Iron Man 2was the reason for Marvel Studios' changing their approach to movie making. The film’s reviews didn’t live up to the reception towards the firstIron Manfilm, which caused a lot of changes for the studio.
Marvel Studios decided that moving forward, they would take a break from making sequel films just for the sake of making a sequel and instead focus on the overarching narrative.Iron Man2actually did do all of this. It fleshed out Tony’s story along with his familial history,it introduced Black Widow,and it even opened up more of the world of Iron Man.
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Unfortunately, audiences didn’t respond well toIron Man 2. WhileIron Man 2was only the third entry in the then-nascent MCU, it remains one of the least liked films in the franchise even to this day. According to theStory of Marvel Studiosbook, “[Iron Man 2’s] critical response did give the studio pause. Especially as the desire to fast-trackIron Man 2had come from Marvel Entertainment in New York. The lesson Marvel Studios took from their first sequel experience was simple but vital: Above everything else, always verify there is a good creative reason to make a sequel.” In simplest terms, the film caused Marvel to not rush out sequels unless needed.
This is a good idea in theory, but Marvel Studios appears to have nothing but sequels.Iron Man got three movies along with Thor, Captain America, and Spider-Man. Plus, Doctor Strange is getting a sequel film along withBlack Panther and Captain Marvel. EvenAnt-Man and the Waspare set to debut their third film along with theGuardians of the Galaxy. Not to mention the Avengers received a total of four films.
Realistically, what this sounds like is that Marvel picked and chose which heroes got sequels and which didn’t rather than avoiding sequels altogether. For example, Hawkeye, Nick Fury, andBlack Widow were rumored to be getting a film. AfterIron Man 2,it’s possible the studio decided against these films, possibly seeing them as unnecessary. It’s also possible that this is part of the reason why Hulk never got a solo movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Moving forward, it would be nice to see Marvel make more creative choices for the movies they decide to release. Sequels aren’t bad, but thesolo Marvel Studios projects on Disney Plusare a welcome change because it gives the other heroes more room to grow in their own uniquely written narrative. It also gives Marvel a chance to test the waters for the smaller characters and see how much they can draw in terms of viewer reception.
Iron Man 2is currently available on Disney Plus.
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Source:The Story of Marvel Studios: The Making of the Marvel Cinematic Universe(viaComic Book Resources)
