The Story of Marvel Studios: The Making of the Marvel Cinematic Universe

by Tara Bennett, Paul Terry

The definitive story of how Marvel Studios created the Marvel Cinematic Universe, as told by the studio's creatives, and the cast and crew of The Infinity Saga.

The Story of Marvel Studios is the first-ever, fully authorized, all-access history of Marvel Studios’ creation of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, as told by the producers, writers, directors, concept artists, VFX artists, cast, and crew who brought it to life. Year-by-year, project-by-project, the studio’s founding and meteoric growth are described through detailed personal stories, anecdotes, and remembrances of noteworthy challenges, breakthrough milestones, and history-making successes. Together, these stories reveal how each of the films evolved into one ongoing cinematic narrative, as coauthors Tara Bennett and Paul Terry (The Official Making of Big Trouble in Little China, 2017) chart the complete production history of The Infinity Saga’s 23 movies (from 2008’s Iron Man all the way up to, and including, 2019’s Avengers: Endgame and Spider-Man: Far From Home).

Bennett and Terry were granted unprecedented access to Marvel Studios, which led to this years-in-the-making tome containing personal stories from more than 200 interviews, including every Marvel Studios producer; MCU writers and directors; the stars of The Infinity Saga; concept artists, costume designers, composers, and the talents behind the MCU’s dazzling visual effects; and more. Featuring previously unpublished behind-the-scenes photography and archival production material, as well as personal photos and memorabilia from cast and crew, The Story of Marvel Studios is the essential, collectible chronicle of how the Marvel Cinematic Universe was brought to life.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Marvel, Film, Pop Culture, Comics, Business

512 pages, Hardcover

First published October 19, 2021

About the author

Tara Bennett (formerly DiLullo) is the author or co-author of 30 official movie and TV companion books including The Story of Marvel Studios:
The Making of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Sons of Anarchy: The Official Companion, The Official Making of Outlander Companions (Seasons 1 - 4), The Lost Encyclopedia, and September's Notebook: A Fringe Companion which was an Amazon Best Book of the Year.

She has also written nearly a thousand interviews and features for print and online publications such as: Total Film, Paste Magazine, IGN, SYFY WIRE, LOST: The Official Magazine, Alias Magazine, 24 Magazine, SCI FI Magazine, WSJSpeakeasy, Fandango/Movies.com, Fancast, Newsarama and VFXWorld.com. She is also the U.S. Editor for the world’s premiere sci-fi/fantasy publication, SFX Magazine.

Tara is also an adjunct professor at Rowan University in New Jersey, teaching Film and Television studies. As part of her curriculum, Bennett utilizes programs such as LOST and 24 to teach her students how to write for television.

Reviews

[Lizzie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have to admit, I got pretty emotional while reading this.
I love marvel with all my heart. It came into my life when I needed it. Heck, I still need it.
I love the behind the scenes and this was exactly that.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading this two-volume tome makes me want to watch, and rewatch, every MCU again and again and again. It's awe-inspiring that what started as basically an indie studio has been able to create and sustain the level of quality that Marvel Studios has produced since 2008.

[Ryan Palmer · Rating 2 out of 5]

Did anyone rating this actually read it cover to cover? The editor needs to be fired. There are incomplete sentences, paragraphs that repeat, typos galore and even an unfinished paragraph that leaves off mid sentence and just ends because it was the last word they could fit on the page. This is atrocious. I honestly don’t think anyone proofed this book at all.

[Maggie Lovitt · Rating 3 out of 5]

What's interesting about The Story of Marvel Studios is that it's written under the guise of being a truthful interpretation of the past thirteen years and the creation of the MCU as we know it today, but it is ultimately more a puff piece, neatly designed to make it look like Marvel has had a plan all along. I wasn't expecting this coffee table collector's item to be hard-hitting, but I was hoping that it would reveal a little more of what has really gone on within the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

We have plenty of first-person accounts from the cast and crew, revealing shifting plots, vastly changing scripts, and copious reshoots fueled by meeting whatever recently released MCU film or series is trending on Twitter. Ultimately, The Story of Marvel Studios is a studio-approved reflection on how they have always had everything neatly tied up, when in fact, they fly by the seat of their pants.

