Development Marvel Cinematic Universe
1 development
1.1 films
1.1.1 distributors
1.2 television
1.2.1 broadcast
1.2.2 online streaming
1.2.3 cable
1.2.4 crossovers feature films
1.3 other media
1.4 business practices
development
films
—kevin feige, president of production marvel studios, on constructing shared film universe.
by 2005, marvel entertainment began planning independently produce own films , distribute them through paramount pictures. previously, marvel had co-produced several superhero films columbia pictures, new line cinema , others, including seven-year development deal 20th century fox. marvel made relatively little profit licensing deals other studios , wanted more money out of films while maintaining artistic control of projects , distribution. avi arad, head of marvel s film division, pleased sam raimi s spider-man films @ sony, less pleased others. result, decided form marvel studios, hollywood s first major independent movie studio since dreamworks.
arad s second-in-command, kevin feige, realized unlike spider-man , x-men, film rights licensed sony , fox, respectively, marvel still owned rights core members of avengers. feige, self-professed fanboy , envisioned creating shared universe creators stan lee , jack kirby had done comic books in 1960s. raise capital, studio secured funding seven-year, $525 million revolving credit facility merrill lynch. marvel s plan release individual films main characters , merge them in crossover film. arad, doubted strategy yet insisted reputation helped secure initial financing, resigned following year.
kevin feige helped conceive of shared media universe of marvel properties.
in 2007, @ 33 years old, feige named studio chief. in order preserve artistic integrity, marvel studios formed six-person creative committee people familiar comic book lore included feige, marvel studios co-president louis d esposito, marvel comics president of publishing dan buckley, marvel s chief creative officer joe quesada, writer brian michael bendis, , marvel entertainment president alan fine, oversaw committee. feige referred shared narrative continuity of these films marvel cinema universe , later used term marvel cinematic universe . marvel has designated marvel cinematic universe earth-199999 within continuity of company s multiverse, collection of fictional alternate universes.
in november 2013, feige said in ideal world releases each year include 1 film based on existing character , 1 featuring new character, saying s nice rhythm in format. while not case, evident 2013 releases of iron man 3 , thor: dark world, said aim for. feige expanded on in july 2014, saying, don t know ll keep [that model] every year , re doing in 2014 , 2015, think fun continue sort of thing. in february 2014, feige stated marvel studios wants mimic rhythm comic books have developed, having characters appear in own films, , come together, big event or crossover series, avengers films acting big, giant linchpins. after reveal of multiple release dates films through 2019 in july 2014, feige stated, think if @ of dates ve announced, re going 3 in few of years. again, not because there s number cruncher telling go three, more 2 pictures year, because of reason laid out: managing [existing] franchises, film film, , when have team ready go, why tell them go away 4 years because don t have slot? d rather find way keep going. after titles revealed in october 2014, feige said, studio s firing on cylinders right ... made comfortable first time ... increase 3 films year [in 2017 , 2018] instead of two, without changing our methods.
on expanding characters in universe , letting individual films breathe , work on own, opposed having avenger team-ups outside of avengers films, feige stated, s teaching general movie-going audience notion of characters existing separately, coming specific events , going away , existing separately in own worlds again. comic readers have been doing decades , decades ... people sort of accepting there s time when should , there s time when re not. in april 2014, feige revealed edgar wright s pitch ant-man in 2006 helped shape films of marvel cinematic universe, saying, changed, frankly, of mcu accommodate version of ant-man. knowing wanted edgar , ant-man, going years , years back, helped dictate did roster avengers first time. bit of both in terms of idea ant-man story influencing birth of mcu in films leading avengers.
in october 2014, marvel held press event announce titles of phase 3 films. event, drew comparisons apple s worldwide developers conference, done because information ready. feige explained, wanted @ [san diego] comic-con year. things not set ... plan has been, since few weeks before comic-con when realized weren t going able wanted do, decide let s either haven t done in long time, or ve never done. singular event, announce have when s ready. thought might august, or mid-september, ended being [at end of october].
in september 2015, after marvel studios integrated walt disney studios feige reporting walt disney studios chairman alan horn instead of marvel entertainment ceo isaac perlmutter, reported studios creative committee have nominal input on films moving forward, though continue consult on marvel television productions, remained under perlmutter s control. key film decisions going forward made feige, d esposito , victoria alonso. @ end of month, on how story developed future films of universe, feige said there broad strokes though sometime super-specific things. part, in broad strokes broad enough , loose enough that, if through development of 4 of 5 movies before culmination ... still have room sway , move , go , surprise ourselves in places end up. movies, when re finished, feel re interconnected , meant , planned far ahead, can live , breathe enough individual movies satisfying each , of themselves. studio has various contingency plans direction of of films, in event unable secure actor reprise role, or re-acquire film rights character, such done in february 2015 spider-man.
