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Welcome to the main discussion thread for the Marvel Cinematic Universe! This pinned post is here 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 without spoiler tagging 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.

If you're posting tagged spoilers, make sure that the film or series is clearly identified outside the spoiler tagging. People need to know what will be spoiled before they choose to read the post.

    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 Mrph1 on Jul 29th 2024 at 3:09:00 PM

dcutter2 Since: Sep, 2013
#142826: Jun 7th 2022 at 1:17:30 PM

(edit to add quote since this ended up on a new page)

I think at least a couple of the heroes being willing to sacrifice others is necessary, because it's things like that that ensure that Thanos looks like a hypocrite and maintains his villainy.

There was a ton of discourse when the movie first came out about whether it was presenting Thanos as right or even with some kind of moral high ground, and I remember one of the big counterpoints at the time was how the movie has clear example of how - when the heroes didn't act as he dismissed them and were actually willing to make hard choices to stop him - he would just ignore them and continue to aggrandize himself as the only one with the willpower.

Thanos didn't exactly ignore it though? He compliments Quill for it.

I don't think you need Thanos to be a hypocrite to be a villian. The evil genocidal olan on its own is enough.

Endgame is weird though in that it seemed to be implying Thanos' plan eas perfectly correct and effective apart from people being sad their friends and loved ones were dead, which doesn't make much sense to me.

Edited by dcutter2 on Jun 7th 2022 at 9:21:08 AM

TobiasDrake (•̀⤙•́) (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Arm chopping is not a love language!
(•̀⤙•́)
#142827: Jun 7th 2022 at 1:21:20 PM

Infinity War was like that too. The film presented the flaw in Thanos's plan as being that it was cruel. But actually, as many fans pointed out, the flaw in Thanos's plan is that he's a fucking moron with a grade-school comprehension of economics. He's not being cruel but efficient; He's just being stupidly cruel while achieving nothing.

What If? eventually lampooned this point. T'Challa manages to completely reform Thanos by just sitting down with him and explaining why his plan is the dumbest shit ever conceived. Ravager Thanos is still concerned with Malthusianism, but has realigned himself to pursue reallocation of resources as a solution, rather than randomized murder lotteries.

Edited by TobiasDrake on Jun 7th 2022 at 1:22:47 AM

My Tumblr. Currently side-by-side liveblogging Digimon Adventure, sub vs dub.
fredhot16 Don't want to leave but cannot pretend from Baton Rogue, Louisiana. Since: Jan, 2015 Relationship Status: Too sexy for my shirt
Don't want to leave but cannot pretend
#142828: Jun 7th 2022 at 1:22:51 PM

When Thanos realized that he became Hitler, he decided that he didn't need that sort of stress in his life and just tried to kill...everything.

It was kinda hilarious, actually.

Edit:[up]MOTHERFUCKER HAS THE INFINITY GAUNTLET! HE CAN JUST MAKE ENOUGH FOOD OUT OF THIN AIR TO SUSTAIN THE POPULATION OF THE UNIVERSE UNTIL THE LITERAL HEAT DEATH OF THE UNIVERSE!

Edited by fredhot16 on Jun 7th 2022 at 1:25:19 AM

Trans rights are human rights. TV Tropes is not a place for bigotry, cruelty, or dickishness, no matter who or their position.
dcutter2 Since: Sep, 2013
#142829: Jun 7th 2022 at 1:22:58 PM

I really disliked Star Lord T'Challa, I know it's supposed to be fun and tongue in cheek but ...ugh.

Just doubles down on Star-Lord's butt monkey dom in a really bad way for me.

eta:

It's kind of hilarious the way Endgame takes the exact opposite approach. They strip all of that philosophical shit right out of him. Nobody likes Thanos so he's going to murder the universe. Fuck you, that's why.

I really like that aspect to him. It underlines why he's the villian. He says he's doing it all for a good cause and it's the only way. But really it's all because he's a sad little git who's plan got rejected centuries ago and now he's just got to prove himself right.

When he said he expected the universe to be grateful in Infinity War he really meant it and can't handle that it's not.

Edited by dcutter2 on Jun 7th 2022 at 9:25:11 AM

slimcoder The Head of the Hydra Since: May, 2013
The Head of the Hydra
#142830: Jun 7th 2022 at 1:25:41 PM

Who knows maybe one day we'll have a Star Lord who's actually respectable tongue

Maybe with a better costume too [lol]

Edited by slimcoder on Jun 7th 2022 at 1:26:37 AM

"I am Alpharius. This is a lie."
Anomalocaris20 from Sagittarius A* Since: Sep, 2010 Relationship Status: Love blinded me (with science!)
#142831: Jun 7th 2022 at 1:29:21 PM

Endgame Thanos feels like a natural evolution of Infinity War Thanos, despite literally being a temporally regressed form of the character.

His ambition to "fix" the universe remains the same, but he saw definitive proof that his grand scheme of semicide wouldn't actually work due to the ungrateful surviving half rejecting his world, and so concluded he might as well go all-in and just reboot the universe from scratch; a much more effective plan and probably something he secretly always considered, but hid behind the semicide plan so he could still call himself merciful.

