Marvel Cinematic Universe

The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is an American media franchise. It is set in a fictional universe with the setting of several superhero movies and television shows made by Marvel Studios, based on characters by Marvel Comics. This shared universe was shown in the movies by using the same characters or mentioning the same events. For example, Tony Stark appears at the end of The Incredible Hulk (2008), even though he has nothing to do with the rest of the story. This is the same way that the comic books were linked into the same universe. The franchise also includes television series, short movies, digital series, and literature. The shared universe, much like the original Marvel Universe in comic books, was established by crossing over common plot elements, settings, cast, and characters.

The franchise has been commercially successful, becoming the highest-grossing franchise of all time, and has generally received a positive critical response. It has inspired other movie and television studios with comic book character adaptation rights to attempt to create similar shared universes. The MCU has been the focus of other media, outside of the shared universe, including attractions at various Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, an attraction at Discovery Times Square, a Queensland Gallery of Modern Art exhibit, television specials, guidebooks for each movie, multiple tie-in video games, and commercials.

 Movies 

The movies in the MCU are organized in sections called Phases. Phase One began in 2008 with the release of Iron Man and ended in 2012 with the release of The Avengers. Phase Two began in 2013 with the release of Iron Man 3 and ended in 2015 with the release of Ant-Man. Phase Three began in 2016 with the release of Captain America: Civil War and ended in 2019 with the release of Spider-Man: Far From Home. The first of the three phases in the franchise are collectively known as "The Infinity Saga". 

Phase Four began with the release of Black Widow in 2021 and ended with the release of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever in 2022. Phase Five began with Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania in 2023 and ended with the release of Thunderbolts* in 2025. Phase Six began with The Fantastic Four: First Steps in 2025 and will end with the release of Avengers: Secret Wars in 2027. The second of the three phases are collectively known as "The Multiverse Saga".

 TV series and specials 

Marvel Television expanded the universe to network television with Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. on ABC in 2013, followed by streaming television with Daredevil on Netflix in 2015 and Runaways on Hulu in 2017, and cable television with Cloak & Dagger on Freeform in 2018. Marvel Television produced the digital series Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: Slingshot. Marvel Studios themselves expanded to streaming with Disney+, starting with WandaVision in 2021 as the beginning of Phase Four. They also produced television specials known as Marvel Studios Special Presentations, starting with Werewolf by Night (2022) in Phase Four. Soundtrack albums have been released for all the movies and many of the television series, as well as compilation albums containing existing music heard in the movies. The MCU includes tie-in comics published by Marvel Comics, while Marvel Studios has produced a series of direct-to-video short movies, called Marvel One-Shots, and a viral marketing campaign for its movies and the universe with the faux news program WHIH Newsfront.

Shorts
+MovieU.S. release dateDirectorScreenwriterProducerHome media releaseThe ConsultantSeptember 13, 2011LeythumEric PearsonKevin FeigeThorA Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Thor's HammerOctober 25, 2011Captain America: The First AvengerItem 47September 25, 2012Louis D'EspositoMarvel's The AvengersAgent CarterSeptember 3, 2013 (digital)
September 24, 2013 (physical)Iron Man 3All Hail the KingFebruary 4, 2014 (digital)
February 25, 2014 (physical)Drew PearceThor: The Dark WorldTeam Thor August 28, 2016 (digital)
September 13, 2016 (physical)Taika WaititiCaptain America: Civil WarTeam Thor: Part 2February 14, 2017 (digital)
February 28, 2017 (physical)Doctor StrangeTeam DarrylFebruary 20, 2018 (digital)
March 6, 2018 (physical)Thor: RagnarokPeter's To-Do ListSeptember 17, 2019 (digital)
October 1, 2019 (physical)Jon WattsChris McKenna & Erik SommersKevin Feige and Amy PascalSpider-Man: Far From Home

Web series
Web SeriesSeasonEpisodesAir DatesWHIH Newsfront15July 2, 2015 - July 16, 201525April 22, 2016 - May 3, 2016Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: Slingshot16December 13, 2016

 Recurring cast and characters 
List indicator(s)

This section includes characters who will appear or have appeared in at least three MCU movies/series and received main billing credit in at least two franchises.

 An empty grey cell indicates the character was not in the media, or that the character's presence has not yet been confirmed.

 A P indicates an appearance in onscreen photographs.
 A V indicates a voice-only role.

