The Marvel universe is becoming more diverse | Popgen Tech

The Marvel Cinematic Universe — one of the biggest institutions in popular culture — is finally starting to reflect the diversity of its fans in the real world.

The big picture: “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” out today, will be the first Marvel movie with a Black woman in the lead.

• From the beginning of the MCU in 2008, until the release of “Black Panther” in 2018, every Marvel movie has had a white person as its main character.
• But “Black Panther” was a real tipping point: Eleven of the 16 Marvel movies released since then (ensemble casts aside) have had a woman or a person of color at the center.

The bottom line: Marvel is as big as it gets. The films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe have grossed more than $22 billion at the box office, and billions more in merchandising, and have spawned a worldwide legion of hardcore fandom.

• “It’s important to be seen authentically, heard in your authentic voice, and for stories to incorporate diverse perspectives for richer and more effective narratives,” said Kevin Strait, museum curator at the National Museum of African American History & Culture.

Deepen: Axios’ blockbuster visuals team has put together a stunning project that traces the evolution of the MCU, and the growing diversity within the franchise.