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Welcome to the main discussion thread for the Marvel Cinematic Universe! I'm editing this OP and pinning it to establish some basic guidelines. All of the Media Forum rules still apply.

  • This thread is for talking about the live-action films, TV shows, animated works, and related content that use the Marvel brand, currently owned by Disney.
  • While mild digressions are okay, discussion of the comic books should go in this thread. Extended digressions may be thumped as off-topic.
  • Spoilers for new releases should not be discussed for at least two weeks. Rather, each title should have a dedicated thread where that sort of conversation is held. We can mention new releases in a general sense, but please be courteous to people who don't want to be spoiled.

[Edited by Fighteer]

    Original post 
Since Thor and now Captain America came out this year, I wanted to get what Tropers thought of the concept and execution of the Marvel Cinematic Universe in general. Personally I love the idea and wonder why this idea hasn't been seriously tried before. It sorta seems to me like the DCAU in movie form (And well, ummm, with Marvel), and really 'gets' the comic book feel of a shared universe while not being completely alienating.

Edited by Fighteer on Dec 15th 2022 at 9:55:58 AM

Swanpride Since: Jun, 2013
#79051: Jan 14th 2018 at 11:22:13 AM

So something along the line of the Club in Agent Carter season 2?

RavenWilder Since: Apr, 2009
#79053: Jan 14th 2018 at 12:17:06 PM

People mentioned before about how it would be hard to have Black Widow do her spy thing now that her name and face are world-famous, which got me to thinking the Hellfire Club might make a good solo movie opponent for her: she could join the Club as herself (the name recognition of being an Avenger opening some doors), and the plot becomes about her gaining the trust of the Inner Circle while covertly trying to figure out what they're up to in world affairs. Seems like it would be a good fit for her spy skills and her position on the murkier side of the moral spectrum.

Only catch is, you'd probably want to leave the Club at least somewhat intact at the end of the movie, and hold off on introducing Emma Frost and one or two other characters, so that they're around for other films to use in the future.

EDIT:

Not a Comic book reader. All I know about Comic books is based on research...which makes me an odd combination in that I don't approach the source material from a fan-perspective, but also know more than the general audience due to at least having an idea about what the fans praise.

I'm similar. I do read comics, but not nearly as many as some other fans, and I've definitely read far more about various characters and storylines from Marvel and DC than I've read firsthand.

edited 14th Jan '18 12:20:44 PM by RavenWilder

Punisher286 Since: Jan, 2016
#79054: Jan 14th 2018 at 1:31:29 PM

Eh the comics do this as well. Black Widow has been an Avenger for far longer there, and yet other comics still have her being really effective at doing spy-stuff.

Basically it's probably just a case of going "she's just that good/experienced" and handwaving it away otherwise.

Swanpride Since: Jun, 2013
#79055: Jan 14th 2018 at 1:44:05 PM

Is her face that well known? I mean, yes, she was the public face of the Avengers for a while, but honestly, who pays attention to her face when there is the bright red hair to distract them?

Plus, James Bond gets away with constantly spying under the same name, too.

SonOfSharknado Love is Love is Love Since: Oct, 2013 Relationship Status: And they all lived happily ever after <3
Love is Love is Love
#79056: Jan 14th 2018 at 1:51:04 PM

That's because the entire James Bond canon is moronic misogynistic rape-fetishizing.

My various fanfics.
RavenWilder Since: Apr, 2009
#79057: Jan 14th 2018 at 1:54:24 PM

[up][up][up] It's easier to suspend disbelief about that sort of thing in the comics, because with appearances changing Depending on the Artist, some of whom can draw Only Six Faces, having a character change their hair and put on a different outfit often is all it takes to make them unrecognizable.

In the movies, unless she spends a lot of time in one of those full-face masks from Winter Soldier, Black Widow is always going to look like Scarlett Johannson.

edited 14th Jan '18 1:55:29 PM by RavenWilder

Swanpride Since: Jun, 2013
#79058: Jan 14th 2018 at 2:06:20 PM

[up] Well, why not using those masks? Would have the advantage that they can take a professional fighter and stick her in some sort of "sneak in and getting discovered so there is a giant fight" scene.

Galadriel Since: Feb, 2015
#79059: Jan 14th 2018 at 2:29:58 PM

The face masks from Winter Soldier are a reasonable way to do certain infiltration storylines, but physical recognition becomes a moot point when the group you're infiltrating includes a telepath.

There's just no point in attempting to spy on or decieve a telepath.

comicwriter Since: Sep, 2011
#79060: Jan 14th 2018 at 2:30:17 PM

People mentioned before about how it would be hard to have Black Widow do her spy thing now that her name and face are world-famous, which got me to thinking the Hellfire Club might make a good solo movie opponent for her: she could join the Club as herself (the name recognition of being an Avenger opening some doors), and the plot becomes about her gaining the trust of the Inner Circle while covertly trying to figure out what they're up to in world affairs. Seems like it would be a good fit for her spy skills and her position on the murkier side of the moral spectrum.

The Hellfire Club also employs masked guards, so it'd be relatively easy for her to jump one of them and assume their identity.

RavenWilder Since: Apr, 2009
#79061: Jan 14th 2018 at 3:56:44 PM

[up][up][up] Those masks are good for a short bit of infiltration, but you wouldn't want Black Widow to spend most of the movie in one, or at least the studio certainly wouldn't. You don't spend millions of dollars getting one of the most popular actors around right now to play a character, then, for most of the character's screen time, have them be played by someone else.