in april 2016, on moving universe phase 4 , reflecting on first three, feige said, think there finality moments of phase three, new beginnings mark different, different, distinctively different chapter in someday complete first saga made of 3 phases. joe russo added, build things , people enjoy experiences ve built up. kind of reach apex or reach climax, moment go, structure going start repetitious if again, now? now, deconstruct it. re in deconstruction phase [captain america:] civil war , leading [avengers:] infinity war, culmination films. year later, feige felt after conclusion of phase three, marvel might abandon grouping films phases, saying, might new thing. feige mentioned untitled avengers film provide definitive end films , storylines preceding it, franchise having 2 distinct periods. before avengers 4 , after.
on potential superhero fatigue , feige stated, year [2016], ve got civil war , ve got doctor strange in november, 2 different movies. me, , of marvel studios, s keeps going. long re surprising people, long re not falling things becoming similar ... next year, [guardians of galaxy vol. 2], [spider-man: homecoming], thor: ragnarok. 3 totally different movies ... long shared thing come same source material , ve got our marvel logo in front of movies. other can distinct. other studios do, other properties, nothing can it.
distributors
over time, distribution rights marvel studios films changed hands on multiple occasions. in november 2006, universal pictures announced distribute incredible hulk, in arrangement separate marvel s 2005 deal paramount, distributing marvel s other films. in september 2008, after international success of iron man, paramount signed deal have worldwide distribution rights iron man 2, iron man 3, thor, captain america: first avenger, , marvel s avengers.
in late december 2009, walt disney company purchased marvel entertainment $4 billion. in october 2010, walt disney studios bought distribution rights avengers , iron man 3 paramount pictures, paramount s logo remaining on films, promotional material , merchandise, although walt disney studios motion pictures studio credited @ end of these films. disney has distributed subsequent marvel studios films. in july 2013, disney purchased distribution rights iron man, iron man 2, thor , captain america: first avenger paramount. incredible hulk not part of deal, due agreement between marvel , universal, marvel owns film rights , universal owns distribution rights, film right of first refusal distribute future hulk films. according hollywood reporter, potential reason why marvel has not bought film distribution rights hulk did paramount iron man, thor, , captain america films because universal holds theme park rights several marvel characters disney wants own theme parks.
in february 2015, sony pictures entertainment , marvel studios announced licensing deal allow spider-man appear in marvel cinematic universe, character first appearing in captain america: civil war. marvel studios explored opportunities integrate other characters of marvel cinematic universe future spider-man films financed, distributed, , controlled sony pictures, robert downey, jr. first confirmed reprise role tony stark / iron man in spider-man: homecoming. in june 2015, feige clarified initial sony deal not apply mcu television series, specific ... amount of , forth allowed. both studios have ability terminate agreement @ point, , no money exchanged deal. however, small adjustment made 2011 deal formed between 2 studios (where marvel gained full control of spider-man s merchandising rights, in exchange making one-time payment of $175 million sony , paying $35 million each future spider-man film, , forgoing receiving previous 5% of spider-man film s revenue), marvel getting reduce $35 million payment sony if spider-man: homecoming grossed more $750 million.
television
head of marvel television jeph loeb serves executive producer on every television series set in universe.
broadcast
in june 2010, marvel television launched jeph loeb head. july 2012, division had entered discussions abc create show set in mcu, , in august, abc ordered pilot show called s.h.i.e.l.d., avengers writer/director joss whedon involved; later renamed marvel s agents of s.h.i.e.l.d. in january 2014, series marvel s agent carter announced, joining agents of s.h.i.e.l.d. @ abc, while put pilot order half-hour live-action comedy series, marvel s damage control, revealed in october 2015. while talking marvel potentially making comedy series, loeb said in january 2016 marvel feels humor should part of produce, despite possibly fitting more within darker genre, daredevil , jessica jones do, while staying grounded , real . added, there moments of levity in life need bring table, or else becomes overwhelmingly oppressive ... if re going [explore comic book elements], s idea make sure audience aware that, yeah, s funny [too].
in may 2016, after abc had canceled agent carter , passed on marvel s wanted, abc entertainment president channing dungey said marvel , abc working together, looking @ series beneficial both brands moving forward. in november 2016, marvel , imax corporation announced marvel s inhumans, based on species of same name, after planned film based on characters had been removed marvel studios slate. first 2 episodes of series set premiere in imax theaters in september 2017 2 weeks, before airing on abc remainder of series. ben sherwood, president of disney–abc television group, said, ve worked our friends @ marvel studios—and critical point—to make sure calendar-wise , content-wise enhancing mcu; theatrical debut of series timed not interfere release of marvel studios films—the theatrical run of series take place between releases of spider-man: homecoming , thor: ragnarok. deal suggested marvel imax after had held successful imax event game of thrones in 2015. sherwood described quadruple win—a win imax, win marvel, win abc studios , win abc launch show in innovative way , attention in increasingly crowded market. sherwood hoped first of several innovative ways launch [television] programming.
