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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

KnownUnknown Since: Jan, 2001
#24976: Jan 14th 2015 at 7:40:33 PM

Like Sandman, Electro was the villain with the most well written and superior presence, at least in his first few appearances (before they started screwing up their villain writing in general, in part due to how they handled the Oscorp plot and how much that took over the film), whereas the bigger name felt too forced in and ultimately created what would be the plotlines of the flim: there's a good case to be made that most of Amazing 2's problems fall squarely on how they treated Harry and his related plotline, and the effect that had on the other plotlines. I wouldn't be surprised if it was the same problem Spider-Man 3 had - the compulsion to throw in a big battle with the A-Lister ultimately screwing up the quality of the movie.

Unlike Spider-Man 3, however, I feel like the best solution for Amazing Spider-Man 2 would've involved Harry starting to become the Goblin but not actually having the big face off until the next movie - as well as putting more work into Electro's ultimately abandoned character arc and emphasizing his and Harry's Villainous Friendship.

[up] Spider-Man's A-List is difficult to pin down, because the general public considers A-List to be whoever's been in the movies and/or the most memorable characters of tv shows they remember, but a few of Spidey villains weren't in stuff in the 90's thanks to embargoes (and Spider Man The Animated Series focused more on Kingpin than the individual villains), so the group people think of when they think "A-List" for Spidey is just the three: Ock, Goblin, Venom. IIRC, however, Spidey's core villains are Goblin, Ock, Venom, Electro, Sandman, Kraven, Mysterio, Vulture, Hobgoblin, maybe Shocker, etc. If they've been on the Sinister Six, there's a good chance they're on Spidey's A-List.

He's actually similar to Batman, in that his iconic Rogues Gallery is mostly "classic" villains with a few notable modern ones, including the grim 90's villain who is known as being the one guy too tough/monstrous for him to beat normally.

edited 14th Jan '15 7:53:12 PM by KnownUnknown

comicwriter Since: Sep, 2011
#24977: Jan 14th 2015 at 7:52:29 PM

The other thing is terms like A-list and B-list are often really meaningless in the context of comic book movies because most people in the audience are not comic book fans. Spider-Man is slightly different because he's of course already a big A-lister but most of his villains had the same general level of pop culture exposure prior to the movies.

KnownUnknown Since: Jan, 2001
#24978: Jan 14th 2015 at 7:53:27 PM

A better term is probably "core" villain or something like that, at least when it comes to a Rogues Gallery. Or really just considering the Rogues Gallery as a whole in general.

edited 14th Jan '15 8:13:34 PM by KnownUnknown

Swanpride Since: Jun, 2013
#24979: Jan 15th 2015 at 12:57:30 AM

I actually liked Electro as a villain. In fact, I think that the main problem in TAS 2 was that they stuffend too much at once in the movie, so that no storyline had the room to breath, but each of them (minus the rhino) would have made a good story if properly executed.

In any case, I want a third Spiderman movie, a proper conclusion to this version of him, and then Marvel can add him. If they don't want Garfield, there is no hurry.

nervmeister Since: Oct, 2010
#24980: Jan 15th 2015 at 1:18:34 AM

Hoping the next Avengers movie after Ultron mixes things up by having an almost entirely different roster (Captain Marvel, Black Panther, Ant-Man, etc.) take center stage.

GeekCodeRed Since: Sep, 2010
#24981: Jan 15th 2015 at 2:14:22 AM

I don't know about you guys, but I haven't had enough of the current Avengers to warrant a new set being established.

I mean, they've all had their individual stuff, but only one movie together. And they spent most of that movie not-together.

Swanpride Since: Jun, 2013
#24982: Jan 15th 2015 at 3:35:39 AM

Yeah, I agree...I would have liked to see at last one movie in which they simply work as a team, and I have the feeling that Age of Ultron will show mostly how they start to drift apart....

LordofLore Since: Jun, 2012 Relationship Status: Consider his love an honor
#24983: Jan 15th 2015 at 6:20:03 AM

Cap 2, Guardians and X-Men DOFP are nominated for the Oscar for Visuals. Guardians are also up for the Make-Up one.