Tuckerscreator (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: Drift compatible
#79062: Jan 14th 2018 at 4:30:20 PM

Seems pretty late for a Black Widow movie. I would’ve liked one picking up after The Winter Soldier, regarding her noting how she “blew all my covers; I’ve gotta go figure out a new one.”

Something substantial should come out of how all her past crimes are now leaked to the public.

edited 14th Jan '18 4:30:40 PM by Tuckerscreator

AlleyOop Since: Oct, 2010
#79063: Jan 14th 2018 at 5:56:20 PM

Yeah, which is why I expect a Black Widow film to be more of an ensemble cast with her as the most prominent, in between the properly "solo" franchises like Iron Man/Cap/Thor and fully ensemble stories like GOTG. It's kind of late for the former, and her character isn't suited to that kind of focus anyway, but that doesn't mean it can't be an opportunity to springboard or advance other characters in the process.

comicwriter Since: Sep, 2011
#79064: Jan 14th 2018 at 5:59:07 PM

Make it the lady team movie everyone wants.

wisewillow She/her Since: May, 2011
She/her
#79065: Jan 14th 2018 at 6:11:42 PM

If I lose my Valkyrie movie for a Black Widow centered movie, I will be deeply pissed.

AlleyOop Since: Oct, 2010
#79066: Jan 14th 2018 at 6:18:22 PM

Valkyrie probably has a lot of immediate appeal out the door relative to her introduction (I don't think people really wanted a Black Widow movie right after IM 2 came out), and possibly an easier high concept to launch theoretical franchises off of, but Black Widow has a more established groundwork for them to develop a film within the universe off of, and this is purely a personal opinion but I think Black Widow appeals a little more to my tastes in genre. I don't really care either way. They can put her in this and make a proper Valkyrie-led spinoff down the line. Doesn't have to be a zero sum game.

edited 14th Jan '18 6:20:35 PM by AlleyOop

Bocaj Funny but not helpful from Here or thereabouts (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: Pining for the fjords
Funny but not helpful
#79067: Jan 14th 2018 at 6:21:16 PM

Black Widow would be good for a serialized story but Scarjo be too expensive for tv probably

Forever liveblogging the Avengers
wisewillow She/her Since: May, 2011
She/her
#79068: Jan 14th 2018 at 6:21:33 PM

It’s Marvel. The MCU track record of casting women leads is currently 1-18; there were no characters who were women of color until... was Civil War the first one?

So I would be 0% surprised if we got a Black Widow focused movie with Valkyrie and other women in the background, and then no Valkyrie movie. I don’t trust Marvel.

VeryMelon Since: Jul, 2011 Relationship Status: Anime is my true love
#79069: Jan 14th 2018 at 6:25:59 PM

I probably wouldn't have enough interest to see a Black Widow film at this point.

Bocaj Funny but not helpful from Here or thereabouts (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: Pining for the fjords
Funny but not helpful
#79070: Jan 14th 2018 at 6:27:32 PM

There was Dr Cho from Age of Ultron

I'm not sure that qualifies actually

edited 14th Jan '18 6:28:18 PM by Bocaj

Forever liveblogging the Avengers
KnownUnknown Since: Jan, 2001
#79071: Jan 14th 2018 at 6:33:06 PM

The introduced Dr. Cho, and then we didn't get Amadeus, which still makes me grumble.

I'm still hoping they're saving him for a Young Avengers concept. An actual movie, hopefully.

edited 14th Jan '18 6:33:15 PM by KnownUnknown

"The difference between reality and fiction is that fiction has to make sense." - Tom Clancy, paraphrasing Mark Twain.
comicwriter Since: Sep, 2011
#79072: Jan 14th 2018 at 6:34:39 PM

Someone made the joke that Black Panther single handedly raised the number of women of color in the MCU by like 400 percent.

KnownUnknown Since: Jan, 2001
#79073: Jan 14th 2018 at 6:37:13 PM

400% or 500% is about right. I think Dr. Cho is only women of color who is an actual character (rather than an extra or anything) in a Marvel movie before Civil War.

edited 14th Jan '18 6:38:07 PM by KnownUnknown

"The difference between reality and fiction is that fiction has to make sense." - Tom Clancy, paraphrasing Mark Twain.
wisewillow She/her Since: May, 2011
She/her
#79074: Jan 14th 2018 at 6:37:29 PM

[up][up]...yep. More than that, if you count speaking members of the Dora Milaje.

So Age of Ultron had first woman of color (Dr. Cho; Asian).

Civil War had the first black women (the dead student volunteer’s mom and the badass Dora Milaje member played by Florence Kasumba).

...are we still at 0 Latina women?!?

edited 14th Jan '18 6:38:15 PM by wisewillow

KnownUnknown Since: Jan, 2001
#79075: Jan 14th 2018 at 6:38:40 PM

There's Gamora, but GOTG does the sci-fi standby of casting people of color as aliens and monsters, so as far as I'm concerned she doesn't count.

[up] I'd love a White Tiger movie. My hopes aren't high for ever seeing Arana, but I'd love to see her too.

edited 14th Jan '18 6:39:09 PM by KnownUnknown

"The difference between reality and fiction is that fiction has to make sense." - Tom Clancy, paraphrasing Mark Twain.

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