MCU/AoS universe 'divide' question

[melsheartsthings]

Can one conceivably, for fanfic storytelling purposes, say that the MCU and AoS universes are one and the same? I mean we've got crossover characters and overarching plotlines that connect them so, to me, AoS slots far more nicely into the MCU than the X-Men films do (despite having two characters in common). So for me, I'm just going to assume the two universes in question are the same until i am proven otherwise.

Comments

[flamebyrd]

My understanding is that Marvel considers Agents of SHIELD to be part of MCU. I guess any weird inconsistencies can be waved away the way you do such concerns as why the Avengers don't cross into each other's films and why Bruce Banner changed actors.

[melsheartsthings]

THat actually makes a lot of sense. Also explains a few things referenced in AoS that originated in the films. Bruce changing actors can be explained in-universe with reasons of Hulk-related stress ages him a little bit faster than we would think. Kinda like the stress related to his 'furry little problem' prematurely aged Remus? But that is just my opinion.

Well, if you take the cut/post credit scene of Iron Man 3 seriously, Bruce is living at Stark Tower in New York now, and has been since the events of Avengers, presumably. Plus the Black Widow, who as yet has no solo film, has shown up in both Tony's and Steve's second films in addition to the Avengers film.

[flamebyrd]

On the issue of Avengers in each other's films - it's more questions like "why didn't anyone help out Tony in Iron Man 3" or "where the heck was Clint during Cap 2". Questions that are easily answered on a meta level (because that would be really expensive) but which require a certain amount of handwaving and/or suspension of disbelif to justify in-canon. They don't keep me up at night, but some people are really bothered by it. XD

Black Widow is not getting a solo film before 2019, and probably not at all. (Natasha and Bruce were my two favourites from the Avengers movie. The Phase 3 lineup was deliberately designed to spite me, clearly. ;) )