The Marvel Cinematic Universe began 15 years ago, and after a long time, the series has grown almost imperceptibly from where it began. Marvel Studios kicks off what will become an MCU phenomenon Iron Man May 2, 2008. The film starring Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark, became the start of an unprecedented run that has seen the MCU grow in popularity over the years. 2023 marks the 15th anniversary Iron Manand so the beginning of a shared universe helped change the Hollywood landscape.
Marvel Studios is still a long way from coming Iron Man And amazing hulk Released in theaters in 2008. The MCU has expanded to the point that audiences expect to see a number of movies each year tied to the overall story, such as the Infinity Saga films from 2008 to 2019. This has led to the resounding success of Marvel Studios and the development of a formula or system for designing each project. However, the franchise has also changed a lot over the years, making it almost unrecognizable on the MCU’s 15th anniversary due to the disparity.
Contents
Iron Man and Phase One are much different from Disney’s MCU movies
The MCU’s 15th anniversary is a stark reminder of how different Disney’s MCU movies are Iron Man and other Phase 1 movies, for better or worse. Due to the perception of superhero movies at the time, Marvel Studios felt compelled to take a very specific approach when launching the MCU. The decision has been made Iron Man And the rest of the Phase 1 movie is as grounded as possible. The franchise begins by focusing on billionaire inventors in tech suits before moving on to more sci-fi and fantasy stories involving Hulk, Thor, and Captain America.
The MCU couldn’t incorporate crazier concepts or characters without risking alienating the general audience when the MCU started 15 years ago, but Marvel Studios has now fully embraced this aspect of the comics. . After dealing with Thanos and the Infinity Saga, the future of the MCU depends on the multiverse. This includes expanding the area that audiences can focus on and introducing increasingly powerful and sometimes eccentric characters. To be sure, many of the stories and heroes that have been at the heart of recent and upcoming MCU games will not appear. Iron Man and the melody of the first stage. It took Marvel 15 years to get to this point.
It’s also important to remember that Disney’s MCU films are very different from the first phase of the Mouse House-based engagement. Before Disney bought Marvel in 2009 and started distributing their movies The Avengers, Paramount and Universal were responsible for helping produce the first MCU movies. This means that Marvel Studios is allowed to include elements like sex scenes, Tony Stark’s alcoholism, lustful Black Widow, smoking, etc. Disney’s family-friendly branding means much of the content. This content has been completely removed from the Marvel movies released over the past decade.
Instead, under Disney, the MCU has changed dramatically in terms of hero diversity. Iron Man All the other Phase 1 movies feature straight white men. This trend has continued for more than half of the MCU’s 15-year history. The diversity of MCU movie leads begins to change in 2018 black Pantherthe first Marvel Studios film to feature a person of color. Captain Marvel The following year, it became the first MCU film to feature a woman. Since then, the desire for better representation has led to many Disney+ movies and shows following non-white male leads.
Marvel Studios is no longer a superhero loser
On the MCU’s 15th anniversary, Marvel Studios is in a very different place in Hollywood than it was in 2008. Iron Man There is no guarantee that the hope of launching a shared universe will be successful. x Men And Spiderman Representing an example of a successful Marvel movie starring some of the greatest characters in the comics, Marvel Studios had to use heroes that were considered first-rate C or D. The rights issues raised by Marvel almost went bankrupt a few years ago, and the small team at Marvel Studios has turned the studio and its franchise ambitions into an easily-supported underdog superhero story. .
Fast forward to 2023, the MCU and Marvel Studios are no longer the underdogs of Hollywood. The MCU has become not only a major form of superhero entertainment, but also the biggest movie franchise in history. Marvel Studios and Kevin Feige are also considered some of the most influential studios and executives in the industry. This has turned the MCU from underdogs into Hollywood heavyweights. While the box office record and critical reception of some of the Phase 4 and 5 films cast doubt on the future of the MCU, the truth is that Marvel movies are still more popular than most. Hollywood movies.
A shift in perception around the MCU’s 15th anniversary could help explain the growing criticism towards Marvel. It’s not a franchise and studio that easily appeals to audiences, but as its popularity grows, more and more issues are affecting Hollywood. Whether it’s reports of poor treatment of VFX staff or Hollywood’s obsession with superhero movies and shared universes, the doubts about every MCU release and questions about the future are just a matter of fact. facilitate discussion as well as excitement and speculation.
MCU loses interest in solo movies over time
Iron Man And amazing hulk Helped kick off the MCU 15 years ago, focusing on solo movies. Audiences meet Iron Man, Hulk, Thor and Captain America in the original movie for The Avengers Is the climax of the first stage. However, as the franchise continues, there is less and less focus on real solo movies and origin stories. Love Qi is the only solo movie in the MCU in Phase 4 that isn’t a composite film starring previously unseen characters. Marvel’s focus has shifted to creating sequels to established franchises, but solo movie sequels themselves have evolved into teamwork.
Part of the MCU’s lack of true indie movies in the future is a result of the franchise’s ever-expanding franchise. The launch of Disney+ in 2019 gave Marvel Studios a new way to build stories, prioritizing shows based on characters that audiences simply didn’t know or didn’t know well. Unlike the solo films of Ms. Marvel, Moon Knight, She-Hulk, Scarlet Witch, Hawkeye or Loki, the streaming service opens up longer stories, digging deeper into the characters.
Only 2 Iron Man characters are still relevant after 15 years
input character is missing Iron Man Who is still involved in the MCU’s 15th anniversary marks another major difference in the position of the current franchise. The 2008 film helped audiences quickly fall in love with Tony Stark, Pepper Potts, James Rhodes, Happy Hogan, Phil Coulson, and Nick Fury. Each of these characters re-emerged in the MCU over the next decade, but most have no future. Tony Stark died in Avengers: Game overand was able to knock Pepper out of space.phil coulson died in The Avengers And there are no obvious future characters to play, which Xingxin’s story should do.
That makes Nick Fury and Rowdy the only ones Iron Man Still playing the characters as the MCU’s 15th anniversary passes. Samuel L. Jackson confirmed to reprise his role as Nick Fury in the movie secret invasion And Miracle. Meanwhile, Don Cheadle returns as Gears of War secret invasionbut he also has a leadership plan armored war Movie.Tony’s best friend is recreated and only appears in Iron ManThe post-credits scene is the only character left from the first MCU movie 15 years later, showing how much the focus of the franchise has changed.
Even Marvel Studios executives are starting to change
The changes that Marvel Studios went through ahead of the MCU’s 15th anniversary have also begun to include executives and leadership. Over the past fifteen years, the studio has managed to retain most of its creative staff. Jeremy Latcham left the studio in 2017 after becoming senior vice president of production and development, marking the first major change. The year 2023 brings the shocking news that Marvel Studios executive Victoria Alonso has been fired from her positions as president of physics and post-production, visual effects and animation. The two joined the Marvel Studios team in 2008.
Although Kevin Feige is still running the studio with no signs of leaving, he was responsible for another major shakeup at Marvel Studios as Disney restructured the company, so Ike Perlmutter is no longer the grandpa. his owner. The president of Marvel Entertainment has long been at odds with Feige over creative and financial decisions. With Feige contemplating leaving Marvel in Phase Two, Disney CEO Bob Iger turned to 2015 to strip Perlmutter of power over Marvel Studios. In 2023, Bob Iger officially fired Perlmutter after he was reinstated as Disney’s CEO, marking another big change coming to the MCU’s 15th anniversary.