Even Stan Lee Would Be Lost: Are You Losing Your Audience Like Marvel Is Losing Fans?
Jeffrey L. Stein DTM
Helping Brands & Speakers Stand Out with Storytelling, Presentation Coaching, & Strategic Promotional Campaigns
"You've become part of a bigger universe. You just don't know it yet." – Nick Fury
That worked when Marvel kept things simple.
Now? The multiverse has turned storytelling into homework.
Even die-hard fans are struggling to keep up. Casual audiences are checking out.
And if your business, brand, or presentation is making the same mistakes—your audience is checking out, too.
Casual Fan vs. Superfan: When Storytelling Gets Too Complicated
Casual Fan: Wait, didn’t Loki die in Infinity War? Superfan: Yeah… but not really. Casual Fan: What? Superfan: Time travel. Multiverse. Variant. Casual Fan: Huh?
If this is your audience, they’re probably on their phones or thinking about lunch—probably tacos.
If they have to work to understand your story, they won’t.
How This Hurts Your Business, Brand, or Presentation:
?? Too much backstory = lost engagement.
?? If people don’t get it fast, they stop listening.
?? Confusion leads to disinterest, not curiosity.
? How to Fix It:
?? Get to the point faster—make your story easy to follow.
?? Eliminate distractions—if it doesn’t move the story forward, cut it.
?? Make them care—without needing a prequel.
Superfan vs. Superfan: Too Many Moving Parts
Superfan 1: So Loki works for the TVA now? Superfan 2: Well, kinda. He’s the God of Stories now. Superfan 1: Huh? Superfan 2: Long story. Time loops. Branching timelines. A multiversal war. Superfan 1: … I miss Phase 1.
Even hardcore fans are tapping out because the story is too complicated.
Marvel didn’t just add layers to its story—it overloaded it with complexity:
?? Time travel rules that only sometimes matter. ?? Multiple versions of the same characters. ?? Key plot points buried in side content.
How This Hurts Your Business, Brand, or Presentation:
?? When your message is too complicated, even loyal followers disengage.
?? If people can’t explain what you do in one sentence, they won’t remember it.
?? Throwing too much at your audience makes them tune out.
? How to Fix It:
?? Have a clear, simple message.
?? Stop overloading people with information.
?? Make it obvious why they should care.
Business Owner vs. Audience: The Same Mistake
Business Owner: Our solution leverages AI-driven synergies to optimize scalable workflows across dynamic verticals. Audience: … Huh?
?? If your audience can’t repeat what you do, they won’t buy in.
This is exactly how businesses, brands, and speakers lose people:
? Too much information at once. (If your audience has to work to follow along, they won’t.) ? Assuming people already know the backstory. (If they don’t, they tune out.) ? Forgetting that clarity beats complexity every time. (The best stories are easy to follow.)
?? If your message isn’t simple, effortless, and engaging, you’re making your audience do the work instead of doing it for them.
? How to Fix It:
?? Speak like a human. If your pitch sounds like a corporate mission statement, rewrite it.
?? Make it obvious why it matters. Answer: Why should your audience care?
?? Structure matters. The best stories pull people in, not push them away.
Marvel’s Crossroads—And Yours
Right now, Marvel is at a turning point. Either Captain America: Brave New World gets audiences invested again…
Or it becomes another overcomplicated chapter in an unfocused saga.
The same is true for businesses and brands.
?? If your story isn’t clear, engaging, and easy to follow, you’re losing customers, clients, and opportunities.
Are you telling a story that moves forward effortlessly? Or are you overloading your audience with too many details, backstories, and confusing side plots?
?? The best stories don’t need homework.
"If you have an idea that you think is genuinely good, don't let some idiot talk you out of it." – Stan Lee
What do you think? Can Brave New World bring the MCU back? And how do you keep your brand’s story simple, clear, and compelling? Let’s discuss.
?? Need help crafting a story that connects with your audience? Check out my resources:
?? Build stronger speeches & stories: Stein-O-Matic Speech Builder
?? Get expert feedback on your speech: My Fiverr Coaching Services
?? Read more of my takes on storytelling & branding: My Medium Articles