Explorez tous les épisodes du podcast The MCU Diaries: Essays On Marvel Storycraft & Meaning
| Titre | Date | Durée | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deadpool & Wolverine — Why This Movie Hits Harder Than You Think | 05 May 2026 | ||
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MCU Diaries Entry 6: Deadpool & Wolverine — Why This Movie Hits Harder Than You Think from Mary & Blake — This isn’t just multiverse chaos and fan-service sugar. This entry argues that Deadpool & Wolverine works because it roots all that noise in character pressure, with the Honda Odyssey fight revealing the movie’s real heart and the larger MCU lesson Marvel needs for Avengers: Doomsday. Spoilers: Full spoilers ahead. Subscribe to Receive the Latest MCU Diaries Entries APPLE PODCASTS SPOTIFY YOUTUBE This Entry’s MCU Diaries Coverage
Blake digs into why Deadpool & Wolverine is one of the smarter and more meaningful Marvel movies in a long time. This episode argues that the film works because it turns multiverse chaos into character pressure, uses Logan’s death as emotional debt instead of empty nostalgia, and makes the Honda Odyssey fight the scene where Deadpool’s performance finally gives way to the wound underneath. In This Episode
If you want the visual cut with the receipts on screen, watch the full episode on YouTube here: Deadpool & Wolverine — Why This Movie Hits Harder Than You Think. The Doomsday Movement
If you want the deeper Lab Notes version of this entry — the scene autopsy, the pattern tools, and the craft framework you can steal for your own story analysis — head to JoinTheNerdClan.com. More MCU DiariesFor more craft-first essays and episodes on Marvel story structure, character design, and the road to Doomsday, visit the MCU Diaries podcast hub and the MCU Diaries blog hub. | |||
| The Consent Line — What Ant-Man & The Wasp Quantumania is REALLY Doing | 21 Apr 2026 | ||
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The Consent Line — What Quantumania is REALLY Doing from Mary & Blake — Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is a messy movie with a sharp moral engine. In this entry, Blake defines The Quantumania Consent Line — the moment protection becomes control — and proves how Janet, Kang, and Scott each turn that question into the saga’s clearest test of agency. Spoilers: Full spoilers ahead for Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. Subscribe to Receive the Latest MCU Diaries EntriesAPPLE PODCASTS SPOTIFY YOUTUBE Episode SnapshotQuantumania is clunky, noisy, and occasionally pretty rough. It is also quietly one of the clearest moral arguments in the Multiverse Saga. This entry breaks down the film through one reusable craft tool: The Consent Line. On the board in this entry
Read the companion article here: What Quantumania Is REALLY Doing (The Consent Line). Also in this entry
Where do you think Quantumania actually works: Janet’s secrecy, Kang’s pitch, or Scott’s final refusal? And where do you think the movie pulls the punch? | |||
| The MCU Diaries: LOKI: 1.03 – Lamentis | 03 Aug 2021 | ||
The MCU Diaries Host Blake Larsen chats LOKI: episode 1.03 – Lamentis. Blake discusses why love is knowing and accepting fault, why there is an odd structure shift half way through the series, and why it feels like all is not what it seems… CLICK HERE TO READ THE WRITTEN VERSION UNLOCK BONUS EPISODES, PREMIUM PODCASTS & MORE Join The #NerdClan SUBSCRIBE TO GET NOTIFICATIONS WHEN NEW EPISODES ARE RELEASEDAPPLE PODCASTS SPOTIFY YOUTUBE CONNECT WITH THE SHOWLike Us On Facebook | Follow us on Twitter | Follow Us On Instagram | Join Our Facebook Group | Join the #NerdClan CHECK OUT THE BEST MERCH ON THE PLANET AT – THE MARY & BLAKE STOREShop for all of our podcasts, sayings, and listener inspired designs in one easy place. Be sure to follow all of our other podcasts at MaryandBlake.com including:
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| The MCU Diaries: LOKI: 1.02 – The Variant | 03 Aug 2021 | ||
The MCU Diaries Host Blake Larsen chats LOKI: episode 1.02 – The Variant. Blake discusses how the show goes beyond it’s “hook”, Free Will vs. Determinism, and why The Falcon And The Winter Soldier should be furiously taking notes from Loki… CLICK HERE TO READ THE WRITTEN VERSION UNLOCK BONUS EPISODES, PREMIUM PODCASTS & MORE Join The #NerdClan SUBSCRIBE TO GET NOTIFICATIONS WHEN NEW EPISODES ARE RELEASEDAPPLE PODCASTS SPOTIFY YOUTUBE CONNECT WITH THE SHOWLike Us On Facebook | Follow us on Twitter | Follow Us On Instagram | Join Our Facebook Group | Join the #NerdClan CHECK OUT THE BEST MERCH ON THE PLANET AT – THE MARY & BLAKE STOREShop for all of our podcasts, sayings, and listener inspired designs in one easy place. Be sure to follow all of our other podcasts at MaryandBlake.com including:
