The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is a phenomenon that has taken over the multiplexes around the world. With 28 films and counting, the MCU has become the most successful film franchise of all time, grossing over $23 billion at the global box office. But how did Marvel Studios achieve this unprecedented feat? And what are the secrets behind their storytelling and filmmaking strategies? These are some of the questions that a new book, titled “MCU: The Story of Marvel Studios”, tries to answer.
From Bankruptcy to Blockbusters
The story of Marvel Studios begins in the 1990s, when Marvel Comics was facing bankruptcy and had to sell off the film rights of some of its most popular characters, such as Spider-Man, X-Men, and Fantastic Four, to other studios. However, Marvel retained the rights to some of its lesser-known heroes, such as Iron Man, Captain America, and Thor. In 2005, Marvel decided to create its own film studio and produce its own movies, with the help of a $525 million loan from Merrill Lynch. The first film to be released under this new venture was Iron Man in 2008, directed by Jon Favreau and starring Robert Downey Jr. as the titular hero. The film was a huge hit, both critically and commercially, and introduced the concept of a shared universe of films, with a post-credits scene featuring Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury, the director of S.H.I.E.L.D., who invites Iron Man to join the Avengers Initiative.
The Rise of the Avengers
The success of Iron Man paved the way for more films featuring other Marvel heroes, such as The Incredible Hulk (2008), Thor (2011), and Captain America: The First Avenger (2011). These films were interconnected by references, cameos, and plot elements that built up to the first crossover event, The Avengers (2012), directed by Joss Whedon. The film brought together Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Hulk, Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), and Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) as a team of superheroes who have to stop an alien invasion led by Thor’s brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston). The film was a massive success, breaking several box office records and becoming the first film to gross over $1 billion worldwide. It also established the MCU as a dominant force in the film industry and a cultural phenomenon.
The Expansion of the Universe
After The Avengers, Marvel Studios continued to expand its universe with more films featuring new and existing characters, such as Iron Man 3 (2013), Thor: The Dark World (2013), Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014), Guardians of the Galaxy (2014), Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015), Ant-Man (2015), Captain America: Civil War (2016), Doctor Strange (2016), Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017), Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), Thor: Ragnarok (2017), Black Panther (2018), Avengers: Infinity War (2018), Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018), Captain Marvel (2019), Avengers: Endgame (2019), Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019), Black Widow (2021), Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021), and Eternals (2021). These films introduced more diversity, genres, and themes to the MCU, while also exploring the consequences of the actions of the heroes and villains. They also set up the stage for the culmination of the first three phases of the MCU, known as the Infinity Saga, which revolved around the quest for the six Infinity Stones by Thanos (Josh Brolin), a cosmic tyrant who wants to wipe out half of all life in the universe. The Infinity Saga ended with Avengers: Endgame, which became the highest-grossing film of all time, and Spider-Man: Far From Home, which marked the end of Phase Three.
The Future of Marvel Studios
The MCU is not showing any signs of slowing down, as it has entered Phase Four with more films and TV shows planned for release in the coming years. Some of these include Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022), The Marvels (2022), Thor: Love and Thunder (2022), Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022), Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023), Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023), Fantastic Four (TBA), Blade (TBA), Deadpool 3 (TBA), and X-Men (TBA). These films will introduce new characters and stories to the MCU, while also bringing back some familiar faces. Moreover, Marvel Studios has also ventured into the streaming platform Disney+, with shows such as WandaVision (2021), The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (2021), Loki (2021), What If…? (2021), Hawkeye (2021), Ms. Marvel (2021), Moon Knight (2022), She-Hulk (2022), The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special (2022), Secret Invasion (TBA), Ironheart (TBA), Armor Wars (TBA), and I Am Groot (TBA). These shows will explore the characters and events of the MCU in more depth and detail, while also connecting to the films.
The Secrets Behind the Success
The book “MCU: The Story of Marvel Studios” is a comprehensive and insightful account of how Marvel Studios created and sustained the MCU, based on interviews with over 200 people involved in the production, including Kevin Feige, the president of Marvel Studios and the mastermind behind the MCU, Jon Favreau, Joss Whedon, Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Tom Hiddleston, Chadwick Boseman, Brie Larson, and many more. The book reveals the behind-the-scenes stories, challenges, and decisions that shaped the MCU, such as how Marvel Studios secured its financing, how it cast its actors, how it developed its scripts and visual effects, how it dealt with creative differences and controversies, how it collaborated with other studios and filmmakers, and how it responded to the changing trends and demands of the audience. The book also analyzes the themes, messages, and meanings of the MCU films and shows, such as how they reflect the social and political issues of the times, how they celebrate diversity and representation, how they balance humor and drama, how they subvert and reinvent genre conventions, and how they create emotional resonance and fan loyalty. The book is a must-read for anyone who is interested in the MCU or in the art and business of filmmaking.
