7. Marvel Cinematic Universe (2008-2014)
Marvel StudiosYet to suffer a box office flop or make a genuinely awful movie, Marvel Studios' impressive track record is comparable only to that of Pixar. With a release strategy planned years in advance and connective tissue throughout the movies that ties everything together, it's no surprise that the other studios are scrambling to have their comic franchises exist in a shared universe. While the studio has yet to make a terrible movie, there have been several that are average at best. That being said, Kevin Feige is doing a terrific job guiding the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the casting and directorial choices have been bang-on so far, overlooking the recent Ant-Man fiasco of course. It was the slow-burning, four-years-in-the-making approach to The Avengers that ensured anticipation reached fever pitch, resulting in the third highest-grossing movie in history, as well as one of the most entertaining popcorn movies in recent years. Refusing to rest on their laurels, this year's Captain America: The Winter Soldier could well be the best Marvel Studios effort yet, while next month's Guardians of the Galaxy sees the studio take a massive gamble with an epic space opera that will hopefully be as great as the marketing suggests. Becoming the second-highest grossing franchise in history in just six years with almost $6.4bn at the box office, next year's Ant-Man and Avengers: Age of Ultron will soon see the MCU become the biggest ever.