Loki Survey

[gunsandspaceships]

MCU Fandom Study. Results. Part 1: MCU preferences

To be precise, "the MCU Fandom" in this case is limited to: a) Tumblr users; b) those who agreed to participate in the survey.

The sample consists of 116 people. Some charts include more answers (if multiple were allowed). In those some answers were disqualified due to violation of the survey topic (answers outside the MCU) or unclear wording that cannot be displayed on the graph. Fortunately, there were few of them.

Years in the Fandom

In the next 4 charts (pertaining to specific movies or characters), some answers were disqualified: TV, Netflix and Disney+ series, films that are now part of the Marvel Multiverse but were not originally created as such (Deadpool 1-2, X-Men, old Spider-Man movies, etc), "Depends on the movie" answers in characters, etc.

First MCU Movie

Favorite MCU Movie

By the number of participants. This is a multiple-choice question.

Top Favorite MCU Movies (by % of participants):

Captain America: The Winter Soldier (27.6%)

Iron Man (25%)

The Avengers (22.4%)

Iron Man 3 (16.4%)

Guardians of the Galaxy/Thor: Ragnarok (12.9%)

Avengers: Endgame/Iron Man 2/Captain America: Civil War/Spider-Man: No Way Home/Black Panther (9.5%)

Captain America: The First Avenger (8.6%)

Avengers: Infinity War/Black Widow/Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (7.8%)

Avengers: Age of Ultron (6.9%)

Thor/Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (6%)

Least Favorite MCU Movie

By the number of participants. This is a multiple-choice question.

In this chart "Ant-Man and the Wasp:" is "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania".

Overall, this is where most of the Multiverse Saga films win (lose).

Top Least Favorite MCU Movies (by % of participants):

Thor: Love and Thunder (17.2%)

Eternals/Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (15.5%)

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (14.7%)

Avengers: Endgame (12.9%)

The Incredible Hulk (8.6%)

The Marvels/Spider-Man: No Way Home (6.9%)

Thor/Thor: The Dark World (6%)

Captain America: Civil War/Avengers: Age of Ultron/Avengers: Infinity War/Black Widow (5.2%)

Captain America: The First Avenger (4.3%)

Captain America: The Winter Soldier/Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings/Black Panther: Wakanda Forever/Guardians of the Galaxy 3/Deadpool & Wolverine (3.4%)

Conclusion for the Favorite/Least Favorite Movies: almost no one likes the new movies (the Multiverse Saga) with a few exceptions (GotG 3, SM:NWH and maybe Deadpool & Wolverine). Opinions are divided on Endgame, Spider-Man: No Way Home, Thor, Civil War, Age of Ultron, Infinity War, Black Widow, GotG 3, CA:TFA and TWS. Fans love and hate them.

Favorite MCU Character

By the number of participants. This is a multiple-choice question.

Top Favorite MCU Characters (by % of participants):

Tony Stark (37%)

Loki (33.6%)

Bucky Barnes (26.7%)

Peter Parker (20.7%)

Natasha Romanoff (14.7%)

Steve Rogers/Wanda Maximoff (12.9%)

Matt Murdock/Yelena Belova (8.6%)

Clint Barton/Stephen Strange/Rocket (7.8%)

Moon Knight/Bruce Banner (6.9%)

Sam Wilson (6%)

Least Favorite MCU Character

By the number of participants. This is a multiple-choice question.

Nobody is our winner (39.7%). But it won't get into the Top below.

Top Least Favorite MCU Characters (by % of participants):

Steve Rogers (13.8%)

Peter Quill (5.2%)

Wanda Maximoff/Clint Barton (4.3%)

Odin/Carol Danvers/Thanos/Thor/Tony Stark (3.4%)

Quentin Beck/Bucky Barnes/Stephen Strange/James Rhodes/Jennifer Walters/Peter Parker/Sam Wilson (2.6%)

Favorite MCU Ship

By the number of participants. This is a multiple-choice question.

"None" is again the most popular answer. 25% of participants don't ship MCU characters.

Top Favorite MCU Ships (by % of participants):

Steve Rogers/Bucky Barnes (17.2%)

Tony Stark/Pepper Potts (10.3%)

Tony Stark/Loki (9.5%)

Tony Stark/Steve Rogers & Sam Wilson/Bucky Barnes (7.8%)

Tony Stark/Stephen Strange (6.9%)

Tony Stark/Bucky Barnes (5.2%)

Agatha/Rio & Bucky Barnes/Natasha Romanoff (4.3%)

Thor/Jane Foster & Loki/Mobius & Steve Rogers/Natasha Romanoff & Yelena Belova/Kate Bishop (3.4%)

Peter Parker/MJ (2.6%)

Team Iron Man or Team Cap

Marvel Comics Readers

Fanfiction Writers

[destinationtoast]

Calling Game of Thrones fans with knowledge of the fandom's history! [see also: Supernatural version]

I'm in the midst of putting together some fandom deep dives as part of my analysis of TV Fandom Fix-Its on AO3, including GoT. I'm trying to give context for how many fanworks the fandom was producing overall, and when overall spikes in fandom activity were happening, and I could use help.

