The Genius of the Marvel Cinematic Universe

In the 14 years since it was first conceived, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has taken over the world of film. For many who may not be fans or big followers of the MCU the biggest question is why. To understand why the MCU has become a world wide phenomenon it is important to look at the story, characters, style and relatability that has shaped this groundbreaking franchise.

The MCU would make its world debut with the 2008 release of Iron Man starring Robert Downey Jr. as the title character. The most defining MCU attribute introduced by Iron Man was the captivating sense of character development that so many MCU fans have grown to love. With Iron Man we met Tony Stark, a billionaire science genius who lives a rich playboy's lifestyle due to all the advanced weaponry he has created for the United States government. Tony Stark, a charismatic, yet conceited narcissist with an avoidant attachment style due to the brokenness of the relationship with his deceased father, goes from being a self absorbed genius playboy to a justice focused, genius superhero to make good on the world peril caused by the weaponry he has created. After a brush with death and watching a good man die, Tony Stark grows in morality and ethics. As the MCU progresses, we watch him struggle with his motivations as a hero, his remaining sense of vanity, and the world's mixed reception of his actions as a hero, all at once.

Tony Stark's internal vendetta between duty to a cause, as well as being true to his sense of self becomes the blueprint for every major character of the MCU. Whether it is Captain America struggling to be the symbolism of his country's values while at the same time, struggling with how those values conflict with his own personal morals, or Thor trying to fulfill his royal destiny while at the same time, empathizing with the struggle of another world that his own homeland views as less than, the struggle between self and everything else is what makes the characters of the MCU so relatable.

Along with a great sense of character development, the multidimensional storyline of the MCU is also what makes it so captivating. From the smaller storylines of every character as individuals to the bigger picture storylines of all the major character collaborations seen in the Avengers films, fans have had an ever growing desire to keep up with the next big event taking place on the journey of our heroes, while at the same time being able to relate to real world issues like the struggles of fatherhood in Antman and dealing with societal issues like racism in Black Panther.

Perhaps the most influential genius move that the MCU has made is probably the most unnoticed, and that is a newly created sense of fandom and interest in comic books. Due to it's complex sense of character development and interest building storylines, many MCU fans have birthed a newfound interest in the actual comic books off of which these films are based. That interest has grown massively on social media with many fans who are also content creators constantly researching comic history and making links between both the comics and the films to make logical predictions about where they believe the MCU is headed.

Along with the creativity of it's content, the MCU has also drawn the technical filmmaking blueprint for what many big budget films are doing in the current generation. Like the MCU, many modern films even outside the comic book genre carry a post-credits scene, prompting fans to stick around in theaters during the end credits roll more than usual. Many other franchises and brands have also adopted the cinematic universe and spinoff approach seen in films series including the DC Extended Universe and the Fast and the Furious series. The MCU has definitely been an unprecedented game changer for the world of cinema. With so many new MCU releases coming in the near future, only time will tell what big impacts from the MCU will await the world of film.