There are 33 movies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) owned by Disney. But, in a recent interview, Bob Iger–the CEO of Disney–stated that going forward there will be fewer movies, but the quality will increase. Given the flop of the latest MCU movie, The Marvels, this sounds like a sound strategy. The Marvels cost $220 million to make but only took in $47 million during its opening weekend–marking the worst domestic weekend debut in MARVEL franchise history.
The other concern for Disney revolves around the unsettling prospect of “Super Hero Fatigue.” Are audiences abandoning MARVEL movies the way they abandoned Westerns and Rom-coms?
Joanna Robinson, David Gonzales, and Gavin Edwards provide a detailed history of the Marvel Cinematic Universe from its start to it current state. To make these Special Effects movies costs a lot of money. If audiences don’t respond, Disney is looking at huge losses. Are you a fan of MCU? Do you have a favorite Super Hero movie? GRADE: A
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
MCU Timeline x
Prologue: Origin Story 1
Chapter 1 Phoenix Saga 13
Chapter 2 Gifted Youngsters 27
Chapter 3 Once Upon a Time in Mar-a-Lago 43
Chapter 4 Plausibility 57
Chapter 5 Proof of Concept 73
Chapter 6 Post-Credits Scene 86
Chapter 7 Extraordinary Levels of Toxicity 96
Chapter 8 Some Assembly Required 111
Chapter 9 Demon in a Bottle 122
Chapter 10 No Strings on Me 136
Chapter 11 Our Brand Is Chrises 147
Chapter 12 The Runaways 164
Chapter 13 Earth’s Mightiest Heroes 175
Chapter 14 House of M 191
Chapter 15 The Forbidden City 202
Chapter 16 Remote Control 215
Chapter 17 On Your Left 229
Chapter 18 We Are Groot 241
Chapter 19 Where’s Natasha? 253
Chapter 20 Marvel Studios vs. The Committee 262
Chapter 21 Wright Man, Wrong Time 278
Chapter 22 Tangled Web 293
Chapter 23 Long Live the King 309
Chapter 24 Higher, Further, Faster 322
Chapter 25 Snap 336
Chapter 26 A Year without Marvel 357
Chapter 27 Department of Yes 370
Chapter 28 K.E.V.I.N. 385
Chapter 29 The Clone Saga 395
Chapter 30 Into the Multiverse 406
Epilogue: How Much We Have Left 427
Acknowledgments 431
Notes 433
Index 481
Jackie is a big fan of Tony Stark/Iron Man.
Jeff, I’m a fan of IRON MAN movies (and comics), too. Robert Downey Jr. played Tony Stark the way I’d always imagined him: brilliant and reckless!
Not much of a fan of superhero movies. I did like the Dark Knight trilogy, The Joker, and Logan.
Steve, if “Super Hero Fatigue” is a Real Thing, MARVEL and DC are in Deep Trouble.
You’d probably enjoy this (current) episode of NEVER NOT FUNNY, George, where the host quartet and guest Patton Oswalt discuss the tax-loss games Disney and WarnerDiscovery are playing with their properties, and related matters: https://www.nevernotfunny.com/3312-Patton-Oswalt
Todd, thanks for the link! I’m a huge fan of Patton Oswalt! All big corporations play financial games. Disney just acquired HULU and I’m dubious about that move which seems like a tax-write off.
Yes, corporations do, but, for example, Paramount Global running a season each of LET THE RIGHT ONE IN and AMERICAN GIGOLO series, both impressive and better than the films that inspired them, and then vanishing the projects forever is more annoying than most minor bad decisions to discontinue (Wegman’s giving up on their store-brand sodas, for example).
Todd, it’s disheartening when Bad Decisions steal quality from us.
i’m waiting for Howard the Duck to join the Avengers.
Jerry, or The Defenders!