In 2008, Marvel Studios took a huge financial gamble by self-financing 'Iron Man.' At the time, Tony Stark was considered a 'B-list' superhero, and Robert Downey Jr. was a risky casting choice due to his past legal troubles. However, the film's success ($585 million) was immediate. The post-credits scene featuring Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury introduced the idea of the 'Avengers Initiative,' planting the seeds for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. This changed the blockbuster landscape forever, moving the industry toward 'serialized' filmmaking where every movie served as a chapter in a much larger, ongoing narrative arc.