Written by Tara Bennett and Paul Terry
Foreword by Kevin Feige
Afterword by Robert Downey Jr.
Published by Abrams Books
A year or so back, there was a silly Internet debate going on about whether superhero movies in general or Marvel movies in particular were real movies.
While there were some big names calling names on both sides of this debate, it’s all moot.
Of course, they’re movies.
Just because they aren’t made the way movies used to be made doesn’t make them any less movies. They have heroes. They can make you laugh, cry, make your pulse race, your heart pound, and leave you wanting more. The Marvel Cinematic Universe movies are the modern-day, multi-million-dollar, high-tech versions of the cheap weekly chapterplays our parents used to enjoy at their neighborhood theaters
The Story of Marvel Studios—the Making of the Marvel Cinematic Universe is a new two volume set written by Tara Bennett and Paul Terry, two folks who’ve previously been involved in writing similar books and thus well qualified for this official history.
As with any “official” history of anything, a lot of the squickier bits are left out or swept under the rug, leaving you with what Disney and Marvel WANT you to know with little to no mention of certain various messy sidesteps, even though they made real world news as they happened.
Still, one can’t evaluate a book like this on what ISN’T there, and what IS there is a deeply impressive collection of behind-the-scenes photographs and production art. I didn’t count them but I believe Vol. 2 has even more great pics than Vol. 1!
Even more impressive is the way the authors frame the story to parallel the onscreen building of the Avengers as one by one the major players are brought together—Avi Arad, Kevin Feige, Jon Favreau, Joss Whedon, James Gunn, Taika Waititi, and a dozen others. Little by little, it all comes together as the individual films build toward the mega-epic climax of the last two Avengers movies.
And yet, while, yes, there was a plan, a lot of the time, they were winging it all. The authors talk with most of the filmmakers and actors involved, actors who had to commit to being involved in something much bigger than an average movie.
It’s hard not to read this and see how these films have changed the lives of so many involved for the better. One could even make the argument that they saved Robert Downey Jr.’s life as well as fully reviving his once-lauded career. Johansson, Evans. Ruffalo, Hemsworth, Cumberbatch—all attest to being changed for the better by their appearances in and association with the MCU.
As a fan, I followed these movies—this story—in real time, and so I knew the gist of it going in. But the authors do a splendid job of gathering it all together and making a very readable version of the story behind the story. I question the seemingly childish need to censor the relatively few four-letter-words that appear throughout. The slipcase set costs about $150. Seems to me anyone buying it isn’t likely to be offended by a couple of words.
With a lovely dedication to the late Chadwick Boseman, a nice Intro by Feige, and a sweet Afterword by Downey, The Story of Marvel Studios may not be a warts and all look behind the curtain but it is a winning and fascinating look at a story that has rewritten moviemaking as we’ve always known it…and all because of some lowly comic books. What would Dr. Wertham think?
Booksteve recommends.
