A fairly breezy overview of the history of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, largely compiled from pre-existing reportage but which draws on some independent reporting. (Who was willing to speak to the authors clearly shapes the book's framing; let's just say that I'm sure in a few years there'll be another book about Marvel which doesn't try to deify Kevin Feige.)

If you're anything beyond a casual fan, you'll likely have heard of much of this before, but there are occasional interesting nuggets plus the disorientation of imagining the alternate universe where Tony Stark is played by Tim Olyphant, Natasha Romanov by Emily Blunt, Drax by Chadwick Boseman (!?), and Scott Lang by (ugh) Armie Hammer. The authors do document some of the issues of racism/sexism both within Marvel and its fandom, and the fact that for instance something like 50-75% of the franchise's male stars are on steroids, but they don't really have anything to say about them.

Main take-aways:

• The scrappy spontaneity and seat-of-the-pants quality (Jeff Bridges apparently said that making Iron Man was like being part of a $200m student film) which made the first couple of MCU movies such unexpected successes was also the harbinger of the series' later decline.
• "Toyetic" is a horrible word, even worse than "content."
• Christ, Ike Perlmutter is an asshole. ( )

Just a really well written, very informative, and utterly fascinating look at the beginnings, creation, and growth of Kevin Feige's MCU.

I loved the book, and how it didn't shy away from the controversies. If I have any complaint it's that it was published maybe a bit too soon, as we're starting to see some cracks in the once-impenetrable wall of success they've had. It's touched on, but so much has happened in the months since.

Still it's a fascinating read. ( )

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MCU: The Reign of Marvel Studios by Joanna Robinson, Dave Gonzales, and Gavin Edwards is an unauthorized history of the franchise. The MCU, Marvel Cinematic Universe, as iconic as it is now, is one of the most unlikely success story ever told.

I really enjoyed this book, it’s a fast read and weaves a coherent narrative. The authors relied on hundreds of interviews with the stars, writers, producers, and other professionals who were a small part of this huge success story.

The history of the MCU is fraught, even though the revolutionize Hollywood not only with CGI, but bringing back the studio system. The studio system is more a business plan where studios control every aspect of a movie’s production, distribution, actors’ salaries for multiple projects, and more.

Unsurprisingly, the idea of movies was to sell more toys, as Avi Arad, a genius toy designer wanted. However, they became monsters of their own making not due to the executives, but due to the talented people making. John Favreau who slyly created an internet rumor for Robert Downey Jr. to be Iron Man, the grunts working day and night to finish CGI effects in record time, and more.

Especially enjoyable, to me, were the small trivia nuggets buried in the book for those who know where to look. Which actress was originally slated to play Black Widow, why is The Hulk not getting his own movie, why was The Winter Soldier got so little screen time in a movie he was pivotal in, why did it take so long to get a Marvel movie fronted by a woman, and many more.

The authors don’t shy away from criticizing Marvel and Disney, especially when it comes to creator rights. This is not a new issue as creators such as Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko, Bob Kane, Siegel and Schuster, and Stan Lee among many others deserved better for their creations.

I find the behind-the-scenes information fascinating, it amazes me what it takes for a movie to come together. The narrative is entertaining as well as informative, a difficult book to put down especially if you’re a fan or familiar with the movies. ( )