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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

Bocaj Funny but not helpful from Here or thereabouts (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: Pining for the fjords
Funny but not helpful
#39876: Aug 4th 2015 at 9:15:11 PM

No, the Fantastic Four fight Skrulls.

Hulk fights Toad Men in his second issue.

She-Hulk fought dwarves disguised as Toad Men in the second issue of her Sensational book.

Spider-Man also fought aliens in his second issue although it was revealed way down the line that they were just stuntmen disguised as aliens.

edited 4th Aug '15 9:20:26 PM by Bocaj

Forever liveblogging the Avengers
Anomalocaris20 from Sagittarius A* Since: Sep, 2010 Relationship Status: Love blinded me (with science!)
#39877: Aug 4th 2015 at 9:28:33 PM

The X-Men also fight Toad, man.

You cannot firmly grasp the true form of Squidward's technique!
TobiasDrake (•̀⤙•́) (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Arm chopping is not a love language!
(•̀⤙•́)
#39878: Aug 5th 2015 at 7:05:21 AM

And then there's this guy.

edited 5th Aug '15 7:05:27 AM by TobiasDrake

My Tumblr. Currently side-by-side liveblogging Digimon Adventure, sub vs dub.
xbimpy Since: Jul, 2015
#39879: Aug 5th 2015 at 10:33:01 AM

wow i just watched https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSBNQ0c3_Ts its amazing. it highlights all the major females in the mcu

comicwriter Since: Sep, 2011
#39880: Aug 5th 2015 at 11:37:46 AM

The Lego Avengers game is adding Kamala Khan, the new Thor, Squirrel Girl, and Speed from the Young Avengers.

Anomalocaris20 from Sagittarius A* Since: Sep, 2010 Relationship Status: Love blinded me (with science!)
#39881: Aug 5th 2015 at 12:50:03 PM

Squirrel Girl was in the last one.

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
#39882: Aug 5th 2015 at 12:53:38 PM

I can't wait to see the Fantastic Four and X-Men in this game!

*long silence*

I've got fanfics for Frozen, Spectacular Spider-Man, Crash Bandicoot, and Spyro the Dragon.
Anomalocaris20 from Sagittarius A* Since: Sep, 2010 Relationship Status: Love blinded me (with science!)
#39883: Aug 5th 2015 at 12:56:03 PM

They probably will be in it, actually. They were in the last one, the video games don't have quite the same issue the movies do.

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
#39884: Aug 5th 2015 at 12:58:22 PM

I would be very surprised to see any Fox characters in something explicitly based on the MCU. Ah, well, at least Spider-Man characters will probably still be included.

I've got fanfics for Frozen, Spectacular Spider-Man, Crash Bandicoot, and Spyro the Dragon.
TobiasDrake (•̀⤙•́) (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Arm chopping is not a love language!
(•̀⤙•́)
#39886: Aug 5th 2015 at 12:59:07 PM

I don't think they will, actually.

Rather than a sequel to Lego Marvel Super Heroes, they announced Lego Avengers to be based on the Marvel Cinematic Universe. We're getting a lot of characters from the comics that haven't appeared on film but that Marvel owns the film rights to, but I don't think any of Fox's characters will be showing up.

Spider-Man might, because of the deal with Sony, but if the deal was made late enough, he might have to appear as a bonus character or something if he does at all. It's entirely possible the plot was hashed out and put into development before Marvel the deal was made.

IIRC, Marvel has mentioned in the past that they have no intention of promoting merchandise for characters they can't sell movies about.

edited 5th Aug '15 1:00:02 PM by TobiasDrake

My Tumblr. Currently side-by-side liveblogging Digimon Adventure, sub vs dub.
HandsomeRob Leader of the Holey Brotherhood from The land of broken records Since: Jan, 2015
Leader of the Holey Brotherhood
#39887: Aug 5th 2015 at 1:17:15 PM

God dammit Fox!

Just quit being assholes!

This whole thing is pissing me off. I mean, the MCU is doing well in spite of the loss, but it still feels like a huge part of the world is missing.

Is there that much money in holding on to the rights that they feel the need to put the screws to the people who fucking created the characters?

I want to understand this, cause they could have worked together and maybe made even more money.

One Strip! One Strip!
spashthebandragon thebandragoness from USA Since: Feb, 2010 Relationship Status: Yes, I'm alone, but I'm alone and free
thebandragoness
#39888: Aug 5th 2015 at 1:24:25 PM

I think the only reason Spider-Man and the Avengers were allowed to show up in the first Lego Marvel game is because it was based so heavily on the 616 comics with only a couple elements from the MCU, Ultimate universe, and the Ultimate Spider-Man cartoon thrown in. Like, the X-Men showed up, but they had their iconic comics costumes with no alternate outfits that looked like black leather or anything.

