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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

Bocaj Funny but not helpful from Here or thereabouts (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: Pining for the fjords
Funny but not helpful
#27326: Feb 18th 2015 at 11:13:42 AM

Add in a combination of her adventures happening between Captain America and the modern day MCU plus us seeing her alive in Winter Soldier and the fate of other characters important to the show, fills it with false drama of her life being in danger.

Nobody ever seriously thinks the main character will die. The tension isn't 'will they get out of this one' but 'how.' Even when survival isn't a forgone conclusion, the rules of narrative pretty much make it one anyway.

Forever liveblogging the Avengers
Swanpride Since: Jun, 2013
#27327: Feb 18th 2015 at 11:25:51 AM

How does Agent Carter conflict with The Flash? They air on the same day, but on different time slots.

[up]Plus, it isn't a one person show. There are a lot of other characters to kill off.

edited 18th Feb '15 11:26:43 AM by Swanpride

higherbrainpattern Since: Apr, 2012
#27328: Feb 18th 2015 at 11:26:33 AM

Yeah, Agent Carter airs on ABC right after The Flash ends on CW.

GethKnight Since: Apr, 2010
#27329: Feb 18th 2015 at 11:30:08 AM

Must be a Central time zone thing, cause I have them both on at the same time for me. ABC's been airing Forever right when The Flash ends.

edited 18th Feb '15 11:30:40 AM by GethKnight

Swanpride Since: Jun, 2013
#27330: Feb 18th 2015 at 11:32:00 AM

In any case, I am surprised how many just claimed that they don't watch...seriously, you miss out on one of the best pieces of the MCU. Peggy is just awesome, and the show is very engaging. Nevermind all the background information sprinkled into it. Some suggestions about how Natasha's childhood must have been like, some call-backs to Iron-man, we get to know Howard and Jarvis, plus they actually feature additional characters from the comic books.

Mukora Uniocular from a place Since: Jan, 2010 Relationship Status: I made a point to burn all of the photographs
Uniocular
#27331: Feb 18th 2015 at 11:39:19 AM

Really. Agent Carter is probably one of my favourite things in the MCU so far.

"It's so hard to be humble, knowing how great I 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
#27332: Feb 18th 2015 at 11:44:20 AM

I have to agree.

Forever liveblogging the Avengers
MousaThe14 Writer, Artist, Ignored from Northern Virginia Since: Jan, 2011 Relationship Status: Showing feelings of an almost human nature
Writer, Artist, Ignored
#27333: Feb 18th 2015 at 11:44:39 AM

I caught up with Agent Carter a few days ago, and It didn't even occur to me that the training camp Dottie was raised in was probably exactly the sort of thing Natasha went through until Sawnpride brought it up. I am such an idiot, because it makes such perfect sense.

The Blog The Art
LordofLore Since: Jun, 2012 Relationship Status: Consider his love an honor
#27334: Feb 18th 2015 at 11:49:01 AM

The Guardians of the Galaxy animated series had a few actors revealed:

  • Will Friedle as Star-Lord
  • Kevin Michael Richardson as Groot
  • Trevor Devall as Rocket Raccoon

Swanpride Since: Jun, 2013
#27335: Feb 18th 2015 at 11:49:20 AM

[up][up]Really? It didn't take more than a few hours until the first fanfictions very incooperating the thing with the handcuffs.

edited 18th Feb '15 11:49:29 AM by Swanpride

Canid117 Since: Oct, 2010 Relationship Status: Hello, I love you
#27336: Feb 18th 2015 at 11:49:29 AM

I like agent Carter her speech patterns don't feel like the writers are trying to imitate Joss Whedon.

"War without fire is like sausages without mustard." - Jean Juvénal des Ursins
Swanpride Since: Jun, 2013
#27337: Feb 18th 2015 at 11:50:20 AM

[up]Well, why should they? The people behind Agent Carter are a totally different team, which have nothing to do with Whedon. Or the team behind Agents of Shield.

edited 18th Feb '15 11:54:29 AM by Swanpride

Tuckerscreator (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: Drift compatible
#27338: Feb 18th 2015 at 11:50:47 AM

[up](x6)And me. The most recent episode had one of the coolest villains revealed, and hopefully someone who might have major effects on future Captain America stories.

edited 18th Feb '15 11:51:23 AM by Tuckerscreator

Canid117 Since: Oct, 2010 Relationship Status: Hello, I love you
#27339: Feb 18th 2015 at 11:57:03 AM

[up][up]I've just grown so used to Whedon style snark being the dominant variety of wit in the MCU that Peggy's slightly stuffier, more British wit is both refreshing and appealing.

"War without fire is like sausages without mustard." - Jean Juvénal des Ursins
Galadriel Since: Feb, 2015
#27340: Feb 18th 2015 at 12:10:19 PM

Agent Carter is the best comic book show on TV by a long shot; I highly recommend it. It's better than Agents Of Shield and significantly better than The Flash, which are the other shows I watch.

