The case for small-time art filmmakers in the Marvel Cinematic Universe
By Wesley Lara
As the Marvel Cinematic Universe continues to thrive and prosper, that leaves a couple of questions concerning its future and structure. The main question is simple: Where and how do small-time filmmakers fit into such a global franchise?
Phase Three of the Marvel Cinematic Universe is nearly complete, with Ant-Man and the Wasp, Captain Marvel, and the fourth Avengers film filling out the gap between now and next May. Infinity War, directed by the Russo brothers from the Captain America trilogy, has grossed nearly $700 million worldwide in its opening weekend and is set to break every record it can. At this point, the Marvel franchise is borderline unstoppable in its dominance of Hollywood cinema, setting the bar high for other potential franchises to surpass.
Though comic-book movies are almost guaranteed moneymakers nowadays, the success of the MCU is still incredibly surreal, thanks to its mish-mash approach for employing filmmakers to direct certain properties. Known for its abundance of diverse and unique filmmakers helming different properties, the MCU has had to rely on the vastly broad assortment of directors to make films good enough to heavily promote to the general audience.
Although the films have been largely successful, financially and for the most part, critically, the MCU has had to make its fair share of tough decisions in terms of choosing who they felt were the right filmmakers for the job. Some have been able to adapt the blockbuster well, others faced more of a struggle. Which begs the question: where do small-time filmmakers fit into this gargantuan franchise? Should Marvel experiment with more small-time and unique directors in risk of potentially ruining the reputation of one of their properties? Should Marvel stick with more mainstream, or ‘safe’, choices to guarantee success, in place of making their films a bit more generic? Is there a balanced way to look at this?