These days, it's almost hard to imagine Hollywood without its media franchises, and over the last 15 years, the entertainment world has undoubtedly been dominated by the likes of Marvel, DC, Star Wars, and other massive film and television franchises.
I think we can all agree that the Marvel Cinematic Universe pretty much started the trend and while it was seen as nothing more than just a fad for a time, the MCU is still going strong and it's already a guarantee that it will stick around for more years to come.
Kevin Feige Calls Robert Downey Jr.'s Iron Man Casting One of the Greatest Decisions in Hollywood History
Marvel recently released a video titled Iron Man: 15 Years Later where director Jon Favreau and Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige discuss the legacy of the inaugural MCU flick which pretty much started a global phenomenon.
Looking back on Robert Downey Jr.'s casting, Feige called it "one of the greatest decisions in the history of Hollywood" to which Favreau agreed.
Feige said: "I remember on later movies – we’ll talk about them on the 15th anniversary of those – there were dark days. I would say to Robert, ‘We wouldn’t be in this mess if it wasn’t for you,’ meaning we wouldn’t have a studio if it wasn’t for him. Or you [Favreau]."
Also Read: Kevin Feige Confirms Marvel and Robert Downey Jr. Talks for Doctor Doom Role
Say what you will about the rise of the now-billion-dollar franchise but Feige is not wrong with his assessment or bold claim, if you'd like to call it that.
The launch and eventual success of the MCU pretty much set the tone for what the entertainment industry would become in the next ten years.
Of course, the rise of media franchises isn't without its cons but at the end of the day, the fans still gladly consume it and that's what matters because it's still a business after all.
The original Iron Man film is available to stream on Disney+.
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