Whether or not you’re a fan of superhero movies, the Marvel logo is probably something you know well. The trademark blocky font, the contrasting red-and-white color scheme… upon seeing it, pretty much any millennial knows exactly what that logo is and what it means. As kids, it meant one thing: separate and completely distinguishable superhero movies. We were raised on everything from the Fantastic Four to the Spider-Man franchises and then, around 2008, things started to get a little… complicated. Why? For once in Marvel’s history, it wasn’t because a highly obscure weapon from an even more obscure comic was suddenly brought into the picture. It’s because Marvel established itself as an independent studio, and started to create the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe, or “Marvelverse,” was created with the objective to pay homage to the beloved comics. Pre-2008, all Marvel movies were directed by separate studios, for example: 21st Century Fox was the studio behind the X-Men and Fantastic Four franchises, but Colombia studios produced the Spider-Man series. However, everything changed when the fire nation attacked when Marvel stopped selling the rights to its movies and started producing them itself, becoming its own independent studio and operating as a subsidiary of Disney.
image: Marvel
What this means with the movies we already have:
Marvelverse started with Tony Stark as seemingly its only hero. His introductory movie, Iron Man, was released in 2008, and although Marvel introduced the Hulk that same year, he only got one movie and was seemingly MIA when Iron Man 2 hit theaters in 2010, leaving it up to everyone’s favorite version of Robert Downey Jr. to save the world on his own AGAIN. However, things really got switched up in 2011, when Marvel brought in Captain America, Thor, and a second Iron Man movie. Geekily enough, this release of movies is referred to as “Phase One” of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (there are three established “phases” of Marvelverse, with each one indicating a higher level of interconnectedness and intricate plot details). “Phase One” created the foundation for the universe to build on, “Phase Two” deepened our existing knowledge about the Marvel Universe through the introduction of films like Guardians of the Galaxy and Ant-Man, and “Phase Three” started weaving the films together to the point of not being able to associate a certain character with a certain franchise anymore (i.e., Tony Stark’s leading role in the Spider-Man: Homecoming film, or Bruce Banner and Thor being the two main characters in the new Thor: Ragnarok movie, with a cameo from Dr. Strange thrown in just for kicks). As the plot for all these movies deepens it becomes increasingly more and more important to do your homework and understand your Marvelverse good guys, bad guys and everything in between—it’s almost stupefying to think about where the franchise could go next.
What it means for future Marvel flicks:
Although Marvel has insinuated that there likely won’t be any more specifically outlined “phases” after they finish “Phase Three” with the release of Black Panther, a new Ant-Man, two more Avengers movies and the introduction of a new hero called “Captain Marvel,” it’s clear that the Marvelverse is only going to get increasingly convoluted from here on out. We haven’t seen any crossover from Guardians of the Galaxy and other main Marvel groups (perhaps the Avengers? The—SPOILER ALERT—newly formed dream team of Thor, the Hulk and possibly Dr. Strange that was established in Thor: Ragnarok? Tony Stark and the new Peter Parker from Spider-Man: Homecoming? Any team from the many Marvel TV shows, which haven’t been included in this article for the sake of the author’s sanity but all fit completely in the Marvelverse as well? All of them? No possibility is off the table yet!), and it wouldn’t be surprising if we saw even more intersection in upcoming Marvel movies. If all this wasn’t confusing enough, the possibility of Disney buying the entertainment sector of 21st Century Fox and bringing the X-Men franchise into the Marvelverse creates even more haze. At this point, no character is too obscure to make their appearance in the Marvelverse which leaves us with a wildly exciting movie every time. Just make sure to do your homework before watching.
Want more information on the Marvel Cinematic Universe? Check out this website.
AMELIA ZEVE | KXSU Arts Reporter