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| The MCU Diaries: LOKI: 1.01 – Glorious Purpose (SEASON 1 PREMIERE) | 16 Jun 2021 | ||
The MCU Diaries Host Blake Larsen chats the LOKI season 1 premiere: episode 1.01 – Glorious Purpose. Blake discusses the exquisite use of exposition to break down character, how the show uses striking visuals and action to highlight the exposition, and why that leads to such an incredible emotional payoff by episode’s end… CLICK HERE TO READ THE WRITTEN VERSION UNLOCK BONUS EPISODES, PREMIUM PODCASTS & MORE Join The #NerdClan SUBSCRIBE TO GET NOTIFICATIONS WHEN NEW EPISODES ARE RELEASEDAPPLE PODCASTS SPOTIFY YOUTUBE CONNECT WITH THE SHOWLike Us On Facebook | Follow us on Twitter | Follow Us On Instagram | Join Our Facebook Group | Join the #NerdClan CHECK OUT THE BEST MERCH ON THE PLANET AT – THE MARY & BLAKE STOREShop for all of our podcasts, sayings, and listener inspired designs in one easy place. Be sure to follow all of our other podcasts at MaryandBlake.com including:
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| The MCU Diaries: The Falcon And The Winter Soldier: 1.06 – One People, One World (SEASON 1 FINALE) | 29 Apr 2021 | ||
The MCU Diaries Host Blake Larsen chats The Falcon And The Winter Soldier season 1 finale: episode 1.06 – One People, One World. Blake discusses Thesis and Antithesis, the cathartic arcs for Sam and Bucky, and why this episode is the MCU at it’s best, but also it’s very worst. CLICK HERE TO READ THE WRITTEN VERSION UNLOCK BONUS EPISODES, PREMIUM PODCASTS & MORE Join The #NerdClan SUBSCRIBE TO GET NOTIFICATIONS WHEN NEW EPISODES ARE RELEASEDAPPLE PODCASTS SPOTIFY YOUTUBE CONNECT WITH THE SHOWLike Us On Facebook | Follow us on Twitter | Follow Us On Instagram | Join Our Facebook Group | Join the #NerdClan CHECK OUT THE BEST MERCH ON THE PLANET AT – THE MARY & BLAKE STOREShop for all of our podcasts, sayings, and listener inspired designs in one easy place. Be sure to follow all of our other podcasts at MaryandBlake.com including:
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| The MCU Diaries: The Falcon And The Winter Soldier: 1.05 – Truth | 23 Apr 2021 | ||
The MCU Diaries Host Blake Larsen chats The Falcon And The Winter Soldier: episode 1.05 – Truth. Blake discusses the push and pull of the main character’s stasis, getting the big fight out of the way, and why THAT cameo is such a big deal for the MCU… CLICK HERE TO READ THE WRITTEN VERSION UNLOCK BONUS EPISODES, PREMIUM PODCASTS & MORE Join The #NerdClan SUBSCRIBE TO GET NOTIFICATIONS WHEN NEW EPISODES ARE RELEASEDAPPLE PODCASTS SPOTIFY YOUTUBE CONNECT WITH THE SHOWLike Us On Facebook | Follow us on Twitter | Follow Us On Instagram | Join Our Facebook Group | Join the #NerdClan CHECK OUT THE BEST MERCH ON THE PLANET AT – THE MARY & BLAKE STOREShop for all of our podcasts, sayings, and listener inspired designs in one easy place. Be sure to follow all of our other podcasts at MaryandBlake.com including:
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| The MCU Diaries: The Falcon And The Winter Soldier: 1.04 – The Whole World Is Watching | 16 Apr 2021 | ||
The MCU Diaries Host Blake Larsen chats The Falcon And The Winter Soldier: episode 1.04 – The Whole World Is Watching. Blake discusses the significance of THAT final shot, the emotional fulcrum of this series, and why a freshman psychology major would have done better than the American government… CLICK HERE TO READ THE WRITTEN VERSION UNLOCK BONUS EPISODES, PREMIUM PODCASTS & MORE Join The #NerdClan SUBSCRIBE TO GET NOTIFICATIONS WHEN NEW EPISODES ARE RELEASEDAPPLE PODCASTS SPOTIFY YOUTUBE CONNECT WITH THE SHOWLike Us On Facebook | Follow us on Twitter | Follow Us On Instagram | Join Our Facebook Group | Join the #NerdClan CHECK OUT THE BEST MERCH ON THE PLANET AT – THE MARY & BLAKE STOREShop for all of our podcasts, sayings, and listener inspired designs in one easy place. Be sure to follow all of our other podcasts at MaryandBlake.com including:
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| The MCU Diaries: The Falcon And The Winter Soldier: 1.03 – The Power Broker | 08 Apr 2021 | ||
