In 2012, Marvel’s 'The Avengers' changed the blockbuster landscape forever by proving that a 'shared universe' was a viable financial model. It grossed $1.5 billion and was the first Marvel film to cross the $1 billion mark. Directed by Joss Whedon, the film brought together characters from four different solo franchises. Its success led every other major studio in Hollywood to attempt their own 'cinematic universes' (with varying degrees of success). It shifted the industry away from standalone sequels and toward long-term serialized storytelling, where every movie serves as a building block for a larger multi-film narrative.