TVTropes Now available in the app store!
Open

Follow TV Tropes

Following

Marvel Cinematic Universe

Go To

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

KarkatTheDalek Not as angry as the name would suggest. from Somwhere in Time/Space Since: Mar, 2012 Relationship Status: You're a beautiful woman, probably
Not as angry as the name would suggest.
#28926: Mar 8th 2015 at 7:50:07 PM

To be honest, "I don't see how that's a party" is probably something that I would say in that situation.

Well, maybe. If I wasn't too busy shitting myself in fear.

Oh God! Natural light!
GethKnight Since: Apr, 2010
#28927: Mar 8th 2015 at 7:55:40 PM

Her brain probably broke trying to process the giant metal serpent flying around the corner.

edvedd Darling. from At the boutique, dear. Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: We finish each other's sandwiches
Darling.
#28928: Mar 8th 2015 at 7:57:30 PM

If I was in a catsuit with a pistol facing down a giant mechanical serpent, I wouldn't have much to say either.

But I would wonder why I'm wearing a catsuit.

Visit my Tumblr! I may say things. The Bureau Project
CorrTerek The Permanently Confused from The Bland Line Since: Jul, 2009
The Permanently Confused
#28929: Mar 8th 2015 at 8:53:35 PM

I probably would've dropped the line entirely. The gag worked fine as it was.

HisInfernalMajesty Since: Dec, 2013 Relationship Status: Gonna take a lot to drag me away from you
#28930: Mar 8th 2015 at 9:14:06 PM

My biggest problem with Avengers was the self-indulgent classic Whedon dialogue. It was witty and funny and great yeah, but it just kept going and going and going and the whole movie was just that and some cool action scenes with a few good character nuggets thrown in.

I also really didn't like how Loki went from an awesome, complex Shakespearean villain in Thor to a wimpy, overconfident, average boring Marvel villain that never once felt like a threat. And god knows the countless mooks weren't threatening either. The stakes were too low for me to care about Avengers.

Maybe the second one will change that, but I still feel like it exists solely as a setup for Civil War, rather than as an interesting standalone story, which Avengers felt like too.

"A king has no friends. Only subjects and enemies."
edvedd Darling. from At the boutique, dear. Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: We finish each other's sandwiches
Darling.
#28931: Mar 8th 2015 at 9:20:53 PM

Well, AOU is already far more serious-minded to begin with, with seemingly more of an emphasis on character moments (i.e. the flashbacks).

Visit my Tumblr! I may say things. The Bureau Project
HisInfernalMajesty Since: Dec, 2013 Relationship Status: Gonna take a lot to drag me away from you
#28932: Mar 8th 2015 at 9:25:06 PM

I am more confident in it, because the gimmick of "OMG ALL THESE HEROES ON SCREEN AT THE SAME TIME?!" only works once. So I'm sure they were forced to put more thought into it this time around.

"A king has no friends. Only subjects and enemies."
edvedd Darling. from At the boutique, dear. Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: We finish each other's sandwiches
Darling.
#28933: Mar 8th 2015 at 9:27:07 PM

I think I read somewhere that Joss Whedon was interesting in going small for this one. Obviously it's bigger budget, but it's more intimate.

Visit my Tumblr! I may say things. The Bureau Project
Wackd Since: May, 2009
#28934: Mar 8th 2015 at 9:30:34 PM

I'm highly doubtful that Whedon trying to write dialogue that sounds nothing like his usual dialogue would've resulted in a better picture, nor can I imagine picking anyone else to write the film. Direct, maybe, but not write.

edited 8th Mar '15 9:43:05 PM by Wackd

Maybe you'd be less disappointed if you stopped expecting things to be Carmen Sandiego movies.
HisInfernalMajesty Since: Dec, 2013 Relationship Status: Gonna take a lot to drag me away from you
#28935: Mar 8th 2015 at 9:41:07 PM

[up] Oh no, I agree. I'd prefer a mediocre Whedon movie than a terrible Whedon-trying-to-be-Nolan movie or something. Just imagining that is...ugh.

"A king has no friends. Only subjects and enemies."
Bocaj Funny but not helpful from Here or thereabouts (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: Pining for the fjords
Funny but not helpful
#28936: Mar 8th 2015 at 10:02:16 PM

"You either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain"
Tony: "Why is everyone looking at me?"