Specifically, I'm trying to label AO3 activity spikes with what episodes/events seemed to contribute to them. But I'm probably missing important context. E.g., I know there were other events like fanwork exchanges happening that might have been contributors to some activity spikes, or things the show creators said/did might also have contributed sometimes.

If you have theories about why the red spikes between seasons happened near the following dates, that would be excellent:

Dec 28, 2020

May 11, 2020

Oct 5, 2015

Sept 29, 2014

July 21, 2014

And if you think I'm missing important context for some of the other spikes, or I made goofs on some of the labels, please LMK!

This was posted on April 10, 2024; I'm hoping for relevant replies in the next few days.

If you prefer to look at the raw data, it's too long to list here, but you can read it in this spreadsheet. And you can view the graph and labels bigger in this slide.

Thanks so much in advance!!

(If you have questions or critiques, please click through and read more context on AO3 or click through to the OP version of this post, which I will update with clarifications as needed.)

[loki-survey]

The Loki survey is evaluated!

In August 2021, I conducted a survey to examine what might have led to the highly divided opinions regarding the Disney + show Loki (2021). The survey gathered over 500 responses. In my survey, the majority of the respondents identify as women, but the survey also got above average feedback from non-binary and genderfluid fans. In this survey, about 75% of the respondents liked the show, 15% disliked it, and 5% felt neutral about it. Several tested variables turned out to be significantly connected to the enjoyment of the show, which converged towards three major factors affecting the enjoyment while watching the show.

Firstly, the enjoyment of non-binary, including genderfluid fans, and respondents who felt strongly about representation was moderately reduced by the execution of the representation in the show.

Secondly, respondents who had deeply desired Loki to have a love interest and those who enjoyed his interaction with Mobius reported a moderately increased enjoyment. However, a third of all respondents who liked the show reported a high preference for one of the two relationships over the other, indicating a strong rivalry among the two groups, which most likely contributed to the increased confrontations among Loki fans on social media.

The people who disliked the show did not favor one possible relationship (Mobius vs Sylvie) over the other. Thus, the shipwar is mostly limited to the fans who enjoyed the show.

Lastly, respondents who considered Loki a morally good character, liked Thor (2011), or disliked Thor: Ragnarok (2017) reported a reduced enjoyment.

The highest correlation with a dislike of the show was associated with perceiving Loki acting out of character. This may be attributed to fans who saw Loki as a morally good character and were unable to recognize him in the portrayal in the show since the show heavily depended on Loki being motivated narcissism, as a starting point for his redemption arc.

Calculated over all responses to the survey, Loki’s likeability decreased within the show, with episode 6 marking the first time the likeability of the installment surpasses Loki’s likeability as a character. Between the opinions of the respondents who liked the show and those who did not, an increasing divide is visible in the categories of Loki’s relatability, likeability, and in-character acting.

Interestingly, the starting point of the division coincides with the disbanding of the Marvel Creative Committee in 2015. Possible causalities, as well as who was the favorite Loki variant, and which characters the respondents would like to see in the second season are being discussed in the complete paper you can find here or here as a pdf.

I will try to answer possible questions as soon as possible, but it might take me several days to do so.

My thoughts go out to everyone suffering in Ukraine right now. If you can, please consider helping those in need!

[loki-survey]

(Source)

Research can be frustrating at times, but it can be incredibly rewarding, too, mostly when formerly shown results are validated by new info. This is one of those moments. Taika Waititi‘d interview (date: 27.11.23) confirms what fans had long time argued based on Waitit‘s comments on Thor Ragnarok in 2017.

This interview shows that there was not a correlation between Thor Ragnarok‘s different style and the widening gap between the fandom fractions, but causation. In this case, the lack of respect the director had for the original product (both comics and former movies) have shown their effects. In the short term, the effects have been present but little acknowledged in the mainstream media. Most debates took place in fandom spaces. Yet, the Loki survey showed the gap starting with Thor Ragnarok.

In 2021, the effects have been multiplied by the Loki series which stepped into Ragnarok‘s footprints in terms of creative direction. Moreover, the split in the opinions of the fandom shows a broadening gap that has reached its maximum by the end of season 1.