Both Agent Carter and The Flash were really on their game this week. Two good episodes back-to-back.

edited 18th Feb '15 12:11:06 PM by Galadriel

Swanpride Since: Jun, 2013
#27341: Feb 18th 2015 at 12:17:48 PM

It's my favourite one, too, but then, Arrow and Flash knocked themselves out of the run because of their C Wness. I know a lot of people like the stuff, but I can't stand the melodrama. Which is too bad, because I really liked Arrow at the beginning.

comicwriter Since: Sep, 2011
#27342: Feb 18th 2015 at 2:03:08 PM

In any case, I am surprised how many just claimed that they don't watch...seriously, you miss out on one of the best pieces of the MCU.

Like I mentioned there's a lot of factors but I'm also starting to think another part of the problem is it has the same potential issue Agents of SHIELD does, that it's billed as a spin-off of the movies but for obvious reasons doesn't contain the characters from the movies people overwhelmingly want to see.

It's more forgivable for Agent Carter since it's set 60 years before most of the other MCU movies, but I've talked to people who made snide little jokes like "Oh yeah, everyone definitely wants to watch a show about Captain America's girlfriend!" It's in that sense that Marvel's choice to tie the TV shows to the greater MCU is a bit of a double edged sword.

edited 18th Feb '15 2:04:13 PM by comicwriter

higherbrainpattern Since: Apr, 2012
#27343: Feb 18th 2015 at 2:06:11 PM

[up] Considering the show is about Peggy's daily life working with the shitty 40s era sexist coworkers in the SSR while doing nightly missions to clear Howard Stark's name...those snides jokes are kind of...yeah.

BadWolf21 Since: May, 2010
#27344: Feb 18th 2015 at 2:37:45 PM

The show is good, but it's not near the best thing in the MCU. Pretty much anyone who isn't from the movies, Jarvis, or Angie, is ridiculously boring. I have the latest episode on right now, and I'm barely paying attention.

I think the main problem I have is that the show never really made clear why these events are so important. What I would have assumed was the goal at the start of the series (clear Howard Stark's name) was quickly overtaken by a much larger conspiracy, with unclear goals.

It's not bad at all. I even quite enjoyed it, for what it was (and yes, I know it's not done, but there's only one left, so I don't think my opinion will be changing drastically in either direction here). But it doesn't seem to be an uncommon opinion that it's tough to really invest yourself in it. Which is why I can't say it's even close to being the best. The best parts of this franchise, for me, are the ones I've been able to completely lose myself in. Agent Carter just didn't manage to do that.

On top of all of that, there's the fact that it's a period piece, which are notoriously hard sells, especially on ABC.

edited 18th Feb '15 2:42:22 PM by BadWolf21

Swanpride Since: Jun, 2013
#27345: Feb 18th 2015 at 3:42:52 PM

[up]Huh? A lot of people seem to be very invested in the show (and there is a lot of obsessive investment in Peggy and Angie, if you get my drift). And for a show which is set long before "I am Ironman" it does a way better job to tie into the other MCU offers than Ao S.

Mukora Uniocular from a place Since: Jan, 2010 Relationship Status: I made a point to burn all of the photographs
Uniocular
#27346: Feb 18th 2015 at 3:52:30 PM

Yeah, I'm definitely invested in the show, and am somewhat confused as to why it needs to explain why the events are "important."

I'd also dispute that any of the characters are "boring" It definitely has a much better main cast than Agents of SHIELD did (or still does, really). And it managed to make me care about a character I thought I was kinda "eh" about, so that's a pretty strong point in its favour, I think.

"It's so hard to be humble, knowing how great I am."
Swanpride Since: Jun, 2013
#27347: Feb 18th 2015 at 4:03:54 PM

[up]I am currently all broken up about a character I didn't even like most of the time.

Mukora Uniocular from a place Since: Jan, 2010 Relationship Status: I made a point to burn all of the photographs
Uniocular
#27348: Feb 18th 2015 at 4:04:49 PM

If it's who I'm thinking of, that's the character I was talking about, too.

"It's so hard to be humble, knowing how great I am."
MousaThe14 Writer, Artist, Ignored from Northern Virginia Since: Jan, 2011 Relationship Status: Showing feelings of an almost human nature
Writer, Artist, Ignored
#27349: Feb 18th 2015 at 5:00:22 PM

people who made snide little jokes like "Oh yeah, everyone definitely wants to watch a show about Captain America's girlfriend!"

Considering the show has had people around peggy saying effectively the same thing that's uh... Life Imitates Art, and apparently regardless of time period.

And I love the show, I am totally invested in what's going on, it's just with my current situation I can't catch it live when it airs. I always have to see it after the fact and at this rate, many weeks after the fact becuase of how infrequent my trips home are. I was only able to see episode 1 and 2 because it was winter break and I wasn't able to catch up to episode 6 becuase it was President's Day weekend and thus I was home.

The Blog The Art
Wackd Since: May, 2009
#27350: Feb 18th 2015 at 6:39:16 PM

I wouldn't say Agent Carter has a better supporting cast, but it definitely knew which notes each character was supposed to hit from the outset, which is where it's got a leg up.

On a tangentially related note, it makes me very happy that ABC is now marketing Agents of SHIELD on the strength of its female cast. Television! It knows what I want. Sometimes.

Maybe you'd be less disappointed if you stopped expecting things to be Carmen Sandiego movies.

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