Swanpride Since: Jun, 2013
#24984: Jan 15th 2015 at 7:02:06 AM

To be honest, I was hoping that Winter Soldier would get a best picture nod. Not winning, only a nomination. If there was ever a Comic book movie which deserved one, it's this one. Oh well.

Kostya (Unlucky Thirteen)
#24985: Jan 15th 2015 at 7:05:32 AM

We're probably going to have to wait a while before a superhero movie is a serious contender for an Oscar that isn't special effects or something similar. Either that or we get a superhero movie that's also Oscar Bait.

LordofLore Since: Jun, 2012 Relationship Status: Consider his love an honor
#24986: Jan 15th 2015 at 7:10:22 AM

Their competition is:

  • Best Visual Effects:
    • Captain America: The Winter Soldier
    • Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
    • Guardians of the Galaxy
    • Interstellar
    • X-Men: Days of Future Past

  • Best Makeup and Hairstyling:
    • Foxcatcher
    • The Grand Budapest Hotel
    • Guardians of the Galaxy

TobiasDrake (•̀⤙•́) (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Arm chopping is not a love language!
(•̀⤙•́)
#24987: Jan 15th 2015 at 7:11:42 AM

Regarding the possibility of a World War Hulk movie, I'm for it, and I disagree with the assertion that it requires one of the two parties to be relentless assholes.

In the comic proper, the actual World War Hulk event was built on a misunderstanding. The explosion that wiped out the Hulk's new home was caused by the ship he was sent in, giving him the impression that the heroes had programmed a bomb into it as a final F*ck You. However, the explosion was actually a betrayal from within, from one of the allies he made during Planet Hulk trying to reignite his barbaric rage.

And even before that was revealed, the going theory on what caused the explosion was actually a total accident. Immediately prior to the ship exploding, the people in the civilization Hulk liberated - who are less than technologically savvy - salvage it for parts to make a big celebration display honoring the Hulk's arrival and deeds. Just before the ship explodes, we see them knocking around inside it, when the words, "Core overload imminent" come through the ship's speakers.

The implication being that the unadvanced people stripping down the ship accidentally set off the explosion, similar to what might happen if you were to go into a nuclear power plant with a crowbar and just start ripping out whatever looks cool.

Either of these explanations can work without actually writing the heroes as conniving bastards who blew up Planet Hulk city for lulz.

It's not World War Hulk that's difficult to justify, but the preceding Planet Hulk as a consequence of the fact that the Hulk has, for the most part, been written as an unambiguous force of good in the MCU. Find a way to justify Planet Hulk, and World War Hulk is easy.

edited 15th Jan '15 7:14:18 AM by TobiasDrake

My Tumblr. Currently side-by-side liveblogging Digimon Adventure, sub vs dub.
Kostya (Unlucky Thirteen)
#24988: Jan 15th 2015 at 7:44:43 AM

[up][up] They'll probably lose visual effects to Interstellar but if they lose makeup I'm calling bullshit.

Khfan429 Since: Aug, 2009
#24989: Jan 15th 2015 at 7:56:57 AM

[up][up] That's not necessarily true at all. Planet Hulk is incredibly easy to set up, with a scenario that I'm pretty sure's been suggested here and around the Internet frequently; a villain sends Hulk into space, stranding him on an alien planet.

And with that, any incentive for World War Hulk is gone, because even if there's a spacecraft involved, Hulk has no reason to be angry at his friends. They're not the ones who sent him away, or cost him his new home.

edited 15th Jan '15 7:57:52 AM by Khfan429

Canid117 Since: Oct, 2010 Relationship Status: Hello, I love you
#24990: Jan 15th 2015 at 8:13:54 AM

The main crux of Planet Hulk though was the acceptance that he's more than a raging monster and that he's found a place to be respected and loved rather than feared. In the MCU he's already half way there.

"War without fire is like sausages without mustard." - Jean Juvénal des Ursins
GeekCodeRed Since: Sep, 2010
#24991: Jan 15th 2015 at 8:25:18 AM

To be honest, I was hoping that Winter Soldier would get a best picture nod. Not winning, only a nomination. If there was ever a Comic book movie which deserved one, it's this one. Oh well.