CharacterFeature moviesTelevision series and specialsShort moviesDigital seriesAnimationAyoFlorence KasumbaBruce Banner 
HulkEdward Norton
Lou FerrignoVMark RuffaloMark RuffaloMark RuffaloBucky Barnes 
Winter Soldier / White WolfSebastian StanSebastian StanClint Barton 
Hawkeye / RoninJeremy RennerJeremy RennerLaura BartonLinda CardelliniYelena BelovaFlorence PughFlorence PughKate BishopHailee SteinfeldHailee SteinfeldEmil Blonsky
AbominationTim RothLuke CageMike ColterPeggy CarterHayley AtwellHayley AtwellSharon Carter 
Agent 13 / Power BrokerEmily VanCampEmily VanCampFrank Castle 
PunisherJohn BernthalPhil CoulsonClark GreggCarol Danvers 
Captain MarvelBrie LarsonAlexandra DanielsDrax the DestroyerDave BautistaFred TatascioreHope van Dyne 
WaspEvangeline LillyEvangeline LillyWilson Fisk 
KingpinVincent D'OnofrioValentina Allegra de FontaineJulia Louis-DreyfusNick FurySamuel L. JacksonSamuel L. JacksonGamoraZoe SaldañaCynthia McWilliamsBen Grimm
The ThingEbon Moss-BachrachGrootVin DieselVFred TatascioreJustin HammerSam RockwellSam RockwellSam RockwellAgatha HarknessKathryn HahnKathryn HahnHeimdallIdris ElbaIdris ElbaMaria HillCobie SmuldersCobie SmuldersHappy HoganJon FavreauJon FavreauJ.A.R.V.I.S.
Edwin JarvisPaul Bettany
James D'ArcyJames D'ArcyJames D'ArcyJessica JonesKrysten RitterKamala Khan 
Ms. MarvelIman VellaniIman VellaniYusuf KhanMohan KapurMisty KnightSimone MissickKorathDjimon HounsouDjimon HounsouScott Lang 
Ant-ManPaul RuddPaul RuddDarcy LewisKat DenningsKat DenningsLokiTom HiddlestonTom HiddlestonMantisPom KlementieffWanda Maximoff 
Scarlet WitchElizabeth OlsenElizabeth OlsenM'BakuWinston DukeMatt Murdock 
DaredevilCharlie CoxCharlie CoxNebulaKaren GillanKaren GillanFoggy NelsonElden HensonKraglin ObfonteriSean GunnSean GunnOkoyeDanai GuriraDanai GuriraKaren PageDeborah Ann WollMay ParkerMarisa TomeiKari WahlgrenPeter Parker 
Spider-ManTom HollandTom HollandHudson ThamesPepper PottsGwyneth PaltrowBeth HoytHank PymMichael DouglasMichael DouglasPeter Quill
Star-LordChris PrattBrian T. DelaneyMonica RambeauAkira AkbarTeyonah ParrisTeyonah ParrisTeyonah ParrisRamondaAngela BassettAngela BassettDanny Rand 
Iron FistFinn JonesJames Rhodes 
War Machine / Iron PatriotTerrence HowardDon CheadleDon CheadleDon CheadleReed Richards
Mister FantasticPedro PascalRocketBradley CooperVSteve Rogers 
Captain AmericaChris EvansJosh KeatonNatasha Romanoff 
Black WidowScarlett JohanssonLake BellEverett K. RossMartin FreemanThaddeus Ross
Red HulkWilliam HurtMike McGillHarrison FordErik SelvigStellan SkarsgårdAlexei Shostakov
Red GuardianDavid HarbourDavid HarbourShuri 
Black PantherLetitia WrightOzioma AkaghaTrevor SlatteryBen KingsleyHoward StarkGerard SandersPDominic CooperDominic CooperJohn SlatteryJohn SlatteryDominic CooperTony Stark 
Iron ManRobert Downey, Jr.Mick WingertAva Starr
GhostHannah John-KamenJohnny Storm
Human TorchJoseph QuinnSusan Storm
Invisible WomanVanessa KirbyDr. Stephen StrangeBenedict CumberbatchBenedict CumberbatchTalosBen MendelsohnT'Challa 
Black PantherChadwick BosemanChadwick BosemanClaire TempleRosario DawsonThorChris HemsworthChris HemsworthChris HemsworthJoaquin Torres
FalconDanny RamirezUltronJames SpaderJames SpaderRoss MarquandRoss MarquandValkyrieTessa ThompsonTessa ThompsonVisionPaul BettanyPaul BettanyJohn Walker
Captain America / U.S. AgentWyatt RussellWyatt RussellRiri Williams
IronheartDominique ThorneDominique ThorneSam Wilson 
Falcon / Captain AmericaAnthony MackieAnthony MackieColleen WingJessica HenwickWongBenedict WongBenedict WongDavid ChenJimmy WooRandall ParkRandall Park

Notes

 Zak Penn was the first screenwriter of The Incredible Hulk. Edward Norton re-wrote the screenplay under the pseudonym "Edward Harrison". Both drafts were sent to the Writers Guild of America, who ultimately gave sole credit to Penn based on the final cut of the movie.

Other websites


Category:Fictional universes
Category:Media franchises