This week, Marvel released a promotional video, "Marvel Studios Celebrates the Movies," and there is so much to celebrate when it comes to the impact the Marvel Cinematic Universe has had on its fans and the film industry at large. Starting back in 2008 with Iron Man, the MCU has been going strong for 13 years with 23 films under its belt, and that's not including the 11 films teased in this video.
As seen in the video, the MCU has become one of the most unifying and beloved franchises in film history. "Marvel Studios Celebrates the Movies," features a clip from Avengers: Endgame where the fallen heroes stand by the other Avengers as they take on Thanos, and the theater erupts into applause. This specific moment is the payoff of over a decade of storytelling, and people who do not even know each other are able to share in this enthusiastic experience, proving how film has the potential to unite strangers, which is one of the main points about this video.
"Marvel Studios Celebrates the Movies" is a love letter to the MCU and the theatrical experience that comes with it. While the MCU has just begun its new chapter with streaming shows on Disney+, the studio knows that its theatrical releases can be some of the most unique and exhilarating experiences in cinema, especially after creating a cinematic universe that arguably no other property has topped.
Franchises like Lord of the Rings and Star Wars had expansive stories that were told over the course of multiple films prior to the MCU, and animation, like with the DC Animated Universe, included some crossovers; however a live-action cinematic universe told primarily through feature films was a novel yet risky idea when the MCU started. The solo films had to work on their own while planting the seeds for something greater than a sequel, which Phase 1 successfully did.
Phase 1 alone has forever influenced cinema, with other properties creating their own cinematic universes, as seen with The Conjuring and the DC Extended Universe. Mid and end credit scenes have also become more of a norm in franchise films, and while the MCU did not start this trend, there seems to be more of a push for these teasers in correlation to the MCU's rise in popularity.
While it's debatable whether or not taking inspiration from the MCU is intentional, there's no denying that what the MCU started can be felt beyond its own films. Plus, when it comes to properties that employ what the MCU has done, those franchises have yet to reach the same heights as Marvel with its ever growing catalogue. The fact the MCU achieved 23 films in under two decades is even more remarkable, as it took James Bond twice as long to reach 20 films, with most of those not being connected.
After so many movies and the conclusive finale of the Infinity Saga, one would expect the MCU to start losing speed or for fans to feel fatigued, but that couldn't be further from the truth. Remarkably, the MCU is still introducing new characters instead of solely relying on the same properties. In Phase 4 alone, audiences are getting Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Eternals and Fantastic Four, which are all new titles. Along with this, established characters, like Doctor Strange and Black Widow, have their own films that will introduce new characters as well, like America Chavez and Yelena Belova. Plus, characters from the Disney+ series will be integrated into the films, like in The Marvels.
These are only a few of the new films set to release, and it's clear the MCU has plenty more stories to tell in theaters, and fans eagerly await them. As of March 5, 2021, "Marvel Studios Celebrates the Movies " has over 7 million views, the Shang-Chi trailer has over 17 million views, and the latest Black Widow trailer has over 12 million views. Plus, prior to its release, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier was more highly anticipated than The Mandalorian. While this is a show and not a film, it's still telling, as fans of the MCU have not grown tired of the franchise after all these years.
It's not surprising that audiences erupted into applause during Endgame's climatic battle because the MCU has created a cinematic experience unlike any other. It prides itself on its connected universe while continuing to explore new characters, genres and worlds. People have grown up along with these heroes, and in turn, fans of the MCU are not only deeply invested in these characters and the overarching story, but they also share a bond with millions of others who anticipate the next chapter of the MCU. Stan Lee puts it best in the new promotional video, claiming, "We're all part of one universe that moves ever upward and onward to greater glory," and that sums up the direction the MCU seems to be going.