Written as my dissertation for my Digital Media and Communications degree at University of Birmingham 1. Introduction The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has become one of the most commercially and culturally significant media franchises of the twenty-first century. The phenomenon that began with the release of Iron Man (2008) culminated in one of the most significant cinematic events with Avengers: Endgame (2019) and the conclusion of the Infinity Saga. As the franchise shif

Originally written for and published on empowordjournalism.com The concept of fandom is growing substantially in importance as the digital age rises. What was once just a passive audience, has become the ground for avid communities to form. The term, which can very simply be defined as “the state of being a fan of someone or something”, derives from Henry Jenkin’s idea of participatory culture. Participatory culture was coined in 2006 and focuses much more on the social conne