Now that a lot of time has passed...in your opinion...what has been the most impactful Marvel film?

[Ctfxcwatcher]

Blade(1998)

X-Men(2000)

Spider-Man(2002)

Iron Man(2008)

Avengers(2012)

 

[psylockolussus]

Avengers: Endgame

Avengers

Avengers: Infinity War

Spider-Man 2

Iron Man

Guardians of the GalaXy

Black Panther

Blade has zero impact imo.

 

[Drizzle]

My list is a hybrid of both of yours:

Blade
X-Men
Spider-Man
Iron Man
The Avengers
Guardians of the Galaxy
Black Panther
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse - At the very least in animation style, Dreamworks was clearly taking notes with Puss in Boots: The Last Wish
Avengers: Infinity War
Avengers: Endgame

Avengers: Endgame

Avengers

Avengers: Infinity War

Spider-Man 2

Iron Man

Guardians of the GalaXy

Black Panther

Blade has zero impact imo.

Blade had more financial impact more than cultural impact but to say it had zero impact is inaccurate. It was the first successful film for Marvel that also kind of boosted the genre coming off a year of three dismal CBMs (Batman and Robin, Steel, and Spawn). Blade, X-Men and Spider-Man go hand in hand. Spider-Man is obviously the big one there but you can't ignore the significance of Blade and X-Men during its production history.

 

[psylockolussus]

I don't most people were NOT even aware that Blade is a Marvel film, well even now. BoX office wise, its numbers are completely far from X-Men and Fantastic 4. Daredevil and Hulk also earned a lot more. And the third film barely grossed 50 million in the United States.

 

[Bayne]

That year of the 'three dismal cbms' was also the year the highest grossing cbm movie ever made up to that point came out (Men in Black). And it stayed the highest grossing cbm until Spider-man showed up.

Now, lots of people don't know its a cbm, but the exact same thing is true of Blade.

 

[Drizzle]

I completely forgot that MIB was a comic first.

My point still stands that Blade being a financial success was a stepping stone on the way to Marvel having as much impact on the genre as they do today. Is it as important as Spider-Man or X-Men? No, but that doesn't mean it should be ignored and brushed under the rug.

 

[psylockolussus]

That year of the 'three dismal cbms' was also the year the highest grossing cbm movie ever made up to that point came out (Men in Black). And it stayed the highest grossing cbm until Spider-man showed up.

Now, lots of people don't know its a cbm, but the exact same thing is true of Blade.

Whats the impact of Blade though?

Being one of first few Marvel movies (Howard the Duck was the first) isn't one since it didn't even inspire studios to make superhero films. Spider-Man and X-Men did that, not Blade. Iron Man/Avengers paved the way to cinematic universes.

Also all those Blade films were critically panned.

 

[TheVileOne]

IMHO Blade gave us something different at a time when comic book movies were very niche and we weren't getting multiple ones a year.

And I mean, we're still talking about the movie today. It clearly left an impact.

 

[The Batman]

In terms of cultural impact:

Spider-Man
Iron Man
The Avengers
Guardians of the Galaxy
Black Panther
Infinity War & Endgame

 

[Enriquespy]

Blade
Spiderman
Ironman
Avengers
Winter Soldier
Deadpool
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
Endgame

 

[psylockolussus]

We are the talking about the most impactful films which should eXceed beyond those people who liked Blade.

Spider-Man 2002 and X-Men 2000 were already in the making, years before Blade 2000 came out. Blade movies had ZERO impact to major studios or else we would seen have more R rated Marvel films in the early 2000s and more obscure Marvel characters getting their own films. Those didn't happen and if they did, I don't think there neither any director nor a studio head, citing Blade as an inspiration or the spark needed to make certain films happen.

I can argue about this until someone here actually gives a citation from someone who works in the industry that had Blade as an inspiration. BoX office numbers, the numbers aren't really impressive compare to Spider-Man, Batman, Superman and X-Men at the time. And like I've said Daredevil, Hulk, Fantastic 4 earned more, they didn't not cross the $100 million in North America. Critical response for all 3 films is below 60% in Rotten Tomatoes.

Where is this impact??

 

[OrbOfConfusion]

We are the talking about the most impactful films which should eXceed beyond those people who liked Blade.

Spider-Man 2002 and X-Men 2000 were already in the making, years before Blade 2000 came out. Blade movies had ZERO impact to major studios or else we would seen have more R rated Marvel films in the early 2000s and more obscure Marvel characters getting their own films. Those didn't happen and if they did, I don't think there neither any director nor a studio head, citing Blade as an inspiration or the spark needed to make certain films happen.

