James Gunn Gives Surprising Answer to Why MCU Is Still So Popular

screenrant.com:

Director James Gunn reveals the surprising reason why he thinks the Marvel Cinematic Universe has become so popular. Helming the first two Guardians of the Galaxy films, the filmmaker returns to the MCU after working on a couple of projects over at Warner Bros.' DCEU. Now, he's gearing for the release of the Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special and then Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. After years of working in the MCU, Gunn seems to understand what makes a good movie for the franchise.

Ever since its inception in 2008 through the sleeper hit that was Robert Downey Jr. and Jon Favreau's Iron Man, the MCU has continued to grow over the years and there doesn't look like it's slowing down anytime soon. After the Infinity Saga capped off with Joe and Anthony Russo's Avengers: Endgame, where the Avengers fought Thanos, the MCU is now in the middle of setting up its Phase 4. Dozens of projects later and the franchise continues to be a hit both on the big and small screen through its new Disney+ branch. As the universe continues to evolve, Gunn talks about its success and what he believes is behind it.

Related: The MCU Just Insulted The Avengers & Guardians In 10 Ways

In a new conversation with VFX Supervisor Betsy Paterson hosted by Deadline,  Gunn breaks down his work over the years. When the discussion shifted to the MCU, the filmmaker cites the advancement of CGI that is the backbone of the franchise's success. Read Gunn's full quote below:

«A lot of the modern films exist today simply because of VFX. People always ask me, ‘Why are Marvel movies so popular today when they weren’t in the past?’ I tell you 100% from me, 100% because the VFX got to the place where we can make it believable that a metal guy is flying around.”