10 Simple Ways To Build A Cinematic Universe

Barring some minor missteps, Marvel Studios movies have always maintained a steady level of quality. Sixteen films in and the average Rotten Tomatoes score for an MCU feature is 82%. Audiences expect a certain standard from the studio's output and they generally get it, which has been key in their ascent to the status of most popular and lucrative franchise in Hollywood.

At the opposite end of the spectrum, the average RT score for the Transformers series so far is just 29%. The critical apathy will make it that much harder for the series to convince people that its worth any more of their money in the future. The Mummy was just bad from start to finish, and the Dark Universe now faces an uphill battle to rehabilitate its reputation after such an inauspicious start.

On the DC front, far too much was crammed into Batman V Superman's already-bloated 151 minutes and Suicide Squad bore all the hallmarks of studio interference. Wonder Woman was a triumph, and the fact that it was a period piece only connected to the wider DCEU by its bookending scenes allowed it to establish its own identity and flourish as a result.

Staggeringly obvious in its simplicity, the most important factor in building a cinematic universe is not to rush things. Focus on making one good movie before moving onto the next one, an approach that both ensures audiences will keep coming back for future installments while also building up positive word-of-mouth and momentum going forward.