I have never seen a Marvel film.

Not Infinity War, Spider Man, Black Panther, Thor, Deadpool - nothing. I know, it's practically a crime in this modern day. Truth be told, I've just never gotten round to watching them. I've watched countless movie clips on YouTube, and a surprising amount of interviews with the cast, but I have never watched the films.

Which made this fandom all the more exciting to learn about. I was walking into territory unknown to me, completely new.

For those like myself who are complete Marvel newbies, here are some facts:

1. The Marvel Cinematic Universe is one of the most ambitious projects in film. Back in 2005 the idea of multiple superheros appearing on screen with each other seemed absurd, a stark change to recent Marvel films such as Infinity War which couldn't stop placing superheroes next to each on screen.

2. The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) was created as a way to reboot the Marvel Film Company's growing dissatisifcation with the presentation of the characters in film, hence the creation of the Avengers. Iron Man (2008) was the beginning of the MCU.

3. The Marvel Universe is huge. Like huge huge. You have all the stand alone films for different characters, plus franchises like Avengers, Guardians of the Galaxy, and so much more.

Day 1: Understanding Why

As someone who was not a natural Marvel fan, I thought it was imperative that I began my research by speaking to some proper fans about why Marvel attracted so many people. The MCU is not some fringe fandom on the edge of society, it has dominated the box office and the hearts of thousands for years. But why?

"I think it's the characters. They are very easy to relate to and sympathize with. You can bond with people over these characters and their relationships with each other really easily," one person told me.

'I guess it depends on the person but I think there's something super fascinating about superheroes, and also how they too have weaknesses and problems despite their powers / special abilities. I think the fantasy / sci-fi side is interesting to a lot of people too, but with especially Marvel there's also a lot of comedy in the movies. But I'd say that the characters are a main part of all the hype, they're lovable and relatable yet not flawless, and all the relationships (both romantic and platonic) with the other characters are easy to get attached to, and the powers are pretty cool too of course', another person told me.

Did Marvel have the same sort of impact on people as Harry Potter? I didn't think it was exactly the same. Both fandoms were fascinated by the fantasy aspects of the novels, but it seemed to me that what they were looking for in the characters differed slightly. In Harry Potter there seemed to be an active adoration for the 'Outsider' character, in the Marvel fandom it seems to be an adoration for the real characters, the ones who have flaws and appear human despite their superhero powers. But there were definitely parallels between the two fandoms, and I was beginning to gain a deeper understanding of what makes these fans go crazy for Marvel.

The research team at ZappiStore even conducted an investigation which found that audiences reacted better towards Marvel characters than DC characters because they felt more emotion and connection with Marvel figures.

As I was conducting the more professional side of my research online, I came across an idea which hadn't really occurred to me before. One website said that part of Marvel's appeal is the fact that it is never ending. Unlike some series where there is an end point, the MCU doesn't have that. Perhaps this helps people to get more behind the movies because they know that this is a commitment for life almost, and a gift which keeps on giving.

Day 2: Characters vs Actors

Marvel has the rights to 7,000 of the 10,000 characters from the DC universe. Wow. However, like any fandom there are definitely some characters that fans lean more towards.

One fan told me that 'I think Tony Stark is very popular because he had a rough past. His dad wasn't the greatest, he was gone a lot and Tony was left alone. Hes got anxiety, depression, and PTSD plus some drinking issues. And I think a lot of people that like Marvel can relate to that. Tony Stark has all this stuff he's dealing with emotionally but he still had to be Ironman. He still has to save people because that's his job. Cause he has to protect the people he cares about.'

Ah yes, Tony Stark AKA Ironman. Aka Robert Downey Jr. for those who want a visual reference. Tony Stark is an industrialist, genius inventor, and consummate playboy who is CEO of Stark Industries.

What I wanted to find out though was whether the fandom had an equal love for the characters as well as the actors who played them. I had watched a few Marvel interviews before, mainly the ones with actors I knew and loved in them, and noticed how much the fandom seemed to love the actors. I wanted to know whether this love was on par with the adoration they feel towards the superhero characters themselves.

