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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.
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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

RavenWilder Since: Apr, 2009
#144276: Jul 19th 2022 at 6:54:03 AM

In the earliest Thor comics, the guy we know as "Thor" was just Donald Blake, an American doctor who happened to come across Mjolnir and be worthy of picking it up, and would use it to turn into Thor and fight evil (it was very Shazam inspired).

It'd later be revealed that Donald was actually the original, straight-from-Norse-mythology Thor, just under a spell that made him look like and believe himself to be an ordinary mortal, and the hammer was simply returning him to his normal self. However, because of those early comics, the notion that anyone worthy of Mjolnir would literally become Thor was established, and got used later.

Watchtower Since: Jul, 2010
#144277: Jul 19th 2022 at 6:56:07 AM

Bendis is a lot like Whedon where he has a very specific style that works really well for certain characters and scenarios but not much else beyond that, and rather than attempt to adapt he instead bends everything so that square pegs fit into round holes.

Aaron is better about hiding the same but his attempts at social commentary are some of the most obnoxious "dudebro tries to be woke" shit out there and his attempts at feminism especially are some legit r/MenWritingWomen dreck.

Also Marvel trying to make "The Mighty Thor" a thing is really dumb and is clunker than calling Miles "Ultimate Spider-Man". Say what you will about the inherent sexism of "Lady Thor" but at least it's concise and at least it's consistent with Lady Sif.

slimcoder The Head of the Hydra Since: May, 2013
The Head of the Hydra
#144278: Jul 19th 2022 at 7:00:46 AM

Oh wow yeah they are trying to make The Mighty Thor Jane's thing.

Hell Jane was recently added to Marvel's Avengers as Thor as a playable character (she's a movement clone of Thor bytheby, they don't have enough budget to create entirely new characters anymore so her inclusion is a cheap expense)

And she is listed as "The Mighty Thor" exactly, to the point of being the first character in the game to have THE as apart of her name in the menu interface.

Edited by slimcoder on Jul 19th 2022 at 7:01:43 AM

"I am Alpharius. This is a lie."
Theokal3 Since: Jan, 2012
#144279: Jul 19th 2022 at 7:02:03 AM

Uh. I was under the impression Aaron's run had been well-received safe for insecure Anti-SJ Ws. Guess there are people who have legitimate complains about it after all. Out of curiosity, what questionable choices did he do besides making Odin sexist?

alekos23 Since: Mar, 2013
#144280: Jul 19th 2022 at 7:04:46 AM

A really silly scene with a female Rogues Gallery member iirc.

Magic lady storm stuffed in Mjolnir (okay it's not inherently bad tbh)

Joshbones Since: May, 2015
#144281: Jul 19th 2022 at 7:33:55 AM

Yeah, Titania, a character known for like really hating She-Hulk, let Jane Foster's Thor knock her out and arrest her because of girl power. It's more ridiculous than it sounds.

TobiasDrake (•̀⤙•́) (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Arm chopping is not a love language!
(•̀⤙•́)
#144282: Jul 19th 2022 at 7:43:25 AM

Note that besides Jane, one of the most significant Thor-power wielders is Beta Ray Bill. He was basically just a random alien that Thor fought, who turned out to be Worthy and was able to lift Mjolnir. Because, statistically, there are going to be people in the universe that Thor's never met before who are Worthy.

Odin made a second hammer named Stormbreaker so that Bill could have the Power of Thor while Thor also has the Power of Thor. Thor powers all around!

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

But do you know what they don't call him? Beta Thor. Because that would sound really weird. So. Yeah. Really need an official proper noun since this is such a thing.

Edited by TobiasDrake on Jul 19th 2022 at 7:44:12 AM

My Tumblr. Currently side-by-side liveblogging Digimon Adventure, sub vs dub.
slimcoder The Head of the Hydra Since: May, 2013
The Head of the Hydra
#144283: Jul 19th 2022 at 7:46:53 AM

[up][up] He also had Absorbing Man parrot the typical complaints about the Thor name, with Creel pointing out it isn't a mantle and so he gets decked by both Jane and then his wife for being an idiot

Aaron actually reused that joke another time in Avengers where he had She-Hulk beat up Ulik the King of Trolls" while he asked "Wait isn't Thor his name?"

And that issue is also where the infamous take that audience where She-Hulk defends her dumb-Hulk form to the audience cause...... she isn't being gropped and stared at anymore....

Edited by slimcoder on Jul 19th 2022 at 7:48:13 AM

"I am Alpharius. This is a lie."
Bocaj Funny but not helpful from Here or thereabouts (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: Pining for the fjords
Funny but not helpful
#144284: Jul 19th 2022 at 7:52:04 AM

Fun fact: She Hulk got sexually harassed by actual Santa Claus once

She’s had sunbathing photos taken by paparazzi and was saved only by misguided photo editing

She’s been forced to strip in public by corrupt SHIELD agents

It’s not like there’s no basis for the arc but it is badly executed. Ewing did something very similar with Betty Ross Harpy in Immortal Hulk but much better

Edited by Bocaj on Jul 19th 2022 at 10:56:23 AM

Forever liveblogging the Avengers
windleopard from Nigeria Since: Nov, 2014 Relationship Status: Non-Canon
#144285: Jul 19th 2022 at 7:58:03 AM

But do you know what they don't call him? Beta Thor. Because that would sound really weird. So. Yeah. Really need an official proper noun since this is such a thing.

