The Marvel Cinematic Universe has long been accused of being bland, but no one can deny that it’s been innovative. The franchise revolutionized the idea of a cinematic universe, the use of VFX technology in superhero movies, and the now-iconic post-credits scene. But its most interesting innovation is also the hardest to quantify: it turned superhero movies into a genre of their own, a formula that countless movies both in the MCU and beyond have built on.
