MCU No More: Is It Time for the Marvel Cinematic Universe to Get a Name Change? MCU No More: Is It Time for the Marvel Cinematic Universe to Get a Name Change? First coined in 2009, The MCU has gone through a lot of changes and might need to upgrade its name to be more inclusive. The epitome of interconnected storytelling and the "founding father" of the shared cinematic universe of franchises, MCU, an acronym for Marvel Cinematic Universe is no longer limited to feature films. So isn't it about time that Marvel Studios drop the MCU and give it a name change more inclusive of the overall universe at hand?