Which 2008 film launched the Marvel Cinematic Universe?

The 2008 film that launched the Marvel Cinematic Universe was Iron Man.

Directed by Jon Favreau, Iron Man stars Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark, a wealthy industrialist who builds a powered suit of armor after being captured by terrorists. The movie was Marvel Studios’ first self-financed feature and established the interconnected production model that would define the MCU.

Iron Man was released in the United States on May 2, 2008, as the first film in Phase One. Its post-credits scene, in which Nick Fury approaches Stark about the “Avenger Initiative,” signaled that the film belonged to a much larger shared universe. The sequel, Iron Man 2, followed in 2010.

The film is sometimes confused with The Incredible Hulk, another 2008 Marvel Studios release. However, Iron Man came first in the MCU’s release order and served as the franchise’s foundation. It also revived Downey’s career as a major blockbuster star and earned more than $585 million worldwide. The Library of Congress later selected it for the National Film Registry in 2022.