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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

KJMackley Since: Jan, 2001
#35601: Jun 1st 2015 at 3:04:26 PM

The only way lesser villains will get a chance in the big blockbuster movies is by being a lesser villain to the Big Bad. Scarecrow was slated to be the follow-up villain after Batman & Robin, but I think his shtick is a bit too one-note to be the primary villain (the base story for Scarecrow ALWAYS comes down to blackmailing the city with fear toxin). Batman Begins ended up using him as the Starter Villain with connections to Ras Al-Ghul, which allows Batman to do more than just be a chemist, find the antidote, beat up a guy who has never been physically imposing (Knightfall excepted).

The MCU has already done this quite a bit, Crossbones and Batroc were minor physical threats (as they would be given the established level of Captain America's strength and abilities), leaving Winter Soldier and Hydra as the real danger.

comicwriter Since: Sep, 2011
#35602: Jun 1st 2015 at 3:06:09 PM

Someone here once had the idea of having minor villains showing up in Bond Cold Openings and I think that's a good strategy.

edited 1st Jun '15 3:06:37 PM by comicwriter

KnownUnknown Since: Jan, 2001
#35603: Jun 1st 2015 at 3:07:47 PM

The concept of a superhero crime/heist movie is exactly the reason why I was really interested in Sinister Six in the first place.

Anomalocaris20 from Sagittarius A* Since: Sep, 2010 Relationship Status: Love blinded me (with science!)
#35604: Jun 1st 2015 at 3:11:07 PM

[up][up]That's basically what Batroc is.

You cannot firmly grasp the true form of Squidward's technique!
comicwriter Since: Sep, 2011
#35605: Jun 1st 2015 at 3:13:30 PM

[up][up]The trick is there just needs to be a Bigger Bad involved so the audience can root for the villains to begin with.

Villains with their own books in the comics usually work with this. Catwoman and Harley Quinn are both crooks, for instance, but the writers usually succeed in pitting them against someone so much worse that the audience views their crimes as far more forgivable by comparison.

Bocaj Funny but not helpful from Here or thereabouts (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: Pining for the fjords
Funny but not helpful
#35606: Jun 1st 2015 at 3:15:53 PM

Superior Foes of Spider-Man did the sympathetic villains thing, right?

Forever liveblogging the Avengers
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.
#35607: Jun 1st 2015 at 3:36:16 PM

[up] To a degree. Boomerang's still a massive tool, Speed Demon's not much better, and Beetle - while at least trying to be professional - is still a jerk. Overdrive's not so bad, though, and it's hard not to feel sorry for Shocker.

Oh God! Natural light!
Ninety Absolutely no relation to NLK from Land of Quakes and Hills Since: Nov, 2012 Relationship Status: In Spades with myself
Absolutely no relation to NLK
#35608: Jun 1st 2015 at 3:50:16 PM

I feel sorry for their names already.

Dopants: He meant what he said and he said what he meant, a Ninety is faithful 100%.
alliterator Since: Jan, 2001
#35609: Jun 1st 2015 at 3:57:01 PM

Well, they are better than the Blood Pack (Ballistic, Nightblade, Sparx, Geist, Razorsharp, and Mongrel). And those were supposed to be good guys.

Oh, Bloodlines. Still the worst DC crossover ever.

Bocaj Funny but not helpful from Here or thereabouts (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: Pining for the fjords
Funny but not helpful
#35610: Jun 1st 2015 at 3:59:40 PM

Haven't heard of that one

Forever liveblogging the Avengers
Ninety Absolutely no relation to NLK from Land of Quakes and Hills Since: Nov, 2012 Relationship Status: In Spades with myself
Absolutely no relation to NLK
#35611: Jun 1st 2015 at 4:04:19 PM

You could do something with those names.

Dopants: He meant what he said and he said what he meant, a Ninety is faithful 100%.
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.
#35612: Jun 1st 2015 at 4:47:24 PM

I'm trying to decide who's worse, actually. Boomerang's a dick through and through, but Speed Demon...

To quote the comic, who does that?

edited 1st Jun '15 4:49:10 PM by KarkatTheDalek

Oh God! Natural light!
higherbrainpattern Since: Apr, 2012
#35613: Jun 1st 2015 at 4:52:27 PM

I need to re-watch AOU but at the same time, I kind of don't want to, because when I watched it I liked it, but the movie does a have a whole host of issues that I didn't like, so I don't know if rewatching the film will completely tarnish what I enjoyed about it when I first saw it.

Anyways, who's excited for Ant-Man?

Bocaj Funny but not helpful from Here or thereabouts (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: Pining for the fjords
Funny but not helpful
#35614: Jun 1st 2015 at 4:55:59 PM

I'm hyped.