Forever liveblogging the Avengers
Anomalocaris20 from Sagittarius A* Since: Sep, 2010 Relationship Status: Love blinded me (with science!)
#28937: Mar 8th 2015 at 11:08:05 PM

What exactly is wrong with the "I don't see how that's a party" line?

And I still don't get what "Whedon humor" is. What makes it any different from anyone else's humor?

You cannot firmly grasp the true form of Squidward's technique!
KnownUnknown Since: Jan, 2001
#28938: Mar 8th 2015 at 11:17:51 PM

I don't know what Whedon humor really means, since Avengers is my main experience with him, but Avengers 1 is super one-linery, which imo makes it less entertaining when you don't have a whole crowd around you to react to the lines, because they often stop the movie dead and feel awkward when taken as is.

Still, the big line I have a problem with in the movie is "he's adopted." Other than that, it's more or less alright I guess.

I don't remember who said it before, but I second that one of my big worries coming in Ao U is Widow's personality. If she goes back to being little but snark and She-Fu I'll be pretty disappointed.

edited 8th Mar '15 11:19:38 PM by KnownUnknown

Wackd Since: May, 2009
#28939: Mar 8th 2015 at 11:17:53 PM

Having seen similar accusations leveled at some other TV writers I enjoy I've basically come to the conclusion that if your name gets big enough people will find minute patterns in your work that they might not've noticed otherwise. Doubly so if they're not fond of you.

I mean, if you watch both Captain Americas and The Dark World you might start to notice Christopher Markus & Stephen McFeely's dialogue has a certain rhythm to it. But they haven't, because no one knows who the hell Markus and McFeely are.

Maybe you'd be less disappointed if you stopped expecting things to be Carmen Sandiego movies.
edvedd Darling. from At the boutique, dear. Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: We finish each other's sandwiches
Darling.
#28940: Mar 8th 2015 at 11:25:50 PM

Well, whoever they are, good work on the Winter Soldier script.

Most people, if you asked them, would find the individual MCU films somewhat uneven (See: this very thread), but I believe Winter Soldier sort of raised the game and gave the MCU a bit more shine on the whole.

Visit my Tumblr! I may say things. The Bureau Project
Tuckerscreator (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: Drift compatible
#28941: Mar 9th 2015 at 12:44:51 AM

Something kinda Fridge Brilliance regarding the earlier discussion about Iron Man 3.

LordofLore Since: Jun, 2012 Relationship Status: Consider his love an honor
#28942: Mar 9th 2015 at 12:51:10 AM

@28880 Because I don't think they are going to pull a "Wow, your daughter actually survived the attack that is your motivation for pretty much everything, Drax/was saved by the father of Thanos". Much more likely that she is just a monk in service to the Universal Church of Truth or just introduced as Phyla-Vell's girlfriend who ends up joining the Guardians with her after they save the universe together.

The Q&A with Gunn.

edited 9th Mar '15 12:55:23 AM by LordofLore

KnownUnknown Since: Jan, 2001
#28943: Mar 9th 2015 at 12:55:11 AM

[up][up] While that's an interesting idea, I don't think it's a metaphor for what the speaker thinks its a metaphor for.

As noted, Tony's problem with Pepper isn't really that he's obsessed with the suits (though, admittedly, it's the movie's fault for trying to pass it off like it is at the end, not necessarily a problem with the interpretation), and given that that scene barely even involves Pepper until the end and especially given that there are still dozens of suits hanging around by the time they get to that point (should it really have been a metaphor for him losing the facades he hides behind in regards to Pepper, it would follow narratively that at the point where this would be the more relevant that he would either have none left or maybe just the one), it doesn't seem to be like that's what they were trying to get across.

However, it is a decent metaphor for Tony getting over his crutch for dealing with his issues with New York. He can't get over his anxiety, so he builds all these suits to protect him. And when he needs them to, they protect him one last time, but now he has to choose between the relying on the suits to protect him or self confidence. Etc.

I still suspect that at its core it's just an attempt at Sequel Escalation, though.

edited 9th Mar '15 12:56:07 AM by KnownUnknown

Wackd Since: May, 2009
#28944: Mar 9th 2015 at 12:59:02 AM

Because I don't think they are going to pull a "Wow, your daughter actually survived the attack that is your motivation for pretty much everything, Drax/was saved by the father of Thanos".
They can change how she was saved.

