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
Who Is the Original Human Torch? Why VisionQuest’s Painting Is a Warning
VisionQuest Episode 2 hides Marvel’s original Human Torch in plain sight. Meet Jim Hammond, the 1939 android, and discover why his painting warns Vision about the danger of feeling.
VisionQuest’s AIs Explained: JARVIS, FRIDAY, EDITH, the Mindspace And One Giant A-Hole
Who are JARVIS, FRIDAY, EDITH, DUM-E and U in VisionQuest? Explore Vision's Mindspace, Tony Stark's AI history, and what the household reveals about him.
Who Is Paladin in VisionQuest? A Villain Whose Code Makes Fiona’s Death Much Worse
Who is Paladin in VisionQuest? Todd Stashwick’s mercenary uses Tommy, an EMP trap, and adamantium rounds against Vision while his mysterious employer remains hidden.
KNEE-JERK REACTION | VisionQuest 1.01: Vision’s Biggest Lie Is About Being Human
VisionQuest Episode 1, “No Strings,” confronts White Vision with the limits of observing humanity from a distance. Our craft-heavy KJR examines Ultron, Fiona, the Mindspace, and Tommy.
WandaVision’s Ship Of Theseus Explained: Why It Matters To VisionQuest
WandaVision’s Ship of Theseus scene asks which Vision is real. VisionQuest is turning that philosophy into a story about memory, virtue, Tommy and choice.
Who Is Tommy In VisionQuest? How Wanda’s Son Came Back
Who is Tommy in VisionQuest? Agatha All Along revealed how Wanda and Vision’s son returned. Now Thomas Shepherd turns Vision’s identity crisis into fatherhood.