Irene Zarza Rubio

Thesis

Thesis Title & Description

I Still Believe in Heroes’: Creating a Contemporary Mythology in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

• Supervisor: Simon Van Der Borgh and Nathan Townsend

My doctoral research focuses on the relationship between the concepts of mythology and interconnected transmedia storytelling. The word ‘mythology’ is usually associated with a collection of stories shared by a particular cultural tradition. Contemporary media has recently adopted the idea of creating a shared universe of stories, with the interconnected franchises of the Marvel Cinematic Universe as the most prominent example. This PhD seeks to determine whether such stories should be considered contemporary mythologies. Elements such as narrative cohesion, fandom or stardom will be analysed to discover the level of engagement these narratives establish with audiences to become part of the collective consciousness.