Wikipedia describes the Cap movie as the fifth installment of the “Marvel Cinematic Universe”. I found that description apt and kind of interesting and a testament to how brilliantly the marketing on this whole series of films leading to Avengers has been handled. Each film is a commercial for the next film.

It doesn’t matter all that much in the long run if “Incredible Hulk” makes as much as Iron Man or if Avengers makes as much as Captain America. Because after Avengers is released, everyone is going to want to revisit all of those films on dvd (and they will probably be packaged as the “Marvel Universe” or “Avengers Initiative” collection)countless times simply because the films are connected by a 2 minute post credits scene.

When the first Iron Man came out, how many people waited after the credits? Not very many. But with each film it was a little more. When I went to see Cap this weekend, roughly 90 percent of the audience stayed. Both showings. Now obviously they weren’t all die hard comic fans. But there they are, staying till the credits roll by for a minute long trailer for a film that isn’t coming out for another year.

So bravo to Mr. Feige for turning general audiences into Marvel Zombies, waiting for the credits to end so they can get a glimpse of 1 minute worth of continuity. No matter how you slice it, that is freaking genius.

I loved the movie. It had a great sense of comic book fun and nostalgia that I hadn’t felt since the first couple Superman films. I thought Xmen:First Class was going to be the one to beat, the “critical darling” of the summer. I thought Chris Evans would be horribly miscast. I wasn’t thrilled with Joe Johnston as director. I was wrong on all counts.

DC might spend more money on their properties and they’re probably the more technically superior, but Marvel seems to have the edge when it comes to the bigger picture. Because in the end, Marvel has created a “universe” of interconnected characters that gets bigger with each film. That is historic.

And DC? Well, they’re making films of Batman and Superman. Again.