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

Bocaj Funny but not helpful from Here or thereabouts (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: Pining for the fjords
Funny but not helpful
#35651: Jun 1st 2015 at 5:44:00 PM

I guess that's also the reason for the sudden family.

Which, hey, some good things came out of it then!

Forever liveblogging the Avengers
SonOfSharknado Love is Love is Love Since: Oct, 2013 Relationship Status: And they all lived happily ever after <3
Love is Love is Love
#35652: Jun 1st 2015 at 5:45:05 PM

It's like cheese sauce. It's delicious. But when you have too much, it makes you wanna throw up.

My various fanfics.
Zarek Rollin' rollin' rollin' from Jakku Since: Sep, 2012 Relationship Status: Shipping fictional characters
Rollin' rollin' rollin'
#35653: Jun 1st 2015 at 5:45:33 PM

Clint's kids calling world-renowned former Soviet assassin codename Black Widow "Auntie Nat" is the most adorable thing and I will fight you if you say otherwise.

edited 1st Jun '15 5:46:03 PM by Zarek

"We're home, Chewie."
KJMackley Since: Jan, 2001
#35654: Jun 1st 2015 at 5:45:52 PM

The main thing that got me with AOU is that it was a constant stream of quips and jokey moments. Like when Baron Strucker was punched down by Captain America and gave out that goofy groan, the mook who was knocked down by the sedation dart with the exchange "Good talk" "No it wasn't!", the "Language!" Running Gag, etc. Even the entire Hulkbuster fight was a bunch of one-liners and visual gags, the ONE moment that was taken seriously (Hulk climbing out of the rubble and realizing what has happened) was capped off with another joke (off-screen punch to the head).

Mukora Uniocular from a place Since: Jan, 2010 Relationship Status: I made a point to burn all of the photographs
Uniocular
#35655: Jun 1st 2015 at 5:46:01 PM

[up]x3 Yeah, but you still got to eat a ton of cheese sauce. I'd consider that a net positive experience.

edited 1st Jun '15 5:46:34 PM by Mukora

"It's so hard to be humble, knowing how great I am."
higherbrainpattern Since: Apr, 2012
#35656: Jun 1st 2015 at 5:49:12 PM

[up][up][up] "Auntie Nat" was cute, I will admit. I'm still glad Joss is gone though.

Like, really glad. More than I can say.

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.
#35657: Jun 1st 2015 at 5:49:28 PM

[up][up][up] I liked the "Good talk" bit. I always like when the mooks get funny lines.

I agree with the Hulkbuster fight, though. This is a critical scene for Banner, as we see later in the film, but it's kind of undercut by Tony's constant one liners. Maybe it have worked better if it had held on the Hulk's realization of the destruction he caused a little longer, it would have worked better.

edited 1st Jun '15 5:49:46 PM by KarkatTheDalek

Oh God! Natural light!
Tuckerscreator (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: Drift compatible
#35658: Jun 1st 2015 at 5:49:45 PM

I appreciate the Whedon banter, as it makes his films feel more unique than other blockbusters, but there were places in the film where it felt like the momentum just stopped dead for a joke. One such example is the Ulysses Klaw scene.

He's a brutal arms dealer, meets the twins, they try to intimidate him, he doesn't care if they try, shows how tough he is and... cuttlefish? Cuttlefish imitation? Awkward noises? Anyway, as he was saying- Quicksilver steals candy? Everyone stares blankly... anyway, as he was saying...

Too much banter can also make a situation feel too lighthearted and diminish the stakes. We don't care about Hawkeye thinking over his remodeling plans, we want to see the lives in his care make it out safely. Ultron feels like a menacing mystery at first, until he stumbles over words and it feels like they forgot to edit a flub out. Sometimes it's better to leave a funny gag for the blooper reel or riffing. Quicksilver superspeed stealing a candy might have made me laugh in a parody skit. In the movie itself not so much.

edited 1st Jun '15 5:50:46 PM by Tuckerscreator

Mukora Uniocular from a place Since: Jan, 2010 Relationship Status: I made a point to burn all of the photographs
Uniocular
#35659: Jun 1st 2015 at 5:51:04 PM

[up]x3 I agree, though maybe not for the same reasons.