The Story of Marvel Studios does feature a few never before seen images, particularly ones from behind the scenes, and a few interesting anecdotes, but even then it overlooks some of the key aspects of the MCU and characters that played pivotal roles in the storylines playing out presently. It's a nice book if you blindly want to consume really expensive MCU propaganda, I guess.

[Marcel Driel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Watching all the movies in the first three phases was a magnificent ride. Reading about it was almost as great. What an accomplishment. What a commitment. What a blast. (And yes, it’s not a critical book. There are a lot of stories left untold. Maybe we will read those someday).

[Alexis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been reading this a couple of pages at a time for months. It's been a long haul, but ultimately, it was worth it.

I won't say that this book is without its faults. There's a reluctance (understandable) to address certain issues and failures. There's not a word against Joss Whedon, which may be due to when this was published. There's also no mention, to my memory, of Terrence Howard's complaints, leading to his departure as Rhodey. Great care is taken to highlight the amount certain, low-ranking films brought in without addressing their lack of reception with fans (I'm thinking Iron Man 2 and Thor: The Dark World in particular). There's also not quite as much from some of the performers as I would like, though including all of them equally would be impossible given the scale of the universe.

In spite of all of that, it's a great look into the history of Marvel Studios leading into Phase Four. It's a bit of a clap on the back, but I think it's deserved. I thought I had an appreciation for the scale of Marvel, but I really did not. To interconnect as many films as they have and to do so as far in advance as they have is absolutely mind-boggling. At one point, they discuss writing one of the Avengers movies (I'm thinking Infinity War) without having yet released and, in some cases, even written a handful of the movies that had to tie into it. I wish I had taken a picture of the page for reference because it was remarkable.

It's also remarkable to consider how Marvel Studios has grown from an independent studio operating out of the top floor of a car dealership to the behemoth it is today and to read about how little guarantee there was in some of the properties they first produced. I'm still extremely new to Marvel comics, but it's wild to think that Iron Man was considered a B-level character. It's also wild to find out that Guardians of the Galaxy was considered obscure even among comic fans. I loved reading about the approaches made with those characters, and I also loved reading about the lead up to the Avengers, which I always kinda took as a given, but it very much was not.

I do think that casting is discussed fairly significantly, but that discussion did not stand out for me nearly as much as the director selection did. It's fascinating to hear about the histories of the different directors and to realize Marvel definitely took swings. The Russos in particular stood out, as their background had been television comedy. A lot of the directors had a history involving small, independent films, which I think is a big part of the success Marvel has had.

It's a bit disappointing looking ahead to see how Phase Four has been received overall, but it's also wild to realize the scale of it. I think the first phases involved 23 films or something like that, and Phase Four involved something like 19 projects. The growth is just unbelievable, and what's also unbelievable is that a lot of the behind-the-scenes folks from the start are still there. You get the sense that the people making the movies really do care about the characters and stories they are developing.

This is a huge book, and it's comprehensive. It's not a fluffy, casually-flip-through-it coffee-table book. There is a LOT of text, and it's worthwhile if you are a fan. There are a lot of nice pictures as well, including the class picture, which is great fun. I know this book had a heftier price tag when I purchased it, but I truly do think it's worth the money if you are a Marvel fan. I didn't grow up with Marvel. I didn't start watching it until college. I can only imagine what this book would mean to someone who loved it from the start.

[Paul Stanis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Addictive reading for any fan of the MCU.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finished reading the massive (512 pages) two-volume hardcover slipcased “The Story of Marvel Studios: The Making of the Marvel Cinematic Universe” (2021) by Tara Bennett and Paul Terry.

This is a wonderful book for the die-hard Marvel movies fans (although at times perhaps a bit too dense for the non die hards). It takes you year by year from the formation of Marvel Studios through the end of their “Phase 3” slate of films (ending with “Avengers: Endgame” (2019) and “Spider-Man: Far From Home” (2019).

