Book excerpt: In his first non-fiction book, this prolific author takes an amateur fan's look at the science and silliness of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and tries to understand how their meteoric success of the 2008-2019 era could have seemingly soured so dramatically as they moved into Phase 4 and beyond. Are things really as bad as they seem? Are the cracks in the Marvel edifice something new, or have they been there all along, but willingly overlooked by audiences who were dazzled by the sprawling, unprecedented spectacle that Marvel initially unleashed on the eager cinematic world? Is this juggernaut really heading for a cliff, and if so, how can it be turned around? The answers may surprise you or they may be the same things you've been thinking all along! Now Updated for Deadpool & Wolverine