Circle Spotlight: Marvel Circle
Amidst the pressures of students’ academic lives, the Marvel Circle provides an environment for people to talk about fantasy characters. Founded in 2019 by Tyler (’24) and Marilia (’23), the Marvel Circle has gained traction over the years for being a great place for discussion. This year, Khensa (’24) has joined them as a co-leader. Khensa was originally a club member, but consistently showed enthusiasm and initiative. “It’s my last year, and I’m going to be graduating, so we need a new board of people to take over,” Marilia explains.
Initially, the circle was oriented towards connecting students by being a discussion hub for Marvel comics and films. However, as the number of club members increased, its reach has started to vary. People from various fandoms, mostly other superhero fantasy shows, have joined. As such, the focus on moderation has increased. It can get aggressive if people are passionate about the topic, and harassment isn’t tolerated. “I have found that in general, that’s not the case,” says Marilia, “In general, most people are very open and kind to each other, but there have been a few incidents throughout the years.” Nevertheless, the culture of the Marvel Circle remains casual. The majority of their conversations take place through Skype chats, with occasional meetings. As Marilia states, “Imagine you’re in a circle, but it’s virtual, and you can throw out whatever you want.”
The Marvel Circle’s meetings vary in discussion topics, ranging all the way from commentary to theories. Depending on recent events in the Marvel community, subjects in a meeting might include discussing favorite characters, opinions, or even upcoming movies. Recently, a meeting was hosted by Marilia to talk about the film Thor: Love and Thunder. Students vote on a time that works best for them to ensure that as many people as possible get an opportunity to be involved. At Homecoming 2022, the Marvel Circle has potential plans to meet on either Friday or Saturday. They would meet at a local movie theater, and hang out or get dinner afterwards.
Students join the Marvel Circle for countless reasons. For Marilia, it’s the personal connection. Marilia’s hook to Marvel was watching Dr. Strange, as well as growing up around siblings who loved Marvel. Marvel steers away from cliches, meaning the directors have more freedom—most Marvel movies don’t fit your typical idea of a superhero movie. Additionally, it’s a great place for people to get connected. “Just like with a lot of other media, you can sort of forget about real-world worries for a bit, and talk about these characters that everyone can relate to in some way or another. Even if you don’t have magic characters, you still empathize with their struggles. I think a good way to think about it is escapism—that’s a really big part of the appeal for me,” says Marilia. Overall, anyone who likes Marvel or any genre of superhero fantasy topics should join. Occasionally, discussion topics can deviate from Marvel too. Other topics include Star Wars, DC, and standalone movies. In terms of passion, many members of the Marvel Circle stay up to date. “A thirty-second trailer would come out, and people would be like, ‘Hey, here’s the link. I’ve watched the entire thing already; here are my theories,’” says Marilia, “And I [would be] like, ‘Woah, I didn’t even know that came out yet.’”
The Marvel Circle is open to all eager students. If you are interested in a comfortable environment to discuss any superhero topics, joining the Marvel Circle Skype chat is a great place to start!