Normally in the superhero genre a film is working with a pre-determined source, trying to balance faithfulness and wide audience appeal. Marvel is unique in this manner in that they're not only making the movies, but also defining the source; they can adjust what's going on the comics to fit themes in the movies. The effects of this can be both good and bad. There was a minor furore earlier this year when it was alleged Marvel were trying to pull attention from lines they don't have the movie rights for (they've recently outright cancelled Fantastic Four, which has a Fox-produced movie coming next year), but to side-step controversy we'll look at the more positive associations. Guardians Of The Galaxy may have been a D-list property when the movie was first announced in 2012, but by the time James Gunn's film arrived the title was dominating shelves, with Iron Man having joined their roster just after the big screen version was announced to drum up interest. More relevant to Phase 3, Inhumans has recently started a brand new run, Inhuman, that serves as a nice starting point for new fans, as well as building a new aspect to the mythology. If you needed any proof that Marvel really know what they're doing, this is it. What do expect from the upcoming MCU movies? What could the future beyond hold? Get the Marvel discussion going in the comments below.
