Reading Journal 2024: MCU: The Reign of Marvel Studios

Reading Journal 2024: MCU: The Reign of Marvel Studios
Authors: Dave Gonzales, Gavin Edwards, and Joanna Robinson

A bit of a niche exercise, intended for those who have not simply interest in the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe), but in Hollywood and the American film industry.

Most important thing to know about this book is that it is written from an outsiders perspective, and one that, taken from the authors note, was stonewalled by  the Disney enterprise once word got out that this book would be a journalistic exercise that would be engaging in some digging.

Did that stonewalling, by which I mean limiting access to official sources, hurt the overall end product? Maybe. I don’t know. There are moments where one can hear and feel the forced speculation, even if it comes as no fault of their own. I also got the sense that it added a certain drive to dig harder into the spaces where they could.

This isn’t some kind of tear down of the MCU. You can tell that the authors carry a deep affection for what is in fact a historical and unprecedented time, something they do not want to take for granted given that it seems like this time has come to an end. It shaped who they are as one of the most defining cultural moments in America, and even beyond. It was a once in a lifetime moment, and for those of us alive and around to experience it a moment contained to a parituclar lifetime. Something that defines an era.

It is also true to say, as this book does a decent job of showing, that such an experience comes at certain expenseses, much of which the casual and the not so casual moviegoer is admittedly likely ignorant of. And that’s not a criticism as much as its a reality. How you feel about having that curtain pulled will vary from person to perseon, of course, but one thing to keep in mind is that such a historical moment could have arrived and been achieved in no other way. What that says about reality is up for discussion, cruel as it can be.

I do have to say, I was a bit let down by the fact that it stopped short of exploring one of my all time favorites- The Eternals. I was really looking forward to hearing the story behind this film, and seeing how it fit into the larger narrative of the rise and decline of the MCU as this book documents. But alas, it reaches its end without it.

Worth listening on audio, as it was made for that format.