I am hoping some of his sense of humour sticks around.

edited 1st Jun '15 5:51:17 PM by Mukora

"It's so hard to be humble, knowing how great I am."
Anomalocaris20 from Sagittarius A* Since: Sep, 2010 Relationship Status: Love blinded me (with science!)
#35660: Jun 1st 2015 at 5:51:11 PM

@Zarek: Yeah. It comes out of nowhere for seemingly no reason and is gone just as quickly as it appeared. It seems to exist solely so they can include a shot of Quill and Gamora leaning in for a kiss in the trailers.

And hey, look at Thor 2. Besides Malekith being an inanimate object, you know what one of the biggest failing points of the movie was? The awkward Thor and Jane romance scenes. And the only real reason in-universe for their romance is because she once hit him with a car.

And Winter Soldier didn't have any romance unless you count the silly kiss scene which is clearly meant to be humorous, not romantic. And many people consider it one of the best films in the MCU.

I mean, sometimes it works. Like, in the first Iron Man his moments with Pepper felt like natural development of both their characters, didn't feel shoved in, and helped actually serve the narrative of Stark's transformation from an irresponsible jackass to slightly less of an irresponsible jackass. Or Steve's budding romance with Carter made his endgame sacrifice much more poignant since we knew there was someone he'd be leaving behind, and may very well have struck close to home in regard to wartime losses, even if the circumstances are a bit fantastical. It served a purpose beyond titillating the romance crowd.

edited 1st Jun '15 5:51:56 PM by Anomalocaris20

You cannot firmly grasp the true form of Squidward's technique!
Zarek Rollin' rollin' rollin' from Jakku Since: Sep, 2012 Relationship Status: Shipping fictional characters
Rollin' rollin' rollin'
#35661: Jun 1st 2015 at 5:51:53 PM

But like, every serious scene in both Avengers movies is capped and lined with one-liners. Tony Stark nearly gets nuked in space? "I don't know what shawarma actually is."

"We're home, Chewie."
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.
#35662: Jun 1st 2015 at 5:55:01 PM

[up] Well, yes, but in that case, the danger had passed, and the serious bit was over. It's the end of the movie, after all.

In the Hulkbuster scene's case, it's in the middle of the movie, and doesn't seem to hold on the serious bits enough. I actually felt that they managed to hold on the serious bits in the first movie long enough to make them work.

Of course, I mostly enjoyed Ao U's humor - I just wished they had cut down on it in a few places.

Oh God! Natural light!
spashthebandragon thebandragoness from USA Since: Feb, 2010 Relationship Status: Yes, I'm alone, but I'm alone and free
thebandragoness
#35663: Jun 1st 2015 at 5:55:38 PM

I don't have a problem with humor, but it seems like the Marvel movies rely on humor to carry the weight of the movies, which has the result of making everything seem insincere. The first Iron Man movie knew when to put the humor on pause, which is why the whole sequence with Tony building the Iron Man armor in a cave with a box of scraps was so epic. It would've carried no weight whatsoever if Tony was cracking jokes the whole time.

Heck, even Guardians of the Galaxy had moments like Star Lord's mom dying of cancer and Groot's Heroic Sacrifice. But with Age of Ultron, it's like, "Oh, an evil robot's threatening to destroy the world, but none of the characters seem particularly bothered or upset by it, so I guess everything's fine. Whatever."

edited 1st Jun '15 5:57:18 PM by spashthebandragon

I've got fanfics for Frozen, Spectacular Spider-Man, Crash Bandicoot, and Spyro the Dragon.
alliterator Since: Jan, 2001
#35664: Jun 1st 2015 at 5:56:11 PM

I still can't believe people are saying that banter is the only thing Joss is good at.

Look: during the Buffy the Vampire Slayer days, there were people saying that as well, that Joss only wrote really snappy dialogue. So Joss wrote an entire episode mainly void of dialogue ("Hush") and it was one of the best episodes of television ever.

So no, banter isn't the only trick Joss has.

edited 1st Jun '15 5:56:29 PM by alliterator

Mukora Uniocular from a place Since: Jan, 2010 Relationship Status: I made a point to burn all of the photographs
Uniocular
#35665: Jun 1st 2015 at 5:57:06 PM

But, like... that's what makes the jokes work. It's the dissonance of Hawkeye detailing his remodelling plans while an entire country crumbles around him that makes that funny.