The MCU Diaries Host Blake Larsen chats The Falcon And The Winter Soldier: episode 1.03 – The Power Broker. Blake discusses the plot informing character, another gotcha cliffhanger, and why this felt like John Wick Lite… CLICK HERE TO READ THE WRITTEN VERSION UNLOCK BONUS EPISODES, PREMIUM PODCASTS & MORE Join The #NerdClan SUBSCRIBE TO GET NOTIFICATIONS WHEN NEW EPISODES ARE RELEASEDAPPLE PODCASTS SPOTIFY YOUTUBE CONNECT WITH THE SHOWLike Us On Facebook | Follow us on Twitter | Follow Us On Instagram | Join Our Facebook Group | Join the #NerdClan CHECK OUT THE BEST MERCH ON THE PLANET AT – THE MARY & BLAKE STOREShop for all of our podcasts, sayings, and listener inspired designs in one easy place. Be sure to follow all of our other podcasts at MaryandBlake.com including:
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| The MCU Diaries: The Falcon And The Winter Soldier: 1.02 – Star Spangled Man | 01 Apr 2021 | ||
The MCU Diaries Host Blake Larsen chats The Falcon And The Winter Soldier: episode 1.02 – The Star Spangled Man. Blake discusses what it means to be “Captain America”, emotional validation versus choosing what’s right, and why there is no chance John Walker remains Cap beyond this series… CLICK HERE TO READ THE WRITTEN VERSION UNLOCK BONUS EPISODES, PREMIUM PODCASTS & MORE Join The #NerdClan SUBSCRIBE TO GET NOTIFICATIONS WHEN NEW EPISODES ARE RELEASEDAPPLE PODCASTS SPOTIFY YOUTUBE CONNECT WITH THE SHOWLike Us On Facebook | Follow us on Twitter | Follow Us On Instagram | Join Our Facebook Group | Join the #NerdClan CHECK OUT THE BEST MERCH ON THE PLANET AT – THE MARY & BLAKE STOREShop for all of our podcasts, sayings, and listener inspired designs in one easy place. Be sure to follow all of our other podcasts at MaryandBlake.com including:
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| The MCU Diaries: The Falcon And The Winter Soldier: 1.01 – New World Order (PREMIERE) | 23 Mar 2021 | ||
The MCU Diaries Host Blake Larsen chats the season 1 premiere of The Falcon And The Winter Soldier: 1.01 – New World Order Blake discusses how TFWTS echoes previous MCU films, our characters defining their purpose in new world, excellent direction in the therapy session, and why the episode begins and ends with “Captain America”… Click HERE for the written version of this episode UNLOCK BONUS EPISODES, PREMIUM PODCASTS & MORE Join The #NerdClan SUBSCRIBE TO GET NOTIFICATIONS WHEN NEW EPISODES ARE RELEASEDAPPLE PODCASTS SPOTIFY YOUTUBE CONNECT WITH THE SHOWLike Us On Facebook | Follow us on Twitter | Follow Us On Instagram | Join Our Facebook Group | Join the #NerdClan CHECK OUT THE BEST MERCH ON THE PLANET AT – THE MARY & BLAKE STOREShop for all of our podcasts, sayings, and listener inspired designs in one easy place. Be sure to follow all of our other podcasts at MaryandBlake.com including:
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| The MCU Diaries: WandaVision: Season 1 Wrap Up And Review — feat. Mary Larsen | 20 Mar 2021 | ||
The MCU Diaries Host Blake Larsen holds a wrap up and review for season 1 of WandaVision with help from special guest Mary Larsen… Mary and Blake break down the entire WandaVision season, our favorite moments, best characters, worst moments, how it affects the MCU, and much more… UNLOCK BONUS EPISODES, PREMIUM PODCASTS & MORE Join The #NerdClan SUBSCRIBE TO GET NOTIFICATIONS WHEN NEW EPISODES ARE RELEASEDAPPLE PODCASTS SPOTIFY YOUTUBE CONNECT WITH THE SHOWLike Us On Facebook | Follow us on Twitter | Follow Us On Instagram | Join Our Facebook Group | Join the #NerdClan CHECK OUT THE BEST MERCH ON THE PLANET AT – THE MARY & BLAKE STOREShop for all of our podcasts, sayings, and listener inspired designs in one easy place. Be sure to follow all of our other podcasts at MaryandBlake.com including:
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| Single Point Of Failure: The Multiverse Rules and LOKI Season 2 | 07 Apr 2026 | ||
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MCU Diaries Entry 2.04: The Multiverse Has One Weak Spot from Mary & Blake — Loki Season 2 installs the multiverse rule engine. This entry proves why the rules only matter when they collect a cost, and why Loki’s ending makes the entire saga breakable. Spoilers: Full spoilers ahead for Loki Season 2. Subscribe to Receive the Latest MCU Diaries EntriesAPPLE PODCASTS SPOTIFY YOUTUBE What we’re provingThe Multiverse Saga only works if its rules have consequences. Loki Season 2 makes that real by turning the multiverse into a system someone has to hold together—permanently. The three tools
Leave a comment on YouTube or on this post. Hard question for you: would you choose control if it stopped the bleeding? Loki multiverse rules | |||
| The MCU Diaries: WandaVision: 1.09 – The Series Finale (SEASON 1 FINALE) | 11 Mar 2021 | ||