Forever liveblogging the Avengers
Mukora Uniocular from a place Since: Jan, 2010 Relationship Status: I made a point to burn all of the photographs
Uniocular
#35615: Jun 1st 2015 at 4:59:10 PM

Not really.

I kind of wish we could just skip ahead to Captain Marvel or Black Panther.

I dunno. I'll probably see it and Doctor Strange, but I'm not really excited for either one.

"It's so hard to be humble, knowing how great I am."
higherbrainpattern Since: Apr, 2012
#35616: Jun 1st 2015 at 5:02:00 PM

[up] I mean, it can't possibly as terrible as you're dreading it to be. At least the visuals seem like they'll be cool, even if you don't care about Pym or Lang.

[down] True enough. As an Indian person, I definitely want more diversity in superhero movies,, especially in the MCU. But that trailer really sold the hell out of me for the movie.

edited 1st Jun '15 5:10:45 PM by higherbrainpattern

Zarek Rollin' rollin' rollin' from Jakku Since: Sep, 2012 Relationship Status: Shipping fictional characters
Rollin' rollin' rollin'
#35617: Jun 1st 2015 at 5:02:12 PM

On the one hand, I'm with Mukora in the "bring on the superheroes that ain't white guys" boat.

On the other hand...that trailer really sold me on the shrinking as a power. I wasn't sure about it beforehand but damn that trailer makes it look cool; I especially like the comparing-Ant-Man-to-a-bullet thing, that's part of what sold me on it. I just need a little bit of an explanation for stuff, not much, I don't require hard science in my superheroes, but just a bit of justification makes it really work for me.

"We're home, Chewie."
Bocaj Funny but not helpful from Here or thereabouts (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: Pining for the fjords
Funny but not helpful
#35618: Jun 1st 2015 at 5:13:33 PM

I'm hyped for Black Panther and Captain Marvel too.

If I had my druthers I'd have had either of those moved up. Especially given that Wakanda is mentioned in AOU.

But since its already been made, I'm hype. It looks fun.

Plus plus pluuuuuus, shhhhh. Hope is going to become Wasp. Shut up. I feel it in the unrestrained optimism gland of my heart.

Forever liveblogging the Avengers
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.
#35619: Jun 1st 2015 at 5:14:12 PM

[up] Even if she doesn't here, I'm hoping she will later on.

Oh God! Natural light!
Victin Since: Dec, 2011
#35620: Jun 1st 2015 at 5:15:54 PM

I caught up with Agents of SHIELD yesterday. That last two-parter was awesome. Some stuff that comes to my mind: Was Skye's mother the Magneto of the MCU? What the hell happened to Simmons at the end of the episode? Also, a highlight: "I'm Gordon. Who are you?" "I'm the guy who kills Gordon."

Mukora Uniocular from a place Since: Jan, 2010 Relationship Status: I made a point to burn all of the photographs
Uniocular
#35621: Jun 1st 2015 at 5:16:50 PM

Double posts are cool

edited 1st Jun '15 5:18:27 PM by Mukora

"It's so hard to be humble, knowing how great I am."
Mukora Uniocular from a place Since: Jan, 2010 Relationship Status: I made a point to burn all of the photographs
Uniocular
#35622: Jun 1st 2015 at 5:18:04 PM

I don't think either will be terrible (Well... Doctor Strange, maybe)

But, like, in Ant-Man's case, specifically, I'm still very upset Janet is apparently dead, and I'm not nearly as big a fan of Paul Rudd as Mark Ruffalo, so it's just kinda... eh.

"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
#35623: Jun 1st 2015 at 5:18:21 PM

[up][up] She got eaten by a Kree artifact.

[up] Fair enough. I wasn't happy that Jan got off-screened either. Apparently she was a superhero in the past and associated with the Avengers Initiative? I hope we get a flashback movie or something.

edited 1st Jun '15 5:20:03 PM by Bocaj

Forever liveblogging the Avengers
spashthebandragon thebandragoness from USA Since: Feb, 2010 Relationship Status: Yes, I'm alone, but I'm alone and free
thebandragoness
#35624: Jun 1st 2015 at 5:19:16 PM

I need to re-watch AOU but at the same time, I kind of don't want to, because when I watched it I liked it, but the movie does a have a whole host of issues that I didn't like, so I don't know if rewatching the film will completely tarnish what I enjoyed about it when I first saw it.

Y'know, personally, I find it a lot less stressful to just admit to myself that it's a bad movie...

I've got fanfics for Frozen, Spectacular Spider-Man, Crash Bandicoot, and Spyro the Dragon.
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.
#35625: Jun 1st 2015 at 5:19:49 PM

@Mukora: If you haven't seen the second trailer, maybe watching it will convince you?

edited 1st Jun '15 5:21:07 PM by KarkatTheDalek

Oh God! Natural light!

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