Watching MCU titles in IMAX is going to be a wholesome experience. If you are a die-hard Marvel fan you must have seen MCU titles dozens of times over the years. Now for the first time selected Marvel movies will be offered in enhanced IMAX format right on your TV screens and you must give it a try.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe is expanding as ever with several titles planned for the future. Now, as per the latest news, starting from November 12, 2021, Disney+ will offer selected Marvel titles in IMAX format to stream to enhance the watching experience of viewers. IMAX’s Expanded Aspect Ratio; 1:90:1, offers up to 26% more screen for select sequences. That means, you will no longer have the black bars at top of your screen in normal Wide Screen format, just as the “filmmakers intended.” Moreover, the collaboration of Disney and IMAX will also introduce even more improved audio and visual technology, including IMAX’s signature immersive sound by DTS.
Excited that IMAX has teamed up with Disney to invent the 16:9 aspect ratio pic.twitter.com/SVli1XPPCw
— Ben Horrigan (@BDHorrigan) November 11, 2021
The 13 titles which will be available in IMAX format include Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings which will premiere on Disney+ on November 12, 2021. The other titles include some fan-favorite titles; Iron Man, Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame, Captain America: Civil War, Guardians of the Galaxy, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Thor: Ragnarok, Doctor Strange, Black Panther, Ant-Man and The Wasp, Captain Marvel, and Black Widow. However, the content availability may vary from region to region.
The question arises, whether you should switch to IMAX format? And if you should, what are the reasons to try this format on your TV screens, anyway? For answers related to “Expanded Aspect Ratio,” Marvel.com approached IMAX’s Bruce Markoe, Senior Vice President of Post Production/Operations and DMR, who works in collaboration with filmmakers to maximize the utilization of IMAX cameras to produce and improve their films in immersive IMAX theatrical and home formats. Answering the questions via email, the following are six reasons to experience the MCU in IMAX format as per Markoe:
- Many long-time Marvel fans have seen these movies dozens, if not hundreds, of times over the years. Why is watching it in IMAX now going to be a whole new experience?
Now for the first time at home, fans can see the expanded aspect ratio versions that Marvel created exclusively for IMAX theaters – exactly how they were intended. The IMAX versions feature more images that fill the screen, which translates one of the most immersive facets of an IMAX theatrical experience to the home.
- What’s the number one reason why viewers should watch in IMAX next time?
Above all, you’ll notice new details that you may have missed before, including even more of the fantastic visuals that Marvel has created for these movies. It enhances the viewing experience overall. We work closely with Marvel to ensure that our mastering technology and the extra clarity 4K HDR offers are fully and faithfully utilized to provide the highest-quality images, which is especially important as more people own larger and brighter TVs than ever before.
- What action sequences really come to life in a brand new way showcased in IMAX?
The original Iron Man is a great example of a movie that has never been released with IMAX’s expanded aspect ratio sequences until now, so it should be fun for fans to see it in a whole new way. So many of the stunning visuals featured in Marvel action sequences are expanded in IMAX and it really does become a more immersive and engaging way to experience them all.
More importantly, we are not blowing up the image or cropping in to make it larger. These sequences have been purposefully designed by Marvel to BE larger, by framing up the action to show more image and detail at the top and bottom of the screen. Marvel spends a lot of time and care to determine how these expanded sequences look and feel, whether you’re watching it in an IMAX theatre or at home. And IMAX’s role is to empower filmmakers to optimize for our presentation format.
- Is there any character that’s now really larger than life in an IMAX setting?
To me, all of the characters and action beats work better by creating certain scenes with a greater sense of scale and scope to draw you in, which really pops on larger TV sets in use today. And yes, seeing Ant-Man “grow” makes him even larger than life. With IMAX expanded aspect ratio, all of the action sequences and tremendous visual storytelling take on a more immersive feeling, which really maximizes the power of the story and the rewatch factor.
- Any behind-the-scenes stories about working with the Marvel filmmakers to bring their IMAX vision to life?
I am always amazed at how every person at Marvel really goes above and beyond to deliver the highest quality work, both creatively and technically. These movies are incredibly difficult to make from both a technical and storytelling standpoint, so seeing camaraderie and collaboration at its peak during this process is so gratifying and a key to their success. And when it all comes together at the end, and they still all want to watch the movie as a group and applaud the great work they did, you know that is something truly special.
- What was the most exciting Marvel scene for you to watch in IMAX?
Way too many to choose from. But the first Guardians of the Galaxy had some great ones as well as the Thor vs Hulk fight in Thor: Ragnorok. And of course, the culmination of the Avengers finales just hammered home what a special experience it is when the filmmakers take the time and effort to film for IMAX.
Disney+ is a premium streaming provided by The Walt Disney Company. It offers a huge and diverse content library with thousands of films, shows, documentaries, and much more. Disney+ always believes in providing the best watching experience for fans and now the introduction of the IMAX format is a clear indication that Disney does care!
Switch to IMAX format now and enjoy a whole new watching experience of MCU titles on Disney+.