I can argue about this until someone here actually gives a citation from someone who works in the industry that had Blade as an inspiration. BoX office numbers, the numbers aren't really impressive compare to Spider-Man, Batman, Superman and X-Men at the time. And like I've said Daredevil, Hulk, Fantastic 4 earned more, they didn't not cross the $100 million in North America. Critical response for all 3 films is below 60% in Rotten Tomatoes.

Where is this impact??

You want industry citations in a thread about opinions on impactful Marvel movies? Also, who among us here actually knows anyone that works in the industry, even if it's just a janitor who collects trash at Walt Disney Studios?

But anyway, talking about the thread, I cannot deny Blade's importance, but I would give it to either X-Men or Spider-Man if just for being more recognizable properties, and thus probably more palatable, to the general audience who at least have a passing knowledge of them. Blade is important, but I think it might've had a larger, more immediate impact if more people at the time knew about the character.

 

[Da-Scribe]

Hmm, I would argue Blade had a significant impact. Maybe not on CBMs the way X-Men or Spider-Man did, but certainly on other action-horror films that aped it’s aesthetic.

 

[NHawk19]

In terms of Marvel's impact on the industry I'd say it goes like this:

X Men - Super Hero proof of concept.
Spider-Man - Cemented the concept.
All of Phase 1 taken as a whole from Iron Man thru Avengers 1. This is when all the end credits scenes, character tie-ins, and one shots on the DVDs really started to be something and eventually get carried over to other brands. It also results in the concept of a large cross-over culmination story. Also each film contributed to the shared universe concept.
Captain America TWS: Proof of concept that a more serious story could be told with Super Heroes
Guardians of the Galaxy - Another proof of concept adapting more obscure characters
Logan - Proof of Concept R rated drama
Deadpool - Proof of concept R rated comedy
Black Panther - Cultural moment
Avengers IFW/EG - Cultural moment

 

[psylockolussus]

You want industry citations in a thread about opinions on impactful Marvel movies? Also, who among us here actually knows anyone that works in the industry, even if it's just a janitor who collects trash at Walt Disney Studios?

But anyway, talking about the thread, I cannot deny Blade's importance, but I would give it to either X-Men or Spider-Man if just for being more recognizable properties, and thus probably more palatable, to the general audience who at least have a passing knowledge of them. Blade is important, but I think it might've had a larger, more immediate impact if more people at the time knew about the character.

See you keep mentioning impact? But what is its impact?

Something like Fant4stic has more impact simply because on how bad it is. And no one really remembers a movie like Blade Trinity. Movies like X3 and Spider-Man 3 are well known disappointments for CB movies and yet the characters in it since were so popular still returned.

I want to read about how Blade is one of the most impactful Marvel movies ever... we have over siXty films by now. For me, the only main reason why it might stand out for some, because it was the first theatrical Marvel movie to come out since Howard the Duck. But most people who saw the film weren't even aware it was based on a Marvel character. And two to four years later X-Men and Spider-Man came out and those two really paved for other characters like Daredevil, Fantastic 4 and the MCU ips to get their own films. Kevin Feige worked on foX films.

 

[BobJM]

- X-Men (2000)
- Spider-Man (2002)
- Iron Man (2008)
- The Avengers (2012)
- Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
- Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)
- Avengers: Endgame (2019)

 

[psylockolussus]

Out of the X-Men films, the first three are the only ones. X1 because it started the era of a film franchise that lasted over a decade, and it definitely played a part of FoX on adapting more superhero films like Daredevil and Fantastic 4.

X2 is one of the most beloved superhero films in the 2000s and pre-MCU. While X3 is probably the first Marvel film disappointment that was truly highly anticipated. It is as infamous as Spider-Man 3.

Days of Future Past could have had more impact, if only FoX didn't squander its success. Plenty of MCU films also have sadly overshadowed it.

 

[SPO2 Dalisay]

It was The Avengers coming in and working which changed the scene from the single character to the shared universe. It was teased since the post credits sequences in Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk but proven later.

 

[The Batman]

In terms of Marvel's impact on the industry I'd say it goes like this:

X Men - Super Hero proof of concept.

Superman: The Movie already provided proof of concept 22 years earlier. Bryan Singer has even cited Donner as an influence.

Captain America TWS: Proof of concept that a more serious story could be told with Super Heroes

The Dark Knight, X-Men, and Unbreakable already proved this. In fact, TWS probably wouldn't be what it was without the massive success of TDK.

 

[NHawk19]

Superman: The Movie already provided proof of concept 22 years earlier. Bryan Singer has even cited Donner as an influence.

22 years is a long time. Especially after all the failures, and mediocrity that followed. Plus Batman was really the only hero getting movies through the 90s, and Batman and Robin didn't really push the genre. Also it was Superman. He'd been getting movies and TV shows starting in the 1940's. Marvel in general has films and shows that go back that far but never reached the quality of the Superman movie until some might say Blade. Though I'm going with X-men because following the late 80s and 90s with the cartoon X-Men exploded and that movie proved that their hero concepts could translate to film. Blade is more anti-hero and deals with Monsters which have long been established as viable film concepts.

