One of the great things about comics is the fact that each company has their heroes share a universe. There are solo stories, but every so often, another hero will venture into the series, leading to team ups or skirmishes. Every so often, several heroes band together to take on threats too big for any individual hero, leading to more epic stories.
It seemed like this was never an aspect of the superhero genre that would ever be brought to film. It would lead to confusion, and the budget would also become much bigger.
After several hits and misses through other studio releases, Marvel decided to take control and created their own movie studio. As they had the rights to all of the characters, they decided to experiment and slated several movies to be released over the next several years.
The kicker was that they all took place in the same world. The stinger at the end of Iron Man had Tony Stark meeting Nick Fury, who told him that there were other heroes out there and that he's putting a team together.
The Incredible Hulk, contained a similar scene where Tony Stark meets with General Ross and gives him a similar line about how a team is being put together.
The following movies also built up the universe. However, the studios had to be careful as too much world building would make the solo movies feel like extended prequels, this is a criticism that is used most frequently on Iron Man 2.
While Thor and the newly released Captain America: The First Avenger continue the pattern, they were able to tone it down enough to satisfy both casual movie goers, and comic fans who were intrigued by the expanding Marvel mythos.
After several years and five movies, the stage was set for the big team up with The Avengers. The fact that they were able to pull this off is quite impressive. It was a risky move, but I think it turned out rather well. Of the five movies, there isn't a dud in the bunch so far. Even the weaker entries were pretty darn solid.
Luckily for fans, the ride didn't end with that blockbuster. Marvel moved into "phase 2" where we saw sequels for Iron Man, Thor, and Captain America. Sadly, Hulk didn't get a sequel, meaning that teaser with the Leader is still hanging open. I read that it was covered in supplemental material, but he's a big enough villain where I think he deserves to make a legit appearance.
Alas, phase 2 was more criticized than its predecessor. While the movies are still fun and entertaining, the "formula" became more apparent. It also featured some bizarre plot choices. Even the Avengers sequel didn't really live up to the bar that the first one had set. On top of that, it did little to expand the universe, choosing instead to focus largely on sequels. The only real newcomers were Ant-Man and the Guardians of the Galaxy. Both of those movies ended up working out, but with so many Marvel heroes out there, the decision to showcase them seemed a bit odd.
Luckily, Phase 3 seems to be addressing this as not only is Dr. Strange getting a movie, but Black Panther and Captain Marvel will also be given solo films.
Not only that, but the Marvel Cinematic Universe has also successfully moved into the realm of television. It started with 'Agents of SHIELD', which showcased fan favorite character Phil Coulson. While it got off to an average start, from what I hear, the show really took off; especially after the events of "Winter Soldier". For it's faults, one thing it did really well was follow up on the events of the movies. Often times, the episode immediately after a release date weekend would tie into what had happened in the movie. It was great timing. Sadly, the show has yet to really impact the movies in a visible way. In time, it may happen, though you can understand why it would be difficult to pull off.
The show proved successful enough to warrant a spin-off, "Agent Carter". This one showcased another fan favorite character, Peggy Carter from the first "Captain America" movie. It goes back to WWII to show how the seeds of the current day MCU were planted. It too has proven to be popular and its second season is set to start airing this month.
But, oh, the fun doesn't stop there. Marvel moved into original online content, announcing five Netflix series based on various properties. Much like with Phase 1, 4 heroes would be setup individually before culminating in a teamup. Unlike the Avengers, however, these were going to be "street-level" heroes, who focused on darker, grittier forms of evil. Instead of Captain America and Iron Man fighting aliens and other superhuman threats, viewers would get to see Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, and Iron Fist in action as they formed the Defenders. So far, two of these have come to fruition with Luke Cage set to come out this year. On top of that, Daredevil is getting a second season. Considering how well received Jessica Jones was, one can assume that it is only a matter of time before it follows suit.
The fact that the studio has pulled this off really is nothing short of amazing. It's done so well that everyone is trying to emulate it. DC is frantically trying to catch up by using the upcoming "Batman v. Superman" movie to expand their shared universe. To DC's credit, CW's "Arrowverse" is faring much better, but the MCU still has a sizable head start. They say that they have plans to go for well over a decade and it'll be interesting to see how well the franchise holds up as the universe continues to grow.
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