54 Critical Thinking Essay 2 – (cultural analysis) – “Critical Analysis of the Marvel Cinematic Universe”
Grace McMullen
Critical Analysis of the Marvel Cinematic Universe
The Marvel Cinematic Universe consists of the set of movies based on Marvel Comics characters and narratives. This sequence of movies started with the release of the first Iron Man film in 2008. Since then, there have been so many movies released that the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has grown to become a popular movie franchise. The MCU includes the expected action films but also movies with sad scenes, similar to the ones in Avengers: Endgame. The Marvel Cinematic Universe is one of the more popular movie franchises in the world today. When the movies come out a large number of fans will go and watch the movies. The franchise seems to make a great deal of money off these movies. They seem to know how to construct a movie that will captivate the audience and keep them on the edge of their seats. In this essay, I will be analyzing the MCU and how this franchise makes movies for the whole family.
This series of Marvel films is considered a “cinematic universe” because the movies are “set primarily in a shared universe designated as the reality Earth-199999 within Marvel’s multiverse system, with some installments also set in adjacent or branching realities” (“Marvel Cinematic Universe”). The “shared universe” means the films are connected, and many of the same characters appear in multiple films. Most of these films are action type movies. The most recently released film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.
Most MCU films feature characters who have already appeared in previous films in the franchise. But Adam B. Vary points out that “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is something of an anomaly within the Marvel Cinematic Universe, in that when the title character makes his debut in theaters on Sept. 3 it will be with zero preamble from the world that’s been established by Marvel’s previous 24 features.” Vary is voicing how he feels about the release of this new film which may seem disconnected from the franchise at first. Shang-Chi is a fairly newly released Marvel movie, but it already has quite a large amount of reviews on social media. The movie producers pay attention to the feedback of the public after seeing the movies, who may post about it on their social media accounts. This is what decides if they should release a sequel of the movie or develop a film for a popular character.
“In just a decade Marvel Studios has redefined the franchise movie,” Spencer Harrison, Arne Carlsen, and Miha Škerlavaj assert. These reviewers point out just how successful the MCU franchise has been:
Its 22 films have grossed some $17 billion—more than any other movie franchise in history. At the same time, they average an impressive 84% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes (the average for the 15 top-grossing franchises is 68%) and receive an average of 64 nominations and awards per movie. Avengers: Endgame, released in the spring, has won rave reviews and generated so much demand that online movie ticket retailers had to overhaul their systems to manage the number of requests. (Harrison et al.)
The number of positive reviews and awards nominations listed here shows that these films do not just bring money into the production company, but also bring prestige. It’s no surprise why they ended up deciding to continue their release of the Marvel films.
Marvel Studios is working full time to keep filming and producing their upcoming films and releasing them to theaters. The production team is made up of “the producers, writers, directors, concept artists, VFX artists, cast, and crew who brought [the MCU] to life” (“The Story of Marvel Studios”). But the production team is only one side of the story. There are plenty of Marvel fans who love the movies that Marvel Studios makes. These fans are excited to see the new Marvel movies trailers and films when they come out. The franchise would not be successful without the contributions of both the production team and the dedicated fans.
In conclusion, while there are a great number of movie critics in the world, there seem to be more movie fans to support the movies and the franchise. These are the fans that movie producers seem to look for after the movie is released to the public. The producers have a good understanding of what the fans like to see. The MCU is rapidly progressing through the phases of their plans. I decided to write about the Marvel Cinematic Universe to show my support for the MCU fans and production teams.
Works Cited
Harrison, Spencer et al. “Marvel’s Blockbuster Machine.” Harvard Business Review, July-August 2019, https://hbr.org/2019/07/marvels-blockbuster-machine
“Marvel Cinematic Universe.” Marvel Cinematic Universe Wiki, https://marvelcinematicuniverse.fandom.com/wiki/Marvel_Cinematic_Universe. Accessed 25 Apr. 2022.
“The Story of Marvel Studios.” Abrams Books, https://www.abramsbooks.com/product/story-of-marvel-studios_9781419732447/. Accessed 25 Apr. 2022.
Vary, Adam B. “Before Seeing ‘Shang-Chi,’ Here’s Everything You Need to Know From the Marvel Cinematic Universe.” Variety, 30 Aug. 2021, https://variety.com/lists/shang-chi-mcu-iron-man-incredible-hulk-mandarin-ten-rings/iron-man-shang-chi/
