Jesse Saunders
Columnist

Gone are the days where the simple action star has any chance at being the biggest blockbuster of the year. There was a time when it was considered daring for a film to assume it would get a sequel, yet the new king of the film industry, Marvel, has a plan that currently reaches over 10 years into the future.

For the bulk of their rivalry, Marvel was at a disadvantage to the comic giant DC. While the stars of the Justice League, Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and even lower tier heroes like Green Lantern and the Flash were household names, Marvel was known mostly for Spiderman and not much else.

DC was able to make films and shows that brought heroes to the forefront, while Marvel had to struggle with their properties being spread over several different studios. This all changed with “Iron Man,” the movie that saved the Marvel cinematic universe.  Seven years later, the MCU has taken its place as the most successful franchise in film history.

Nothing on the scale of the Marvel universe has been attempted before. Superhero films have always been looked at as fluff and just standard entertainment with little depth. Christopher Nolan’s “Dark Knight” trilogy ushered in the new dark, gritty era of the DC film universe, which is still being continued today in Zach Snyder’s “Superman” films.

Marvel took a much different path. While every film and show operates under the blanket genre of superhero film, each hero gets a chance to explore a genre better suited to them. Fantasy, action, sci-fi, spy thriller and even gritty crime have all gotten their time to shine in the new MCU. While DC heads down the dark, gritty harsh path it is alienating to the average viewer, the MCU has something for every theater goer.

The desperation to keep everything connected has left the Marvel universe with some large issues though. Until fairly recently, death meant little in the MCU. From sidekicks to villains to a random Agent of Shield, death didn’t become a final thing in terms of continuity.

This issue of death being meaningless also stops the MCU from having any chance at being grounded. The Netflix original “Daredevil” changed that. While DC tries to recapture the magic of the “Dark Knight,” “Daredevil” tried its hand at a gritty crime drama with huge success. The reception of the show gives huge hope for lesser known Marvel characters getting a fair and frankly awesome treatment in the future.

The little hints at a connected universe in the Marvel world highlight the plus sides of the connected storylines. It helps aid the plot and opens the door for any crossover imaginable. The line-up in future years gives a small glimpse into not only a more interesting Marvel franchise, but one filled with characters that barely get a chance to appear in a cartoon. With each film Marvel is able to gain a new fan, and give another character their chance to shine.

With “Avengers: Age of Ultron,” Marvel has created a universe that isn’t dependent on the same characters over and over. Instead of flooding the universe with everyone all at once, or worrying about the obvious signs of aging for their actors, the MCU is self-rejuvenating. The line-up will change and diversify but in the end it’s still the Marvel cinematic universe.