Superhero adaptations face structural challenges satisfying audiences because comic fanbases span decades, with each reader attached to different character versions across various runs and artistic interpretations. Viewers arrive at theatres with ingrained expectations, making it mathematically impossible for any single film to align with all of them. Beyond fan fragmentation, additional divisiveness emerges when technical filmmaking quality diverges from fan satisfaction, or when critical and audience responses split sharply.

The article examines concrete examples of these divisions. Deadpool & Wolverine received initial acclaim for delivering legacy characters (Hugh Jackman's Wolverine, multiple cameos) that fans had desired, but subsequent rewatches revealed a paper-thin narrative and underdeveloped villain, leading audiences to reassess it as weaker than prior instalments. Eternals exemplifies a different divide: director Chloé Zhao's contemplative, visually accomplished approach resonated with cinema-focused critics, whilst its deliberately slow pacing and simultaneous introduction of ten characters frustrated viewers accustomed to the MCU's established rhythm.