Play To Win Presents - The MCU: Past, Present, and Future. Hosted By Adam Epstein and Brandon Katz...The Marvel Cinematic Universe began as a risky gamble in the face of safety. Rather than continue to cash checks by licensing characters to other studios, Marvel opted to produce its own movies independently for the first time in history. With a $500 million line of credit, it was sink or swim for the MCU from the jump.