The Avengers (2012)

Phase One of the Marvel Cinematic Universe closed with this superhero mash-up that brought together four headlining heroes (Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Thor and Captain America), as they unite against Tom Hiddleston’s Loki and fend off an alien invasion. Sure, the film shattered box office records — earning $1.5 billion worldwide — but it’s real accomplishment is how its success has changed the way moviegoers and the industry itself see the storytelling possibilities that cinema offers. Ever since Marvel Studios proved that it could replicate its comprehensive comic book world on the big screen, every studio has been scrambling around trying to put together their own shared universe. However, chances are slim that many of these upcoming event films will match up to writer/director Joss Whedon’s breezy work, which ties its seemingly disparate predecessors together in such a way that The Avengers feels like the ultimate cinematic coup.