How The MCU Got So BIG
3. Cinematic Universe's Competitors And Why They Failed
As the MCU’s box office numbers grew, other big
franchises took note and tried to create a cash-cow series of their own. Yet
these cinematic universe start-ups never quite reached the MCU’s level of
success; none really came close.
Universal’s Dark Universe stumbled on their first step with The Mummy. Critics slammed the DCEU over Dawn of Justice and Suicide Squad.
Warner Bros have attempted five cinematic universes, including the DCEU, MonsterVerse, and Guy Ritchie’s Arthurian series. But alas, all failed to simulate the MCU’s triumph.
Why are they unable to capture Marvel’s magic? Because Marvel took years to introduce each character methodically, and other cinematic universes tried to play catch-up in a quarter of the time.
Iron Man merely teased an expanded universe in the end-credits scene, because before the MCU could assemble the Avengers, Marvel had to flesh out those characters. It’s no wonder Tony Stark spends most of his time out of the suit in Iron Man than inside.
His journey from playboy billionaire-cum-compassionate citizen of the world makes Stark fascinating to watch. Compare this to the DCEU, for example, that thrust Batman, Wonder Woman, and the big-bad Doomsday into their second feature film.
This isn’t to say that there will never be a contender to the MCU.
In recent years, the DCEU has found its footing with the visually gorgeous Aquaman and heart-warming Shazam, not to mention the buzz surrounding Wonder Woman 1984. Yet franchises’ hasty scrambling to emulate the MCU’s success have done more harm than good, reaching the gold rush far too late.