The inaugural Iron Man movie, which marked the beginning of the MCU in 2008, received an impeccable four out of four stars from the renowned critic Roger Ebert. However, Ebert's assessment from fifteen years ago also contained a haunting admonition that Marvel Studios has failed to acknowledge.

Besides being Marvel Studios' first film, Iron Man initiated several significant Hollywood trends and played a pivotal role in resurrecting Robert Downey Jr.'s career. Following Iron Man, the MCU experienced escalating triumphs, culminating in Avengers: Endgame, the second highest-grossing film of all time. Nevertheless, every empire faces eventual decline, and both Marvel Studios and other superhero franchises, such as DC, have recently encountered a sharp drop in box office revenues due to audience fatigue.

Astoundingly, Ebert seemingly prophesied the downfall of the MCU in his original Iron Man review, as shared on Reddit by u/teslak20. In the context of today's Marvel Studios films, the accuracy of Ebert's concerns is uncanny.