In 2008, Marvel Studios released their first self-produced film,
Iron Man, starring Robert Downey, Jr. as Tony Stark. It was odd to see a secondary superhero character kick off the summer movie season, but the move certainly paid off. Grossing $318.4 million domestically on a $140 million budget,
Iron Man was also a smash hit with the critics. Its 94% rating on Rotten Tomatoes is tied for the best-reviewed comic book movie of all time and the American Film Institute named it one of the 10 Best Films of 2008. By all accounts, it was a winner. But turning Iron Man into an international movie star wasn't enough for Marvel. No. Over the next few years, they decided to construct a film universe that would emulate their comic book world. Iron Man, The Hulk, Thor, Captain America, and the agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. would all inhabit a shared Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) that would look to revolutionize the superhero movie genre. With the overwhelming success of last year's
The Avengers, it can be said that Marvel accomplished their goal. The MCU is one of the most profitable franchises in Hollywood today and fans are excited for the studio's upcoming slate of films (known as Phase II) which began with
Iron Man 3 this summer. Still, for all the wonders they've accomplished, Marvel Studios is far from perfect. Like every studio, they have their set of issues they need to work out ranging from improving the quality of their movies to cleaning up behind-the-scenes. Here are a few of those problems I hope they fix soon. DISCLAIMER: I am not writing this to bash Marvel Studios. Far from it. I have enjoyed their films up to this point. As a fan, I want their product to be the best it possibly can be. These are things I want to see the studio improve upon as they look ahead to the future.
WARNING: THIS LIST CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR IRON MAN 3. IF YOU HAVE NOT YET SEEN THAT FILM (AND INTEND TO), COME BACK TO IT LATER. Let's begin with a glaring concern that can easily be fixed in screenwriting...