MCU: The Reign of Marvel Studios

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What to expect

Marvel Entertainment was a struggling toymaker not even twenty years ago. Today, Marvel Studios is the dominant player both in Hollywood and in global pop culture. But what accounts for its stunning rise?

In MCU, beloved culture writers Joanna Robinson, Dave Gonzales, and Gavin Edwards draw on more than a hundred interviews with actors, producers, directors, and writers to present the definitive chronicle of Marvel Studios and its sole, ongoing production, the Marvel Cinematic Universe. As they delve into the studio's key moments - from the contentious hiring of Robert Downey Jr. for Iron Man to the negotiations over Disney's acquisition of Marvel to studio head Kevin Feige's embrace of streaming TV - the authors demonstrate that the genius of Marvel was its resurrection and modification of Hollywood's old studio system. Dishy and authoritative, MCU is the first book to tell the Marvel Studios story in full - and an essential, effervescent account of popular culture.

(P) 2023 Recorded Books

Critics Review

  • ‘A superb chronicle of how Marvel Studios conquered Hollywood…. This definitive account of the Hollywood juggernaut thrills.’

    Publishers Weekly
  • ‘The book every MCU fan needs to read.’

    author of The Sopranos Sessions
  • ‘A gift. Comprehensive, accessible, and entertaining, MCU makes for a great primer on a modern pillar of Hollywood entertainment.’

    Vulture and New York Magazine
  • ‘I watched all the movies. I devoured all the articles. I listened to all the pods. I thought I knew everything there was to know about the MCU . . . and then I read this magnificent book. For fans, by fans; hilarious, gripping, and emotional; no infinity stone is left unturned. I loved it three thousand.’

    Emmy-winning screenwriter
  • ‘A riveting, deeply researched history of the collaborative wizardry and backstage showdowns behind Marvel Studios’ popcorn-movie empire.’

    author of All of the Marvels
  • ‘Robinson, Gonzales, and Edwards deliver the definitive chronicle of the greatest cinematic achievement of all time. An absolute treasure trove of depth and detail that will delight both new Marvel fans and Marvel zombies from way back, like me.’

    Jeff Cannata

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