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
Loki: Episode 1.03 “Lamentis” | Love Is Knowing And Accepting Fault
oki episode 1.03 "Lamentis" really wants to resonate with the viewer and clearly set up a redemption arc for Loki, but it falls just short.
Loki: Episode 1.02 “Variant” | Going Beyond “The Hook”
Loki episode 1.02 "Variant" builds on the hook of the first episode, and shows it's cards for the rest of the series in an unexpected fashion.
Loki: Episode 1.01 “Glorious Purpose” | Deconstructing Character Through Exposition
Loki episode 1.01 "Glorious Purpose" is a perfect entry into this series and serves as a flawless deconstruction of a character we thought we knew to a tee via...
The Falcon And The Winter Soldier: 1.06 – One People, One World (FINALE) | Expect The Worst. Hope For The Best
The Falcon And The Winter Soldier season finale, episode 1.06 - "One People, One World", is an example of MCU storytelling at it's finest. But, also, it's very worst.
The Falcon And The Winter Soldier: 1.05 – Truth | Breaking Stasis
The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, episode 1.05 "Truth", starts with a bang and takes a methodical step back from the action to allow our heroes the chance to...
The Falcon And The Winter Soldier: 1.04 – The Whole World Is Watching | Confronting Trauma
The Falcon and The Winter Soldier episode 1.04 "The Whole World Is Watching" brings back some much needed nuance to it's characters and proves that our heroes need to...