It goes incredibly in depth into the behind the scenes personnel who oversaw the creation of these movies in addition to studio president, Kevin Feige. It goes into just how important it was that their first self produced movie, “Iron Man”(2008), succeed. It takes us through what it took to get “Iron Man” made (a brand new studio and an at that time little known comic book character to the non comic reader).

It takes us through the promotions, including the regular unveilings at San Diego Comic Con. The rapid expansion (other solo characters getting their own films like Thor and Captain America, and the can-we-really-pull-this-off Avengers movie combining multiple headliner superheroes in the same film).

It talks about the producers, the directors, the special effects producers, the editors, the composers, etc. It, by its very nature, doesn’t have the room to go into great detail about the behind the scenes of shooting each and every film but it does spend time on each, discussing the preproduction, shooting, and postproduction phases. And, before long multiple movies are at various stages of production at the same time and shooting in several different continents.

The importance of the casting of the lead characters is a repeated theme, as is getting the script right. And early on it was decided not to treat additional shooting after wrapping principle photography as a case by case basis (as the rest of Hollywood studios traditionally have done) but instead to have it written into the contracts right from the start, giving them the freedom to make necessary story changes at pretty much any stage of production and postproduction.

The book goes into the headaches Feige and his other producers, directors, and scriptwriters had with the Marvel “Creative Committee” back in New York, a group of Marvel executives and editors that had creative control until finally Disney, who the book also details as buying Marvel, put a stop to the Creative Committee soon after “Captain America: Civil War” (2016), which was a major subject of disagreement between the Marvel Studios heads and the Committee. Thereafter, Kevin Feige reported directly instead to Disney, not Marvel.

The book goes into how the partnership between Marvel Studios and Sony over Spider-Man came about, and how (at the end of the book) it almost ended after the release of “Spider-Man: Far From Home”.

“Guardians of the Galaxy” (2014), “Ant-Man” (2015), “Doctor Strange” (2016), “Black Panther” (2018), “Captain Marvel” (2019). They are all reported on. Of especially heavy emphasis are “Black Panther”* (the first Marvel Studios film to win multiple Academy Awards) and the back-to-back “Avengers: Infinity War” (2018) and “Avengers: Endgame”, each massive undertakings due to their very large casts (pretty much every major character and lead actor to have appeared in the various films up to that point), heavy amount of special visual effects, and just the importance these films would have in ending the many key characters’ story arcs. (* Chadwick Boseman’s untimely death occurred after the majority of the book was done so there is an afterword dedicated to him at the end.)

If there is any real weakness of this book it’s one that is pretty common to officially authorized behind-the-scenes books in general: a general skimming over of many of the more contentious or negative moments that inevitably happen. Such as, we get a very brief addressing of the recasting of “Rhodey” from Terrence Howard to Don Cheadle but not really enough to know why. Likewise, we find out about the decision to not bring back Edward Norton after “The Incredible Hulk” (2008), casting Mark Ruffalo instead the next time we see the character in “The Avengers” (2012), but the reasons why Norton wasn’t considered to be asked back and the disagreements had while filming “Incredible Hulk” are kept brief (although it is made quite clear that that film did have a much rougher shooting period than “Iron Man”, which was largely shot at the same time, did).

It also feels at the end like there is a bit too much of the affirmation quotes from those involved as to how proud they are of the accomplishments, what it meant to them when they came to the end of the ten year journey, how it’s not the films or the accolades, it’s the people who came together with a common goal, etc, etc.

But those are minor quibbles, really. Again, “The Story of Marvel Studios: The Making of the Marvel Cinematic Universe” is a must have for all really big fans of the franchise. The oodles of awesome pictures is worth getting the book by themselves. Although, I must admit, this book carries a hefty price: $150 original suggested retail price, although I just checked and right now it can still be bought various places online for around $80 to $85. More casual fans will most likely want to see if their local public library might have a copy (which is how I got my hands on a copy).

I gave this book four out of five stars on GoodReads.

[Joshua]

Been looking forward to this bad boy for awhile and it was good. Is it on the level of the best books about the making of Star Wars? No. But it was good.

