Iconic fantasy author Brandon Sanderson has shared how the Marvel Cinematic Universe modified fantasy without end, with the success of the superhero juggernaut inflicting a sea-change in what was thought of doable for writers.
Brandon Sanderson Says Publishers Have been Petrified of Shared Universes Till the MCU
As lately reported by Popverse, Sanderson’s speech at New York Comedian Con 2022’s Titans of Fantasy panel laid out how the MCU modified the sport for fantasy. In response to Sanderson, earlier than the MCU’s success, publishers did not think about interconnected universes.
Whereas long-running sequence had been superb, a number of sequence set in the identical universe – like Sanderson’s Cosmere Universe – had been thought of dangerous as a result of publishers feared readers could be intimidated by having a number of interconnected sequence. Sanderson said:
I believed I need to do all these magic methods, all these totally different planets, and I need to join all of them. Folks had been actually terrified of continuity again then. After I was doing this, this was a number of years earlier than the MCU got here out. Publishers had been scared. They wished one sequence however they didn’t need this huge interconnected factor as a result of the standard knowledge was this might scare off readers.
Sanderson encountered this subject following his hit Elantris, when writer Tor Books requested for a sequel. Sanderson as an alternative wished to write down a special story set in the identical universe (the now beloved Mistborn), and was warned he’d take a major gross sales hit by doing so.
Staying true to his imaginative and prescient, Sanderson stated, “I am going to take the gross sales hit. It should be value it.” Fortunately (no less than in line with Sanderson) every little thing modified when the MCU got here alongside.
Did Sanderson’s Shared Universe Maintain Again His Recognition?
It is humorous in the present day to think about Sanderson’s publishers worrying that followers would not observe him to a brand new sequence. Not solely is Sanderson an immensely widespread author, however he has one of the vital engaged fanbases on the planet. Sanderson has set a number of crowdfunding information, and beforehand held the file for the highest-grossing Kickstarter marketing campaign of all time, elevating over £41 million for a 2022 marketing campaign launching 4 totally different novels.
Nonetheless, Sanderson states that the MCU helped his path by proving that followers weren’t afraid to have interaction with a big interconnected universe. Describing his profession development, he says:
Then the MCU got here out and everybody’s now not terrified of continuity. And so immediately I’ve been doing this factor for years that everyone wished and that type of helped propel it ahead.
Sanderson took the danger of writing an intensive, interconnected universe again when publishers had been afraid to take action, nevertheless if he is right, the Marvel Cinematic Universe completely rid the business of these fears. Within the new atmosphere that resulted, Sanderson thrived, having been courageous sufficient to pursue an interconnected universe earlier than typical knowledge caught as much as the concept of its potential.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe’s record-breaking success made it clear that interconnected universe might appeal to readers, erasing the perspective that Brandon Sanderson fought towards earlier in his profession, and making it far simpler for future fantasy writers to observe in his footsteps.