The MCU Diaries is Blake Larsen’s craft-first Marvel essay series for people who love the MCU but want more than recap, Easter eggs, or empty hype.
This is where I break down what Marvel stories are actually doing under the hood: character pressure, moral debt, value shifts, structure, theme, and the choices that make something hit — or miss. These essays are built around one idea at a time, with on-screen receipts to prove it.
That means you’ll find writing on Loki, WandaVision, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, and the bigger road to Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars. Sometimes the question is about a single episode. Sometimes it’s about a saga-level move. Either way, the goal is the same: figure out why the story works, why it doesn’t, and what it teaches us to watch for next.
If you’re looking for smart Marvel essays with a character-first lens and no sacred cows, you’re in the right place.
Start Here
- RDJ As Doctor Doom: The Mirror Villain Move
- What Secret Wars Is (Defined In LOKI Season 1)
- Why Doctor Strange Matters to Marvel’s Multiverse Saga
- Secret Wars Explained Through Loki Season 1
Prefer audio?
If you'd rather listen than read, the companion podcast lives here: The MCU Diaries podcast.
Latest MCU Diaries Entries
WandaVision Is About Grief — But Its Real Story Is About Control
WandaVision is obviously about grief, but grief is only Wanda’s wound. The real story is what happens when she tries to control reality, Vision and an entire town so...
Is WandaVision Season 2 Happening? VisionQuest Is The Continuation You’re Looking For
There is no announced WandaVision Season 2, but Marvel has not abandoned Westview. VisionQuest is picking up White Vision, Tommy and the consequences of the finale — just without...
Why Is WandaVision A Sitcom? The TV Gimmick Is Actually Wanda’s Defense Mechanism
Why is WandaVision a sitcom? Because Wanda builds a world where loss can be contained, family survives the episode and reality can be edited away. Here’s why the TV...
Why Is Ultron In VisionQuest? He’s More Than Vision’s Villain
Ultron is back in VisionQuest, but Marvel appears to be using him for more than nostalgia. Here’s how Ultron helped create Vision, why he still exists inside Vision’s programming...
Who Is White Vision? What Happened After WandaVision And Is He The Real Vision?
White Vision has Vision’s body and memories, but that does not automatically make him the same person. Here’s what happened to him after WandaVision, where he went and why...
VisionQuest Trailer Review: Marvel Gave Vision His Memories Back. That Wasn’t Enough
I loved the VisionQuest trailer because Marvel appears to be asking a much better question than “Who is White Vision?” He already has Vision’s memories. The problem is whether...