The MCU Grows Larger Through ‘Marvel Funko Shorts’
by Frank Martin
It’s no surprise how many different versions of Marvel characters there are. One of the key selling points of the brand is that the characters have many different costumes and iterations that span multiple universes. Of course, the Marvel Cinematic Universe is a big one. The Marvel films were never going to be direct translations of the comic characters. And so, by giving these versions their own unique designs and storylines, the films created a brand new mainstream version of many characters that are extremely popular and most people can recognize. But these designs have expanded past the films and are now being utilized in other forms.
A great example of this is the Marvel Funko Shorts that are now available on Disney+. Anyone who has a connection to the world of pop culture collectibles should be aware of Funko Pops. These are, essentially, small figurines — sometimes bobbleheads — of different characters rendered in a simplistic but recognizable style. It’s not restricted to Marvel as all different characters and brands have their own statues. Of course, the Marvel characters from the films and their designs are utilized in this series of shorts. They also take it a step further and use the Funko Pop MCU characters to tell short stories without dialogue that are quirky, light-hearted, and cute.
At first, these shorts look like nothing but brief entertainment for children. But their inclusion of MCU designs is important. It shows that these unique versions have moved beyond just the world of the MCU. They even interact with characters and designs not included in the MCU at all. Of course, Marvel could have used any sort of designs for these shorts. But there’s a reason that they chose to use these designs. They are popular, recognizable, and also pretty cool-looking. It’s a great example of how a simple design meant to be used in an isolated instance can expand beyond that intention and take on a life of its own.
Marvel Funko Shorts are now streaming on Disney+.