The MCU Diaries Host Blake Larsen chats the season 1 finale of WandaVision — episode 1.09″The Series Finale”. Blake discusses why “The Series Finale” is a deeply satisfying conclusion to the operative theme of the story and it shows the viewer that not all good things must end. Rather, they must transform. Click HERE for the written version of this episode UNLOCK BONUS EPISODES, PREMIUM PODCASTS & MORE Join The #NerdClan SUBSCRIBE TO GET NOTIFICATIONS WHEN NEW EPISODES ARE RELEASEDAPPLE PODCASTS SPOTIFY YOUTUBE CONNECT WITH THE SHOWLike Us On Facebook | Follow us on Twitter | Follow Us On Instagram | Join Our Facebook Group | Join the #NerdClan CHECK OUT THE BEST MERCH ON THE PLANET AT – THE MARY & BLAKE STOREShop for all of our podcasts, sayings, and listener inspired designs in one easy place. Be sure to follow all of our other podcasts at MaryandBlake.com including:
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| The MCU Diaries: WandaVision: 1.08 – Previously On | 04 Mar 2021 | ||
The MCU Diaries Host Blake Larsen chats the penultimate WandaVision episode – 1.08 “Previously On”. Blake discusses how the penultimate episode of WandaVision serves as an exercise in Wanda’s fragile psychology while also exhibiting a magnificent balance of exposition, plot, and character. Click HERE for the written version of this episode UNLOCK BONUS EPISODES, PREMIUM PODCASTS & MORE Join The #NerdClan SUBSCRIBE TO GET NOTIFICATIONS WHEN NEW EPISODES ARE RELEASEDAPPLE PODCASTS SPOTIFY YOUTUBE CONNECT WITH THE SHOWLike Us On Facebook | Follow us on Twitter | Follow Us On Instagram | Join Our Facebook Group | Join the #NerdClan CHECK OUT THE BEST MERCH ON THE PLANET AT – THE MARY & BLAKE STOREShop for all of our podcasts, sayings, and listener inspired designs in one easy place. Be sure to follow all of our other podcasts at MaryandBlake.com including:
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| The MCU Diaries: WandaVision: 1.07 – Breaking The Fourth Wall | 04 Mar 2021 | ||
The MCU Diaries Host Blake Larsen chats WandaVision episode 1.07 “Breaking The Fourth Wall”. Blake discusses how the this episode drops a major MCU bomb on us, but keeps laser focus on its main character while warning us to be careful what you wish for. Click HERE for the written version of this episode UNLOCK BONUS EPISODES, PREMIUM PODCASTS & MORE Join The #NerdClan SUBSCRIBE TO GET NOTIFICATIONS WHEN NEW EPISODES ARE RELEASEDAPPLE PODCASTS SPOTIFY YOUTUBE CONNECT WITH THE SHOWLike Us On Facebook | Follow us on Twitter | Follow Us On Instagram | Join Our Facebook Group | Join the #NerdClan CHECK OUT THE BEST MERCH ON THE PLANET AT – THE MARY & BLAKE STOREShop for all of our podcasts, sayings, and listener inspired designs in one easy place. Be sure to follow all of our other podcasts at MaryandBlake.com including:
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| The MCU Diaries: WandaVision: 1.06 – All-New Halloween Spooktacular | 03 Mar 2021 | ||
The MCU Diaries Host Blake Larsen chats WandaVision episode 1.06 “All-New Halloween Spooktacular”. Blake discusses how this Malcom In The Middle version of WandaVision is a creepy experiment framed by an existential crisis where the devil’s in the details. Click HERE for the written version of this episode UNLOCK BONUS EPISODES, PREMIUM PODCASTS & MORE Join The #NerdClan SUBSCRIBE TO GET NOTIFICATIONS WHEN NEW EPISODES ARE RELEASEDAPPLE PODCASTS SPOTIFY YOUTUBE CONNECT WITH THE SHOWLike Us On Facebook | Follow us on Twitter | Follow Us On Instagram | Join Our Facebook Group | Join the #NerdClan CHECK OUT THE BEST MERCH ON THE PLANET AT – THE MARY & BLAKE STOREShop for all of our podcasts, sayings, and listener inspired designs in one easy place. Be sure to follow all of our other podcasts at MaryandBlake.com including:
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| The MCU Diaries: WandaVision: 1.05 – On A Very Special Episode | 02 Mar 2021 | ||
The MCU Diaries Host Blake Larsen chats WandaVision episode 1.05 “On A Very Special Episode”. Blake discusses WandaVision going full 80’s and why we are forced to ask ourselves, who is the real villain here and what is the cost of lies? Click HERE for the written version of this episode UNLOCK BONUS EPISODES, PREMIUM PODCASTS & MORE Join The #NerdClan SUBSCRIBE TO GET NOTIFICATIONS WHEN NEW EPISODES ARE RELEASEDAPPLE PODCASTS SPOTIFY YOUTUBE CONNECT WITH THE SHOWLike Us On Facebook | Follow us on Twitter | Follow Us On Instagram | Join Our Facebook Group | Join the #NerdClan CHECK OUT THE BEST MERCH ON THE PLANET AT – THE MARY & BLAKE STOREShop for all of our podcasts, sayings, and listener inspired designs in one easy place. Be sure to follow all of our other podcasts at MaryandBlake.com including:
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| The MCU Diaries: WandaVision: 1.04 – We Interrupt This Program | 01 Mar 2021 | ||
