Mythology and the MCU - Extended Universes and Why We Need Them
Harry Penwell
Mythology and the MCU
What do Greek mythology and the Marvel Cinematic Universe have in common? They are both sprawling worlds populated with hundreds, if not thousands, of developed and undeveloped characters among varied and intensely detailed environments. They both have fan favourite characters, such as Zeus and Iron Man, that are focussed on repeatedly, as well as some that only make one or two appearances, such as Melissa the Bee in Greek Mythology or Whiplash in the MCU. They have inter-connected stories, branching story arcs and deep backstories. They have inconsistencies, contradictions and ambiguities. And they have fans/followers who both enjoy and add to the universes. They’re both more than singular stories that have a beginning, middle and end, instead encompassing much more. And we seem to need them.
Mythology and Meaning
The common root of much of the world’s mythology, perhaps the first examples of ‘extended universes’, is the need to explain the problems and phenomena of the world in one continuous and branching narrative. The Greeks used mythology to explain how humanity came about - in the story of Prometheus - as well as why the forces of death, memory, love, and so on, exist - they put these down to the existence of deities such as Thanatos and Aphrodite. They also used mythology to explain why people should and shouldn’t do things. And, while their messages might no longer apply (we’re not so much for surrendering ourselves over to the gods nowadays, after all) their methods certainly do.
Namely, the effectiveness of repeating a message over and over again, showing the continuous consequences of characters’ actions. For example, many Ancient Greek myths focused on the consequences of breaking the rules of xenia, the Ancient Greek’s rules for hospitality. By showing that breaking these rules will cause tragedy and death at the hands of the gods in many stories, including Odysseus’s meeting with the cyclops Polyphemus and the witch Circe, as well as the story of Baucis and Philemon, the message is reinforced much more effectively than singular stories in an isolated universe could do.
The MCU and Morals
Another example would be the MCU’s insistence on morality of the balance between power and responsibility and the much quoted and maligned ‘power of friendship’. Using the same characters to continuously tell these messages and show the long-term effects of disobeying them is more effective than using singular, isolated stories. This is for two reasons. First, because the audience has longer to get to know and understand the characters, and so the consequences are also better understood. Second, because the same message repeated again and again will be more likely to be understood and accepted by the audience.
The House or the Jungle
Another reason, and perhaps the greatest one, for why we need ‘extended universes’, and why they’re effective as storytelling devices, is that they offer a much larger place for audiences to escape to and be entertained. For example, it is much easier to get lost in either Tolkien’s Middle-Earth or Christopher Paolini’s Alagaesia than it is in a single narrative such as Orwell’s 1984 universe. Not that you would want to get lost in 1984, of course, but that’s beside the point. This is simply because there is more content for the fan to experience. Tolkien’s Middle-Earth, for instance, has about 22 books published in its universe by either J.R.R. Tolkien or his son, each one expanding on the history or characters that populate the world.
I would compare the difference between singular narratives and ‘extended universes’ to the difference between a house and a jungle. In 1984 you are contained to a house’s worth of content, all nicely filed away. You can see out the windows to the ‘Street of Inference’, but you can’t really get there; at least not without the help of fans, but I’ll get on to that in a moment. In Middle-Earth, however, you are on an adventure through a jungle. It’s not as well organised, perhaps, and can get a little dense but is also a much more vibrant and populated world.
Fanon and Canon
This is disregarding the Middle-Earth-centred films and ‘fanon’ all of which combine to create a universe large enough to live in. (Fanon are stories created by fans that aren’t considered part of the true ‘canon’ of the fictional universe. ‘Canon’ is the term given to stories when they are considered to be genuine parts of their fictional universe and is generally only given to the original writer’s work). As suggested, the ‘extended universe’ of these stories need not all be in the same medium, such as books or films, and can belong to multiple mediums, for example the MCU’s connected Netflix, TV, Disney + and film universes.
However, some storytellers might wish to differentiate between the different versions of their universe, such as with Star Wars’ canonicity levels (the nine main films, TV shows and anthology films being above the books for example) or Star Trek’s attempt to avoid continuity errors between JJ Abrams’ film series and the original TV show by saying that they occur in alternate timelines. In addition, originally singular narratives, such as the aforementioned 1984, can have fan-made ‘extended universes’ but these are much less likely to be considered canon, and instead lie in the realm of inference and opinion. In fact, any time that you have an opinion on 1984’s narrative you are adding to its personal ‘extended universe’.
A Universe to Explore
All in all, however, the best examples of ‘extended universes’ will have almost inexhaustible amounts of content, and it will be up to the fans to decide what they deem ‘canon’ or not. In fact, an ‘extended universe’ also allows the fan to pick and choose what parts of the larger story they want to focus on, while still feeling that they belong to a wider group of fans and stories. Of course, some people might decide that certain aspects of the ‘extended universe’ should be forgotten completely, but that’s another story for another time.
On Writing
And for those budding writers out there, so what can the artist, not the fan, gain from ‘extended universes’? Well, simply, they allow the writer to develop more complex narratives, with more highly detailed environments and characters with multiple dimensions and years-worth of backstory. Just ask Tolkien, who went so far as to produce his own languages, or James Cameron who’s created, and simulated, the ecosystems for his film series, Avatar.
And remember, you don’t necessarily have to publish your personal ‘extended universe’ but could instead consider it as a large collection of notes - although I would suggest that it’s more fun and worthwhile to at least give your audience a peek, much like with Christopher Paolini’s Q&A sessions. And with the current rise of franchises, these notes could always become a new, profitable, adventure. Just think of the Fantastic Beasts films. Ultimately, however, the best reason to write ‘extended universes’ is that you get to spend more time in the fictional world that you’ve slaved over and to explore the furthest reaches of your imagination. And is that not why we write?
Good Company
While this article might suggest otherwise, I am not against singular narratives. There are many problems with ‘extended universes’, from continuity errors to issues with succinctness, and many advantages to singular narratives that I might cover in a future article. However, I won’t lie. Why get lost in the metaphorical house of imagination when there’s an entire jungle, or even a universe out there? And the long history of other universes to explore as well? You can’t say that you wouldn’t be in good company.