One of the major criticisms that often gets lobbied against Marvel movies is that all of the movies feel the same. The complaint is that all of the MCU movies follow a very similar structure and have stories that don't feel particularly unique. Many fans disagree with this take, either citing the fact that most action movies - and a lot of other narratives -follow these structures because it's just a common way to tell a story, or stating that they don't actually think the movies have similar stories at all. Regardless of one's position on that particular issue, there is definitely one way in which MCU movies feel virtually the same, and that's in their tone and visual style.
Marvel movies usually don't have a particularly...artsy direction style. While there are occasionally some interesting shots throughout the MCU, for the most part, the shot composition and direction are fairly basic and are there to just get the job done rather than be a feast for the eyes. Even award-winning directors like Chloé Zhao who get to have a go at an MCU story are nerfed in their directing ability because they have to make the film fit the visual style of all the other Marvel movies. Now that the Infinity Saga is complete, however, Marvel has an opportunity to branch out a bit and do something different with its movies in order to keep them fresh and interesting. Marvel should let the TV shows and movies that they're producing be more stylistically unique, and allow the big-name directors they hire to actually utilize their creativity and put their own particular stamps on these stories.
Inspiration From The Source Material
MCU movies are obviously inspired by the Marvel comics, and though there have been a lot of massive deviations from this source material, the original ideas usually come from the comics. Comics are a visual medium, and they utilize specific and varied art styles to tell their stories in a particular way. For movies that take so much inspiration from visual illustrations, it's strange that they've never tried to translate those styles to screen. Of course, it's much easier to do this in animation (think Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse), but live-action movies like Scott Pilgrim vs. The World managed to make a film that looks like a graphic novel come to life, and it would be cool to see the MCU try something similar.
It would be really interesting to see Marvel try to reference or emulate the art styles of the particular comics they're adapting because it would add such an interesting visual element to the screen, and would make each separate series or show feel distinct from the others. Imagine, for instance, a Hawkeye series where the visuals are much more inspired by the style of the Matt Fraction and David Aja (who is the actual artist of the series) comics that it's pulling material from. The show has a credits sequence that's in the style of those comics, but it would be so much more fun if the color palette and general vibe of the whole series felt more akin to those comics, because the art style is so tied to that particular story.
Why Is A Unique Tone and Style So Important?
Most of the Marvel movies are very similar in their visual style because they're supposed to flow together, and it's supposed to be clear that they're all part of a shared universe. While films like Guardians of the Galaxy and Captain America: The Winter Soldier are visually distinct in a lot of ways because they're pulling from different genres, they still feel fundamentally like Marvel films. There's nothing wrong with this, as it allows Marvel to have a brand, but it's gotten a little boring after 13 years.
Allowing the MCU movies to look and feel really different in the future would differentiate them, and help all of them to feel less generic. As it is, there's nothing particularly fresh about the typical Marvel formula, and to keep it from getting stale they should allow filmmakers to put more of their own personal touch on their projects. Maybe the MCU would finally be able to win over the critics if they let auteur filmmakers actually be auteurs while also working with superheroes.
Proof That Distinct Style Works
It's not as though directors have never been able to bring their own personal style to their MCU movie, because it's happened before and has definitely made the movie more memorable. The main example of this is Taika Waititi's direction of Thor: Ragnarok. Ragnarok is the most universally beloved of the Thor movies (so far), and perhaps one of the most universally loved MCU movies period. It's not just that the movie is well-written and well-acted, but it really stands out from the Marvel projects that came before it. It's funny and cheeky and bright, with colorful sets that look like they were pulled straight out of a comic book.
Ragnarok is a perfect example of why giving directors more creative freedom is integral to Marvel's future success. Ragnarok singlehandedly revitalized the Thor storyline in the MCU, and made something fresh and exciting out of a series that had failed to really wow people until that point. Guardians of the Galaxy is another good example of a tonal shift that created something new and exciting for Marvel that audiences weren't expecting. Even Winter Soldier did a great job of making Captain America feel cool by taking his story in a different direction and changing up the tone. Compare these to things like the Ant-Man or Spider-Man movies (the MCU ones), which are good, but feel fairly generic and don't have a lot of elements that make them stand out from the crowd.
An MCU where directors are given the freedom to make films that don't necessarily look or feel like a typical superhero action movie is something that would give them an edge over every other franchise currently pumping out content. Now that the Infinity Saga is done and the MCU is entering a new era, it's a perfect time to introduce a totally new and unique Marvel Universe. There's nothing wrong with wanting the movies to flow together in some way and feel like they're all part of the same universe, but to keep things from getting stale, Marvel might have to step up their artistic game and prove to the world that "superhero movie" doesn't have to be synonymous with "bland".