online streaming
by october 2013, marvel preparing 4 drama series , miniseries, totaling 60 episodes, present video on demand services , cable providers, netflix, amazon, , wgn america expressing interest. in november 2013, announced disney provide netflix live-action series based on daredevil, jessica jones, iron fist, , luke cage, leading miniseries based on defenders. disney ceo bob iger stated netflix chosen air shows, when disney realized use streaming service way grow popularity of characters . added that, if characters prove popular, become feature films. loeb later stated marvel not interested in making 4 pilots , hoping someday together. netflix understood wanted do. re open directors might not have same opportunity in broadcast television. notion of having 13 episodes @ 1 time, particularly in serialized storytelling, appealing. loeb added 4 characters chosen had previous existing relationship , grew on same kind of stoop in new york [in comics]. lent world. mean these shows going same? no. can t be. characters have different issues, different problems, different feelings them ... example continually give cannot think of 2 films more different in tone winter soldier , guardians of galaxy. , yet, if watch them back, feel marvel. feel like, oh, still same universe m in.
quesada confirmed in april 2014 netflix series set within mcu. loeb explained within marvel universe there thousands of heroes of shapes , sizes, avengers here save universe , daredevil here save neighborhood ... take place in marvel cinematic universe. s connected. doesn t mean in sky , see [iron man]. s different part of new york have not yet seen in marvel movies. in january 2015, netflix coo ted sarandos said netflix planned release marvel series approximately year apart each other after daredevil s april 2015 release. year later, sarandos noted release schedules of marvel netflix series dependent on long production times , long post times. in cases, when have characters crossover, makes more difficult manage production. s not goal put out more 1 or 2 [each] year ... complex 1 defenders. defenders production schedule determine lot of season 2 , 3 output of shows. noted on potential spin-offs characters in universe spin out own series @ point, netflix ordering marvel s punisher, spin-off daredevil, april. sarandos later stated netflix trying close gap between releases of marvel seasons, prioritize quality of series on higher numbers of releases per year. said netflix open exploring mcu beyond defenders series, including potential crossovers abc s marvel series.
in august 2016, marvel announced marvel s runaways had received pilot order hulu, receiving 10 episode order following may. july, loeb confirmed series take place in mcu saying, lives in same world, how it’s connected , it’s connected , it’s going connected remains seen. added characters not concerned actions of other in universe, instead focusing on own issues. allowed showrunners josh schwartz , stephanie savage deal concepts such superheroics , fantasy without explaining them audience, since established in mcu, while still focusing on own characters, described liberating . month, announced marvel , netflix complete production on 135 episodes end of 2017, making deal largest television production commitment in new york state. production different series had engaged 500 local vendors , small businesses various stages of development, , had required on 14,000 production-related hires. november 2017, disney looking develop new marvel television series planned streaming service.
cable
in april 2016, abc-owned cable network freeform announced marvel s cloak & dagger, based on characters of same name, straight-to-series order 2018. network confirmed series first venture marvel cinematic universe , , described show superhero love story , premise variety called seamless fit freeform given network s target audience of becomers (the 14-34 age demographic). younger-skewing content continued comedy series marvel s new warriors ordered in april 2017, freeform executive karey burke saying, marvel started see our strength young adults , create pipeline content specific our audience felt younger re doing @ other channels... important both of find right characters felt speak directly freeform s audience. avengers wouldn t work here about-to-be-avengers works here. loeb noted exciting marvel able explore world of hero , how affects trying figure out opposed knows , whole life has take left. s journey re going on these kinds of characters in cloak & dagger, new warriors , hulu s runaways. in november 2017, announced new warriors no longer air on freeform , being shopped other networks.
crossovers feature films
—agents of s.h.i.e.l.d. executive producer jeffrey bell in september 2014, explaining process of working in mcu
agents of s.h.i.e.l.d. executive producer jeffrey bell revealed @ show s 2014 paleyfest panel producers , writers able read screenplays upcoming mcu films know universe heading. noted since films have big , move through lot of huge pieces , beneficial films have television series fill in gaps them. fellow executive producer jed whedon explained each marvel project intended standalone first before there interweaving, , noted series has aware of film division s plans not interfere when introducing or universe. bell said preferable people not watch films can still follow series, , vice versa. joss whedon noted process unfortunately means tv show gets, know, leftovers. stated that, example, series creative team wanted use loki s scepter avengers unable due plans in avengers: age of ultron.
