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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

kkhohoho (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#35751: Jun 1st 2015 at 7:29:04 PM

[up][up]How so? Because I can't remember any specific instances where Xanders' a creep.

edited 1st Jun '15 7:29:24 PM by kkhohoho

ultimatepheer Since: Mar, 2011
#35752: Jun 1st 2015 at 7:29:11 PM

I like Whedon Humor.

Snark is amusing, especially when the characters bounce off one another well.

And I LIKED Ultron being a silly Evil Murderbot.

Mukora Uniocular from a place Since: Jan, 2010 Relationship Status: I made a point to burn all of the photographs
Uniocular
#35753: Jun 1st 2015 at 7:29:19 PM

... You know, I probably should have just started by saying that Batman and Robin is, unironically, my favourite Batman film. And I hate all the Nolan movies.

Like, that's basically all the context you need for what I value in superhero media.

"It's so hard to be humble, knowing how great I am."
Zarek Rollin' rollin' rollin' from Jakku Since: Sep, 2012 Relationship Status: Shipping fictional characters
Rollin' rollin' rollin'
#35754: Jun 1st 2015 at 7:29:26 PM

as if either the writers or Whedon thought that every tense moment needed to be defused by some kind of joke

That is probably exactly what Whedon thought, actually. That's kinda his philosophy. I may be paraphrasing slightly, but he said something to the tune of: "Make it dark, make it brutal, but for the love of God, follow it up with a joke."

[up][up][up]He kinda tried to love potion a girl one time, didn't he?

edited 1st Jun '15 7:30:09 PM by Zarek

"We're home, Chewie."
Guy01 Since: Mar, 2015
#35755: Jun 1st 2015 at 7:29:45 PM

[up][up]I am the biggest power rangers fan ever, and even I realize that Power Rangers villains, by and large, stopped being threatening after parents wrote angry letters about Zedd being scary.

Perhaps a difference of opinion. Some villains have been better than others. Venjix for example.

And hey, even wimped out Zedd still wiped the floor with Tommy.

Anyhow, this is a Marvel thread, let's focus on Marvel stuff. Like more Loki. [lol]

Ok, who let Light Yagami in here?
alliterator Since: Jan, 2001
#35756: Jun 1st 2015 at 7:30:32 PM

[up][up][up][up][up][up][up][up][up] You know, that's fine. You have your opinion. Other people, however, have a different opinion.

Movie Ultron is scary because he sounds human. He's a big, hulking robot, he should have a robot voice and say things like, "Affirmative," right? Nope! He sounds like James Spader and he says things like, "And also...yeah."

Because of that, we're left with a character who is on the one hand robotic and on the other hand human, creating a creepy juxtaposition. Look at his need to have an audience — he genuinely wants Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch there! He doesn't want them to leave him! And he becomes concerned when Scarlet Witch stays to kill him, saying that she herself will die.

Movie Ultron is unlike any other evil robot because of how human he acts.

He is more terrifying than EMH Ultron by far.

EDIT: Man, did I get ninja'd. I was responding to splash.

edited 1st Jun '15 7:31:46 PM by alliterator

SonOfSharknado Love is Love is Love Since: Oct, 2013 Relationship Status: And they all lived happily ever after <3
Love is Love is Love
#35757: Jun 1st 2015 at 7:31:11 PM

I don't see how you can ever say Ultron was a threat in this movie, because at no point did it seem like he could actually hurt the heroes in any way. He just seemed like an enormous inconvenience.

"Hey, Tony, wanna go get a sandwich?"

"I'd love to Pepper, but Ultron's kinda trying to "exterminate humanity" or something. I wasn't really listening."

My various fanfics.
Anomalocaris20 from Sagittarius A* Since: Sep, 2010 Relationship Status: Love blinded me (with science!)
#35758: Jun 1st 2015 at 7:31:54 PM

I dunno, killing Quicksilver seems like a pretty effective way of hurting a hero.

You cannot firmly grasp the true form of Squidward's technique!
spashthebandragon thebandragoness from USA Since: Feb, 2010 Relationship Status: Yes, I'm alone, but I'm alone and free
thebandragoness
#35759: Jun 1st 2015 at 7:32:40 PM

[up]x6 Well, then, you must be incredibly displeased with all the other superhero movies because none of them are quite as campy as Batman and Robin.

