Cup of Tea Critiques Podcast
A podcast brought by the team that brings you cupofteacritiques.com, the site that encourages critical viewing of film so you can decide for yourself if they’re your "cup of tea." Reading the tea leaves of the film industry is challenging. Each week on the podcast, the team peels back the layers on a movie genre or industry trend to offer aspiring filmmakers some clarity and guidance on what is often rough and indecipherable terrain that is the film and television industry. So, grab a deep brew for a deep look and some hilarious moments.
Music by Julian Hartwell (Say No More - Gh3dEJ)
Fair Use Notice: The movies and TV series excerpted and discussed on the Cup of Tea Critiques Podcast are copyrighted productions. Cup of Tea Critiques Podcast refers to them for the purposes of social commentary and constructive criticism of the productions’ content, which constitutes "fair use" as codified in section 107 of U.S. Copyright law.
Cup of Tea Critiques Podcast
Why Gen-Zs are Experiencing Marvel Fatigue
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In analyzing ticket sales, Fandango found that the largest moviegoing audience is 18–24 years old, also known as Generation-Z (or Gen-Z). Yet, only 19 percent of this group are fans of the Marvel Connected Universe (MCU). What is the MCU, you ask, and why is this a problem? Well, MCU is a set of films with interconnected characters that fall under a single umbrella, which in this case is Marvel.
In Marvel’s summer release, Spider-Man: Brand New Day, for example, Marvel heroes like The Hulk, The Punisher, and Black Widow appeared in the film. Think television crossovers and you’ve got it.
As for the problem regarding the low interest of young moviegoers, if their interest in the MCU and other shared universes is shrinking, what does this foretell about the future of such films? Join us on this episode of the Cup of Tea Critiques Podcast where we talk about this phenomenon and the studios’ dilemma around shared universe productions.
Send us a comment to let us know if you are a fan of a shared universe, including which one and what appeals to you about it.
For future updates, follow our podcast wherever you listen. For email updates on all things COTC, subscribe on our website using the link below:
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“Generational Shifts.” Fandango (Spring 2026). https://images.fandango.com/cms/assets/059f1eb0-2ef7-11f1-a906-330e7fc438d4--fan-moviegoingstudy-digital-final-3.pdf.
Heindl, Joseph. “10 Shared TV Universes You’ve Likely Forgotten About.” Listverse (January 26 2026). https://listverse.com/2026/01/26/10-shared-tv-universes-youve-likely-forgotten-about/.
“The History of Fictional Shared Universes.” DailyMotion. https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x6ln263.
Levine, Adam. “Movies That You Never Knew Shared A Universe.” Looper (August 7 2025). https://www.looper.com/1848920/movies-didnt-know-shared-universe/.
“Movie Shared Universe Explained” tasteray (September 8 2026). https://www.tasteray.com/articles/movie-shared-universe.
“Top 10 Deepest Cinematic Universes.” WatchMojo.com (2024). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V0DUPAUhe54.
Welk, Brian. “Does Marvel Have a Gen-Z Problem?” IndieWire (November 14 2023). https://www.indiewire.com/news/business/marvel-gen-z-problem-viewers-age-18-24-1234925056/.
“When Shared Universes Ruled TV.” Throwback Network (2025). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2ERaDvM8AE.
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