Marvel Cinematic Universe
Fandom | |
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Name(s): | Marvel Cinematic Universe |
Abbreviation(s): | MCU, Earth-199999 |
Scope/Focus: | Category:Marvel Cinematic Universe |
Date(s): | 2008-present |
Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
The Marvel Cinematic Universe (in short: MCU) is the shared universe/film franchise that is the overall setting of the superhero films originally based on Marvel comics. The movies are organized into Sagas and Phases, including the Disney+ TV shows (and retroactively the Netflix TV shows as of 2024[1]). The other TV shows from ABC and Freeform are considered to be in the same universe, but have not been officially recognized as canon by Marvel Studios.
The major film sub-franchises of the MCU, ordered by date of beginning:
- Iron Man (2008-2013)
- The Incredible Hulk (2008)
- Thor (2010-present)
- Captain America (2010-2016)
- The Avengers (2012-present)
- Guardians of the Galaxy (2014-2023)
- Ant-Man (2015-2023)
- Doctor Strange (2016-present)
- Spider-Man (2017-present)
- Black Panther (2018-present)
- Captain Marvel (2019-present)
- Shang-Chi and the Ten Rings (2021-present)
- Eternals (2021-present)
- Deadpool (as of 2024)
- Deadpool & Wolverine (2024)
- Thunderbolts (2025)
- Fantastic Four (2025)
- Blade (tba)
For links on fanlore, see the Category:Marvel Cinematic Universe. For a timeline of the various films and TV shows, see the Timeline of the MCU.
Canon
This is not an exhaustive list, but is mostly representative of the main characters from the Infinity Saga.
Fandom
Fanfiction set in this movieverse focuses on the characters that appear in the movies, often using additional background information from the comics and Norse Mythology. Stories may include characters from other Marvel Comics-related films, such as Spider-Man, Fantastic Four, and The X-Men. These kinds of character crossovers are (for the time being) non-canonical and unofficial as far as the movies are concerned; different film studios own the movie rights to the various characters. Sony owns rights to Spider-Man, Disney (previously Paramount Pictures) owns rights to The Avengers, and Fox owns rights to The X-Men and the Fantastic Four. Fans ignore these limitations, supported in this by the fact that in the Marvel Comics, all the characters of the Marvel Universe interact and often appear in each others' comics. The Fantastic Four and The X-Men have appeared in various fanworks dealing with the MCU, and depending on the author/artist the characters are influenced by their comicsverse, cartoonverse, or movieverse. Both teams have been a part of The Avengers in comics for many years.
Fanvids and fanart such as picspams also take a similar approach for the MCU fandom, adding additional characters from the other Marvel films.
- See The Avengers Movieverse, Iron Man Movieverse, Captain America Movieverse, Thor Movieverse, Guardians of the Galaxy, Doctor Strange, Black Panther, Spider-Man MCU Movieverse, and Captain Marvel for more details about the fandom specific to each sub-series.
Pairings
The most popular pairings tend be slash, but there is some change and flexibility in the pairings over time as the universe expands and different characters interact with each other and new characters are introduced, see List of MCU Relationship Names which has a listing for over a hundred pairings and their ship names. The most popular slash pairings as of 2021 are:
- Bucky Barnes/Steve Rogers
- Steve Rogers/Tony Stark
- Loki/Thor
- Loki/Tony Stark
- Clint Barton/Phil Coulson
There is also a strong het following, usually around canonical pairings, such as Pepper Potts/Tony Stark and Peggy Carter/Steve Rogers, or pairings that had close canonical friendships, the most popular being Clint Barton/Natasha Romanova and Steve Rogers/Natasha Romanova.
Femslash is considerably smaller than the slash and het fandoms, but it is still fairly large overall compared to other large western media fandoms. There is also a community of femslash fans that encourage the creation of fanworks through challenges and exchanges. The most popular femslash pairings tend to be in the television fandoms, with Peggy Carter/Angie Martinelli and Jemma Simmons/Skye being the most popular. On the movie side of the fandom Natasha Romanov tends to be the character most prevalent in femslash, with Maria Hill/Natasha Romanov, Natasha Romanov/Wanda Maximoff and Pepper Potts/Natasha Romanov being her most popular pairings.
Fanworks focused on crossover pairings, pairing MCU characters with original characters, and readerfic are also common.
