Since it kicked off in 2008, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been an unstoppable commercial juggernaut, delivering smash hit film after smash hit, such that by the time next summer's Avengers: Age of Ultron hits cinemas, it will easily overtake the Harry Potter franchise to become the highest-grossing film series in history. Equally impressive is that, of the 10 MCU films released to date, not a single one has gone over poorly with critics (though fanboys might have something to say about that), a reminder of just how-well engineered these movies are, appealing to a mass audience but also boasting enough smarts and ingenuity to go down well with pundits. As such, the grand cinematic experiment that began with 2008's Iron Man has become something so much bigger than anyone could ever have imagined. That said, the MCU, like anything, is an imperfect beast, albeit one it's easy to forgive for its flaws considering the mind-boggling number of moving parts that Marvel Studios are playing with. The 15 crazy facts aren't especially things fans want to hear or accept about the mega-franchise, but if they can bring themselves to come to terms with them, they'll probably be able to relax a little easier and just enjoy the movies for what they are. So, what dubious decisions have been made to date? Peaking too early, perhaps? Coasting when it comes to villains? These and other facts are best just accepted rather than tirelessly defended: in terms of the individual films, the MCU is plenty problematic, but as a collective cinematic achievement, it is an astonishing jigsaw puzzle of contemporary filmmaking.
Stay at home dad who spends as much time teaching his kids the merits of Martin Scorsese as possible (against the missus' wishes).
General video game, TV and film nut. Occasional sports fan. Full time loon.