Or, in other words, wiping out 50% of life instead of 100% was him "being reasonable".

You cannot firmly grasp the true form of Squidward's technique!
Bocaj Funny but not helpful from Here or thereabouts (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: Pining for the fjords
Funny but not helpful
#142832: Jun 7th 2022 at 1:33:34 PM

It’s also a Thanos who learns secondhand that a future him succeeded and then was cruelly murdered despite all his good intentions and then those jerks are trying to undo his grand work

And if his thing is proving some dead naysayers wrong, that’s gotta sting

Forever liveblogging the Avengers
Anomalocaris20 from Sagittarius A* Since: Sep, 2010 Relationship Status: Love blinded me (with science!)
#142833: Jun 7th 2022 at 1:36:24 PM

He seemed pretty okay and anticipatory with the murder, it was the persistence in undoing his work that bothered him. tongue

Edited by Anomalocaris20 on Jun 7th 2022 at 4:36:46 AM

You cannot firmly grasp the true form of Squidward's technique!
uncertanSearcher It's always Season of the Witch from Germany Since: Oct, 2017
It's always Season of the Witch
#142834: Jun 7th 2022 at 1:39:58 PM

[up][up][up][up]Based on set photos of vol.3 you might get your wish on that one.

https://twitter.com/CosmicMMedia/status/1521169097870004226/photo/1

Edited by uncertanSearcher on Jun 7th 2022 at 10:40:57 AM

dcutter2 Since: Sep, 2013
#142835: Jun 7th 2022 at 1:40:18 PM

[up]x5 Still got his ass whupped though ;)

Edited by dcutter2 on Jun 7th 2022 at 9:40:34 AM

KnownUnknown Since: Jan, 2001
#142836: Jun 7th 2022 at 1:43:41 PM

The Etri thing made sense to me. Thanos is all about how his plan is supposedly fair, and more intelligent and reasoned that anyone else's ideals, and how the only reason he alone can go through with it is because he alone is wise enough and has enough willpower to go through with it.

But the moment something comes up that could actually threaten his plan, or could be a weakness to him, or shows that others are willing to show the same gumption he does for a solution that isn't his, he goes out of his way to eliminate that problem. He kills all the dwarves and hobbles Etri because their continued existence is a threat to his ascension to savior of the universe, and so who cares about what he said before: they have to go.

Because at the end of the day what's important to Thanos isn't the rules of his M.O. or his ideals, it's that he's right. He has to be inevitable, because he's a narcissist. If anything threatens his inevitability, suddenly his entire approach changes with extreme prejudice.

slimcoder The Head of the Hydra Since: May, 2013
The Head of the Hydra
#142837: Jun 7th 2022 at 1:44:47 PM

[up][up][up] Holy fuck those are the Post-Annihilation outfits. Wow we're actually getting those.

[up][up] Still pretty dignified. Especially managing to tell the Avengers whats going on with perfect calm despite an arrow to the face.

Edited by slimcoder on Jun 7th 2022 at 1:52:55 AM

"I am Alpharius. This is a lie."
dcutter2 Since: Sep, 2013
#142838: Jun 7th 2022 at 1:48:16 PM

[up][up] Absolutely. I agree.

The 'mad' part of Mad Titan to me has always been that maybe he was right about Titan and halving their population at that exact moment would have staved off disaster long enough to fix whatever their issues were before the population grew too large again but he takes the one time solution and thinks it applies to all things every where at any moment and it's just not true.

Tangentially it's also the reason I think he only snapped sapient creatures not plants and animals because that would be reducing necessary resources (plus the snap happens in a forest and we never see any plants go or come back to my knowledge) not preserving them. I think he's mad but not that mad.

Edited by dcutter2 on Jun 7th 2022 at 9:48:29 AM

NoName999 Since: May, 2011
#142839: Jun 7th 2022 at 1:52:38 PM

It was confirmed that non-sentient lifeform was also snapped lol

dcutter2 Since: Sep, 2013
#142840: Jun 7th 2022 at 1:54:59 PM

It was confirmed that non-sentient lifeform was also snapped lol

Eh. As far as I can tell, it's never been shown on screen (well maybe the birds by implication) and that's what counts to me. I don't like taking Word Of God when it seems to contradict what's on screen. (Again a big part of the snap sequence took place in a forest in Wakanda and we see zero plants dusted.)

Tuckerscreator (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: Drift compatible
#142841: Jun 7th 2022 at 1:57:19 PM

Maybe in a What If I’d like to see a more comics accurate Thanos. Because comic Thanos is one amazingly petty cosmic power dick.

Like the time he ruined the universe by helping a little old lady across the street. Or how he screws over some random guy on his birthday every year. He gives Professor Zoom a run for his money.

Edited by Tuckerscreator on Jun 7th 2022 at 2:02:23 AM

dcutter2 Since: Sep, 2013
#142842: Jun 7th 2022 at 1:59:17 PM

[up] Comic accurate can mean anything. It's all Depending on the Writer after all.