...Well, actually, as far as campy superhero movies go, the Adam West Batman movie is about a zillion times better.

edited 1st Jun '15 7:35:58 PM by spashthebandragon

I've got fanfics for Frozen, Spectacular Spider-Man, Crash Bandicoot, and Spyro the Dragon.
alliterator Since: Jan, 2001
#35760: Jun 1st 2015 at 7:33:21 PM

I don't see how you can ever say Ultron was a threat in this movie, because at no point did it seem like he could actually hurt the heroes in any way.

Well, I mean, he killed Quicksilver, so he did hurt the heroes.

But that's also something that every superhero film has a problem with. Like, I didn't believe Ronan was going to kill any of the Guardians. Or Loki was going to kill any of the Avengers. That's...not really the point of those movies.

edited 1st Jun '15 7:34:15 PM by alliterator

KnownUnknown Since: Jan, 2001
#35761: Jun 1st 2015 at 7:33:23 PM

I dunno if I'd call Ultron particularly human in general - though admittedly all the characters in the movie suffer from similar issues. There's more to being a human character than having a human humor response.

My favorite Ultron scene is the scene where he's activated, and he looks over human history and has a subdued but anguished response to what he's doing, his confusion over what he is and what he feels he has to do to deal with the situation. This is the scene in the movie where he's the most human, and he never really reaches this level of personality again - even though he barely says anything (in comparison) in those first few moments.

edited 1st Jun '15 7:34:44 PM by KnownUnknown

Zarek Rollin' rollin' rollin' from Jakku Since: Sep, 2012 Relationship Status: Shipping fictional characters
Rollin' rollin' rollin'
#35762: Jun 1st 2015 at 7:33:42 PM

... You know, I probably should have just started by saying that Batman and Robin is, unironically, my favourite Batman film.

Now I'm just imagining Tony having an Iron Credit Card.

Steve, however, would just use American Express.

"We're home, Chewie."
Guy01 Since: Mar, 2015
#35763: Jun 1st 2015 at 7:34:06 PM

[up]Also, as far as campy Batman goes, the Adam West Batman movie is about a zillion times better than Batman and Robin.

Was I the only one surprised by Catwoman in that movie? I mean, turning people into dust is a bit out of left field for most versions of her.

Ok, who let Light Yagami in here?
VeryMelon Since: Jul, 2011 Relationship Status: Anime is my true love
#35764: Jun 1st 2015 at 7:35:29 PM

I define threat as "ability to harm", so to me Ultron was a threat. I just don't find him terrifying as a character. He's just a heavily juxtaposed program, nothing more.

Mukora Uniocular from a place Since: Jan, 2010 Relationship Status: I made a point to burn all of the photographs
Uniocular
#35765: Jun 1st 2015 at 7:35:59 PM

Well, then, you must be incredibly displeased with all the other superhero movies because none of them are quite as campy as Batman and Robin.

I mean, I don't want movies to be exactly like Batman and Robin. But, like, that's the tone I want. I don't enjoy superhero media that really takes itself seriously, because it's not serious. It's fucking ridiculous. That's not to say there can't be drama- Spectacular Spider-Man is another of my favourites, and it gets pretty dramatic, but it still has an overall light tone.

Pretty much everything in the MCU is good to me, and especially the ones that go hard for one-liners and witticisms.

...Well, actually, as far as campy superhero movies go, the Adam West Batman movie is about a zillion times better. Not really?
You know what, you're right.

edited 1st Jun '15 7:37:09 PM by Mukora

"It's so hard to be humble, knowing how great I am."
alliterator Since: Jan, 2001
#35766: Jun 1st 2015 at 7:36:33 PM

I dunno if I'd call Ultron particularly human - though admittedly all the characters in the movie suffer from similar issues. There's more to being a human character than having a human humor response.

It's a juxtaposition of human responses and robotic thinking. He sounds human, even though he is decidedly not. I mean, this is one of my favorite bits of dialogue:

Ultron: Everyone creates the thing they dread. Men of peace create engines of war. Invaders create avengers. People create…smaller people? Uhh. Children! [chuckling] Lost the word there. Children. Designed to supplant them. To help them...end.