The MCU Diaries Host Blake Larsen chats WandaVision episode 1.04 “We Interrupt This Program”. Blake discusses how this episode reminds us there’s a big vast world which keeps spinning outside Wanda’s sitcom bubble and connecting the two is a very hard job… Click HERE for the written version of this episode UNLOCK BONUS EPISODES, PREMIUM PODCASTS & MORE Join The #NerdClan SUBSCRIBE TO GET NOTIFICATIONS WHEN NEW EPISODES ARE RELEASEDAPPLE PODCASTS SPOTIFY YOUTUBE CONNECT WITH THE SHOWLike Us On Facebook | Follow us on Twitter | Follow Us On Instagram | Join Our Facebook Group | Join the #NerdClan CHECK OUT THE BEST MERCH ON THE PLANET AT – THE MARY & BLAKE STOREShop for all of our podcasts, sayings, and listener inspired designs in one easy place. Be sure to follow all of our other podcasts at MaryandBlake.com including:
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| The MCU Diaries: WandaVision: 1.03 – Now In Color | 27 Feb 2021 | ||
The MCU Diaries Host Blake Larsen chats WandaVision episode 1.03 “Now In Color”. Blake chats the emotional undercurrent befalling our two lead characters as it tacks on more sitcom hijinks while also exposing the emotional framework of a very real prison for the mind…. Click HERE for the written version of this episode UNLOCK BONUS EPISODES, PREMIUM PODCASTS & MORE Join The #NerdClan SUBSCRIBE TO GET NOTIFICATIONS WHEN NEW EPISODES ARE RELEASEDAPPLE PODCASTS SPOTIFY YOUTUBE CONNECT WITH THE SHOWLike Us On Facebook | Follow us on Twitter | Follow Us On Instagram | Join Our Facebook Group | Join the #NerdClan CHECK OUT THE BEST MERCH ON THE PLANET AT – THE MARY & BLAKE STOREShop for all of our podcasts, sayings, and listener inspired designs in one easy place. Be sure to follow all of our other podcasts at MaryandBlake.com including:
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| The MCU Diaries: WandaVision: 1.02 – Don’t Touch That Dial | 27 Feb 2021 | ||
The MCU Diaries Host Blake Larsen chats WandaVision episode 1.02 “Don’t Touch That Dial”. Blake chats how episode 2 gets more gimmicky than the first episode, yet it showcases something Wanda and Vision have been lacking for their whole MCU existence: characterization and, most importantly, stakes… Click HERE for the written version of this episode UNLOCK BONUS EPISODES, PREMIUM PODCASTS & MORE Join The #NerdClan SUBSCRIBE TO GET NOTIFICATIONS WHEN NEW EPISODES ARE RELEASEDAPPLE PODCASTS SPOTIFY YOUTUBE CONNECT WITH THE SHOWLike Us On Facebook | Follow us on Twitter | Follow Us On Instagram | Join Our Facebook Group | Join the #NerdClan CHECK OUT THE BEST MERCH ON THE PLANET AT – THE MARY & BLAKE STOREShop for all of our podcasts, sayings, and listener inspired designs in one easy place. Be sure to follow all of our other podcasts at MaryandBlake.com including:
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| The MCU Diaries: WandaVision: 1.01 – Filmed Before A Live Studio Audience (PREMIERE) | 25 Feb 2021 | ||
The MCU Diaries Host Blake Larsen chats about the WandaVision premiere episode 1.01 “Filmed Before A Live Studio Audience”. Blake introduces his Marvel experience, what this podcast will be about and how it will be produced and why this is a safe place for nerds of all kinds. He also chats why the premiere isn’t about the “what” so much as it is about the “where and why”, and why he is HERE for it. UNLOCK BONUS EPISODES, PREMIUM PODCASTS & MORE Join The #NerdClan SUBSCRIBE TO GET NOTIFICATIONS WHEN NEW EPISODES ARE RELEASEDAPPLE PODCASTS SPOTIFY YOUTUBE CONNECT WITH THE SHOWLike Us On Facebook | Follow us on Twitter | Follow Us On Instagram | Join Our Facebook Group | Join the #NerdClan CHECK OUT THE BEST MERCH ON THE PLANET AT – THE MARY & BLAKE STOREShop for all of our podcasts, sayings, and listener inspired designs in one easy place. Be sure to follow all of our other podcasts at MaryandBlake.com including:
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| The Multiverse Of Madness Moral Debt: The Bill Comes Due, Always | 24 Mar 2026 | ||
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The Multiverse of Madness Moral Debt: The Bill Always Comes Due from Mary & Blake — Doctor Strange is the saga’s multiverse spine because Marvel keeps rewarding his control… then charging him for it. We track the receipts that make a Doom alliance feel inevitable instead of random. Spoilers: Full spoilers ahead. Subscribe to Receive the Latest MCU Diaries EntriesAPPLE PODCASTS SPOTIFY YOUTUBE What we’re proving (craft tools)
Want the cleaner article version? Read Why Doctor Strange Matters to Marvel’s Multiverse Saga for the straightest breakdown of why Strange is the saga’s moral pressure point. Then read the full companion essay, or see all MCU Diaries entries here. How this moves us to Doomsday
