Mark Fischbash, also known as Markiplier, started his YouTube channel in 2012 as a gaming YouTuber. He’s most recognized for playing games like “Five Nights at Freddy’s”, “Cuphead”, and “Sims 4” amongst others. 13 years later, he’s now reached the cinema screen, directing, producing, and acting in the film adaptation of “Iron Lung”.
Nick Alberti-Flores, a senior in COMPASS says, “He [Markiplier] has done a fantastic job with the movie, it’s truly one of a kind and honestly should probably go down as one of the better, if not the best, video game-to-movie adaptation to be released.”
“Iron Lung” is a first person point of view horror game that was released in 2022. In the game, you’re tasked to take photos in a submarine of artifacts and help the player learn about the area they’re in while avoiding monsters in these strange waters.
Markiplier, being a video game YouTuber, has played the game making a series of videos of his gameplay. In July of 2023, he announced the development of his movie “Iron Lung” then, in 2025, showed sneak peeks of the production.
The movie went into theaters January 30th, 2026 and grossed 32 million dollars domestically, opening weekend. That’s 29 million dollars of income (subtracting their initial budget).
Alex Ron, a senior in SEGA says, “If you told me 10 years ago that he would be in a movie, I probably wouldn’t believe you, it’s really crazy to see how far he’s come.”
Dariush Roades • Mar 10, 2026 at 1:08 pm
I believe this article does a wonderful job of explaining who Markiplier is and why the release of Iron Lung is a big deal. It begins by providing background information on Markiplier and his gaming channel. This gives the readers an understanding of how unusual and different it must have been for him to end up helping direct and act in a movie. Brennan also describes the video game Iron Lung and gives specific details about it, which again gives the readers a better understanding of the game and the movie. Another important part of this article is the inclusion of quotes from students at Millikan. This adds opinions from fellow students and makes the article feel more relatable instead of just a summary of facts. One slight improvement that could be made is the flow between the paragraphs. Some sentences feel slightly disconnected, so adding smoother transitions could make reading the article a better experience. Overall, this article clearly explains the topic of Markiplier and his movie Iron Lung and keeps the reader interested.
Joseph • Mar 3, 2026 at 11:10 am
The background information given for Markiplier is very clear and easy to understand, while still remaining concise. One concern that I have is that the quotes are kind of vague, and have a bland tone. Also, the author could be slightly more specific about the atmosphere of the game, since somebody who doesn’t know about Markiplier or about Iron Lung may misunderstand or be confused. One suggestion that I would have is to include a picture of Mark himself, that way the audience that isn’t aware of him could know what he looks like. Overall, I like a lot of the specific details added, like the grossing of the movie and the initial budget given, as well as the difference. I thought that the article was very informative overall and is a nice source for someone who may be interested in learning more about Markiplier or his adaptation of Iron Lung. One question I have is, are there very strict guidelines for what you can say in the article? I know that one of the main details of the game/movie adaptation is that the ocean you are in (in Iron Lung) is filled with blood, and was intrigued when it wasn’t mentioned.
Joaquin Chavez • Mar 3, 2026 at 9:58 am
As another student at Millikan who has been a long time fan of Markiplier’s work and has seen his film called “Iron Lung,” I am glad that the news of the successes and achievements of the film is being recognized here at Millikan. I believe that explaining Markiplier’s origin from being a YouTuber in 2012, famous for his gameplay of “Five Nights at Freddy’s,” all the way up to his more recent career in film-making was an excellent choice at enhancing understanding and setting up the successes that “Iron Lung” has achieved this year. I appreciate the sequencing after explaining the origin to including both a student opinion of Markiplier’s movie adaptation of the video-game “Iron Lung” and explanation of the actual video-game of the same named which the movie was based off of as it the portrays the journey and development of Markiplier’s hard work and dedication, adding additional opinions of those who support this creator as well.
I would say that, even though including the positive perspectives of students like Nick Alberti-Flores and Alex Ron could help a lot of people relate to this article, including a variety of opinions about “Iron Lung” would likely bring even more depth to this article. Though the movie did receive large support and positivity from fans and other content creators, there was a variety of reviews that were included as well, which offered critiques and areas of improvement for the directorial debut, which Markiplier also addressed in a Youtube video. Including these different points of views along with the positive points of view directed toward “Iron Lung” may elevate this article to relate to more groups of people who watched the movie and thought that certain aspects were successful while others could be improved upon.
This article is additionally, on point with including the economic success in which “Iron Lung” was able to produce and I appreciated the subtraction of the budget from the earnings to present the actual income. Adding that “Iron Lung” advertisement was specifically and almost essentially held on Markiplier’s channel (where the trailers were posted), could also spotlight how successful the movie was because of Markiplier’s own fans which ties back to his origin of being a YouTuber. Finally, including the world record that “Iron Lung” achieved, which was the world record for the most fake blood used in a movie (80,000 gallons) would highlight the uniqueness of the movie beyond social and economic success. Overall, this article does a notably successful job at portraying the success of Markiplier’s “Iron Lung” involving earnings and one side of public opinion but incorporating another (more critique) side of public opinion, the minimal but successful advertisement, and the world record which “Iron Lung” broke would add depth and efficiency to help more readers relate to this article and understand the achievement and importance of video-game adaptations like “Iron Lung.”
Tayme Ali • Mar 2, 2026 at 1:24 pm
I really liked the choice of writing an article on how Markiplier went from being a YouTuber to a movie producer. It was a pretty interesting read, because I only knew him as the YouTuber, and never knew he got into producing movies. It was informative, and I thought the quote from the senior in SEGA was a good addition to the article, since that is probably many people’s reactions.
Although, I think adding more information on how and why he came to that decision of making movies would make the article more captivating. Maybe even adding the ratings it has been getting could be beneficial as well, so then people can make the decision whether if the watch is worth it or not.
All in all, I found this article interesting, and it has peaked my curiosity on the movie “Iron Lung” and how Markiplier got into producing movies.
Cesar Gomez • Mar 2, 2026 at 1:16 pm
This article provides an engaging overview of Mark Fischbach’s evolution from YouTube gaming creator to film director and actor. It does a strong job of outlining his beginnings in 2012 and highlighting how his work with popular games like Five Nights at Freddy’s, Cuphead, and The Sims 4 helped build his platform. The inclusion of student quotes adds personality and shows how his success resonates with people in the school community. Explaining the premise of Iron Lung also helps readers understand the significance of adapting the game into a movie, especially for those who may not be familiar with it.
I especially liked how the article provided a clear timeline from his early YouTube career to the film’s announcement and theatrical release. Including details about the movie’s box office performance strengthens the piece by showing measurable success. The article highlights how far Markiplier has come in a relatively short period, making his story feel inspiring. After reading, it made me think about how digital creators today have more opportunities than ever to expand into traditional media like film, and it raises curiosity about what projects he might take on next.