G33K Lyfe: To the rescue: How Marvel saved their film world

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Robert Downy Jr.’s performance as Tony Stark/Iron Man in 2008 was a major turning point for Marvel films.

Way back in 2008, after the credits had rolled on the first showings of Iron Man, fans were treated to a scene that, while just over 30 seconds long, managed to catch the attention of cinema and comic book nerds alike. “I'm Nick Fury, director of S.H.I.E.L.D. I'm here to talk to you about the Avengers Initiative” rang through theatre speakers in the voice of a suddenly present Samuel L. Jackson, hinting at the type of movie that comic book fans had always thought would be impossible.

Prior to 2008 and the subsequent announcement of The Avengers, in that post-credits scene, the superhero film genre had been facing a decline, so soon after finding a relative level of success again in the mid-2000s with films such as X2 (2003) and Spiderman 2 (2004), two of the finest examples of comic-to-film adaptations and still among the highest-regarded entries in the genre to date. As everybody knows, as successful movie will invariably breed a follow-up, and these ones were no different, with each one spawning a sequel four years after their respective releases. Unfortunately for superhero fans, these movies were shadows of the ones that preceded them, being panned by critics and sending fans into an uproar as they watched the hard-nosed Wolverine mope about the loss of a woman in X-Men: The Last Stand, or Spiderman's deadliest adversary Venom being portrayed by the nerdiest kid from That '70s Show.

Marvel Studios was able to turn the tide with Iron Man, owing no small thanks to Robert Downey Jr.'s performance as Tony Stark, and were able to lay the remaining foundations that an ambitious ensemble project such as The Avengers would require. In the world of Marvel comics, the team of heroes that the film is named for is an ever-changing roster of some of the most famous characters ever written, as well as a variety of lesser- known heroes that exist in the sprawling Marvel universe, giving the filmmakers an incredible amount of options when assembling the roster that would make it to the big screen.

Four more major characters would be joining Tony Stark on the team, and producers knew that the only way that moviegoers, especially those unfamiliar with some of the characters, would be invested in a team of heroes, is for each to have their own feature to introduce them to the wider public. The Incredible Hulk was released a month after Iron Man, the second attempt of the decade after Ang Lee's, truly awful 2003 adaptation, and included a similar teaser sequence, this time with Robert Downey Jr. replacing Jackson's Nick Fury as the recruiting character, indicating his early commitment to the ensemble film (having signed a multiple-film contract). An Iron Man sequel saw release in 2010, and Captain America: The First Avenger and Thor would follow in 2011 in order to introduce the two remaining big names on the team, along with the remaining characters and story elements that would be required.

With a five film foundation (totalling $780 million in budget costs) in place, big things were expected when the film was released in May of 2012, under the direction of nerd icon Joss Whedon, creator of television series such as Buffy The Vampire Slayer and Firefly. An intelligent, funny script, all-star cast and Whedon's writing and direction combined to make The Avengers one of the best action movies of all time.

With such wild success in the past, the Marvel Cinematic Universe (the franchise's official title) is showing no sign of slowing down; in fact, it seems to be barrelling ahead faster than ever before as filmmakers and fans' eyes turn ahead to the release of the The Avengers: Age of Ultron, set to be released in May of 2015. True to form, the studio has already begun to film and release the additional entries into its existing franchises, ones that serve as a sequel to the first Avengers film, as well as leading into the releases to come. Iron Man 3 was the first entry into what the studio is referring to as “phase two,” and was a financial success, grossing $1.25 billion worldwide, in addition to being better received by critics than the prior entry in the series.

November 8 will see the second part of phase two, Thor: The Dark World, released in theatres, and signs are pointing to it being more action-packed than its sometimes philosophical predecessor, with returning stars Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston and Natalie Portman being joined by English stars Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje (Oz's Simon Adebisi) and former Doctor Who star Christopher Ecclestone. A successful release will only mean one thing for fans, that the future of this powerhouse franchise will be secure, and the films that we will be watching for the next few years will only continue to improve.