As one of the biggest, most successful and most beloved film franchises in history, the MCU has a profound impact on Hollywood. So much so that many people know to stay all the way till the very end of the credits to not miss any scenes that tease what is to come in a future film.
Marvel Studios Chief Kevin Feige spoke about why he enjoys having post credits sequences at the end of each of his films. Ultimately, the scenes allow Marvel to spotlight creativity and highlight all of the talented people that helped create the film.
You've heard people say that film is a collaborative art. Boy, is it. And we want these new ideas. You'll have a visual effects producer for a visual effects company go, 'Hey, you know, you asked for this but there's an idea to maybe tweak it a little bit.' And then you get something that is a thousand times better. And it's great and goes in the movie. I love the notion that everybody playing in this Marvel Studios sandbox feels an ownership and feels excited to be a part of it - none more so than myself. That's another reason I love the tags. It forces people to actually look and acknowledge the thousands of people responsible for the experience you just had.
Feige also spoke about how he judges whether a Marvel film has been successful. Yes, the movies are box office juggernauts but its more than just money for Feige as he values the impacts that the films have on audiences. If people are still talking long term about the films after their release, then they have achieved true success.
Of course it's: Do people like it? Do people have an experience that they are still talking about a day later? A week later? A month later? And secretly, I've always hoped for years later. I've always thought you can't really tell an impact of a film until years have gone by. Now, years have gone by for us. Ten years since Iron Man. And the fact is that all of these characters are still...well, are more popular than they've ever been. And people want to see them again and see how they've changed, like Thor did in Ragnarok, like Iron Man has over the movies, like Captain America has...that's exciting for us.
As Feige notes, the characters in the MCU such as the core Avengers have only become more popular as time has gone by since the start of the franchise. He hopes the MCU will have the same longevity and cultural relevance as some of his favorite films growing up, noting that so far the MCU is at a great place after a decade.
To me, that is a true testament. I think of the movies that I loved as a kid - like Back to the Future, like the Star Wars movies - that still feel as relevant today as they've ever been. That's the true test. It's been 30-plus, 40 years. We've got another 30 years to figure out what our impact has been. But 10 years on, it feels pretty good.
Do you think the MCU will have the same success 30 years from now? Be sure to share your thoughts below about what Feige said.