Wanda Maximoff: Is that why you've come? To end the Avengers?

Ultron: I've come to save the world! But, also...yeah.

SonOfSharknado Love is Love is Love Since: Oct, 2013 Relationship Status: And they all lived happily ever after <3
Love is Love is Love
#35767: Jun 1st 2015 at 7:39:12 PM

See, I think Ronan was the best MCU villain, purely as a threatening force. He was the only Marvel villain where *nothing worked*. They tried shooting him, they tried brute force punching him, Ronan could not be stopped. There was a genuine sense of peril because Ronan wasn't getting his shit stomped in every other scene and he wasn't cracking wise. He was an omnicidal religious zealot who *bathed in the blood of his foes*, and that was *before* he got the weapon of ultimate power! So when the Guardians were able to use the aforementioned weapon of ultimate power against him and destroy him, there was a genuine sense of victory, because he was a great obstacle that had been overcome, rather than a melodramatic nuisance.

My various fanfics.
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
#35768: Jun 1st 2015 at 7:39:25 PM

I loved snarky Ultron. Kept him from being generic doomsbot number 44432342.

Dopants: He meant what he said and he said what he meant, a Ninety is faithful 100%.
VeryMelon Since: Jul, 2011 Relationship Status: Anime is my true love
#35769: Jun 1st 2015 at 7:42:27 PM

[up][up]I agree with you, but I still found Ultron threatening in a "this program could at least murder half the Earth" sense.

alliterator Since: Jan, 2001
#35770: Jun 1st 2015 at 7:43:17 PM

[up][up][up] Oh, I love Ronan, too. But I never saw him as a threat. For that, I would have had to think that the characters were in danger of dying and I knew they weren't.

If Gunn pulled a Serenity and randomly killed off one character near the end, then I would have found him threatening.

edited 1st Jun '15 7:43:27 PM by alliterator

SonOfSharknado Love is Love is Love Since: Oct, 2013 Relationship Status: And they all lived happily ever after <3
Love is Love is Love
#35771: Jun 1st 2015 at 7:44:59 PM

"I am Groot?" You didn't see that coming?

My various fanfics.
spashthebandragon thebandragoness from USA Since: Feb, 2010 Relationship Status: Yes, I'm alone, but I'm alone and free
thebandragoness
#35772: Jun 1st 2015 at 7:45:43 PM

[up]x7 Yeah, well, Spectacular Spider-Man did a much better job juggling its humor and drama than Age of Ultron (In fact, I've really struggled to make Carnage threatening in my Spectacular fic without being too dark because I don't want to stray away from the tone of the show).

edited 1st Jun '15 7:46:05 PM by spashthebandragon

I've got fanfics for Frozen, Spectacular Spider-Man, Crash Bandicoot, and Spyro the Dragon.
ultimatepheer Since: Mar, 2011
#35773: Jun 1st 2015 at 7:45:49 PM

Oh, Groot hardly counts. He was always going to pull an Iron Giant.

edited 1st Jun '15 7:46:21 PM by ultimatepheer

Zarek Rollin' rollin' rollin' from Jakku Since: Sep, 2012 Relationship Status: Shipping fictional characters
Rollin' rollin' rollin'
#35774: Jun 1st 2015 at 7:46:34 PM

Ronan was just so...boring, though. Which, don't get me wrong, works well in GOTG. When the main heroes are as ridiculous as that, having a Big Bad who is actually just a generic BBEG actually kinda works as good juxtaposition when they play off each other, like with the dance-off scene.

But on his own? He's just kinda..."Dark Lord." Like, he is the most Dark Lordy character ever. The only part of him that isn't hugely cliche is his goal being a sorta revenge quest for wrongs done to his family, which is actually usually more of a hero thing than a villain thing.

"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
#35775: Jun 1st 2015 at 7:46:58 PM

[up]x2 The thing is, I don't really care about how well-balanced it is, as long as it skews in favour of humour and lightheartedness.

But agree to disagree, I guess.

"It's so hard to be humble, knowing how great I am."

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