MARVEL: The Secret Behind Its Wild Success

It is very hard to come across anyone who has not seen, let alone heard of a MARVEL movie in the past decade. MARVEL Studios swooped into the superhero scene and completely took over the entire genre; their movies quickly became a global sensation, not only popular among comic-book fans but pretty much anyone with an affinity for adventure and sci-fi. So how did MARVEL manage to succeed, when many before never managed to cross the finish line? 

To begin, the first thing which can be seen among MARVEL superheroes is that they're flawed; they are shown as humans, with many shortcomings which any average person could relate to; the example of this shows throughout MARVEL movies, such as Iron Man (2008), in which Tony stark is a rich, irresponsible, Playboy. And in Captain America: The First Avenger (2011), in which Steve Rogers must battle his physical shortcomings against his dedication to protecting his country. Throughout these movies and many more, we watch as these characters overcome their weaknesses and grow into their own as superheroes; however, they never reach perfection or ever completely rid themselves of their traits, for that is what keeps them human. 

Moreover, these movies rose to popularity and solidified their spot at the heart of pop culture, not only through characters, but by also having compelling storylines, which lead them on unfathomable adventures, but the best thing MARVEL did for these characters is having all their stories lead up them together, by making The Avengers, these heroes came together to fight against a mutual threat, as a team. Yet after it was over, there was still room for them to go off on their own and follow their own paths. By bringing them together again and again and having that team grow as the years went by, these movies became more than a trip to the cinema, but a part of the culture.

As the years went by, MARVEL altered the formula of their publications, they started releasing TV shows, which went in-depth about side characters seen in the movies, and it did not shy away from addressing topics on the heavy side, such as grief and trauma in Wandavision, and racism in The Falcon and The Winter Soldier.

Ultimately, these movies and TV shows have been here long enough to take place front and center in pop culture, and there only seems to be more coming. The reason behind its popularity and people resonating with them is that there's a place for every kind of person in that world; regardless of background, race, or gender; there's a superhero out there for everyone.