It's the fact that you expect Ultron to be this deep, baritone EVIL ROBOT that makes him just being Tony Stark's son fucking hilarious.

"It's so hard to be humble, knowing how great I am."
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.
#35666: Jun 1st 2015 at 5:58:12 PM

[up] I suppose the question is, are those places good places to have jokes, or are they moments that ought to be more serious?

Oh God! Natural light!
Bocaj Funny but not helpful from Here or thereabouts (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: Pining for the fjords
Funny but not helpful
#35667: Jun 1st 2015 at 5:58:30 PM

Incongruity.

Its a thing, in humor science.

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
#35668: Jun 1st 2015 at 5:58:36 PM

I don't think so, personally.

"It's so hard to be humble, knowing how great I am."
Guy01 Since: Mar, 2015
#35669: Jun 1st 2015 at 5:59:00 PM

And the only real reason in-universe for their romance is because she once hit him with a car.

She hit him twice actually. And Darcy tazered him.

Ok, who let Light Yagami in here?
spashthebandragon thebandragoness from USA Since: Feb, 2010 Relationship Status: Yes, I'm alone, but I'm alone and free
thebandragoness
#35670: Jun 1st 2015 at 5:59:02 PM

[up]x5 Okay, but not everyone agrees that the jokes work. And even so, it's basically trading away catharsis and emotional attachment to the story for the sake of a quick laugh, which, like I said, makes it all seem insincere. Which in turn makes the movies seem like cheap popcorn flicks made for general audiences to chuckle at rather than genuinely compelling storytelling.

edited 1st Jun '15 5:59:33 PM by spashthebandragon

I've got fanfics for Frozen, Spectacular Spider-Man, Crash Bandicoot, and Spyro the Dragon.
higherbrainpattern Since: Apr, 2012
#35671: Jun 1st 2015 at 5:59:29 PM

I'd rather have the Avengers, y'know, take the clear and present danger of this genocidal robot with a bit more seriousness, y'know? Otherwise, why is Ultron even considered dangerous in the first place?

Bocaj Funny but not helpful from Here or thereabouts (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: Pining for the fjords
Funny but not helpful
#35672: Jun 1st 2015 at 6:00:22 PM

Meh, I thought the banter was fun.

I liked Tony!Ultron.

Otherwise, why is Ultron even considered dangerous in the first place?

Cause of the stuff he does?

edited 1st Jun '15 6:00:48 PM by Bocaj

Forever liveblogging the Avengers
Zarek Rollin' rollin' rollin' from Jakku Since: Sep, 2012 Relationship Status: Shipping fictional characters
Rollin' rollin' rollin'
#35673: Jun 1st 2015 at 6:01:46 PM

That's the joke, though. The joke is the Avengers are so hyper-competent and professional at what they do they can have a chat about pointless stuff when they get some free time during a battle.

Plus, most of the time during the actual Ultron fights they're not chatting while fighting. I think they only do that in the first fight, and that's against HYDRA mooks that die in one hit.

edited 1st Jun '15 6:02:50 PM by Zarek

"We're home, Chewie."
Mukora Uniocular from a place Since: Jan, 2010 Relationship Status: I made a point to burn all of the photographs
Uniocular
#35674: Jun 1st 2015 at 6:01:56 PM

I mean... humour can be what compels you?

Like, did you guys enjoy Guardians of The Galaxy? That was even more quippy than Age of Ultron, and it worked amazingly.

"It's so hard to be humble, knowing how great I am."
SonOfSharknado Love is Love is Love Since: Oct, 2013 Relationship Status: And they all lived happily ever after <3
Love is Love is Love
#35675: Jun 1st 2015 at 6:01:57 PM

That's a good point. When the heroes are constantly making quips when the stakes are supposed to be monumental, are there even any stakes at all? Do they even care if Ultron gets away? Or will they just beat him up again?

[up]Yeah, but when things were supposed to be serious, they were serious. Peter's dance-off was specifically a distraction, and the rest of the cast treated it as the weird insanity that it was, rather than participating.

edited 1st Jun '15 6:02:53 PM by SonOfSharknado

My various fanfics.

Total posts: 186,763
Top