What’s the cleanest moment where Strange reaches for control and calls it necessary—and did the story ever truly make him pay for it? The Multiverse Of Madness Moral Debt | |||
| MCU Diaries Emergency Entry: Spider-Man: Brand New Day — When the Mask Becomes Skin | 21 Mar 2026 | ||
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MCU Diaries Emergency Entry: Spider-Man: Brand New Day Trailer — When the Mask Becomes Skin from Mary & Blake — The new trailer lands because it stops treating Peter Parker’s loss like background sadness and turns it into active story pressure. This is a Spider-Man movie where the hero’s erased identity starts writing itself into the body, and that gives Marvel a real clock again. Spoilers: Full spoilers ahead. Subscribe to Receive the Latest MCU Diaries EntriesAPPLE PODCASTS SPOTIFY YOUTUBE This Week’s MCU Diaries Coverage
The cleanest read on this trailer is not cameo frenzy. It is character pressure. Peter Parker gave away Peter Parker at the end of No Way Home. The Spider-man: Brand New Day trailer takes that wound and makes it physical. The trailer keeps showing us the same idea from different angles: isolation, mutation, and a hero who can still wear the mask even as the person underneath starts slipping. The ThesisThis trailer works because it turns Peter’s identity wound into a physical problem. The Core Tools
See all MCU Diaries entries here. Follow the full MCU Diaries podcast feed here. Join The Nerd ClanWant the deeper cut? Join us at jointhenerdclan.com for the Lab Notes version of this entry. Public post = argument. Patreon = toolkit. Follow Mary & BlakeFollow Mary & Blake for more Marvel storycraft, podcasts, essays, YouTube breakdowns, and the road to Doomsday. | |||
| MCU Diaries Entry 2: Secret Wars Explained (As a Story Engine) — Loki Season 1 Is The Match | 10 Mar 2026 | ||
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Secret Wars isn’t a cameo buffet; it’s a story engine built on pressure, impossible choice, and irreversible consequence. Loki Season 1 is the cleanest on-screen blueprint. Spoilers: Full spoilers ahead (including Loki Season 1). Subscribe to Receive the Latest MCU Diaries EntriesAPPLE PODCASTS SPOTIFY YOUTUBE Episode SnapshotSecret Wars works when the multiverse stops being “options” and becomes a moral crisis: pressure forces an impossible choice, and the choice leaves a scar. In this entry, we define that engine in plain English and prove it on-screen through Loki Season 1 — receipts, not recap. Secret Wars in 60 seconds (spoiler-light)If you’ve never read Secret Wars, here’s the clean, non-spoilery version: it’s Marvel’s “end-of-everything” story engine. Multiple realities begin colliding in a way that makes survival feel like math instead of heroism. The pressure isn’t “can we win the fight?” It’s “what do we do when two worlds can’t both survive?” That collision forces impossible choices, and those choices leave scars that can’t be hand-waved away. Doom Board (rules of the engine)
The TVA is staged like a courthouse: fluorescent, beige, paperwork everywhere. Then the show removes Loki’s escape hatch — his magic doesn’t work. That’s not a gag. It’s the story closing doors so Loki can’t “perform power” his way out. From here forward, the show forces identity and moral choice to do the work. Receipt #2 — Time Theater (pressure changes desire)The TVA makes Loki watch consequence like evidence: what he costs, what he loses, where his road ends. The value shift matters more than the plot footage. Swagger becomes exposure. Performance becomes proof. And Loki’s desire shifts from “win the room” to “make the universe make sense.” That hunger for authored meaning is exactly the kind of desire Secret Wars stories weaponize. Receipt #3 — Apocalypse testing (constraints make multiverse matter)The apocalypse investigation proves a key rule: the multiverse is conditional. Choices only matter if the world can carry the scar forward. This is Marvel telling you the multiverse is not a sandbox — it’s a system with constraints, and constraints are what create meaning. Receipt #4 — Infinity Stones in a drawer (power hierarchy flips)Infinity Stones as desk junk is Marvel redefining power in one image. Weapon power is subordinate to rule power. This saga isn’t “who hits hardest.” It’s “who controls what counts as real.” That’s the exact power profile Secret Wars needs. Receipt #5 — The Citadel fork (Crisis: both doors hurt)He Who Remains offers two doors with real costs: kill him and unleash chaos, spare him and accept tyranny. That’s Crisis. Secret Wars energy is always a fork where both outcomes hurt — because dilemma is the engine, not spectacle. Receipt #6 — Sylvie’s choice (the scar becomes real)Sylvie isn’t making a plot move; she’s answering a wound. Loki wants pause and control variables. Sylvie wants the debt paid. Those wants can’t coexist, so the choice happens — and the Scar Test lands: reality fractures, and the story commits to the new status quo. MOVING TOWARDS DOOMSDAY
