I may as well tell you now, I do not like MCU. I used to like it back when it was Phase 2, but Phase 3 onwards has often always rubbed me the wrong way for various reasons. However the biggest thing I hated the most, was their constant need for comedic banter. Specifically in places where it shouldn't be. Granted this has been around since the first Avengers movie was directed Joss Whedon, whom if Sarcasm were a country he'd be the fucking president. Since then. Even while he was out of MCU, they tried to follow his example and as a result it wore down quick. At least for me.

Now most hardcore fans would think I have no sense of humour. I was born on April Fools Day, that's as funny as one can get. I also have a love for comedy, when it works. The true secret to comedy of all forms, is always timing. The right time to make a joke or in the case of Slapstick Comedy when the pie should hit someone's face. My Favourite brand of comedy, has often been the mix of other genres, because most of the best works were able to balance it out and time their jokes right. The big examples being Ghostbusters, Evil Dead, Scream, True Lies and so on. Part of why their stuff worked was because they were able to balance the genres out perfectly.

In the case of Ghostbusters, they were able to have a perfect mix of comedy and surreal horror. My favourite scene being Winston and Ray discussing the end of the world. Only to realize that they have unknowingly been tasked to prolong it. It's what made me take the movie seriously. While i like Ghostbusters II, their main problem was that they couldn't recreate moments like this and instead relied on the hype the cartoon series "The Real Ghostbusters" to get by. Hence why Janine dyed her hair. Whereas the 2016 Reboot, one of many of their problems were, on top of trying to send a half-assed message in the social commentary department, relied so much on cringe comedy that it turned off a lot of people. Making them desperate enough to try to force any that liked it, to shun those that didn't.

However the worst example of comes from MCU. When MCU first started out, way before Disney bought Marvel, they were able to balance out comedy, drama and even some scary moments. Iron Man, Captain America: The First Avenger and The Incredible Hulk being the big examples. When phase three began, here's where it began to falter for me. Tell me if this sounds familiar. Heroes and villains alike banter to each other a lot. Something horrifying or sad happens that brings us out of the comedy bubble for a moment, to remind us that this is still a superhero franchise and that these are people with problems. Yet before anyone has a chance to let it sync in, some snarky sarcastic asshole, be it hero, villain or civilian ruins the moment with a joke, with everything pausing as if they're waiting for the audience to laugh. Sound familiar? That's every fucking MCU movie from Civil War. Why? Because they're afraid that if people feel an emotion that isn't positive, which in turn emotionally invests them to the character, that they'll get negative reviews for it being "Too dark or too edgy."

Many Many Comedic Media that came before this, never had that problem. To prove it, I reccomend you watch the tv series M*A*S*H. It's a sitcom that takes place during the Korean War, that revolves around a mobile medical hospital, to treat wounded soldiers and civilian alike. The main characters Hawkeye Pierce and Trapper John, later BJ, often try to cope with the horrors of war, by pulling pranks on each other. Many of which have caused people to laugh so hard they forget that this is still a war show. However the main meat of the show is often two things. One a reminder that these characters are still doctors who care about their fellow staff and patients alike. Two, every now and then with the right timing, they give us some heavy reminders that they are in the middle of a war and take all the time needed for the audience to sync in. Now if they went the MCU way, they'd fit in more jokes just to get rid of that pesky human drama they so despise. Destroying the message of the show as a whole. That War is Hell and people would do anything to get out of it be it figuratively and literally.

The following of what I'm about to say will reach spoiler territory. So if you haven't watch the show I suggest you do not read further.

In their final episode, Goodbye Farewell and Amen, everything comes to a head for Hawkeye. After suffering a mental breakdown, he gets committed to an army mental hospital. He seems to be his snarky self as usual, but every now and then his words drip with venom scaring even his closest friends. Often triggered by certain words or phrases. Such as chicken. He eventually lowers his guard at the psychiatrist and tells what happened. He and his fellow doctors and soldiers went to a beach for some much needed fun after years of gruelling work. On their way back they find some soldiers and refugees and decide to give them a ride to their hospital. However when North soldiers spot their bus, they don't move and try to keep as quiet as possible. However, one of the passengers, a South Korean Woman had a chicken with her that wouldn't stop squawking. Fearing for their lives, Hawkeye demands her to "Keep that damn chicken quiet." Suddenly there was no sound, she killed the chicken. However it was later revealed not too long after, through an emotionally broken Hawkeye, that it wasn't a chicken. It was a baby. The baby wouldn't stop crying and with no other option, she smothered it to death. Hawkeye, whom has been seen on many occasion to be fiercely protective of children, repressed the memory until his breakdown ate away at him. This was a man, who has endured his friends leaving or dying, losing patients and often taking most things in stride save for a few dramatic occasions. Yet this one moment broke him almost for good. Once he was able to get through it he left as soon as the war ended.

That is an example of how you balance comedy and other genres. You find the right time and place for either one and let it flow naturally. The MCU as well as many other modern movies that try to mix comedy with other genres, tried and failed miserably at that, because they had no right timing, no proper balance and the only reason why it was able to last so long was because so many people were distracted by the cool fight scenes and effects.

Stories are not just about how cool things they are, what makes us love them is how emotionally we are invested in them. Some mixes work, some don't.