Chris Evans is once again defending the MCU from its critics. More than a year after he officially retired as Captain America in Avengers: Endgame, the actor remains tightly associated with the franchise having played the role for almost 10 years across multiple films. As Marvel Studios waits to kick off its Phase 4 following the Infinity Saga, everyone is waiting how the film series is going to change without some of its most notable faces like Steve Rogers and Tony Stark/Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) are gone.

Kicking off in 2008, Marvel Studios' head Kevin Feige and his team risked it all to be able to produce their own movies starting with Jon Favreau's Iron Man. The inaugural project was a resounding success, but Phase 1 wasn't clear of any hurdles. It was really via 2012's  The Avengers that solidified the MCU's place in Hollywood, proving that Feige may be on to something. Seven years later, Endgame fulfilled that promise of culmination with an epic blockbuster, becoming the highest-grossing film of all time. Despite all this, there are still those who aren't impressed with what Marvel Studios is able to achieve.

Related: Every Marvel Story & Plot Thread The MCU Has Dropped

Evans addressed recurring issues some may have with the MCU in a new interview with THR's Awards Chatter Podcast while also promoting his new Apple TV+'s project, Defending Jacob. Confronted with the argument that superhero franchises and Marvel Studios being the main purveyor of it are bad for cinema, the actor responded by pointing out how easy it is to generalize when dishing criticisms like this. While he admits that the public may be used to the storytelling format by now, he believes that the MCU is doing special.

"We may be a little bit too accustomed to the structure now so I think it's easy to sweep it into the same category as films of that nature. But I really do think they stand apart. And the caliber of talent they attract is a testament to that."

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Last year, veteran filmmakers Martin Scorsese and Francis Ford Coppola had some harsh words to say when asked about the MCU - the former deeming the franchise "not cinema," while the latter backing up his fellow Italian-American filmmaker.  The whole thing blew up with notable people from the franchise such as  Robert Downey Jr., James Gunn, Joss Whedon, and Samuel L. Jackson, as well as other industry people responding. In the end, everybody decided to just agree to disagree. Evans and Scarlett Johansson shared their two cents about the matter at that time, and these new comments are effectively building on what he previously said. It makes sense that Evans has great respect for what the MCU is able to build, having been part of the process. He has first-hand knowledge of what goes into creating the movies and crafting the characters' stories. So when they're well-received, it's a testament that they're doing something right. For what it's worth, many have tried copying Marvel Studios' storytelling format over the last few years, only to fail - proving that it's really not easy building an interconnected film series.

After MCU's three phases, 23 films and multiple copycats, it's understandable that some are already tired of superheroes and franchises, but it's unfair to solely put the blame on Marvel Studios - after all, the public is still interested in their films. That said, to be able to address justified issues with the film series, they need to offer something significantly different moving forward. For the past 10 years, their established format worked, but over time, even fans will lose interest if they don't offer something new. People would just have to wait and see what they have in store for Phase 4.

More: Endgame's Return To Battle of New York Showed How Each Avenger Changed

Source: THR's Awards Chatter Podcast

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