Gen
Challenges
- For a full listing of Fanlore articles on Marvel challenges see Category:Marvel Challenges
The Marvel fan community always encouraged the creation of fanworks through challenges, but the number and variety of challenges exploded after the introduction of the MCU, and has consistently expanded over the years, some examples being:
There were also other challenges such as gift exchanges, fanweeks, fests and kink memes. For perspective on the depth of past, and current, challenges see the List of Marvel Challenges
Fanworks
Examples Wanted: Editors are encouraged to add more examples or a wider variety of examples. |
Fanart
Fanfiction
- See also Category:Marvel Fanfiction
- The Responsible Science Series, Archived version (Bruce Banner & Everyone) by lettered
- Exclusive, Archived version (Pepper Potts/Tony Stark) by copperbadge
- because I love you baby that's no lie by TardisIsTheOnlyWayToTravel (2014). One of the most popular f/f works in the fandom. (Story now deleted - link via webarchive.org)
- Nobody's heroes by boleyn13 (2016). A post-CACW Team Iron Man salt fic.
- Short Stories, Archived version (Stony) by blue_jack for Cap_Ironman Bingo & Avengers_Tables
- Lost in Thunderstorm, Archived version (Thorki) by basal_ganglia for muld
- Deposit Day at Stark Tower, Archived version (Clint Barton/Everyone) by raiining
- Renegades, Archived version (Peter Quill & Tony Stark) by IcarusLives
- program: hot potato (Dum-E & Hulk) by whitchry9 for avengerkink
- Sick, Archived version (Clint Barton/Phil Coulson/Steve Rogers) by charis2770
- Avengers: Aftermath by Mattory reylo shipper (MCU) (2019) - Infinity War aftermath focussing on Peter Parker.
Fanvids
- See also Category:Marvel Vids
- Marvel Cinematic Universe MultiFemale // One Woman Army, Archived version by Cantrous
- MultiMale Marvel Cinematic Universe // Talk Dirty, Archived version by Cantrous
- Marvel Cinematic Universe Miltiary Industrial Complex // Hey Ho (Fanlore Page), (Original YouTube)[Dead link] by thuvia parth
- MCU Dance Off, Archived version by lim
- Random Edit - Reed Richards and Sue Storm in Captain America: Civil War by Live Breathe Media, where Sue Storm reacts to the news about the events in Lagos.
- Marvel || We Will Rock You by Ak Editx
- Marvel Ladies || Heroes by Evelyn Jackson
- Battle royale by voordeel
- Glitter & Gold by djcprod & Grable424
- Little Lion Man (Steve Rogers & Tony Stark) by zombie
- Star Spangled Banner, Archived version (The Winter Soldier) by Camunki
- no; thank you, Archived version (Loki Laufeyson & Thor Odinson) by TheMadiSpaz
Podfic
- and don't you dare be late, Archived version (Peggy Carter/Steve Rogers) by blackglass
- So you better lay your money down, Archived version by sisi_rambles & musesfool
- unlikely friendship, Archived version (Bucky Barnes & Jane Foster) by ifeelbetter & sisi_rambles
General MCU Communities & Resources
Examples Wanted: Editors are encouraged to add more examples or a wider variety of examples. |
- /r/marvelstudios, a subreddit for discussing the MCU
- /r/marvelmemes, a subreddit for memes across the MCU
Meta/Further Reading
- Captain America and Bucky are Just Friends (2015)
- On Shipping: What’s Disney’s, What’s Yours, and What’s Mine (2015)
- MCU Meta Directory by Domenika Marzione (domarzione)
- MCU fanwork production //Wherefore Art Thou Thor? by yourlibrarian (2015)
- Stuck in the 70s? Pop Music in the MCU by yourlibrarian (2016)
- Marvel Metas, a Tumblr blog collecting various meta pieces about various characters
- Age of Ultron and the Impending Collapse of the MCU by froborr (2015).
- /r/saltierthankrayt - a subreddit that calls out toxic behavior from Stars Wars and MCU fandom.
References
Related Links | |
People | Hayley Atwell • Robert Downey Jr. • Tom Hiddleston • Stan Lee |
Places | |
Things | The Avengers Movieverse • Iron Man Movieverse • Captain America Movieverse • Thor Movieverse • Guardians of the Galaxy • Black Panther • Ant-Man • Captain Marvel • Spider-Man: Homecoming • Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. • Agent Carter • Daredevil • Jessica Jones • Luke Cage • Iron Fist • The Defenders • The Punisher |
- Examples Wanted
- Pages with dead links
- Marvel Cinematic Universe
- Agent Carter
- Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
- Ant-Man
- The Avengers (Marvel)
- Black Panther
- Black Widow
- Captain America
- Captain Marvel
- Daredevil
- Doctor Strange
- The Falcon and the Winter Soldier
- Ghost Rider
- Guardians of the Galaxy
- Hawkeye
- Hulk
- Iron Fist
- Iron Man
- Jessica Jones
- Luke Cage
- Ms. Marvel
- Punisher
- Runaways
- Spider-Man
- Thor
- WandaVision
- Marvel Cinematic Universe Fandom Glossary