Want the cleaner article version? Read Secret Wars Explained Through Loki Season 1 for the straightest breakdown of how this story engine works. Then read the full companion essay on what Secret Wars is, or see all MCU Diaries entries here. Tell Us Your Take Do you want Secret Wars as multiverse tourism… or a moral knife fight? What’s the ONE impossible choice you think Marvel has to force to make it feel earned? | |||
| MCU Diaries Entry 1: RDJ = Doctor Doom — The Mirror Villain Move | 20 Feb 2026 | ||
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Robert Downey Jr. coming back as Doctor Doom isn’t a “remember Iron Man?” victory lap. It’s Marvel making a very specific craft play: the mirror villain. Same DNA. Same obsession. Different moral math. Spoiler warning: full spoilers for Avengers: Age of Ultron, Civil War, Infinity War, and Endgame. Episode SnapshotIn this pilot entry, we set the rulebook for the Doomsday era. We’re not recapping the MCU. We’re proving one craft idea: Doom works best when he’s built as Tony Stark’s shadow self—control, scaled up until it becomes tyranny. SUBSCRIBE TO GET NOTIFICATIONS WHEN NEW EPISODES ARE RELEASEDAPPLE PODCASTS SPOTIFY YOUTUBE What We Cover
Join the NerdClan: https://jointhenerdclan.com More MCU Diaries: https://www.maryandblake.com See you in the Text Lab. | |||
| The MCU Diaries: LOKI: 1.06 – For All Time, Always (SEASON 1 FINALE) | 03 Aug 2021 | ||
The MCU Diaries Host Blake Larsen chats the LOKI season 1 finale: episode 1.06 – For All Time, Always. Blake discusses why we have to go back to the beginning to understand the end, why Jonathan Majors is exceptional as He Who Remains, and why this episode feels like a Smashing Pumpkins song… CLICK HERE TO READ THE WRITTEN VERSION UNLOCK BONUS EPISODES, PREMIUM PODCASTS & MORE Join The #NerdClan SUBSCRIBE TO GET NOTIFICATIONS WHEN NEW EPISODES ARE RELEASEDAPPLE PODCASTS SPOTIFY YOUTUBE CONNECT WITH THE SHOWLike Us On Facebook | Follow us on Twitter | Follow Us On Instagram | Join Our Facebook Group | Join the #NerdClan CHECK OUT THE BEST MERCH ON THE PLANET AT – THE MARY & BLAKE STOREShop for all of our podcasts, sayings, and listener inspired designs in one easy place. Be sure to follow all of our other podcasts at MaryandBlake.com including:
Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | YouTube | Spotify | iHeartRadio This episode of THE MCU DIARIES is brought to you by Minute With MaryFor 15% off the featured Minute With Mary product this month, please click here For 10% off any Minute With Mary purchase, be sure to join the #NerdClan HERE
Want to Take Control of your financial freedom and business? You can be your own boss. Arrange your life to be creative and accountable to what really matters to you. Maybe it’s business. Maybe it’s family. You’ll have the time. Mary has the tools for you. I has the training tips for you. She will be with you every step of the way. But being you is all it takes. Start your Younique business today HERE A huge thank you to all of our members at the #NERDCLAN for helping to make this podcast possible. EXECUTIVE PRODUCERSEileen Wisinewski, SuzyQ, Joanne Felci, Nadra Assaf, Siobhan M. O’Connor, Katy Valentine, Maryanne St. Laurent, Sara Zoknoen, MD, Martha, Anne Gavin, Bobbi Franchella, Peg Cumbie, Dana Mott-Bronson, Kirstie Wilson CO – PRODUCERSKris Palmisaon, Hannah Sage, Peg Rogers, Kristina Mann, Candace Galbraith, Jennifer L. Dominick, Tina Schneider, Sharon Stevenson-Kelley, Barbara Falk, Keelin Dawe, Meredith Bustillo, ASSOCIATE PRODUCERSLouan, Laura Dassrath, Suzanne Moss, The 3 Of Us Cosplay, Sarah Dietderich, Brenda Lowrie, Dianna Anderson, Stephanie Holm, Tracy Enos, Shonna Chapman, Dianne Karpowicz, Candy Hartsock, Carolyn Needham, Angie Leith, Karen Snelling, Christine Milleker, Marilyn L. Neenan http://www.jointhenerdclan.com to join the #NERDCLAN LOKI: 1.06 – For All Time, Always | Review & Analysis | |||
| The MCU Diaries: LOKI: 1.05 – Journey Into Mystery | 03 Aug 2021 | ||