Gaon Smoking Snake from Grim Up North Since: Jun, 2012 Relationship Status: Above such petty unnecessities
#142843: Jun 7th 2022 at 2:05:12 PM

I do really miss the more openly unhinged and unstable comics Thanos who is driven almost entirely by blind passion, truly a Mad Titan. Starlin's Infinity Gauntlet comic includes the memorable description of Thanos' squaring off against the doomed heroes (the equivalent to Thanos arriving in Wakanda during Infinity War): "Thanos laughs at their defiance and I am chilled to the soul. For there is unholy truth in that insane howl."

That's the sort of chilling moment Brolin's Thanos couldn't really pull off. He's still great, but "The Mad Titan" is missed.

Edited by Gaon on Jun 7th 2022 at 2:05:53 AM

"All you Fascists bound to lose."
slimcoder The Head of the Hydra Since: May, 2013
The Head of the Hydra
#142844: Jun 7th 2022 at 2:08:23 PM

Whenever I read a Thanos story I can never really fit Brolin's voice because the temperaments of both characters are radically different.

Notably Movie-Thanos never yells being more of a cold ham while Comic-Thanos is incredibly bombastic.

On that note I hate all Thanos' voice-acting in animated/games stuff. He never sounds right, instead sounding like a generic conqueror guy.

"I am Alpharius. This is a lie."
Gaon Smoking Snake from Grim Up North Since: Jun, 2012 Relationship Status: Above such petty unnecessities
#142845: Jun 7th 2022 at 2:13:55 PM

As far as Comics-Thanos goes I think the closest was the Silver Surfer cartoon, in which the gimmmick is that he essentially alternates between whispering and screaming at random intervals and the point is more drawn that he's bugnuts.

"All you Fascists bound to lose."
slimcoder The Head of the Hydra Since: May, 2013
The Head of the Hydra
#142846: Jun 8th 2022 at 2:40:05 PM

So Ms. Marvel debuted today, making the second debut of a Marvel character.

I kinda now want Genis-Vell in something purely because I like his costumes.

The Legacy outfit which looks like something from a 90s dance video

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/captain_marvel_marvel_comics_genis_vell_legacy_d.jpg

His Captain Marvel suit cause of the whole blue-skin look

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/250px_capitanmarvel3.png

Or his insane period suit (which is a Kree Navy uniform), post-insane suit, and his Photon suit cause I love suits with the whole celestial bodies across space design.

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/genis.png

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/2784724_captain_marvel__54___page_23.jpg

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ca37d313ca7c7e7b30ceb8350e47183f.jpg

"I am Alpharius. This is a lie."
M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#142847: Jun 8th 2022 at 7:29:39 PM

Or how he screws over some random guy on his birthday every year.

Reminds me of an old X-Men comic that established that Sabretooth made a point of making Wolverine's birthdays miserable.

Disgusted, but not surprised
CheapMarzipan A Low Cost Confection Since: Dec, 2020 Relationship Status: Love blinded me (with science!)
A Low Cost Confection
#142848: Jun 9th 2022 at 9:08:40 AM

In fairness comic Thanos being petty evil is pretty new. The lead up to Infinity Gauntlet even had the MCU’s ecoterrorist motive as Death’s reason for why she revived Thanos and sent him on his mission.

XMenMutant22 The Feline Follies of Felix the Cat Since: Jan, 2012 Relationship Status: Hoping Senpai notices me
#142849: Jun 9th 2022 at 1:55:35 PM

Deadline has news about a director attached to the Thunderbolts film:

Marvel Studios’ top-secret Thunderbolts movie looks to have gained momentum as Deadline has learned that Jake Schreier is set as director of the new Marvel tentpole. Black Widow scribe Eric Pearson is penning the script with Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige producing.

Not much is known about the plot of film other then it revolving around a group of supervillains (or at least characters who have played bad guys at one point in MCU) who go on missions for the government. The other element that is vague is which character will be part of this team since film it is technically still in development, though sources say Marvel has been in touch with certain individuals who are already part of the MCU to make sure to keep an opening in their schedules for next summer when it shoots. That said, some of the characters that could potentially be starring or making some sort of appearance include Baron Zemo, Yelena Belova, Ghost, Taskmaster, The Abomination, US Agent and Winter Soldier

General Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross is also a possibility since he is the person in the comics who assembles the first team (hence the name) but again that is unconfirmed as no deal for any actor has closed.

While the town has been buzzing about The Fantastic Four directing search, which has only begun meeting potential candidates, the studio has been quietly focused on Thunderbolts ODA and according to insiders, Schreier presentation in recent weeks blew away execs and ultimately landing him the job.

dcutter2 Since: Sep, 2013
#142850: Jun 9th 2022 at 1:59:07 PM

I didn't think General Ross created the Thunderbolts? At least not the first version of them. Obviously they're going to the suicide squad esque versions rather than the Villians-in-disguise version.


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