As much as I like the Marvel movies, or rather did, the problem is that they were never a series of movies, and it could be argued that they should not be taken seriously as pieces of Cinema at least as far as movies are concerned. Because they are not movies, it's more of a continuous show where all the episodes are very long and very expensive. None of them can truly be considered a self-contained experience. Which is a problem the comic book industry faces all the time as they need to continuously find ways to keep things recognizable yet continuously moving in new directions, there isn't a chance to actually sit down and tell and develop a single story like there is for manga

That's oddly about the time I started to become disenchanted with most contemporary cinema. Both parents worked in the Industry, dad was a voting member of the Academy for many years. The Oscars were--no exaggeration--the Holiest night on our family calendar. I even got to attend in person once. (The one where Benigni climbed up on the furniture--'99.)

Then THE ARTIST won best picture (2011). 🤦‍♂️

I stopped watching the Oscars completely about 5 years ago. The only enthusiasm I can muster anymore is new films by old masters (PTA, Scorsese, Tarantino, etc.)

There's been great movies made, not all movies are giant studios trying to maximize profits.