Marvel Cinematic Universe

The Marvel Cinematic Universe, commonly abbreviated MCU, is an American media franchise and shared fictional universe built around superhero films and television series produced by Marvel Studios, based on characters that originally appeared in Marvel Comics. It began with the film Iron Man in 2008 and has since released dozens of interconnected films, organized informally into numbered phases, together with television series produced for Disney Plus, and has become the highest grossing film franchise of all time, with worldwide box office receipts exceeding 30 billion dollars across its films. Central figures include Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Black Widow and the Hulk, whose stories converge in team up films such as The Avengers, and the franchise is closely associated with its post credits scene format and its practice of planning stories years in advance across many linked releases. Kevin Feige has served as its president and chief creative officer since the franchise began.