The Dark Knight, X-Men, and Unbreakable already proved this. In fact, TWS probably wouldn't be what it was without the massive success of TDK.

You're citing DC, and M. Night Shyamalan on a list about Marvel. TDK absolutely proved serious could translate in general, but when that came out in 2008 Iron Man had only come out 2 months before. The MCU didn't really exist yet. Marvel was still figuring it out and TWS was their proof that they could do something more serious with their roster and still tie it in to the larger overall story.

Also while Unbreakable was about a guy fixated on Super Heroes it wasn't a graphic novel and didn't contain any actual Super Hero source material. Just a guy who was obsessed with comics looking for a reason why he was "Mr. Glass". M. Night is almost his own genre.

X-Men had run their course and by X3 people were wondering what to do next. They were serious but not in the who's the bad guy political way that TWS was.

 

[Gothamsknight]

For me, Spider-Man (2002). It changed my life forever. the X-Men films as well, but it was Sam Raimis Spider-Man that changed it all for me. a film that defined my childhood, and as a 9 year old kid, it was just pure magic. 2 years later, he managed to top it with an even better film somehow. X-Men (2000) and X-2 mean a ton to me, as does Blade. They all had a huge impact on me, but Raimis Spider-Man was the defining moment.

 

[The Batman]

22 years is a long time.

It doesn't matter how much time passes. You claimed X-Men was the proof of concept for superhero films. It wasn't. Factual history doesn't change because one person has arbitrary ideas.

You're citing DC, and M. Night Shyamalan on a list about Marvel.

These movies don't exist in a vacuum. Especially when more than one Marvel director has cited DC works, STM in particular, as an influence on their work. Once again, actual history does not change because of arbitrary ideas.

TDK absolutely proved serious could translate in general,

Before you backtrack/shift the goalposts, let's remember that you were talking in a general sense to begin with:

In terms of Marvel's impact on the industry I'd say it goes like this:

TWS having an impact on the MCU does not equate to it having the impact on the industry, not the way you claimed it does. Because again, other CBMs got there first.

 

[NHawk19]

It doesn't matter how much time passes. You claimed X-Men was the proof of concept for superhero films. It wasn't. Factual history doesn't change because one person has arbitrary ideas.

Time absolutely matters in this as audience tastes evolve and change. Superman came out in 1978 lasted through 4 movies and a spin off in the 80s via super girl and several TV shows, but by the 1990s it was all Batman through 3 actors and 4 films. Sure you had some stuff like Steel, the Crow, Blade or TMNT that were coming out but at that time comic films were skewing 2 ways. In the case of Batman, & TMNT they were skewing family and campy by the late 90s. In the case of Blade, Spawn, or the Crow you saw more cult following. In fact by 1997 Batman and Robin had fallen to 9th in domestic box office for the year with less than half the take of the 1st place film, Blade was 28th in 1998. In 1999 we don't see any super hero films.

2000 hits and we get X-men which is a big budget super hero film with moral ambiguities and earns a #6 domestic for the year for Fox. This then leads to a tidal wave of films: X-2, Spiderman, Daredevil, Hulk, Hellboy, Punisher, Electra, Constantine, Begins, Superman Returns etc. X-Men proved the audience still has an appetite for super hero's beyond just Batman or Superman. Especially when we consider the other the other failures of F4, Captain America, & Howard the Duck by Marvel. X-Men's impact is anything by arbitrary. In fact since it's release we've only had 1 year with no super hero films, 2001. What's even more impressive is that also 2001 is the only year since 2000 and X-men since there were no Marvel properties released.

These movies don't exist in a vacuum. Especially when more than one Marvel director has cited DC works, STM in particular, as an influence on their work. Once again, actual history does not change because of arbitrary ideas.

Again I've never said Superman had no influence. I said this was a Marvel thread, and that these films had an influence on the industry. If you want to go that far back with influence and concepts for heroes and costumes you can go back to Mask of Zorro 1920.

Before you backtrack/shift the goalposts, let's remember that you were talking in a general sense to begin with:

I stand by the statement. They had an impact on the industry. Did I say they were the only impact?

TWS having an impact on the MCU does not equate to it having the impact on the industry, not the way you claimed it does. Because again, other CBMs got there first.

IMHO it did. Opinion is also what the thread is about. TDK is a great film and Nolan did fantastic things all grounded in heavy reality, but it was dark. 6 years after TDK Winter Soldier managed to take that real storyline and backdrop and keep other lighter elements and handle it differently combining the lighter outlook with a fantastic tone for the story. It's been hard to replicate and stands as one of the best in the MCU and best stories in film. It also gave way to the Russo's.