The MCU Diaries Host Blake Larsen chats LOKI: episode 1.05 – Journey Into Mystery. Blake discusses “theme vs. anti-theme”, why this might be his favorite MCU episode yet, and why there absolutely needs to be an Old Loki and Alligator Loki spinoff… CLICK HERE TO READ THE WRITTEN VERSION UNLOCK BONUS EPISODES, PREMIUM PODCASTS & MORE Join The #NerdClan SUBSCRIBE TO GET NOTIFICATIONS WHEN NEW EPISODES ARE RELEASEDAPPLE PODCASTS SPOTIFY YOUTUBE CONNECT WITH THE SHOWLike Us On Facebook | Follow us on Twitter | Follow Us On Instagram | Join Our Facebook Group | Join the #NerdClan CHECK OUT THE BEST MERCH ON THE PLANET AT – THE MARY & BLAKE STOREShop for all of our podcasts, sayings, and listener inspired designs in one easy place. Be sure to follow all of our other podcasts at MaryandBlake.com including:
Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | YouTube | Spotify | iHeartRadio This episode of THE MCU DIARIES is brought to you by Minute With MaryFor 15% off the featured Minute With Mary product this month, please click here For 10% off any Minute With Mary purchase, be sure to join the #NerdClan HERE
Want to Take Control of your financial freedom and business? You can be your own boss. Arrange your life to be creative and accountable to what really matters to you. Maybe it’s business. Maybe it’s family. You’ll have the time. Mary has the tools for you. I has the training tips for you. She will be with you every step of the way. But being you is all it takes. Start your Younique business today HERE A huge thank you to all of our members at the #NERDCLAN for helping to make this podcast possible. EXECUTIVE PRODUCERSEileen Wisinewski, SuzyQ, Joanne Felci, Nadra Assaf, Siobhan M. O’Connor, Katy Valentine, Maryanne St. Laurent, Sara Zoknoen, MD, Martha, Anne Gavin, Bobbi Franchella, Peg Cumbie, Dana Mott-Bronson, Kirstie Wilson CO – PRODUCERSKris Palmisaon, Hannah Sage, Peg Rogers, Kristina Mann, Candace Galbraith, Jennifer L. Dominick, Tina Schneider, Sharon Stevenson-Kelley, Barbara Falk, Keelin Dawe, Meredith Bustillo, ASSOCIATE PRODUCERSLouan, Laura Dassrath, Suzanne Moss, The 3 Of Us Cosplay, Sarah Dietderich, Brenda Lowrie, Dianna Anderson, Stephanie Holm, Tracy Enos, Shonna Chapman, Dianne Karpowicz, Candy Hartsock, Carolyn Needham, Angie Leith, Karen Snelling, Christine Milleker, Marilyn L. Neenan http://www.jointhenerdclan.com to join the #NERDCLAN LOKI: 1.05 – Journey Into Mystery | Review & Analysis | |||
| The MCU Diaries: LOKI: 1.04 – The Nexus Event | 03 Aug 2021 | ||
The MCU Diaries Host Blake Larsen chats LOKI: episode 1.04 – The Nexus Event. Blake discusses the narrative use of twists, why the big twist for this episode is not the one you’re thinking of, and why he wants Loki’s hair flip put on a 24 hour loop… CLICK HERE TO READ THE WRITTEN VERSION UNLOCK BONUS EPISODES, PREMIUM PODCASTS & MORE Join The #NerdClan SUBSCRIBE TO GET NOTIFICATIONS WHEN NEW EPISODES ARE RELEASEDAPPLE PODCASTS SPOTIFY YOUTUBE CONNECT WITH THE SHOWLike Us On Facebook | Follow us on Twitter | Follow Us On Instagram | Join Our Facebook Group | Join the #NerdClan CHECK OUT THE BEST MERCH ON THE PLANET AT – THE MARY & BLAKE STOREShop for all of our podcasts, sayings, and listener inspired designs in one easy place. Be sure to follow all of our other podcasts at MaryandBlake.com including:
Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | YouTube | Spotify | iHeartRadio This episode of THE MCU DIARIES is brought to you by Minute With MaryFor 15% off the featured Minute With Mary product this month, please click here For 10% off any Minute With Mary purchase, be sure to join the #NerdClan HERE
Want to Take Control of your financial freedom and business? You can be your own boss. Arrange your life to be creative and accountable to what really matters to you. Maybe it’s business. Maybe it’s family. You’ll have the time. Mary has the tools for you. I has the training tips for you. She will be with you every step of the way. But being you is all it takes. Start your Younique business today HERE A huge thank you to all of our members at the #NERDCLAN for helping to make this podcast possible. EXECUTIVE PRODUCERSEileen Wisinewski, SuzyQ, Joanne Felci, Nadra Assaf, Siobhan M. O’Connor, Katy Valentine, Maryanne St. Laurent, Sara Zoknoen, MD, Martha, Anne Gavin, Bobbi Franchella, Peg Cumbie, Dana Mott-Bronson, Kirstie Wilson CO – PRODUCERSKris Palmisaon, Hannah Sage, Peg Rogers, Kristina Mann, Candace Galbraith, Jennifer L. Dominick, Tina Schneider, Sharon Stevenson-Kelley, Barbara Falk, Keelin Dawe, Meredith Bustillo, ASSOCIATE PRODUCERSLouan, Laura Dassrath, Suzanne Moss, The 3 Of Us Cosplay, Sarah Dietderich, Brenda Lowrie, Dianna Anderson, Stephanie Holm, Tracy Enos, Shonna Chapman, Dianne Karpowicz, Candy Hartsock, Carolyn Needham, Angie Leith, Karen Snelling, Christine Milleker, Marilyn L. Neenan http://www.jointhenerdclan.com to join the #NERDCLAN LOKI: 1.04 – The Nexus Event | Review & Analysis | |||