10 Indisputable Facts That Prove Marvel Is The Biggest Brand In Movies

10. Everything Is Planned A Decade In Advance

When Samuel L Jackson's Nick Fury showed up in the post-credits stinger of Iron Man to talk about 'The Avengers Initiative', what was initially dismissed as a fan-service cameo was actually the beginning of an unprecedented business strategy that quickly saw the unproven Marvel Studios become the biggest brand in Hollywood.

These days, it's a common practice for movie studios to announce their release schedule years in advance, but never before had an interconnected cinematic universe been attempted on such a scale. While the first Iron Man didn't hit theaters until May 2008, Kevin Feige had decided on utilizing the shared universe model as far back as 2005 after realizing that Marvel Studios controlled the rights to the core group of Avengers.

The build-up to the studio's epic superhero team-up had been planned years in advance and even before last year's announcement of Phase 3 titles through to 2019, Feige had been open about the fact that he knew Marvel's release schedule for the next decade. Marvel Studios are keenly aware of the bigger picture and how their movies are connected, and these decisions are made before the projects are officially announced, long before writers and directors are brought on board.