Is The MCU The Greatest Franchise Of All Time?

[Detective Conan]

Is the MCU the greatest franchise of all time in your personal opinion? If so, then please elucidate on why you think it is. Few franchises can ever lay claim to being as consistently successful as they are while maintaining the quality it has. Avengers Endgame alone was arguably the greatest achievement of blockbuster filmmaking in recent memory, even if you don’t share the love for the movie most have, you cannot deny it delivered for most a powerful and emotionally engaging experience that will be remembered for the rest of their lives.



The MCU has accomplished something no other franchise has ever done, and when’s the last time a movie franchise released three billion dollar movies in the same year and were critically successful? The MCU’s success is unparalleled in franchise filmmaking and the envy of many. What’s your thoughts?

 

[Docker2.0]

Well they are the most profitable right now as they continue to build. They have been having people anticipating them for movies for decades. I want to say yes but not sure about this next phase honestly.

 

[Shoppy]

It's impossible to answer the question without being able to look back at 50-60 years of the MCU and compare fans' enthusiasm for it down the line to things like Star Trek, Star Wars and Doctor Who.
"The greatest franchise of all time" is not the most profitable, it's when the fans stick around for half a century and don't leave. Currently i'd give that position to Star Trek even though it's my least favourite of all the franchises i mentioned.

 

[Airwings]

Time will tell if MCU will have a lasting effect on pop culture. It's too early now, we're still inside the crazy bubble.
It might have surpassed Harry Potter in that area, I guess. That's my gut feeling. But not Star Wars or James Bond. Both are much bigger..
Star Trek is also bigger in total when counting everything related to it

Regarding the number of films, Bond is still on top. MCU is second, Trek is third (13 live action films and a lot of TV shows)

Then we can take a look at a bunch of other properties. Not all of them franchises, but included because certain single films were huge.
How can we compare MCU's recent impact to the total impact on pop culture that - let's say - Indiana Jones, Alien/Aliens, Terminator 1+2, the X-Men films, E.T., Jaws, Ghostbusters, BTTF trilogy, first LOTR trilogy, Cameron's Titanic or Avatar, first Matrix, non-DCU Batman and Superman films, non-MCU Spider-Man films etc etc, had back when at its best. Do everything come off as inferior to MCU?

BO numbers is something completely different than pop cultural impact or number of films. I don't go into that.

 

[psylockolussus]

Yes it is the Greatest! 23 films without a rotten rating and a bunch of billion dollar films!!

 

[Ctfxcwatcher]

I disagree about the mcu not being on par with Star Wars cultural impact wise. Outside of North America, Europe and Japan, Star Wars isn't popular and I don't see that much enthusiasm for it. The MCU and Star Wars are neck and neck imo. The mcu is based on characters who are some of the most cross generational iconic characters of all time just like Star Wars. It's only now that Marvel has the finances and backing to finally bring them to life.

I'm hesitant to always label anything the greatest. So greatest I will say no BUT it is doing something that no other franchise has done before. That's not by accident. People are emotionally invested in this thing and I do believe this franchise will stand the test of time like some of it's peers.

 

[Schlosser85]

Probably the most ambitious.

 

[SwordOfMorning]

It's going to be hard to gauge the impact culturally until the golden years have died down. Whether it's a permanent fixture in pop culture like Star Wars or something more transient.

Personally I don't think it comes anywhere near the heights of other big franchises creatively. So much of it feels weightless and kinda flat (with major exceptions) when you put it alongside something like Lord of the Rings, Star Trek or even Harry Potter.

 

[psylockolussus]

I disagree about the mcu not being on par with Star Wars cultural impact wise. Outside of North America, Europe and Japan, Star Wars isn't popular and I don't see that much enthusiasm for it. The MCU and Star Wars are neck and neck imo. The mcu is based on characters who are some of the most cross generational iconic characters of all time just like Star Wars. It's only now that Marvel has the finances and backing to finally bring them to life.

I'm hesitant to always label anything the greatest. So greatest I will say no BUT it is doing something that no other franchise has done before. That's not by accident. People are emotionally invested in this thing and I do believe this franchise will stand the test of time like some of it's peers.

Marvel is bigger in a lot of countries than Star Wars.

The thing is we have the box office numbers to back this up and Marvel has been selling comics/merchandises for decades with the last two decades being exposed to Marvel movies. A franchise like this wouldn't be forgotten as quickly compare to other franchises out there. It could be a thing of the past thirty years from now but the MCU has solidified itself as the most successful movie franchise of the 2010s.

 

[SPO2 Dalisay]

Star Trek was great,,,,until they rebooted so someone could have his own Kirk there's a lesson there

 

[Airwings]

Marvel is bigger in a lot of countries than Star Wars.

The thing is we have the box office numbers to back this up and Marvel has been selling comics/merchandises for decades with the last two decades being exposed to Marvel movies. A franchise like this wouldn't be forgotten as quickly compare to other franchises out there. It could be a thing of the past thirty years from now but the MCU has solidified itself as the most successful movie franchise of the 2010s.