It is exactly what the title says. The Story of Marvel Studios. Not necessarily the making of Iron Man or Guardians of the Galaxy vol. 2 or any individual movie (there isn’t a chapter per movie here, but a chapter per calendar year) but a macro-narrative of Marvel Studios. There’s some cool specifics here but largely this is pretty broad strokes. You’re not gonna get into the day-to-day on the set of Doctor Strange. Some fun tidbits here and there though and some interesting perspectives lent to the blockbuster franchise.

This is nowhere near the almost unbearable level of some self-congratulatory Star Wars content that’s been put out there, but authors can get a touch saccharine at times. There are also a frankly startling amount of formatting issues where a page will end mid-sentence and the next page will start in the middle of a different sentence, or the next page will repeat the last couple words of the previous page.

Hopefully there will be more making of Marvel books in the future that dive into the weeds for dorks like me, but in the meantime this was an enjoyable read.

[Nicki Markus · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Story of Marvel Studios was first slated for release (with a slightly different title) in 2019, and I had planned to pre-order shortly after I heard about it, but luckily I didn't hand over my money then, as the release date kept get pushed back, and in the end, two years passed before it was finally published. It's been a long wait, and the book is certainly not cheap, but I am happy to say it was worth both the wait and the expense. This is a hefty double-tome that is packed full of wonderful information and stunning behind-the-scenes photos, charting the full history of Marvel Studios from 2008 to 2019. This is the kind of book you could either sit and read from cover to cover or just flick through at your leisure, and I would say it is a worthwhile investment for any serious MCU fan, as it is beautifully presented and chock full of amazing images and anecdotes. It gets five stars from me.

[Jeremy Bagai · Rating 4 out of 5]

The workmanlike narrative won't win any awards. And the lack of a single whiff of reported discord / politics / machinations becomes interesting in its own right. (Was Edgar Wright even a little upset at losing AntMan? Did Edward Norton or Terrance Howard have anything to say about getting recast? How did James Gunn get fired / rehired for Guardians 3? You won't find out here.)

Still. Marvel Studios have somehow managed to put out film after film after film (after film) of staggeringly high-quality action-adventure with humor and pathos and wonder. They make it seem easy. But if it were easy, someone else would be doing it. After all, there are billions to be made. But no one else even comes close. This book tells the story of how it all happened. I gobbled it down.

Now that this is out maybe someone can use it as scaffolding to hang all the delicious missing dirt. Someday. But this is the best we have until then.

[Natalie Mundy · Rating 5 out of 5]

To preface, I am a massive MCU fan so I maybe slightly biased towards anything that involves Marvel but I can firmly say this was one of best books I’ve ever read that goes behind the scenes of films. This mammoth book takes you from the early days of Marvel Studios before Iron Man was released right up until shortly after Far from Home released. It takes you through every single film and short they made and I loved every single second of it. It was so well written and I blasted through it. I highly recommend this for fans of the MCU and for people who want to know more about how a modern day behemoth was built

[Jim Andrew Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really love "making of" books about films I love, and this is one of my favorites. It's big and beautiful, packed in a lovely slipcase, with lots of pictures and interesting facts about the first 10 years of Marvel Studios, from IRON MAN through ENDGAME (with SPIDER-MAN: FAR FROM HOME as an epilogue).

It has very obviously been reviewed and approved by the Marvel Studios marketing/PR department because there's no behind-the-scenes drama or negativity anywhere in the book. I've read about some production rumors and gossip that are nowhere to be found here. But that's okay, I guess... the book is as slick and shiny as the movies are, and just as fun to read.

[Will · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has a lot of really fascinating information in it. I found the history of Marvel Studios and the details of their unique production process to be thorough and enlightening. The one flaw of the book is that it is not written from a neutral perspective - there are a lot of instances of detailing why Marvel Studios is awesome, but virtually no critiques or recounting of their flaws. It left me with the feeling that there are probably some interesting stories and perspectives which were not included because they don’t make Marvel Studios sound good. Nevertheless, a really enjoyable and educational read.

