Let’s ‘Marvel’ at the unprecedented road to Infinity War
While 2008’s The Incredible Hulk isn’t generally thought of as the true start of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, together, Iron Man and the Hulk helped lay the groundwork. It wasn’t the first stinger in movie history, but it set the stage for what would become a major staple of Marvel movies and, arguably, one of the biggest reasons for the movies’ success.
Before this, movies were connected not by conceptual shared universes, but by their titles, actors, and main characters. Batman Begins and The Dark Knight were both Christopher Nolan flicks starring Christian Bale as the titular Knight. Despite also being a DC movie and despite Supes being a frequent friend of Batman, there was no notion that 2006’s Superman Returns could be connected to Bale’s portrayal of the billionaire vigilante. It wasn’t even considered.
Now, here was Marvel, dropping this idea that Iron Man and Hulk live in the same world. That we could see them on-screen together, fighting or working as a team. It was a cute, fun thing when it popped up in the final moments of The Incredible Hulk, but the company made good on the promise by including Downey’s cameo. His presence confirmed that this greater Marvel world exists outside of some easter egg. It proved the presence of Nick Fury – again, flawless page-to-screen casting – appeared at the end of the previous film, it meant something. The Avengers Initiative became this real thing we could hang onto as comic fans and moviegoers.
With Marvel, it’s not about the actors, the titles, but about these connections. These links between characters that help us feel at home in this world and that ground it a reality something like our own.
These days, as people mill out of theaters at the end of Thor: Ragnarok and Black Panther, we sit there, giving them the stink eye. Do they realize this is a Marvel film? The movie isn’t over! We know the next dot is going to pop up and we’re waiting to draw the line to it.
Article source: https://www.technobuffalo.com/2018/04/26/marvel-accomplishment-before-infinity-war/