That's an unfair comparison. Every Marvel Comics merchandise since the early 60s, every comic book, every film etc BEFORE this shared cinematic universe started with first Iron Man film - neither of this should matter.
The topic clearly point to only the MCU films, nothing before that.

 

[psylockolussus]

Its not an unfair comparison, its part of the Marvel brand which the MCU belongs to.

 

[Airwings]

The question asked about MCU, which is Marvel's shared cinematic universe from first Iron Man up to Endgame.
Previous Marvel films aren't a part of that shared universe.

Rewrite the question to get an answer that may suit you

 

[inomilan]

Hard to say if it's the greatest, but for this era, most certainly it is. And it is my favorite of all of the franchises I like. And I think it will stand the test of time, I'm pretty sure I'm going to tell my future children and grandchildren about the MCU started and I'm sure other fans will do so as well.

EDIT: Also, I don't there ever will be audience reactions that will come close to what people around the world experienced watching The Avengers, Infinity War, and Endgame for the first time. I know I will never forget my first time watching these 3 films (and well, all the other MCU films hehe).

 

[Iceman]

There isn't really anything like it. It'll be no.1 on some metrics already but it will be a while before it has the full set.

 

[MessiahDecoy123]

Yes

Critically
Financially
Popularity wise

Yes

If Marvel Studios had fumbled Endgame then I would say Star Wars but they didn't.

Endgame was a grand slam in every sense.

Finishing such an ambitious project so masterfully was absolutely legendary.

 

[Airwings]

I would claim Star Wars, James Bond and Star Trek still have an overall bigger impact on popular culture. They've been around for so long.
That is if they're only compared to exclusively MCU and not general Marvel adaptions (but those aren't connected to each other, movie wise).

 

[Lantern Venom]

Yes, it's had an unparalleled worldwide impact. It's had more successful outings than Star Wars and Happy Potter combined, and in a much smaller window of time. It's also spawned multiple live-action TV series. It's baffling to think that it's done so without so many of its key pieces from the source material, and that it could keep going for decades to come.

 

[Iceman]

Yes, it's had an unparalleled worldwide impact. It's had more successful outings than Star Wars and Happy Potter combined, and in a much smaller window of time. It's also spawned multiple live-action TV series. It's baffling to think that it's done so without so many of its key pieces from the source material, and that it could keep going for decades to come.

The early post-Endgame and post-virus films will give a good hint to what success we can expect from the MCU long term. If the next 10 years is anything like the first then many of these discussions about top franchise will start becoming moot.

 

[jaqua99]

Come on guys. Let's get real. It's the most profitable due to the sheer number of films. It's well reviewed because it's a Disney product. But best franchise ever?

No..not at all. Star Wars owns that imo. The MCU films are lesser quality films than the best of Star Wars. Also, believe it or not, the MCU films are not universally beloved. A LOT of people don't like them, and think they are dumb.

Frankly, I've moved on from the MCU. Its not interesting anymore, it's repetitive, cringey and predictable. I lost interest around the time of gotg 2, and got hyped again for IW. After that, it died. I saw End Game out of obligation, and I thought it was horrible, boring, typical, and a drag. We saw the midnight show and frankly I wanted to leave and go to bed.
2015 me would never have thought I'd feel this way, but alas. The franchise has gone stale, it peaked in popularity and hype in 2012-2015. Avengers was the peak/groundbreaking movie. Now, it's too repetitive, too polarizing, and to formulaic to be the GOAT franchise.

Not a chance..it won't have near the same historic/cultural impact other franchises have.

 

[jaqua99]

Marvel is bigger in a lot of countries than Star Wars.

The thing is we have the box office numbers to back this up and Marvel has been selling comics/merchandises for decades with the last two decades being exposed to Marvel movies. A franchise like this wouldn't be forgotten as quickly compare to other franchises out there. It could be a thing of the past thirty years from now but the MCU has solidified itself as the most successful movie franchise of the 2010s.

That's because it releases 2+ films per year.

If you think the MCU had the same impact as Star Wars, etc, idk what to tell you. It's a step below and is only relevant because it's pumping movies a few times per year, and it's product is super marketable.

 

[psylockolussus]

Arent we talking about the recent times? The mcu clearly had a bigger impact in the last decade. How many franchises/studios tried to jump into the Cinematic universe bandwagon in the last six years? The mcu didn't have a recent movie that underperformed like Solo. If we only compare the 4 Avengers moviee to the last three Episode films, its clear who was more successful. And yes mcu is super marketable but Star Wars isn't? Then you are saying it had a bigger impact?

And doesn't matter if the MCU releases two films every year as two films per year could lead to franchise fatigue for film franchises. Star Wars only released 1 movie per year and there was franchise fatigue alresdy in a span of five years. So your point is moot. We are talking about the over all picture.

 

[psylockolussus]

Come on guys. Let's get real. It's the most profitable due to the sheer number of films. It's well reviewed because it's a Disney product. But best franchise ever?

No..not at all. Star Wars owns that imo. The MCU films are lesser quality films than the best of Star Wars. Also, believe it or not, the MCU films are not universally beloved. A LOT of people don't like them, and think they are dumb.

