Business practices Marvel Cinematic Universe

joss whedon large contributor phase two, offering creative insight films , launching first mcu television series, agents of s.h.i.e.l.d., while writing , directing avengers: age of ultron

marvel studios developed specific business practices create shared universe, including choosing filmmakers considered out-of-left-field , given previous work. feige remarked, don t have have directed big, giant visual-effects movie big, giant visual-effects movie us. have have done singularly sort of awesome, adding s worked out when ve taken people [such jon favreau, joss whedon, kenneth branagh, , russo brothers,] have done very, things. 1 of things big giant blockbuster superhero movie. when hiring directors, studio has kernel of idea of want , presented potential directors on course of several meetings discuss , further expand. , if on course of 3 or 4 or 5 meetings make way better spewing them, job , according feige. later expanding on process, feige explained before talking directors on film, marvel studios puts lookbook of influences comics , art marvel s visual development department, create visual template film. these put @ company retreats, studio holds every 18 months or plan out , develop phases of mcu. these lookbooks not shown directors, though, marvel preferring let director offer own ideas first.

scott derrickson did not see lookbook doctor strange, instead putting own presentation, concept art , storyboards himself , professionals hired, sell himself , vision of film marvel. in contrast, marvel shared several different ideas thor: ragnarok prospective filmmakers, went away , developed thought film should that. taika waititi created sizzle reel using clips other films present vision based on marvel s ideas, practice marvel discourages oftentimes can terrible . however, marvel thought waititi s amazing . derrickson , waititi both hired films. captain america: winter soldier, joe , anthony russo met studio 4 times on 2 months before hired, during kept getting more , more specific our vision , putting reference videos, storyboards, script pages, name it. did 30-page book had we’d character, theme of movie tone of film fighting style liked character , didn’t . meant time hired had figured movie out .

when studio hired kenneth branagh , joe johnston direct thor , captain america: first avenger, respectively, made sure both directors open idea of shared universe , including avengers set-up scenes in films. joe russo stated, s exciting component of [incorporating references larger universe]. can set future? re pitching out ideas not affect movie, may have ripple effect affects other films ... s weird sort of tapestry of writers , directors working create universe s sort of organic. anthony added, great thing marvel [cinematic universe], publishing [arm], s vast, inter-connected universe, characters have rise , fall, speak, , hand off other characters. cinematic universe moves forward, may start see cinematic universe adopt same pattern, publishing has, there s closure characters , new beginnings other characters. added that, directors fit in @ marvel, must understand how take larger story , wrangle moment , yet keep connected.

—director anthony russo in april 2016

on allowing directors , writers work within marvel s shared universe concept, joe russo said feige has big pieces knows wants build towards, way there open interpretation , improv little bit. russos in winter soldier, had deal idea of s.h.i.e.l.d. being infiltrated hydra, joe saying, how there us. , think why marvel has been successful because s been such clear plan, interconnected , re building emotional capital each movie can trade off of in next film. joe later elaborated once each film s creative team come conceptually want film, ask questions whether interfere storyline in movie. or, s going on in film, can pull of film? s start looking interconnectedness, s important on concept created in bubble because have protect idea, has driven storytelling. kevin s ... in mindset of let s make movie , worry next movie when comes.

loeb explained marvel television sees ourselves producers working support vision of our showrunner. re involved in every aspect of production—whether s being in writers room, editing on set, casting—every step of production goes through marvel team tell best story can. added studio able work on many series across different networks , platforms because requires make sure there s marvel there guide process.

—vincent d onofrio (wilson fisk in daredevil) in august 2014

marvel studios began contracting actors multiple films, including signing actor samuel l. jackson unprecedented nine-movie contract. in july 2014, feige said studio has actors sign contracts multiples films, norm being 3 or more, , 9 or 12 film deals more rare . actor s contracts feature clauses allows marvel use 3 minutes of actor s performance 1 film another, marvel describes bridging material . @ marvel television, actors such charlie cox (matt murdock / daredevil in daredevil) , adrianne palicki (bobbi morse / mockingbird in agents of s.h.i.e.l.d.) contractually obliged appear in marvel film if asked. in may 2015, after starring claire temple in first season of daredevil, rosario dawson signed marvel return second season of series part of exclusive tv deal allows appear in other marvel netflix series, including jessica jones , luke cage. dawson explained signs on marvel year @ time, amount of episodes, , finds out series episodes closer time of filming.

james gunn design , expand cosmic part of mcu, having been writer , director of guardians of galaxy films

in august 2012, marvel signed joss whedon exclusive contract through june 2015 film , television. deal, whedon contribute creatively on phase 2 of mcu , develop first television series set in universe. in march 2013, whedon expanded on consulting responsibilities, saying, understand kevin [feige] going , s heading, , read scripts , watch cuts , talk directors , writers , give opinion. there writing. m not trying in s soup, m trying helpful. whedon later elaborated since story has been approved , knows re doing avengers 2, can lay out. s not s saying don t know, if need that? s doing troublesome us, whereas doing us. ... want honor events of last movie don t want beholden them, because people see avengers[: age of ultron] did not see of movies in between or avengers 1. found working in television , script doctoring great training ground[s] dealing ... because re given bunch of pieces , told make them fit—even if don t.

for russo brothers , writers christopher markus , stephen mcfeely working on avengers: infinity war , phase three, saw through line winter soldier, through civil war, right infinity war , films doctor strange , thor: ragnarok laying groundwork culmination in infinity war. subsequently, talked directors , writers of other phase 3 movies on weekly basis, make sure lines right. similarly, when developing crossover miniseries defenders, showrunner marco ramirez consulted creators of individual marvel netflix series, having them read each of scripts defenders , provide insight individual character s world. in april 2017, along announcement returning write , direct guardians of galaxy vol. 3, james gunn revealed working marvel design these stories go, , make sure future of marvel cosmic universe special , authentic , magical have created far.

by november 2017, disney held negotiations 21st century fox buy portions of company s assets, such film studio 20th century fox. motivated disney s desire launch streaming service rival netflix, , give disney complete control of x-men , fantastic 4 film rights, controlled 20th century fox @ time. negotiations had ended time news had leaked, though idea of potential merger not abandoned either company. disney planned move of marvel films netflix new streaming service.