And I can imagine using this as an opertunity to explore why revenge is kind of a shitty motivation for wanting to kill the guy who wants to kill the universe. Maybe, upon finding out Moondragon is okay, he almost backs out, only to be reminded that Thanos is still a universal threat. Maybe Moondragon gets upset with Drax because revenge isn't in the spirit of what her mom would've wanted, or thinks he should be bigger than revenge, or something. I dunno.

Maybe you'd be less disappointed if you stopped expecting things to be Carmen Sandiego movies.
C105 Too old for this from France Since: Jan, 2012 Relationship Status: Yes, I'm alone, but I'm alone and free
Too old for this
#28945: Mar 9th 2015 at 1:55:58 AM

About the discussion above with Pepper and the armor in Iron Man 3, I was under the impression that one of the motivations for Tony to build the Mark 42 armour was specifically to be able to protect Pepper by suiting her into the armour should the need arise. I guess he had a special set of gestures to specify that the armour was not to be set on him, but on someone else (or possibly just Pepper).

As for her handling of the armour, I thought she managed rather decently for someone who had absolutely zero experience with using it, especially as it was not functionning at full capacity. For one thing, she instantly realised that she could protect Tony from the falling debris.

Seriously, my only complaint about the Pepper action scenes in IM 3 is that there were not enough of them. I keep hoping (but I sadly would not bet on it) that we could see Extremis Pepper again in future movies, as Tony's comment about "fixing her" in the end is awfully (purposefully ?) vague.

Whatever your favourite work is, there is a Vocal Minority that considers it the Worst. Whatever. Ever!.
Swanpride Since: Jun, 2013
#28946: Mar 9th 2015 at 1:58:42 AM

I never bought into the "Whedon is so great with female characters" party line until I watched the Avengers. Because, let's face it, the portrayal of Black Widow in Iron Man 2 was awful and Scarlet Johansen, was the only saving grace of the character. That and a badass fight-scene. But then Avengers came around and not only did Black Widow get some practical clothes, but also a character-establishing scene which is one of the best scenes in the whole MCU and made pretty clear: Never, ever underestimate this women. It was time devoted to her demons, she had her own little arc with Bruce and Clint and in the end, she is the one who has to make the hard decision and close the portal even though Tony isn't back yet. It was just great on every level. There is a reason why the calls for a Black Widow movie got loud after The Avengers.

And concerning the dialogues: Yeah, there is always the danger that Whedon gets a little bit overindulgent with his one-liners, but at least he knows how to write a proper dialogue. My main complain about Nolan is always that his characters never talk like normal people but like melodramatic philosophers.

Wackd Since: May, 2009
#28947: Mar 9th 2015 at 2:02:36 AM

But then Avengers came around and not only did Black Widow get some practical clothes
Far be it from me to rebut praise of Joss Whedon, but given these movies presumably have a costuming department and are incredibly merchandise driven, I find it doubtful that Whedon had any particular degree of control over costuming.

edited 9th Mar '15 2:03:08 AM by Wackd

Maybe you'd be less disappointed if you stopped expecting things to be Carmen Sandiego movies.
Swanpride Since: Jun, 2013
#28948: Mar 9th 2015 at 2:06:16 AM

[up]Who knows...making her loose the awful curls was also a plus in my books. And the merchandize might decide how her fighting uniform looks like, but not the clothes she wears otherwise.

edited 9th Mar '15 2:07:20 AM by Swanpride

C105 Too old for this from France Since: Jan, 2012 Relationship Status: Yes, I'm alone, but I'm alone and free
Too old for this
#28949: Mar 9th 2015 at 2:11:56 AM

I don't mind one-liners in an action movie. It's almost part of the formula for me.

Whatever your favourite work is, there is a Vocal Minority that considers it the Worst. Whatever. Ever!.
edvedd Darling. from At the boutique, dear. Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: We finish each other's sandwiches
Darling.
#28950: Mar 9th 2015 at 2:34:21 AM

[up][up]It's weird, because she has long hair in other Marvel movies, but she goes back to short for the Avengers movies.

Visit my Tumblr! I may say things. The Bureau Project

Total posts: 186,763
Top