in april 2014, quesada stated that, beyond connecting themselves, netflix series connect films , other television series. in october 2014, feige said opportunity exists characters in netflix series appear in avengers: infinity war. in march 2015, loeb spoke on ability netflix series crossover films , abc series, saying, now, in same way our films started out self-contained , time got avengers, became more practical captain america little crossover thor 2 , bruce banner appear @ end of iron man 3. have earn that. audience needs understand of these characters , world before start co-mingling . in september 2015, feige elaborated on films referencing television series, saying think s inevitable @ point ... schedules not quite match make possible. s easier [the shows]. re more nimble , faster , produce things quicker do, 1 of main reasons see repercussions of winter soldier or [avengers: age of ultron] in show ... time start doing movie, d mid-way through season. time our movie comes out, d [starting next season]. finding timing on not easy.
loeb talked further on subject in july 2016, reiterating issue of scheduling saying if m shooting television series , s going go on over six-month or eight-month period, how going [a television series actor] able go in movie? noted not of issue if characters making minor cameo appearances, explained marvel not interested in cameos , easter eggs sake of fan service, detract story being told; reported folks saying #itsallconnected, our feeling connection isn t whether or not walking movie or walking out of television show. s connected in way shows come same place, real, grounded. eric carroll, producer on spider-man: homecoming, felt introduction of queens-based spider-man mcu fun make mention of defenders based in manhattan, adding, it’s card love see played, if not sooner rather later.
in january 2017, vincent d onofrio, portrays wilson fisk in daredevil, said love switch on movies, think s pretty been said s not going happen. or @ least not very, long time. d onofrio cited feige s previous reasoning fact films had difficulty bringing big characters in have service in writing , adding characters television series many characters since films trying figure out how individualize more , @ same time keep avengers going. in march 2017, anthony mackie, portrays sam wilson / falcon in films, felt crossover between films , television series wouldn t work @ given different universes, different worlds, different companies, different designs , kevin feige specific how wants marvel universe seen in film world. may, feige noted character appearing in television series not exclude them appearing in film, adding @ point, there s going crossover. crossover, repetition, or something.
loeb said in july 2017 marvel television had no plans series crossover across networks. themed cloak & dagger, new warriors, , runaways, deal young heroes, loeb noted ll see things comment on each other; try touch base wherever can... things happening in l.a. [where runaways set] not going affecting s happening in new orleans [where cloak & dagger set]... s being aware of , trying find way able discuss in way makes sense. added in october scheduling of each series factors why crossovers between them more difficult pull off, , network feelings need considered. spoke on why television series not show avengers tower appears in films when depict new york city, , stated marvel television wanted less specific television characters relationships tower because helps audience understand on street corner , characters in area of city not able see tower, though exists.
other media
in 2008, first official tie-in comic released. quesada outlined plan expand mcu comic books, saying, mcu [comics] going stories set within movie continuity. [they are] not direct adaptations of movies, maybe happened off screen , mentioned in movie ... kevin feige involved these , in cases maybe writers of movies involved [as well.] marvel comics worked brad winderbaum, jeremy latcham, , corona pilgrim @ marvel studios decide concepts should carried on marvel comics universe marvel cinematic universe, show in tie-in comics, , leave films. marvel has clarified of tie-in comics considered official canonical mcu stories, rest merely inspired mcu, show off characters film in costume , in comic form.
in august 2011, marvel announced series of direct-to-video short films called marvel one-shots, name derived label used marvel comics one-shot comics. co-producer brad winderbaum said s fun way experiment new characters , ideas, more importantly s way expand marvel cinematic universe , tell stories live outside plot of our features. each short film designed self-contained story provides more backstory characters or events introduced in films. in july 2012, d esposito stated marvel considering idea of introducing established characters may not yet ready carry own feature films in future one-shots, stating, there s potential introduce character. have 8,000 of them, , can t @ same level. maybe there not popular, , introduce them [with short] – , take off. see happening.
in march 2015, marvel s vice president of animation development , production, cort lane, stated animated tie-ins mcu in works . july, marvel studios partnered google produce faux news program whih newsfront christine everhart, series of in-universe youtube videos serving center of viral marketing campaign promote films , universe. in december 2016, six-part web series, marvel s agents of s.h.i.e.l.d.: slingshot, revealed, debuted on abc.com on december 13, 2016. follows elena yo-yo rodriguez on secret mission, shortly before start of agents of s.h.i.e.l.d. s fourth season, natalia cordova-buckley reprising role.
business practices
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.
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