Disney has made $20+ billion from Marvel movies since 2011.
And each movie follows the same story:
The Hero’s Journey.
Here’s a breakdown 🧵
And each movie follows the same story:
The Hero’s Journey.
Here’s a breakdown 🧵
Joseph Campbell coined ‘The Hero’s Journey’ when studying mythology.
He noticed the heroes went through the same broad storyline.
The pattern continues today.
Marvel is the perfect example:
He noticed the heroes went through the same broad storyline.
The pattern continues today.
Marvel is the perfect example:
1/ The ordinary world
Shows you the hero in their normal life
Their friends, habits, and vices.
Marvel: Tony Stark is a billionaire playboy in charge of a massive weapons manufacturer.
Shows you the hero in their normal life
Their friends, habits, and vices.
Marvel: Tony Stark is a billionaire playboy in charge of a massive weapons manufacturer.
2/ Call to adventure
Something happens to force the hero to take extraordinary action
It’s uncomfortable for the hero and yet clear what they have to do.
Marvel: Tony Stark builds his first Iron Man suit to escape a terrorist cave.
Something happens to force the hero to take extraordinary action
It’s uncomfortable for the hero and yet clear what they have to do.
Marvel: Tony Stark builds his first Iron Man suit to escape a terrorist cave.
3/ Refusal of the call
The hero wants to stay in the ordinary world
Change is uncomfortable for anyone; the more realistic the refusal, the better.
Marvel: Stark refuses to work with the other Avengers, believing he operates better on his own (his great vice is arrogance).
The hero wants to stay in the ordinary world
Change is uncomfortable for anyone; the more realistic the refusal, the better.
Marvel: Stark refuses to work with the other Avengers, believing he operates better on his own (his great vice is arrogance).
4/ Meeting the mentor
The hero needs someone wiser than them to learn from.
Marvel: T’Challa goes to the spirit realm to talk with his father before claiming the throne of Wakanda.
The hero needs someone wiser than them to learn from.
Marvel: T’Challa goes to the spirit realm to talk with his father before claiming the throne of Wakanda.
5/ Crossing the threshold
The hero leaves the ordinary world
The next part of the story is about to get crazy and that can’t happen in the same old place.
Marvel: Thor is kicked out of Asgard and lands in… New Mexico.
The hero leaves the ordinary world
The next part of the story is about to get crazy and that can’t happen in the same old place.
Marvel: Thor is kicked out of Asgard and lands in… New Mexico.
6/ Tests, allies, & enemies
The hero faces trials, meets friends, and faces their enemies
You’ll also notice they tend to mature in this phase.
Marvel: Thor gets help from Jane, searches for his hammer, and gets annoyed at Loki.
The hero faces trials, meets friends, and faces their enemies
You’ll also notice they tend to mature in this phase.
Marvel: Thor gets help from Jane, searches for his hammer, and gets annoyed at Loki.
7/ Approaching the inner cave
This is where a lot of movies go wrong – the inner struggle is just as, if not more, important than the outer struggle.
Marvel: Tony Stark asks himself “Am I super without the suit?” in Iron Man 3.
This is where a lot of movies go wrong – the inner struggle is just as, if not more, important than the outer struggle.
Marvel: Tony Stark asks himself “Am I super without the suit?” in Iron Man 3.
8/ The ordeal
The hero faces their biggest trial to date, the stakes are raised, and everything looks bleak.
Marvel: T’Challa faces Killmonger for the first time, and loses.
The hero faces their biggest trial to date, the stakes are raised, and everything looks bleak.
Marvel: T’Challa faces Killmonger for the first time, and loses.
9/ Seize the reward
The hero claims something (knowledge, a skill, or a priceless item) for getting through the Ordeal
It will help them in the next big challenge.
Marvel: Thor gets his hammer back after letting Loki kill him.
The hero claims something (knowledge, a skill, or a priceless item) for getting through the Ordeal
It will help them in the next big challenge.
Marvel: Thor gets his hammer back after letting Loki kill him.
10/ The road back home
Armed with the reward, the hero is ready for another challenge after the Ordeal
This is often filled with smaller tests on the way.
Marvel: Thor returns to Asgard to fight Loki for the throne.
Armed with the reward, the hero is ready for another challenge after the Ordeal
This is often filled with smaller tests on the way.
Marvel: Thor returns to Asgard to fight Loki for the throne.
11/ Resurrection & atonement
The climax of the story – all the conflict comes to a head and the hero must prove themselves.
Marvel: T’Challa battles Killmonger for the title of king of Wakanda, and wins.
The climax of the story – all the conflict comes to a head and the hero must prove themselves.
Marvel: T’Challa battles Killmonger for the title of king of Wakanda, and wins.
12/ Return with the elixir
The hero goes to the ordinary world with the knowledge they’ve earned along the way.
Marvel: T’Challa returns to Oakland, where Killmonger grew up, with plans to improve the city.
The hero goes to the ordinary world with the knowledge they’ve earned along the way.
Marvel: T’Challa returns to Oakland, where Killmonger grew up, with plans to improve the city.
Watch any Marvel movie and you’ll start to see The Hero’s Journey everywhere.
It’s the same for Star Wars, Harry Potter, and most of the massive successes of the last 50 years.
It’s the same for Star Wars, Harry Potter, and most of the massive successes of the last 50 years.
I write about the business of storytelling 2x per week.
Follow @nathanbaugh27 to catch more content like this.
Here’s another one you might enjoy:
Follow @nathanbaugh27 to catch more content like this.
Here’s another one you might enjoy:
Storytelling is one of the most important skills you can learn.
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