The Marvel Cinematic Universe is an unprecedented success story. Although it had humble beginnings, it grew to become a worldwide phenomenon and is showing absolutely no signs of slowing down. Avengers: Infinity War is less than two months away, and already the excitement for Marvel's epic team-up film has reached a fever pitch. The movie is set to pay off on 10 years of Marvel movies, offering viewers something the likes of which they have never seen before. The film is truly a milestone, and it never could have happened without a dedicated production team that has earned the audience's trust.
Nowadays, it seems like each Marvel movie is bigger than the last -- and with good reason. November's Thor: Ragnarok was the best and most lucrative Thor film yet. February's critically-acclaimed Black Panther is still busy shattering box-office records, an unparalleled film that is as socially relevant as it is beloved by fans. The ball will continue rolling on April 27 with the arrival of Joe and Anthony Russo's Avengers: Infinity War. As the release of the film rapidly approaches, we take a look back at what made it all possible.
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Obviously, there are many elements that helped make the MCU what it is today, but one film that stands above the rest. One film that changed everything, and set a roadmap for the future of Marvel's movies: Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Without this quintessential sequel, the MCU wouldn't be what it is today, and Infinity War might have never happened the way it did.
Marvel took a gamble in hiring directing duo Joe and Anthony Russo to helm its Captain America sequel. Previously, the two brothers had only ever worked in comedy, seeding worry in many fans that started to doubt the directors' abilities to make a superhero film. But not only did the Russos prove everyone wrong, they managed to redefine the character of Steve Rogers in the modern world while delivering what many fans still consider to be Marvel's best film.
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2014's Winter Soldier was the first collaboration between the Russos and screenwriters Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely -- but it certainly wouldn't be the last. Their team-up would prove so successful that it would construct a large foundation for the MCU's Phase 3: the four of them would continue to work together on Captain America: Civil War, as well as the next two Avengers films, Infinity War and the untitled Avengers 4. In four years, the MCU evolved into what it is today, and it all started with the Captain America sequel.
With their first movie, the Russos built on the successes Marvel had already had under its belt. The studio had a string of successful solo movies that culminated into the formation of the Avengers, a crowning achievement that closed off would come to be known as Marvel's Phase 1. Then came Iron Man 3 and Thor: The Dark World, two movies that essentially served more as epilogues to Phase 1 than building blocks for Phase 2. It was only with the arrival of The Winter Soldier that Marvel saw a tonal shift, one that defined its second stage. The movie established a strong foundation to build upon, and the Russos took on a bigger role in its aftermath.
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The success of Winter Soldier led to Marvel taking more risks with its directors, embracing different genre approaches to its heroes' solo films and, as a result, it the doors of the MCU wide open. It positioned Captain America on equal grounds with Iron Man in terms of overall importance and popularity, something that allowed Civil War to have the weight and the success it did. Plus, it helped pave the way for the introduction of characters like Spider-Man and Black Panther, two characters who would go on to have beloved solo films of their own.
In their first MCU film, the Russos began to construct an overarching Avengers story, and its only now that we're reaching the start of its third act. Winter Soldier might have been a Captain America film, but it was also a Marvel Universe film. It wasn't just another piece of the puzzle; it opened the box and started a whole new one. It freed the Avengers from the shackles of S.H.I.E.L.D., it started Bucky's redemption story, it made Black Widow a pivotal character, and it explored the man behind the red white and blue shield -- all of which are elements that remain crucial to the MCU to this day.
With each new film, the Russos, Markus and McFeely took on even bigger and more daunting challenges. Bigger films, with much larger casts. They helped expand and construct the larger tapestry of the MCU before our very eyes, and it all seemed effortless. Without the collaboration of these four, we simply wouldn't be where we are today, counting down the days to the release of Marvel's biggest movie, ever.
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There are many important films to consider in the MCU's library. Jon Favreau's first Iron Man started it all. Joss Whedon's The Avengers was a triumph that showed everyone a cinematic universe could succeed. James Gunn's Guardians of the Galaxy widened the cosmic scope of the franchise like no other, and Ryan Coogler's Black Panther just became one of the most important movies in the world. Each stands on its own, and as part of a successful universe. But Captain America: The Winter Soldier stands apart as the movie that built on elements prior to construct the future. The Russos, Markus and McFeely crafted a brilliant film that was a cornerstone of the MCU -- one without which there never would have been a Civil War, or an Infinity War. It is, truly, the MCU's most important film.