{"id":24308,"date":"2026-01-14T11:22:53","date_gmt":"2026-01-14T19:22:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wou.edu\/westernhowl\/?p=24308"},"modified":"2026-01-20T11:27:26","modified_gmt":"2026-01-20T19:27:26","slug":"mcu-overview","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wou.edu\/westernhowl\/mcu-overview\/","title":{"rendered":"MCU overview"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Still of Sebastian Stan as the Winter Soldier in \u201cCaptain America: The Winter Soldier.\u201d | Photo from @movietitan on Instagram<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Jan. 14 2026 | Jaylin Emond-Hardin | Entertainment Editor<\/span><\/p>\n

I was never really interested in Marvel growing up. I was a fan of DC comics for as long as I can remember. I loved Wonder Woman, Superman and, albeit a bit less so, Batman. The DC Extended Universe \u2014 often shortened to DCEU \u2014 includes movies directed by Zack Snyder and other directors from 2013 to 2023. This is, of course, the same set of years that the Marvel Cinematic Universe \u2014 commonly known as the MCU \u2014 hit its peak, but the DCEU never had the same level of success.<\/span><\/p>\n

When \u201cBlack Panther\u201d was released in 2018, I was an eighth grader. My middle school did a Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports event as a reward for students who had a high level of attendance and other positive behaviors. We had the choice between \u201cBlack Panther\u201d and \u201cSherlock Gnomes\u201d to go see in theaters, so I decided on the former. It was my introduction to the universe, and I\u2019ve seen almost every Marvel movie since then.<\/span><\/p>\n

My partner loves the MCU, so he convinced me to do a complete timeline watch once he found out I\u2019ve never seen most of the early Marvel movies. The only reason I saw any MCU movies that came out after \u201cBlack Panther\u201d was because, for whatever reason, every guy I dated loved taking me to see them in theaters once they found out I didn\u2019t know much about Marvel.<\/span><\/p>\n

This first watch-through comes in preparation for \u201cAvengers: Doomsday\u201d to hit theaters late December this year. I knew most of the basics and how things ended up, but really seeing how things happened, understanding callbacks and seeing the foreshadowing has been an experience I wish I had sooner. Starting with \u201cCaptain America: The First Avenger\u201d and going in order of when they happened rather than when they were released has proven the best way to watch.<\/span><\/p>\n

I\u2019m finding I enjoy the MCU much more than I ever enjoyed the DCEU. I think a large part of it has to do with just how deep the universe goes. Heroes are given their origin movies and see actual character development instead of just grunting and looking sweaty for two hours.<\/span><\/p>\n

But let\u2019s have some fun. I\u2019m going to break down just what has made this watch-through fun and enjoyable for me, which I hope will convince others to finally take that first step to watch.<\/span><\/p>\n

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A strong cast <\/b>\u2014 The MCU has an absolutely stacked cast. Most are household names now because of their roles; however, some actors were well known before they became superheroes. Part of my fun during the \u201cGuardians of the Galaxy\u201d movies has been saying, \u201cGamora, your Neytiri is showing.\u201d This, of course, comes from the fact that Gamora and Neytiri are both played by Zoe Salda\u00f1a. Vin Diesel and Bradley Cooper play the ever-iconic Groot and Rocket Raccoon, respectively, and I don\u2019t think Marvel\u2019s casting directors could have chosen anyone better.<\/span><\/p>\n

Benedict Cumberbatch is another actor who was well known before he entered the MCU, starring in roles such as Sherlock Holmes in the BBC\u2019s \u201cSherlock\u201d and Smaug in \u201cThe Hobbit\u201d trilogy. The man\u2019s voice is like butter, which is why he was the perfect choice for Dr. Stephen Strange.<\/span><\/p>\n

Of course, Chris Evans as Steve Rogers and Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark will forever be iconic. They are the beating heart of the MCU. The starting points. Downey, in the 2008 \u201cIron Man\u201d movie, kick-started the whole franchise, and Evans is, quite literally, the first Avenger. Without them, the franchise wouldn\u2019t be what it is today.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Well-rounded, fleshed out characters <\/b>\u2014<\/span> As I said earlier, the characters in the MCU get wonderfully written origin movies instead of only simplistic action plotlines. The movies can be dark, but not overly gritty with blue-toned overlays to try and make it look \u201cserious\u201d \u2014 I\u2019m looking at \u201cMan of Steel\u201d here \u2014 and characters aren\u2019t turned into shells of themselves. They\u2019re snarky and can crack jokes. They\u2019re allowed to mess up and fall flat on their faces to start their arc. They\u2019re not perfect, no matter how much they pretend to be. Everyone is just deeply human in their journeys.<\/span><\/p>\n

