When Iron Man came to theatres in 2008, audiences were given a surprise. Those who were patient enough to wait until the credits finished rolling were
treated to an additional scene, which served to hype a film featuring a Marvel
superhero team-up. Five films and four years later, The Avengers (2012) has
final arrived. While it may seem impossible to live up to such an extraordinary
level of hype, Marvel's The Avengers completely exceeds all expectations and
may very well be the greatest superhero film ever made.
Tying many of the Marvel film franchises together is quite an ambitious
project, one that I admit I had my doubts about. I wasn't originally a fan of
the hidden "Easter egg" scenes that served as promotional ploys for
The Avengers film -- which at the time seemed only like a fantasy. I felt as
though connecting all the film franchises together cheapened each movie's
unique experience, and in the event that The Avengers was terrible, it would
taint those films completely.
While each Marvel film leading up to The Avengers had its own
stand-alone value, I still can't help but feel as though each was made
with future installments in mind. Through end credit scenes and some crossover
characters, each film is linked together -- often in ways that came off as a
little silly.