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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.
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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

higherbrainpattern Since: Apr, 2012
#25926: Feb 6th 2015 at 10:24:30 AM

The only problem's the first season of AOS has, IMO, was relying too much on the Monster of the Week format for the first 10-12 episodes. It started to pick up after that for me.

Mukora Uniocular from a place Since: Jan, 2010 Relationship Status: I made a point to burn all of the photographs
Uniocular
#25927: Feb 6th 2015 at 10:26:46 AM

I thought the first season was pretty rough, but still overall enjoyable to watch. I never found myself wishing I was watching something else.

"It's so hard to be humble, knowing how great I am."
VeryMelon Since: Jul, 2011 Relationship Status: Anime is my true love
#25928: Feb 6th 2015 at 10:34:06 AM

If it weren't for Scorch showing up in episode 4, I would have dropped the show cold turkey at that point.

Wackd Since: May, 2009
#25929: Feb 6th 2015 at 10:34:12 AM

I understand why the show started when it did—winter's a shit time to start a network drama, spring even moreso, and you need time to build up both SHIELD's importance and the characters' emotional integrity so we care when SHIELD falls. I personally felt like the show spent too much time on the former and not enough on the latter—so when everything collapses it's very difficult to give a shit.

It's bizarre to me that it's in the mist of all the chaos of the end-of-SHIELD arc we get some of the best definition of who our protagonists are, and it makes me wish that it was viable to start a show in January if the show was capable of snapping to attention that quickly.

Basically I just think season one could've benefited from a shorter first half because the show ultimately proved that it didn't need the extensive groundwork it was so shit at providing. Maybe it could've come in midseason and succeeded, who knows.

edited 6th Feb '15 11:10:10 AM by Wackd

Maybe you'd be less disappointed if you stopped expecting things to be Carmen Sandiego movies.
Swanpride Since: Jun, 2013
#25930: Feb 6th 2015 at 11:04:50 AM

I disagree. The problem with Ao S was that they didn't use the time they had to built up the characters properly. First episode: Let's assemble the team. Second episode: Instant team bonding through dangerous situation! And after that we were supposed to believe that the characters cared so deeply for each other that Skye helping her old friend usw. is a big betrayel, when we barely know those guys and they barely know each other.

They should have started with Coulson and how he handpicks his team, shouldn't have introduced skye before the third episode and just in general should have allowed the characters to get to knew each other.

Problematic were also the tie-ins. I think the only tie-in episode from the first season I liked was the one with the alien virus, because that's a realistic danger. But five minutes of cleaning up and then the team is gone to look for the berserker staff? Pointless! And I can't express enough how much I hated the Sif episode, as rapey as it was. The way it portrayed males was downright insulting (and I say that as a female).

edited 6th Feb '15 11:05:22 AM by Swanpride

Wackd Since: May, 2009
#25931: Feb 6th 2015 at 11:09:11 AM

...you need time to build up both SHIELD's importance and the characters' emotional integrity so we care when SHIELD falls. I personally felt like the show spent too much time on the former and not enough on the latter...

I disagree. The problem with Ao S was that they didn't use the time they had to built up the characters properly.
Yes. Clearly we are in disagreement. Our opinions are totally different.

Maybe you'd be less disappointed if you stopped expecting things to be Carmen Sandiego movies.
higherbrainpattern Since: Apr, 2012
#25932: Feb 6th 2015 at 11:15:40 AM

[up][up].....Because of Lorelai's powers? I mean, yeah, Ward got raped, that was fucked up. But other than that, I really liked the Sif episode.

Swanpride Since: Jun, 2013
#25933: Feb 6th 2015 at 11:21:10 AM

[up][up] Concerning the shorter first half...I think if they had used the time as they should have, it would have made the finale much more impactful.

[up] I found it uncomfortable to watch. One guy lost his fresh married wife he was very much in love with and another one kills his, and all this is treated like an afterthought.

Wackd Since: May, 2009
#25934: Feb 6th 2015 at 11:23:00 AM

[up]At the same time, though, there's really only so many missions-of-the-week you can do before the show starts feeling like it's spinning its wheels, and that number is definitely smaller than eleven.

I don't think the show should've started with SHIELD collapsing, just closer to SHIELD collapsing.

The Lorelei bits of the Sif episode are self-evidently terrible and I really don't have any more to say about it than that.

edited 6th Feb '15 11:24:33 AM by Wackd

Maybe you'd be less disappointed if you stopped expecting things to be Carmen Sandiego movies.
Mukora Uniocular from a place Since: Jan, 2010 Relationship Status: I made a point to burn all of the photographs
Uniocular
#25935: Feb 6th 2015 at 11:50:00 AM

Sif herself was pretty cool, though. She outweighed all the rest of the episode.

"It's so hard to be humble, knowing how great I am."
Wackd Since: May, 2009
#25936: Feb 6th 2015 at 12:02:20 PM

I want to agree, but no amount of Sif makes through having to sit through unremarked-upon rape (and several instances of barely-commented-on Mind Rape) any better.

Maybe you'd be less disappointed if you stopped expecting things to be Carmen Sandiego movies.
Swanpride Since: Jun, 2013
#25937: Feb 6th 2015 at 12:09:44 PM

plus, I was kind of bothered that they send Sif to apprehend a female villain instead of a male one. As if you need some "she won't get influenced" reason to make Sif the pick for any mission (especially with Loki on the throne, ready to keep Thor's friends as far aways from him as possible).

spashthebandragon thebandragoness from USA Since: Feb, 2010 Relationship Status: Yes, I'm alone, but I'm alone and free
thebandragoness
#25938: Feb 6th 2015 at 12:11:25 PM

Wait, did Lorelei actually sleep with any of the people she brainwashed (I stopped watching Ao S before that episode)? I mean, I'm sure she brainwashed-raped people offscreen (hence her being an Asgardian criminal and all), but in the actual episode, did she ever take advantage of the brainwashed people sexually, or did she just use them as soldiers?