I am very biased towards Bucky Barnes. He\u2019s my favorite character. He was, weirdly enough, my favorite character before I got into the MCU. Tall, dark, handsome and brooding? Yeah. That checked all my boxes when I was in middle school. As an adult, that hasn\u2019t changed. I still fall into fangirl mode and shriek his name whenever he\u2019s on screen. Pray for me when I get to \u201cFalcon and the Winter Soldier.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

But part of Barnes\u2019 appeal is his character arc. Captured by HYDRA and brainwashed for 70 years before he eventually breaks free and gets to live a semi-normal life, Barnes is a character whose struggle is deeply human. How many of us have had to overcome a traumatic experience in our lives and try to find peace with it? How many veterans have struggled with PTSD and might see themselves in his story? There\u2019s a character for everyone to relate to in the MCU.<\/span><\/p>\n

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The indomitable human spirit <\/b>\u2014 This one is kinda corny, I know, but the MCU is full of movies that are, in some way, about the indomitable will we have as humans. There are, of course, some exceptions. The \u201cThor\u201d movies. Peter Quill\u2019s storyline in \u201cGuardians of the Galaxy\u201d only counts towards this because he\u2019s half-human. But, for the most part, Marvel movies are about human beings defying odds that are supposed to kill them.<\/span><\/p>\n

Tony Stark has a death-sentence in his chest with the arc-reactor core. Steve Rogers became one of the greatest heroes in the world, even after he was told no time and time again. Natasha Romanoff and Bucky Barnes have arcs that are such deep allegories for sexual assault and human trafficking that they feel like they could be real.<\/span><\/p>\n

This goes with how relatable the characters can be. Their stories are deeply human, which makes them deeply human characters.<\/span><\/p>\n

In our lives, we often overcome things we weren\u2019t supposed to. We show kindness even in the face of deep adversity. And that is what we see in the MCU. These movies remind us what it means to be human.<\/span><\/p>\n

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And if those reasons can\u2019t convince anyone to watch the MCU? Well, superheroes and explosions should be a good enough reason.<\/span><\/p>\n

With the exception of \u201cVenom: The Last Dance\u201d and \u201cSpiderman: No Way Home,\u201d all Marvel movies and shows are streaming on Disney+.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Contact the author at howlentertainment@wou.edu\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":1645,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","_seopress_titles_title":"MCU overview","_seopress_titles_desc":"What makes the Marvel Cinematic Universe a franchise for everyone","_seopress_robots_index":"","_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","_et_pb_use_builder":"off","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[8131,8130,8127,8123,8125,8134,8135,8122,8120,8138,6285,6286,8121,8128,8139,8124,8132,8129,8136,8133,8137,8126],"class_list":["post-24308","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-entertainment","tag-bbc","tag-benedict-cumberbatch","tag-black-panther","tag-bucky-barnes","tag-captain-america","tag-captain-america-the-first-avenger","tag-chris-evans","tag-dc","tag-dceu","tag-iron-man","tag-marvel","tag-marvel-cinematic-universe","tag-mcu","tag-pbis","tag-robert-downey-jr","tag-sebastian-stan","tag-sherlock","tag-sherlock-gnomes","tag-steve-rogers","tag-the-hobbit","tag-tony-stark","tag-zack-snyder"],"modified_by":"saragerrick","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wou.edu\/westernhowl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24308","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wou.edu\/westernhowl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wou.edu\/westernhowl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wou.edu\/westernhowl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1645"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wou.edu\/westernhowl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=24308"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/wou.edu\/westernhowl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24308\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":24314,"href":"https:\/\/wou.edu\/westernhowl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24308\/revisions\/24314"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wou.edu\/westernhowl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24308"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wou.edu\/westernhowl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=24308"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wou.edu\/westernhowl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=24308"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}