I conclude, that this interview hardens the evidence for Thor Ragnarok being the divisive point for the split of the Loki fandom and that we now can safely assume that a new director’s lack of interest in the previous franchise material can result in a decrease in quality of the respective product. However, the effects of that decrease in quality might show up delayed.

The poor reception of Thor Love and Thunder shows that the decreased quality does come with a decrease of audience interest. Eventually.

This is true for Loki season 2, as well, which I intend to show in a different post. I‘ll link it as soon I have made it.

[wnnbdarklord]

“I am Loki, of Asgard and I am burdened with glorious purpose.”

[foreverlokid]

[wurwurz]

Tom Hiddleston - Loki / Thor : The Dark World.

[wurwurz]

Tom Hiddleston - Loki / The Avengers.

[officialbrucespringsteen-deacti]

[thorkizilla]

The Avengers (liveblog) [x]

This moment is the worst.  The worst.  Every soft, squishy feeling I have about Loki is tripled in this moment because look at this little shit’s face. There are goddamned tears in his eyes as he struggles to drag his glib, smug mask back into place, where he works so damn hard to push away what he really wants—to go home, to be Thor’s brother again, to let himself have a family again—because he thinks he can’t have it anymore. In this moment, you can absolutely see that it’s a huge struggle just to smile that devil’s smile of his, the one that is entirely belied by the tears in his eyes, but he forces it anyway.  He can barely keep the smile for more than a moment, he can barely make himself be a smug little shit, but that’s how great Loki’s determination is, that’s how much he thinks this is the only path left for him, no matter that Thor is offering him everything that he used to have. You can see how much it hurts him to stick to this role, because, oh, he absolutely wants to be Loki Odinson, he wants to be brother of Thor, he wants to be in Asgard, he wants to be surrounded by his family.  That this isn’t a fun moment for him, that this is one of the most painful things we ever see Loki go through, and that is why I may get on his case, but I am 100% on the side of Loki being able to be redeemed.  Because this didn’t make him happy, he didn’t feel free and happy, because it was difficult and ripped him apart to do it. This is the core of how I see Loki—someone who is not a monster at all, someone who is wounded and damaged, who thinks that his only options are ones to push his family away and to shove himself into a mold that’s not meant for him, that he enjoys aspects of it, but he’s not a monster at heart.  That he only ever tries to be one because he thinks it’s the answer to his problem of not knowing who he is, and he’ll do it, his determination is that great, but Coulson’s right about him.  He lacks conviction. Because determination, to the point of wounding himself further and still continuing on, because being mentally unwell and not knowing how to deal with things, because the rage that will carry him a great distance even as it eats away at him, are not at all the same things as conviction.

[inglorious-purpose]

Such a beautiful meta.

[fla-t-line]

And I am Loki… of Asgard!

[theshatteredsilhouette]

I took SO long with this one because I hit a wall during the painting process, but last night I finally pushed through and finished it this afternoon! Absolute worth it. I love it when a piece comes out how you envisioned it from the beginning!

painted in procreate on ipad pro

DO NOT REPOST

[evankart]

Thor: the dark world. second time :))

[gayvampyr]

“let people enjoy things” is about not making fun of peoples harmless interests and not making them feel dumb, insignificant or embarrassed for liking it. it’s not something you say whenever someone criticizes racism or queerphobia or misogyny or ableism etc in a work

[gayvampyr]

[loki-survey]

Source

[loki-survey]

[radiofreederry]

[max1461]

Please, the Zweihänder is a specialist weapon for breaking pike formations. Are your coworkers in a pike formation? Are they blocking your advance with a wall of thorny death? No? Then what the hell is a Zweihänder gonna do?

Really wanna fuck up your coworkers? Halberd from the elevator. Polearms have the range you need. Doors open, skewer Steve from accounting, doors close. Ride it back down, doors open, skewer Laura at the front desk. Back up, open doors, stab Jason, repeat. They call security? You’ve got feet of range on that motherfucker. Dinky little baton ain’t shit next to a Halberd. I’ve pulled the old elevator Halberd at five, six of my jobs over the years and they never see it coming. Until it’s too late, that is. Just a little tip for ya. Keep the change.

[theboombutton]

Please do note that halberds, because of their asymmetric weight distribution, will be most effective in workplaces with open office plans where there’s room to wind up again after a chop. If your workplace is dominated by narrow hallways, you may find the glaive more effective due to its superior maneuverability.

[yarkovsky]

By theperfectbromance on DevA. What this would be, I do not know.

Fenrir is Loki’s third son, born a normal sized cub. He grew so large that the gods started fearing him and decided to trick Fenrir into silk bindings that were so strong even he couldn’t break free of them.

When Ragnarok arrives, he will escape and devour his grandfather, Odin. I think some of you would like that part! ;)