The Marvel Cinematic Universe - Why is it Important?

INTRODUCTION

The year was 2008, the UK experienced its largest earthquake in 25 years and the boom of comic book movies was hot with successes such as Spider-Man, X-Men and The Dark Knight(released the same year). But it was Marvel that had the biggest game changer we had ever seen in cinema. The MCU was born with the success of Iron Man. With 8 years on it's still going strong, film after film are being released with all being financial hits but why is it still going strong and what makes it so damn important?

IT CHANGED CINEMA (UNIVERSES)

That's no understatement, Marvel has changed how we watch films. We cannot miss any of their releases unless we want to miss the discussions or even understand scenes from other movies. The platform in which Marvel has created has meant every other studio is building their own universe and it's not just for comic book movies, we are getting a Universal studio Monster movie starting of with The Mummy reboot starring Tom Cruise and let's not forget Godzilla and King Kong Universe or how about the Hasbro Universe. Every studio is now rushing to see what's in their lockers so they can pull a Marvel. Before, studios would not dare to plan so far ahead with a movie slate. Promise 10 movies and the first one fails then you look like a fool. However the confidence in which Marvel has instilled on people is shocking. We trust them to the point where they can release just an end credit scene and it will be sold out in seconds. Other studios should be bowing to Marvel for what they achieved. If it weren't for them, Warner Bothers would have shoved their DC universe back in their locker. The divided Man of Steel, a horror show of Batman v Superman and the complete mess of Suicide Squad has not scared Warner Brothers who have kept their slate and are continuing to make more superhero films. The success of Marvel has given hope to audiences that DC and Warner can get it right. We live in a new era in cinema where no Studio will make just one single stand-alone movie. If a movie has more than one character get ready for sequels, prequels and spin-offs just to build a movie universe. 

IDEALS

Marvel has given kids icons to look up to and it has given the rest of us those same icons. Marvel has made their heroes, heroes first. They do not skew the line between good and bad with only the second and third Captain America movies doing that. However Marvel are clear that the good guys win all the time. This is similar to the original Star Wars where the ideas of good and bad are different and as an audience we know who to root for. Now this has created a generic formula where you know what you are expecting from the movie but the clear distinguish of good an bad has made Civil War more emotional because as the audience we know Iron Man is good and we know Captain America is good which makes their fight at the end that much impactful. They are heroes and they won't fight each other without a clear and logical reason. The first two phases paints the Avengers as the good guys but with Civil War and Winter Soldier our own beliefs are shattered. We don't know who to trust or who's right. The ideals of the MCU are going in murkier waters with each new phase with their actions becoming more reckless we are seeing the tide change again.

NOT JUST MOVIES (MTU)

Marvel have perfected the movie industry and now they are taking over the TV industry. Daredevil, Jessica Jones, and Luke Cage have been received with critical success. The dynamic and tonal change has made the Marvel universe different and layered. They have cleverly made the TV shows more gritty and dirty, making the TV shows and movies different allows audiences differentiate themselves when watching a Marvel movie in the cinema and watching a Marvel TV show on Netflix. Depth and layer has been built and makes the Marvel universe more real. When we watch the movies we can explore the bigger world but watching the Netflix shows we explore the bigger themes. Daredevil is Marvel's best product and reminds me of Batman Begins. It has a real feel and Matt Murdock's build up isn't superhero like, it's authentic and we see his struggle and rise to become the Devil in Hell's Kitchen. The Netflix shows are taking more risks and have been rewarded. The sexual and violent nature of the shows is refreshing and keeps Marvel relevant. The MTU also brings us different characters, who would have ever thought Luke Cage, Jessica Jones or Iron Fist would have a live action adaptation?  

CULTURAL IMPACT

Now this is an obvious one. However we cannot underestimate how big it really is. The MCU has earned a staggering $7.787 billion from the box office. That's more than the Harry Potter films and James Bond films. We have grasped to the MCU because it got their marketing right. Every age and gender was accommodated, leaving no stone un-turned. Kids to grandparents can watch and enjoy their superhero movies. Compare that to DC and Warner Brothers who have alienated a large majority of their audience. Would a five year old or a 70 year old watch BvS or Suicide Squad? When Marvel changed their formula for Captain America: The Winter Soldier they did not go and alienate their audience. They updated what they could but still keep their fan base happy and bring in new fans who wanted a mature film. This is why non-comic book readers or even non-comic book fans still where Captain America T-shirts or Hulk hats because they are safe with Marvel and know what to expect and when the tide does change their movies become significantly better. That has to be respected.

CONCLUSION

The MCU has sparked a new life in cinema and has changed the way we view films. It will be marked down in history as a new era in the film industry. With phase three beginning, Marvel will be continuing strong for years and that is why the Marvel Cinematic Universe is important.