| Phase One | |
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| Based on | Characters published by Marvel Comics |
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| Starring | See below |
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Release date | 2008–2012 |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | Total (6 films): $1 billion |
| Box office | Total (6 films): $3.813 billion |
| Marvel Cinematic Universe Phases | |
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Phase One of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is a group of American superhero films produced by Marvel Studios based on characters that appear in publications by Marvel Comics. The MCU is the shared universe in which all of the films are set. The phase began in May 2008 with the release of Iron Man and concluded in May 2012 with the release of The Avengers. Kevin Feige produced every film in the phase, with Avi Arad also producing Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk, and Gale Anne Hurd also producing The Incredible Hulk.
Marvel previously licensed the film rights for different characters to other film studios, and began exploring producing their own feature films by 2005. Following the opening weekend success of Iron Man they moved forward with a plan to have several individual superhero films culminate in a team-up Avengers film. Paramount Pictures distributed the films except for The Incredible Hulk, which was released by Universal Pictures, and The Avengers, which was released by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures after Disney's purchase of Marvel.
The films star Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark / Iron Man in Iron Man and Iron Man 2, Edward Norton as Bruce Banner / Hulk in The Incredible Hulk, Chris Hemsworth as Thor in Thor, and Chris Evans as Steve Rogers / Captain America in Captain America: The First Avenger. All returned to star in the ensemble film The Avengers except for Norton, who was replaced by Mark Ruffalo. Samuel L. Jackson has the most appearances in the phase, starring or making cameo appearances as Nick Fury in five of the films.
The six films of the phase grossed over US$3.8 billion at the global box office and received generally positive critical and public response. Marvel Studios created three short films for their Marvel One-Shots program—The Consultant, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Thor's Hammer, and Item 47—to expand the MCU, while each of the feature films received tie-in or adaption comic books and tie-in video games. Phases One, Two, and Three make up "The Infinity Saga" storyline.