The Avengers (2012)
The Hulk transforms. Iron Man swoops in to assist him. The Leviathan is downed. As Alan Silvestri’s iconic theme rises triumphant, the Chitauri scream in shock and fury at the Avengers, assembled in all their glory.
Four years and four films later, the promise of Nick Fury’s cameo had finally been realized in a remarkable way. Certainly, The Avengers could have very easily sunk under its own weight. Amazingly, though, it didn’t.
Writer/director Joss Whedon may not be viewed with the same fondness that he once was, but it’s thanks to him (and his endlessly quotable quips) that Marvel Studios’ shared universe exists as it does today. Moreover, the impact of The Avengers’ success is still evident across the entertainment industry. Six years on, and even outside the superhero genre, Hollywood continues to chase the box office returns that shared universes can provide.
But few have come close to replicating the same success – or confidence – that Marvel Studios had in their movies. Certainly, even in the meridian of The Avengers, an interconnected future was being teased.
Yup, Marvel Studios were just getting started.