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When Iron Man first hit cinema screens in 2008, no one at the time would’ve even had the slightest inkling that Marvel Studios would grow to be the cinematic titan it is today. Having spawned dozens of sequels, spin-offs and more, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has arguably become the most significant and bankable film franchise in recent memory.
This doesn’t come without its pitfalls however, and you don’t have to look far to see Marvel’s detractors make their thoughts known. Among the most common of criticisms levelled at the franchise has been its uniform approach to story telling, with many viewers begrudgingly making their way to new releases often at the expense of forced humour, undeveloped antagonists, and iffy CGI. These critiques haven’t gone away either, and have actually increased with each successful Marvel outing (even if there are exceptions – Winter Soldier to name but one).
Dear Santa stars Jack Black as Satan in a truly terrible comedy that quickly climbed and dominated Paramount's top ten.
Jean-Claude Van Damme suffered a slump in the 2000s, best exemplified by projects like In Hell, which is currently doing great on Paramount+.
Taron Edgerton and Jason Bateman steal the show in Netflix’s action thriller Carry-On.
