I didn’t think putting together this list was going to be as hard as it was, but I wanted to make sure all the articles somehow explain, in their own ways, how Disney and Marvel turned the Marvel Cinematic Universe into the massive franchise that it is today. Each one goes into something a little different, but overall they help get the point across: the MCU has changed the game forever. Here’s what I got!
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- Other companies have tried and some have failed at creating the success of a shared universe franchise. This article from The Hollywood Reporter goes into some detail as to why other shared universe franchises couldn’t reach the success of the MCU:
” [Iron Man] itself was aimed at being an enjoyable stand-alone experience, not as an overall advertisement for 17 subsequent movies. That mentality has persisted through most of the MCU films over the past decade, which is all the more impressive as its roster of heroes now exceeds the two-dozen mark.”
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- This piece from DigitalSpy goes into detail about how the MCU has influenced standards in Hollywood. One of the reasons: the template for a big name leading man/lady is out, and you don’t need an A-list star to head a movie to guarantee success:
“…thanks to the strength of its brand (if you’ll pardon the marketing speak), the MCU has shown that it can launch incredibly successful films starring lesser-known actors (sometimes with lesser-known characters too – just look at Guardians of the Galaxy).”
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- This article from Business Insider highlights some of the groundbreaking releases in the MCU, from Captain America: Winter Soldier to Black Panther to Infinity War, and how they helped lead the MCU to greatness:
“By seeing what works — and what doesn’t — the movies have become something more than a studio blockbuster made to draw people in. “
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- This article from the New Yorker explains the “narrative experiment” of the MCU, and explains how the movies have a non-traditional narrative. It also explains how the anticipation of seeing the movies come together is an experience in itself:
“The narrative worth caring about becomes the story of one’s own interaction with the M.C.U. Just as people ask, about historical events, “Where were you when it happened?,” so fans ask where they were when “Iron Man” came out, when the Avengers first assembled, when heroes and villains battled in Wakanda. “
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- This list from Screen Rant shows 10 movies in the MCU that pass the Bechdel test. The rating gets better as new movies are released, showing that Disney and Marvel are committed to inclusivity in the MCU:
“Marvel is ahead of the curve and there are many films in the franchise that pass. Not all of them pass with a clean 3 out of 3, but it is worth noting the rating gets progressively stronger with more recent films.”
