The evolution of ‘universe’

One small “universe” around us is giving us the fun of expanding the “universe” of life.

WI MUN-HEEThe author is a national team reporter of the JoongAng Ilbo. The word “universe” is derived from the Latin noun “universum.” It is a combination of the numeral “uni,” which means “one,” and “versus,” the past participle form of the verb “verto,” meaning “turn.” It means that the world turns around and around and becomes one.

A new buzzword is “metaverse,” which combines universe with “meta,” or “beyond.” It is a world where real and unreal coexist. American sci-fi writer Neal Stephenson first used the term in “Snow Crash” published in 1992. The protagonist, born to a Korean mother and a black father, logs into the world of metaverse to escape from his miserable reality.

As superhero characters in Marvel Comics and DC Comics — the two giants in the American comics industry — become hugely popular, the term “universe” came to mean the fictional world.

The superhero series produced by Marvel Studios are called the MCU, or Marvel Cinematic Universe. Characters featured in MCU include Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Hulk, Black Widow, and Spider-Man. The MCU offers stories of individual heroes as well as the Avengers series that organically connect the world of each hero.

DC Comics establishes a narrative around the Justice League, whose members include Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman. Director James Cameron, who is an authority in the sci-fi genre, pointed out that the characters in Marvel and DC movies are monotonous. But fans are attracted to them despite their flaws and shortcomings.

Lately in Korea, another MCU is being formed. It is the Ma Dong-seok Cinematic Universe, named after actor Ma Dong-seok who plays the role of detective Ma Seok-do in the movie “The Roundup: No Way Out.” The Korean hero punishes villains with his bare fists, and the series has attracted more than 10 million viewers for both the second and third installments.

As the villain in the new film has surpassed the villain of the previous movie, Ma Seok-do has evolved to another level to fight the upgraded villain. Actor Ma Dong-seok says it is his dream to make a crime action film a franchise. His MCU has just started. The “Roundup” series is planned to have eight installments based on stories Ma has heard from detectives in the field.

One small “universe” around us is giving us the fun of expanding the “universe” of life.