I'd have to disagree. Winter Soldier was brilliant, likely Oscar nomination worthy.

But the most Oscar-worthy comic-book movie ever was The Dark Knight. The Avengers is my favorite comic-book movie, and my third favorite movie overall, but in my opinion TDK is the better movie.

Rvdz Don't mock the shocker from in a bar, under the sea Since: Aug, 2013 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Don't mock the shocker
#24992: Jan 15th 2015 at 8:34:46 AM

Birdman is kinda-sorta a superhero movie (but not really). Though I have to say, with all the best picture snubs (Nightcrawler, Gone Girl, Inherent Vice) this year's category was really crowded.

edited 15th Jan '15 8:35:16 AM by Rvdz

Sing the song of sixpence that goes burn the witch, we know where you live
spashthebandragon thebandragoness from USA Since: Feb, 2010 Relationship Status: Yes, I'm alone, but I'm alone and free
thebandragoness
#24993: Jan 15th 2015 at 8:52:29 AM

I think saying Winter Soldier deserves to win an Oscar is giving it a little too much praise. It was good, but I feel like people are going a bit overboard treating it like it's the greatest thing since sliced cheese when all it is a "standard superhero movie" that happens to be very well-done.

I mean, personally, I thought the Hydra-infiltration plot was a little contrived and the Winter Soldier was a crappy cliched villain (not that that's any different from usual MCU villains). I still really liked it, though, but it didn't feel as memorable as, say, Days of Future Past.

I've got fanfics for Frozen, Spectacular Spider-Man, Crash Bandicoot, and Spyro the Dragon.
SonOfSharknado Love is Love is Love Since: Oct, 2013 Relationship Status: And they all lived happily ever after <3
Love is Love is Love
#24994: Jan 15th 2015 at 8:54:19 AM

Does Do FP have anything other than the amazing Quicksilver scene?

My various fanfics.
LordofLore Since: Jun, 2012 Relationship Status: Consider his love an honor
#24995: Jan 15th 2015 at 8:56:32 AM

[up][up]This pretty much. It was a great superhero film but it isn't on my "Top 25 Great Action Films" list.

Forgot that BH 6 was based on Marvel but it's nominated. The movie won't be out here for another month or two.

  • Best Animated Feature:
    • Big Hero 6
    • The Boxtrolls
    • How to Train Your Dragon 2
    • Song of the Sea
    • The Tale of The Princess Kaguya

edited 15th Jan '15 8:56:59 AM by LordofLore

Bocaj Funny but not helpful from Here or thereabouts (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: Pining for the fjords
Funny but not helpful
#24996: Jan 15th 2015 at 8:57:53 AM

[up][up] I thought the sentinels were neat.

Forever liveblogging the Avengers
spashthebandragon thebandragoness from USA Since: Feb, 2010 Relationship Status: Yes, I'm alone, but I'm alone and free
thebandragoness
#24997: Jan 15th 2015 at 8:59:14 AM

[up][up][up]Hmm, let's see... Good writing, a coherent story structure, well-developed characters, a more focused cast compared to the other movies, erased the crappy X-Men movies with time-travel... No, I guess you're right, people obviously only like it because of one funny scene.

edited 15th Jan '15 8:59:26 AM by spashthebandragon

I've got fanfics for Frozen, Spectacular Spider-Man, Crash Bandicoot, and Spyro the Dragon.
Tuckerscreator (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: Drift compatible
#24998: Jan 15th 2015 at 9:05:54 AM

How is The LEGO Movie NOT nominated?!

...wrong thread, yeah. Still. Mad.

LordofLore Since: Jun, 2012 Relationship Status: Consider his love an honor
#24999: Jan 15th 2015 at 9:06:42 AM

It is. For Song.tongue

edited 15th Jan '15 9:08:01 AM by LordofLore

Bocaj Funny but not helpful from Here or thereabouts (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: Pining for the fjords
Funny but not helpful
#25000: Jan 15th 2015 at 9:08:02 AM

Its hard to care about the Oscars when half of the judges don't do their damn job. So it doesn't mean anything.

Forever liveblogging the Avengers

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