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Marvel Cinematic Universe
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<p>The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is an American <a href="/facts/Media_franchise/IBzGhQjA">media franchise</a> and <a href="/facts/Shared_universe/FKMcprIl">shared universe</a> centered on <a href="/facts/List_of_Marvel_Cinematic_Universe_films/tEhe0NFS">a series</a> of <a href="/facts/Superhero_film/MdNcezht">superhero films</a> produced by <a href="/facts/Marvel_Studios/1sz7HYQo">Marvel Studios</a>. The films are based on characters that appear in <a href="/facts/American_comic_book/RA0DTh5F">American comic books</a> published by <a href="/facts/Marvel_Comics/aze3GojA">Marvel Comics</a>. The franchise also includes <a href="/facts/List_of_Marvel_Cinematic_Universe_television_series/za5RHGTx">several television series</a>, short films, digital series, and literature. The shared universe, much like the original <a href="/facts/Marvel_Universe/28HVIee8">Marvel Universe</a> in comic books, was established by <a href="/facts/Crossover_(fiction)/847DbpJ0">crossing over</a> common plot elements, settings, cast, and characters. </p><p>Marvel Studios releases its films in groups called "Phases", with the first three phases collectively known as "The Infinity Saga" and the following three phases as "The Multiverse Saga". The first MCU film, <i><a href="/facts/Iron_Man_(2008_film)/spYD5hkx">Iron Man</a></i> (2008), began <a href="/facts/Marvel_Cinematic_Universe:_Phase_One/Lu5e0qVg">Phase One</a>, which culminated in the 2012 crossover film <i><a href="/facts/The_Avengers_(2012_film)/vHHn6jey">The Avengers</a></i>. <a href="/facts/Marvel_Cinematic_Universe:_Phase_Two/GfByFsB9">Phase Two</a> began with <i><a href="/facts/Iron_Man_3/oHqWu8Vz">Iron Man 3</a></i> (2013) and concluded with <i><a href="/facts/Ant-Man_(film)/S9Lc4PBP">Ant-Man</a></i> (2015), while <a href="/facts/Marvel_Cinematic_Universe:_Phase_Three/mv2AeJGJ">Phase Three</a> began with <i><a href="/facts/Captain_America:_Civil_War/5QthJRVL">Captain America: Civil War</a></i> (2016) and concluded with <i><a href="/facts/Spider-Man:_Far_From_Home/vdgP3jBA">Spider-Man: Far From Home</a></i> (2019). <i><a href="/facts/Black_Widow_(2021_film)/FXWc1Rok">Black Widow</a></i> (2021) is the first film in <a href="/facts/Marvel_Cinematic_Universe:_Phase_Four/LxsCyukv">Phase Four</a>, which concluded with <i><a href="/facts/Black_Panther:_Wakanda_Forever/fAeAz1Sq">Black Panther: Wakanda Forever</a></i> (2022), while <a href="/facts/Marvel_Cinematic_Universe:_Phase_Five/tEhe0NFS">Phase Five</a> began with <i><a href="/facts/Ant-Man_and_the_Wasp:_Quantumania/CUUqM8aC">Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania</a></i> (2023) and will conclude with <i><a href="/facts/Thunderbolts*/vLYhzfwA">Thunderbolts*</a></i> (2025). <a href="/facts/Marvel_Cinematic_Universe:_Phase_Six/c5bgvb8G">Phase Six</a> will begin with <i><a href="/facts/The_Fantastic_Four:_First_Steps/3totb3Bg">The Fantastic Four: First Steps</a></i> (2025) and it will conclude with <i><a href="/facts/Avengers:_Doomsday/c5bgvb8G">Avengers: Doomsday</a></i> (2026) and <i><a href="/facts/Avengers:_Secret_Wars/c5bgvb8G">Avengers: Secret Wars</a></i> (2027). </p><p><a href="/facts/Marvel_Television/hjDmsC8L">Marvel Television</a> expanded the universe to network television with <i><a href="/facts/Agents_of_S.H.I.E.L.D./TwREMA4e">Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.</a></i> on <a href="/facts/American_Broadcasting_Company/WGxg4vRX">ABC</a> in 2013 before further expanding to <a href="/facts/Streaming_television/D6aUck27">streaming television</a> on <a href="/facts/Netflix/TKtlFVY9">Netflix</a> and <a href="/facts/Hulu/BzDs7GsQ">Hulu</a> and to <a href="/facts/Cable_television/GzXa4pbW">cable television</a> on <a href="/facts/Freeform_(TV_channel)/4NFgDxGG">Freeform</a>. They also produced the digital series <i><a href="/facts/Agents_of_S.H.I.E.L.D.:_Slingshot/x7hWr3Ay">Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: Slingshot</a></i> (2016). Marvel Studios began producing their own television series for streaming on <a href="/facts/Disney%2B/oKWuzTvQ">Disney+</a>, starting with <i><a href="/facts/WandaVision/p0cA1G8F">WandaVision</a></i> in 2021 as the beginning of Phase Four. That phase also saw the studio expand to television specials, known as <a href="/facts/Marvel_Studios_Special_Presentations/v8h7zBhf">Marvel Studios Special Presentations</a>, starting with <i><a href="/facts/Werewolf_by_Night_(TV_special)/NqVqKAlR">Werewolf by Night</a></i> (2022). The MCU includes <a href="/facts/Marvel_Cinematic_Universe_tie-in_comics/Bg7FBap8">various tie-in comics</a> published by Marvel Comics, a series of direct-to-video short films called <a href="/facts/Marvel_One-Shots/tXr2f4C4">Marvel One-Shots</a> from 2011 to 2014, and <a href="/facts/Viral_marketing/Q7W5L4C7">viral marketing</a> campaigns for some films featuring the faux news programs <i><a href="/facts/WHIH_Newsfront/exockLk2">WHIH Newsfront</a></i> (2015–16) and <i><a href="/facts/The_Daily_Bugle_(web_series)/1FVlj79g">The Daily Bugle</a></i> (2019–2022). </p><p>The franchise has been commercially successful, becoming one of the <a href="/facts/List_of_highest-grossing_media_franchises/1NfBbxte">highest-grossing media franchises</a> of all time, and it has received generally positive reviews from critics. The studio attributed several Multiverse Saga projects performing below expectations to the increase in the amount of content being produced after the 2019 film <i><a href="/facts/Avengers:_Endgame/fPI7MoP6">Avengers: Endgame</a></i>, and began decreasing its content output from 2024. The MCU has inspired other film and television studios to attempt similar shared universes and has also inspired several themed attractions, an art exhibit, television specials, literary material, multiple tie-in video games, and commercials. </p>