[Tish Wells · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book with many good photos. The authors did lots of interviews and managed to keep track of when things were happening in the timeline of the MCU as well as collecting detail. It shows how long films can take, how the multi-tasking on separate films happened, and the work behind the magic that millions enjoy worldwide.

It is a bit pricy, but it will sit on my shelves next to The Making of (the initial 3 Star Wars movies) to be used as a reference book as well as a pleasure to read.

Thank you, Tara Bennett.

[Troy-David Phillips · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good read!
Very dense with info, anecdotes, quotes, and historic perspective, although, with so much to cover, it is often light on the details ( I would have loved more info about the fate of the Creative Council for example).
This two-book set covers the formation of Marvel Studios, the development of the Cinematic Universe, all the way to Spider-Man: Far From Home.
LOTS of photos and illustrations.
In all, a very good read.

[Justin Brendel · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautiful "coffee table" book. This collections takes us from the birth of Marvel Studios through the end of the Infinity Saga (first 23 movies). It's a wonderful timeline that shows not only overlap, but how many movies are being made at one time. It's hard to imagine filming your next movie when the previous one hasn't even come out in theaters yet. Beautiful photos, and touching tribute pages to Stan Lee and Chadwick Boseman.

[Andy · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you're an MCU fan, you'll like this. A comprehensive chronological account of the series, digging deeper than expected (it's not completely a puff piece though I suspect the inevitable second volume will have more challenges to skirt over) and selling the importance a lot of these movies have with fans. Filled with photos, behind the scenes details and a clear narrative approach, I've enjoyed working my way through it.

[Lia (Liareadsnonstop) · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's hard to write a review when the thing you are reviewing is a book about something that you hold very dead to your heart. I love the MCU, specially the content that was released during the time gap this book covers, and I think this books goes through a lot of behind the scenes, thoughts, ideas and processes in a very thoughtful way and with a lot of nice behind the scenes pictures. I will say it's a must ready for any lover of the Infinity Saga!

[Andy Pregler · Rating 5 out of 5]

The definitive history of the MCU highlights stories behind the creative process in a way any fan would enjoy. If you’re a Marvel fan, be prepared: this book is more emotional than you will expect. The running through line is just how much love for the material editors, PAs, actors, and most who touch these movies possessed while creating your favorite movie.

[Manuel · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are a die hard fan of the MCU and want to suck up as much information as you can about the history of the MCU and how it came to be as well as how each film came to be and how production went, this book is absolutely essential. Filled with so many interesting facts and great behind the scenes photos, it’s a must for fans.

[Catalin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful book, lots of cool illustrations and behind-the-scenes photos.
The content itself is fine, a nice historical view of the people behind the movies. But I wish there was a bit more focus on the creative process, behind the scenes anecdotes, or how and why some decisions were made.

Overall, an enjoyable read if you're an MCU fan, with lots of visual goodies to look at.

[Cindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This has been the coffee table book for YEARS that I've dipped into every now and then. I've finally finished it and as a big MCU fan I loved it! It's full of fascinating facts about getting the movies made and an abundance of great on-set pictures. And I'm not ashamed to admit I shed a tear reading RDJ's letter to the fans and the tribute to Chadwick Boseman.

[James Livermore · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very impressive set/two volumes. It has a lot of history and interviews from all the shows and it is cool to see the unique photos and materials. It will also double as a doorstop or weapon as it is seriously heavy!

[Eric · Rating 4 out of 5]

It has a few typos and spends too much time on the box office money, but the book really shines on the production side, showcasing the stories of how the films came together. A fun read for Marvel fans!

[Umar]

Super

[Alfredo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice history of Marvel Studios for the hardcore fan. Plenty of great artwork and pictures inside.

[Tanner Swanson · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a very interesting read!!! If you are a marvel fan I’d say this book is a must read!!!

[Clayton Ellis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this. A lot. Inspired me to do the mcu rewatch. And even include the one shots. I knew this was cool before. But now … 😮

[Caity Clewes · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a marvel nerd, I absolutely loved this!!!! Wish it didn't have to end. So good ❤