The Marvel Cinematic Universe is a television series.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe ( MCU ) is an American media franchise and shared universe that is centered on a series of superhero films , independently produced by Marvel Studios and based on characters that appear in publications by Marvel Comics . The franchise has expanded to include comic books , short films , television series and digital series . Marvel Television expanded the universe further , first to network television with Marvel 's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. on ABC in the 2013 -- 14 television season , followed by online streaming with Marvel 's Daredevil on Netflix in 2015 , and then to cable television with Marvel 's Cloak & Dagger , which is scheduled to air in 2018 on Freeform . Marvel Television has also produced the digital series Marvel 's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. : Slingshot , which is a supplement to Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Soundtrack albums have been released for all of the films , along with many of television series , as well as the release of compilation albums containing existing music heard in the films . The franchise has been commercially successful as a multimedia shared universe , though some critics have found that some of its films and television series have suffered in service of the wider universe .