Also, out of curiosity, would Lorelei's powers work on lesbians? What about gay men? Or transgender people?

I've got fanfics for Frozen, Spectacular Spider-Man, Crash Bandicoot, and Spyro the Dragon.
Wackd Since: May, 2009
#25939: Feb 6th 2015 at 12:13:54 PM

I think Sif mentions her powers work on lesbians.

I should certainly hope they work on trans men who like women because if not there are some damn unfortunate implications.

Lorelei has sex with Ward while he's under her influence.

Maybe you'd be less disappointed if you stopped expecting things to be Carmen Sandiego movies.
Discar Since: Jun, 2009
#25940: Feb 6th 2015 at 12:14:18 PM

[up][up][up] Sif was sent because she had a personal history with Lorelei, and because they couldn't send men. I'm sure that there were lots of Asgardian men who would have loved to help, but that would have been a bad idea.

edited 6th Feb '15 12:14:42 PM by Discar

Writing a post-post apocalypse LitRPG on RR. Also fanfic stuff.
SonOfSharknado Love is Love is Love Since: Oct, 2013 Relationship Status: And they all lived happily ever after <3
Love is Love is Love
#25941: Feb 6th 2015 at 12:30:10 PM

I should clarify earlier: I like funny characters. Static, Spidey, Flash, Kyle Rayner. The best. I like fun characters on a team where not everyone is fun, because it lightens the mood and brings variety to the ensemble and the setting. What I don't like, is when everyone is clever, and everyone is witty, and everyone is firing off quips like it's tumblr and they have six hours to organize their thoughts into something smooth before saying anything.

My various fanfics.
Falrinn Since: Dec, 2014
#25942: Feb 6th 2015 at 1:19:39 PM

I kind of wonder if the the Lorelei Ao S episode was actually supposed to be the crossover for The Dark World, and the actually Dark World crossover was intended to be a completely unrelated episode, albeit with some Asgardian themes, but due to some behind-the-scenes issues they got flipped around. Regardless of what you may feel about the episode itself (I enjoyed it overall, though I do admit it has problems in retrospect) the Lorelei episode makes a lot more sense as a crossover since it actually deals directly with the fallout from the events of the movie and had a guest star from the cast of the movie.

On the general subject of crossovers, what I'm interested is how they are going to do the Age of Ultron crossover. Since Ultron's drones are probably a little much for the show's VFX budget, it's unlikely we'll see any of them. If they do go ahead and make Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver Inhumans, then it'll probably deal with that angle.

Anomalocaris20 from Sagittarius A* Since: Sep, 2010 Relationship Status: Love blinded me (with science!)
#25943: Feb 6th 2015 at 1:28:36 PM

What exactly makes something "Whedon snark"?

You cannot firmly grasp the true form of Squidward's technique!
Mukora Uniocular from a place Since: Jan, 2010 Relationship Status: I made a point to burn all of the photographs
Uniocular
#25945: Feb 6th 2015 at 1:33:38 PM

[up]x2 That's something I've wondered.

The definition seems very loose.

"It's so hard to be humble, knowing how great I am."
Wackd Since: May, 2009
#25946: Feb 6th 2015 at 1:35:39 PM

I feel like it's basically trying for realistic word choice but without realistic diction.

Maybe you'd be less disappointed if you stopped expecting things to be Carmen Sandiego movies.
Mukora Uniocular from a place Since: Jan, 2010 Relationship Status: I made a point to burn all of the photographs
Uniocular
#25947: Feb 6th 2015 at 1:36:55 PM

I guess?

In which case, honestly I really disagree with the idea that unrealistic word choice and unrealistic diction is better.

edited 6th Feb '15 1:38:26 PM by Mukora

"It's so hard to be humble, knowing how great I am."
Falrinn Since: Dec, 2014
#25948: Feb 6th 2015 at 1:37:53 PM

[up]x4

The show is definitely primed to deal with Inhumans, so at this point it's a question of whether or not the movies takes the time to give even the vaguest explanation as to what the Inhumans are and that Quicksilver and Scarlett Witch are two of them.

Come to think of it, explaining who the Inhumans are to the Avengers could be a job for Coulson. But if he is involved in Age of Ultron at all, Marvel has been keeping that fact very secret.

edited 6th Feb '15 1:38:18 PM by Falrinn

Wackd Since: May, 2009
#25949: Feb 6th 2015 at 1:43:39 PM

Apparently Whedon is vehemently against that happening, because he wants to have to have as little exposition as possible about what's happened between Avengers 1 and 2, so.

edited 6th Feb '15 1:44:09 PM by Wackd

Maybe you'd be less disappointed if you stopped expecting things to be Carmen Sandiego movies.
comicwriter Since: Sep, 2011
#25950: Feb 6th 2015 at 3:22:47 PM

If the twins do turn out being Inhumans I think it'll be something subtle like near the end of the movie someone mentions an anomaly within their genetics or something like, serving as a Sequel Hook for the upcoming Inhumans flick.

[up]I don't think it'll be something drastic like Coulson showing up to play Mr. Exposition but they are eventually going to do something with the Inhumanity plot line. Maybe Infinity War will deal with some of that.

As for Whedon Snark the closest trope I can think of for it is World of Snark. Every single character regardless of intelligence or personality suddenly becomes a world class snark-slinger who always has an awesome comeback or one-liner or sick pop culture burn.


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