sit down and really ponder that logic, isn't there a profound truth to it? If something is considered subpar by today's standards, does its failure necessarily elevate something from the past to a higher status? Not necessarily, right?

In my honest opinion, these modern Star Wars entries are even more of a disaster than the Prequels were.

It’s definitely Star Wars for me. Even though being hit by the events of Avengers 4 really got to me—I still can't watch Avengers: Endgame without tearing up—the whole Star Wars franchise carries this massive weight. It has all these fans and a buildup that started back when Star Wars was truly revolutionary.

The Star Wars fan base is massive, and the strongest part is how it’s been passed down from one generation to the next. You just can't compare that to the MCU (the world that was born with Iron Man 2008), even though the MCU does have its own fan base rooted in those Lee and Ditka comics. I wasn't around back then, but I honestly think the Star Wars fan base was way bigger than Marvel's, at least compared to the comics.

I voted "equal" because I truly can't say "this one is better," since there isn't one. I watched Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker today, and it honestly just floored me.

nimblemarlin6 said:The Avengers series is way more satisfying for viewers than the recent Star Wars trilogy.
Why?
Because so much time was actually poured into planning the story and developing the characters and their relationships.
People had the chance to truly "bond" with the characters and the narrative—they actually cared about what was coming next in the series.
Meanwhile, the new trilogy felt like it was filmed haphazardly, without a cohesive plan or an overarching theme.
In the new Star Wars trilogy, every movie feels like its own isolated thing; there's almost no connecting thread to tie it all together.

The Avengers are even better than the Prequel trilogy. Why?
Because the characters feel alive and engaging, and everything is directed with such great energy and pace.

BUT... the question remains: what kind of legacy will these films leave behind?
What will be remembered longer? Star Wars or the Avengers?
I’d say Star Wars, though.

We can't really know who will have the bigger legacy from our current perspective—maybe it'll be equal, or maybe the Marvel Cinematic Universe will be even larger in ten years. 🙂

And feel free to roll your eyes at me now, but I'm telling you: the lines from Avengers: Endgame, like "Captain, On your left...", will become as iconic as "Luke, I am your father" in just a few years. 🍿

P.S. Regarding the music, there's no debate—John Williams absolutely crushed it for the Star Wars universe. But in my opinion, there's also no debate that the Avengers Soundtrack/Main Theme is one of the BEST FILM MUSIC EVER, with all its various iterations of that main theme throughout the Avengers movies, not to mention the entire musical landscape of the MCU.

For me, this Musical Main Theme has become literally one of my TOP 10 best film scores of all time (the emotions in this, man, I can't even put it into words, haha 🙂):

I honestly think I listen to this main theme at least once every single day. 😁.

I believe (and I am 150% certain about this) that the portal scene in Avengers: Endgame—paired with this music—when they charge toward Thanos' army (I posted that scene a few posts back), is one of the GREATEST EVENTS IN FILM HISTORY. Anyone who was in the theater knows this is true; I have never experienced anything like that in a cinema in my entire life. My god, I've never felt that level of emotion or grandeur in a theater until that scene... it was honestly BIGGER THAN LIFE. 😁, so... people can laugh or mock me if they want, but I know most of you will understand where I'm coming from. 🙂

Alan Silvestri absolutely nailed this score and its many variations throughout the Avengers saga. I can say with total confidence that this is the best superhero music alongside Williams' Superman score, and it is definitely one of my TOP 10 main themes in film history.

Cheers!

Well, when it comes to those epic battle scenes—LOTR is truly king...

You just can't compare the experience of seeing Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker in theaters to watching Avengers: Endgame. It's because they attract totally different fan bases. The Marvel Cinematic Universe pulls in a lot of younger viewers, so naturally, you get those more emotional outbursts during legendary scenes. For me, finishing Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker and Avengers: Endgame felt almost identical. The only difference was that I actually teared up over Tony's death, though I probably would have cried just as hard if he had died in something like Iron Man 4 instead.

Avengers: Infinity War is a much bigger, more massive cinematic achievement than Avengers: Endgame, but since Endgame wrapped everything up, people tend to remember it better.

But then you look at Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. It’s part of a story that actually started back in the 70s. It brings together threads from all three trilogies and pulls in elements reminiscent of Han Solo—it's wild. Plus, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is easily one of the best movies of this decade, and so on...

Gregory Brown94 said:You really can't compare the theater experience of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker to Avengers: Endgame because the fanbases are just built differently. The MCU draws in a massive younger crowd—who, naturally, are going to give those legendary scenes much more emotional, high-energy ovations. Personally, I felt almost the exact same way watching the endings of both; the only difference was that I actually shed tears for Tony Stark's death. Though, honestly, I probably would have wept just as hard if he had died in an Iron Man 4 movie produced before Endgame.

Infinity War is a much bigger cinematic achievement than Endgame, though people remember Endgame better simply because it wrapped everything up perfectly.

But Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker—it carries a narrative arc that traces back to the 70s, it ties together stories from all three trilogies, and it even pulls in elements from Solo. Wow. And Rogue One remains one of the best films of this decade, so yeah...

Now, I wouldn't go so far as to say the MCU fanbase is just some mindless crowd—let's just say it's a fifty-fifty split based on taste. Besides, Star Wars was strictly a "mindless" crowd back in the day (during the original trilogy), where those older fans ended up trying to dictate terms to George Lucas, acting like they knew more about Star Wars than he did.

Anyway, getting back to the Avengers:

Man, you aren't even fully human if you don't get goosebumps during that "Assemble" scene in Avengers: Endgame, no matter how old you are...

The only person who perhaps wouldn't feel a chill during that moment would be someone like Hitler or some other absolute monster—but a normal human being definitely would.

I actually have a bit of a philosophical take on superhero movies if you're interested in reading it (for you and everyone else):

Many people tend to say they don't like superhero films because, you know, "it's just fantasy" or whatever, blah blah blah. But I wouldn't call it mere fantasy at all, and here is why:

Why did people start creating superheroes in comics and films in the first place? I’d argue that these superheroes live within us in a metaphorical sense—feel free to view me as a bit of a romanticist here—and all of us who get chills during these movies are responding to a certain soul we carry inside. I think it represents true HUMANITY.

And The Avengers (alongside the Dark Knight trilogy, Logan, and maybe the original two Superman films) have... CAPTURED OUR SOULS in a positive way through countless moments. It’s those times when you just find yourself smiling while your skin crawls with chills because... well, we all wish these heroes were real. My point is that metaphorically, they might already exist within us through what these films provide. Just a little spiritual philosophy coming from me.😁

P. S. Man, when Captain is looking so broken, and then they all come through the portals (with that music relentlessly building and making the hair on your arms stand up), Cap says "Assemble" and they charge...

HOLY COW, hahaha! That is it right there! In that moment, as Elvis Presley might say, "heaven and earth met." It is a literal duel of GOOD VS EVIL—direct, no gray areas, nothing in between. It is pure, unadulterated GOOD VS EVIL presented as: THIS.

Man, I’ve had so many feelings like that with The Avengers and the MCU in general. Take that Infinity War scene where Captain America appears behind the train... man, just wow. 🙂