Chaotic Asian Spaces in the Marvel Cinematic Universe

Abstract

N RECENT YEARS, THE MARVEL CINEMATIC UNIVERSE, AS WELL AS Marvel-affiliated films like Venom, have increased their focus on spaces outside of the MCU's previous US-centric scope, with examples of such expansion manifesting in Marvel's creation of fictionalized versions of Asian settings. This inclusive mindset has been met with as much criticism as it has praise, with many rightfully concerned that such focus leads to the tokenization of other cultures, namely those of East Asia, for theatrical benefit. Indeed, such inclusion is as much a practical benefit as it is a progressive one. By exploring these new locations, the many creators of the MCU develop a fictional world in which the entire Earth is threatened; such threats become less significant if they only threaten American soil. Early MCU villains, such as the terrorist group Hydra which debuted in Captain America: The First Avenger, show how Marvel learned to expand their decidedly American threats to a global scale. These threats, however, pale in comparison to those in later Marvel films, which encompass danger on an international, global, and even planetary scale. This article analyzes three Marvel films-Black Panther (2018), Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015), and Doctor Strange (2016), all within the Marvel Cinematic Universe-to explore the effects of Marvel's globalized threats on Asian locations. In each of these films, destruction and chaos are all featured in fictionalized Asian settings, pointing to the duality these films ascribe to their respective Asian backdrops and raising questions about the level of agency and potential stereotypes assigned to the Asian citizens of those locations. Ultimately, although Marvel films are beginning to provide greater