Frankly, I've moved on from the MCU. Its not interesting anymore, it's repetitive, cringey and predictable. I lost interest around the time of gotg 2, and got hyped again for IW. After that, it died. I saw End Game out of obligation, and I thought it was horrible, boring, typical, and a drag. We saw the midnight show and frankly I wanted to leave and go to bed.
2015 me would never have thought I'd feel this way, but alas. The franchise has gone stale, it peaked in popularity and hype in 2012-2015. Avengers was the peak/groundbreaking movie. Now, it's too repetitive, too polarizing, and to formulaic to be the GOAT franchise.

Not a chance..it won't have near the same historic/cultural impact other franchises have.

Lol better quality? Did you see the critical reception for Episode9, 1, 2 and the Clone Wars. Episode 9 is a Disney product. And the first couple of mcu films werent originally Disney products.

Like cool story bro but you are speaking for youself. You don't even have the facts to back up what you're saying.

 

[MessiahDecoy123]

Come on guys. Let's get real. It's the most profitable due to the sheer number of films. It's well reviewed because it's a Disney product. But best franchise ever?

No..not at all. Star Wars owns that imo. The MCU films are lesser quality films than the best of Star Wars. Also, believe it or not, the MCU films are not universally beloved. A LOT of people don't like them, and think they are dumb.

Frankly, I've moved on from the MCU. Its not interesting anymore, it's repetitive, cringey and predictable. I lost interest around the time of gotg 2, and got hyped again for IW. After that, it died. I saw End Game out of obligation, and I thought it was horrible, boring, typical, and a drag. We saw the midnight show and frankly I wanted to leave and go to bed.
2015 me would never have thought I'd feel this way, but alas. The franchise has gone stale, it peaked in popularity and hype in 2012-2015. Avengers was the peak/groundbreaking movie. Now, it's too repetitive, too polarizing, and to formulaic to be the GOAT franchise.

Not a chance..it won't have near the same historic/cultural impact other franchises have.

Star Wars is more of an American obsession and even still there are many people who think Star Wars is dumb, especially the sequel trilogy, the prequels, and the ewoks. Much of that stuff is way more cringey.

That just leaves A New Hope and Empire Strikes Back. Sure these are classic but they're proof that Star Wars peaked very early.

How can the best franchise of all time peak after the first two movies then go downhill afterwards.

MCU has many peaks: Iron Man, Avengers, Guardians of the Galaxy, Winter Soldier, Thor Ragnarok, Black Panther, Infinity War and Avengers Endgame.

Also these movies are wildly different from each other: political thriller, space opera, anti-villian opus, Hamlet type of story, time travel heist movie.

Star Wars is space opera over and over and over. And the quality has been dropping steadily since the early eighties.

Then you have the fact that outside America and the UK, Star Wars is no where near the same global phenomenon that MCU has become.

And Infinity Saga ended on a high note. 2.7 billion dollars globally and very satisfied fans. No drop in box office with fans griping about ewoks. Talk about divisive.

 

[Drizzle]

Come on guys. Let's get real. It's the most profitable due to the sheer number of films. It's well reviewed because it's a Disney product.

What the hell are you talking about? Plenty of Disney movies get bad reviews. Just last year, Dumbo, The Lion King, Aladdin, Maleficent 2 and THE RISE OF SKYWALKER all got bad reviews.

No..not at all. Star Wars owns that imo. The MCU films are lesser quality films than the best of Star Wars. Also, believe it or not, the MCU films are not universally beloved. A LOT of people don't like them, and think they are dumb.

A lot of people don't like Star Wars and think it's dumb. As a lifelong Star Wars fan, I can honestly say that quite a few MCU films are on the same level as A New Home and Empire, namely Avengers, Infinity War, and Endgame.

Frankly, I've moved on from the MCU. Its not interesting anymore, it's repetitive, cringey and predictable. I lost interest around the time of gotg 2, and got hyped again for IW. After that, it died. I saw End Game out of obligation, and I thought it was horrible, boring, typical, and a drag. We saw the midnight show and frankly I wanted to leave and go to bed.
2015 me would never have thought I'd feel this way, but alas. The franchise has gone stale, it peaked in popularity and hype in 2012-2015. Avengers was the peak/groundbreaking movie. Now, it's too repetitive, too polarizing, and to formulaic to be the GOAT franchise.

Not a chance..it won't have near the same historic/cultural impact other franchises have.

This sounds like a you problem. Just because you're tired of them doesn't mean everyone else is. And the MCU peaked in popularity years before Black Panther made $1B and was nominated for Best Picture and Endgame became the highest grossing movie of all time? In what world do you live in where that makes sense? You must be confusing that with Disney Star Wars, which actually did peak in popularity in 2015 since none of the films since have outgrossed The Force Awakens.

As for historic/cultural impact, it's early to tell. While it's hard to imagine, Star Wars went away for a while between Return of the Jedi and The Phantom Menace where it was more or less out of public consciousness. These things don't happen overnight.