Beta Thor sounds like something you'd call him as an insult.

[up] Yeah, maybe Aaron could have addressed it better, but Jen unfortunately does have a history of being sexually harassed and objectified. The John Byrne run had no less than three villains try to force She-Hulk to be their bride.

Edited by windleopard on Jul 19th 2022 at 3:58:40 PM

dcutter2 Since: Sep, 2013
#144286: Jul 19th 2022 at 8:00:22 AM

The delivery of it sounds dumb and stupid but I kind of like the idea of it?

She's not a distaff counterpart, she's not She-Thor, Thordis, Lady Thor. She really is embodying Thor and his role in the cosmos. Like the Eric Masterson Thor if I'm reading it right. The difference being Thor had disappeared when he was around? Whereas he'd just become unworthy or something for Jane.

It's just weird that Thor's real name and superhero name are the same. (except originally they weren't)

windleopard from Nigeria Since: Nov, 2014 Relationship Status: Non-Canon
#144287: Jul 19th 2022 at 8:01:43 AM

To stay somewhat on topic, would the response to She-Hulk's rather thin frame in the upcoming show suggest there might be some merit to Aaron's metacommentary?

Bocaj Funny but not helpful from Here or thereabouts (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: Pining for the fjords
Funny but not helpful
#144288: Jul 19th 2022 at 8:04:14 AM

I maintain that Jane Thor would have been better received if Thor was dead or actually doing something instead of just being miserable in a bar

He lost Mjolnir because Nick Fury said Gorr was right so Thor should have been going on a god quest or trying to do more for the people of Midgard. Anything except spinning his wheels.

Forever liveblogging the Avengers
dcutter2 Since: Sep, 2013
#144290: Jul 19th 2022 at 8:08:27 AM

Anyone who fought him would be thore the next morning.

Bocaj Funny but not helpful from Here or thereabouts (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: Pining for the fjords
Funny but not helpful
#144291: Jul 19th 2022 at 8:11:45 AM

Gods of Thornder

Forever liveblogging the Avengers
Watchtower Since: Jul, 2010
#144292: Jul 19th 2022 at 8:12:43 AM

I mean it's not like Jane Thor hasn't been well-received, even in the comics. She's basically a better version of Thunderstrike in nearly every way.

......does Thunderstrike work? [lol]

Edited by Watchtower on Jul 19th 2022 at 11:13:00 AM

Bocaj Funny but not helpful from Here or thereabouts (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: Pining for the fjords
Funny but not helpful
#144293: Jul 19th 2022 at 8:20:28 AM

He apparently worked in the 90s

Tom DeFalco claims he was even as popular as Thor but that’s been disputed by another marvel veteran, can’t recall who

Forever liveblogging the Avengers
dcutter2 Since: Sep, 2013
#144294: Jul 19th 2022 at 8:22:31 AM

I'm sure someone said he was more popular than Thor, so they cancelled Thunderstrike to try and get the readers back to onto the main Thor book and failed spectacularly.

Bocaj Funny but not helpful from Here or thereabouts (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: Pining for the fjords
Funny but not helpful
#144295: Jul 19th 2022 at 8:23:48 AM

Yeah I’ve heard that too but I don’t remember who made that claim either

Forever liveblogging the Avengers
Kiobi20 Since: Sep, 2016
#144296: Jul 19th 2022 at 8:28:27 AM

All this arguing about people who have been thors made me realize that there are enough Thors for a Thorverse crossover to work, he even has his own spider ham with frog thor.

HasturHasturHastur from Wheah the fahkin baby wheel is, Jay Since: Nov, 2010
#144297: Jul 19th 2022 at 8:41:42 AM

@windleopard: Jen has historically made significant gains in muscle mass from working out in her base form, so she could get swole over the course of the series.

uncertanSearcher It's always Season of the Witch from Germany Since: Oct, 2017
It's always Season of the Witch
#144298: Jul 19th 2022 at 10:22:49 AM

I think in the animated series Jane went by Thunderstrike when she picked up the hammer.

In universe people who can lift Mjolnir have pretty cosistently just been called "worthy". Jane calling herself Thor is pretty much only a thing for irl branding so no wonder all justifications for it seem pretty weak.

Love and Thunder didnt even bother with an explanation. She just called herself Mighty Thor without any given reasoning or anybody questioning it.

HasturHasturHastur from Wheah the fahkin baby wheel is, Jay Since: Nov, 2010
#144299: Jul 19th 2022 at 10:35:49 AM

I suspect it'll be touched upon more when Beta Ray Bill takes it up.

Zeromaeus Since: May, 2010
#144300: Jul 19th 2022 at 10:49:29 AM

I mean, if I picked up Thor's hammer and suddenly had lightning powers and Asgardian armor, I'd probably call myself Thor too unless the real deal asked me not to.


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