"I think it depends on the person. Of course the fans love the films first, but the choice of actors is a bonus," one person told me.

Day 3: What is it About the World?

The feud between Marvel and DC Comic fans is quite famous, but rather than getting into that and making this book a battleground between fandoms, I simply wanted to find out - what was it about the Marvel world that drew people in.

"Well, I think they gained such a huge following because when they first started coming out (Iron Man 1&2) there wasn't really any really really good superhero movies. Iron Man was made beautifully and Robert Downey Jr was Tony Stark. They were the superhero movies until The Dark Knight came out but even then Marvel offers up more than DC does. DC's films both look bad and they're too gloomy. Not everyone wants to watch Bruce Wayne's parents die over and over. Marvel knows what they are doing and because of that they have different plots and themes I guess. And for many teens Avengers came out when they were still kids so they grew up with the films."  one fan told me, creating yet another parallel with the Harry Potter fandom. Maybe it is easier to gain a huge audience when people have your films as key moments in their childhood memories.

When you have a world as complex and intricate as the Marvel Universe, it's hard for people's imaginations not be unlocked. Marvel has a universal appeal for people of all demographics; they are full of action, humour, and characters to fall in love with.

They have become an integral part of popular culture, and are recognisable to nearly everyone. However, each actor seems to place a slightly new edge to the characters they are playing. You can see the clear excitement in Tom Holland at playing Spider-Man which gives the character a nice edge.

A reporter at Vice did a quite similar article to this chapter where she describes her experience watching all 18 films in one week. By the end of it her reaction was this: 'It's been wild. Seeing these individuals—gifted with super strength, or advanced technology, or walkmans full of sick 80s tunes—converge in this one movie was so worth the agony of watching ten years worth of movies in a week. You've got me Marvel. I've been suckered in.'

Maybe Marvel really is that powerful, with a universal appeal which allows it to connect with nearly everyone.

Day 4: Fanfiction

So, I was brought to the age old question again - why were fans writing so much fanfiction? I turned straight to someone who knew the Marvel fanfic community.

"I think they write fanfic about marvel because they a) want to be apart of that universe b) they want to change some part of the universe to their liking c) they want to add some character to this universe they want to see how their character can change things in said universe," I was told.

But where does one even begin writing Fanfiction when you have a world so vast? How do you choose what characters to use? What situations to place the characters in?

Like every series, people tend to have their favourite characters, and therefore are more likely to write Fanfiction about those characters. Therefore, if you have thousands of fans writing about (quite literally) thousands of characters the chances are you're going to have Fanfiction surrounding most of the major characters. And with a world as vast and malleable as the MCU (seeing as there is so much to be discovered) writers probably have more artistic license than other fanfic writers.

Day 5: Reflection

So, I had found myself learning a lot this week.

First off, I now finally understand the difference between Marvel and DC which is something which I'm sure is valuable to know.

But secondly, I found myself taken into this world which continued to grow and grow the more I learnt about it. I knew Marvel was one of the biggest fandoms out there - Black Panther won like three Oscars, so it's not like Marvel is some fringe fandom! But I guess I hadn't really thought too hard about why people loved Marvel films - or superhero films in general.

There is something incredibly satisfying about slowly unpicking a world which is continuing growing and expanding, falling in love with complex characters who may have superpowers but are also human. I think that sums up really where Marvel's success lies - you can make the coolest film ever, but if people can't relate or like the characters there's no point.

It has definitely made me realise what I have been missing out on. I may sound ignorant but before doing this investigation I had always assumed the only real appeal of the Marvel films was the cool visuals and superpowers, but I have come away with a clear understanding that it's the characters which act as the backbone of the whole Universe.

NEXT WEEK...

YOU DECIDE

PERCY JACKSON OR SHANE DAWSON?

COMMENT BELOW!

(also comment what other fandoms you would like to see chapters on)