Meanwhile, Lego Avengers is a straight-up adaptation of the Avengers movie and Age of Ultron. It does have some non-MCU characters, apparently, but none owned by Fox so far. Although Kamala's about to be in the Disney Marvel Animated Universe, which is based really heavily on the MCU.

But honestly, I'm holding my breath that if a characters shows up in the Lego Avengers game, it means they've got a movie looming over the horizon. That's probably not what's happening, but, hey, I can dream.

edited 5th Aug '15 1:25:40 PM by spashthebandragon

I've got fanfics for Frozen, Spectacular Spider-Man, Crash Bandicoot, and Spyro the Dragon.
wanderlustwarrior Role Model from Where Gods Belong Since: Jun, 2009 Relationship Status: What's love got to do with it?
Role Model
#39889: Aug 5th 2015 at 1:30:22 PM

How can I put this in a deliberately unsubtle way...

I think those filthy muties would do better with their own separate but equal universe. Don't bus them over to the MCU.

But seriously, it just makes much more sense for the X Men to be distinct.

comicwriter Since: Sep, 2011
#39890: Aug 5th 2015 at 1:40:32 PM

God dammit Fox! Just quit being assholes! This whole thing is pissing me off. I mean, the MCU is doing well in spite of the loss, but it still feels like a huge part of the world is missing. Is there that much money in holding on to the rights that they feel the need to put the screws to the people who fucking created the characters? I want to understand this, cause they could have worked together and maybe made even more money.

I have no idea how anyone could look at that situation and say Fox are the ones "putting the screws" to the other party. This is all Marvel's doing.

There's literally nothing stopping Marvel from including the X-Men in games or merchandise other than the fact that they're being spiteful children. They were already still doing X-Men stuff for years while the movies were being made, so clearly it is not a rights or trademark ssue. It's grown adults throwing a temper tantrum.

edited 5th Aug '15 1:49:12 PM by comicwriter

HandsomeRob Leader of the Holey Brotherhood from The land of broken records Since: Jan, 2015
Leader of the Holey Brotherhood
#39891: Aug 5th 2015 at 1:49:08 PM

Well, someone needs to stop being jerks.

I don't care who, as long as they do it.

One Strip! One Strip!
alliterator Since: Jan, 2001
#39892: Aug 5th 2015 at 2:09:05 PM

There's literally nothing stopping Marvel from including the X-Men in games or merchandise other than the fact that they're being spiteful children. They were already still doing X-Men stuff for years while the movies were being made, so clearly it is not a rights or trademark ssue. It's grown adults throwing a temper tantrum.

The difference is that before, Marvel didn't have their own studio. They weren't making their own films. Prior to the MCU, they sold off movie rights and then made merchandising, knowing that the more merchandise out there, the more people would see the movies.

But now Marvel has the MCU. Now Marvel wants to advertise exclusively for their own movies. After all, why should their advertise for Fox's movies? Aside from a small percentage, they don't get anything from those movies. They get 100% of the profits from their own movies.

So they sell merch with Iron Man and the Avengers, rather than the X-Men and the Fantastic Four. Why advertise for movies that aren't theirs? That would like asking Fox why they don't sell Avengers merchandise.

Nohbody "In distress", my ass. from Somewhere in Dixie Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: Mu
"In distress", my ass.
#39893: Aug 5th 2015 at 2:10:56 PM

And before anyone chimes in with "Marvel shouldn't have sold those properties", if they hadn't there very well might not have been an MCU, because the company would most likely have been dissolved in bankruptcy court. It sold the rights for those properties in The '90s to generate cash to keep from going out of business.

edited 5th Aug '15 2:11:51 PM by Nohbody

All your safe space are belong to Trump
TobiasDrake (•̀⤙•́) (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Arm chopping is not a love language!
(•̀⤙•́)
#39894: Aug 5th 2015 at 2:13:34 PM

It's business.

On Fox's end, Days of Future Past made $748 million, so yes, there is that much money in "putting the screws" to Marvel, as it was so eloquently stated. They own the rights and they're getting their money's worth, and have no intention to change that until it ceases to be profitable for them.

The only reason Sony brokered a deal is because sales of Spider-Man movies kept slipping and audience interest in their Sinister Six film was tremendously low. They could either go through with making a guaranteed failure, try to reboot the franchise again, or try something else. They were in a hard place, so they went with the option most likely to make the maximum amount of money.

As for Marvel, every toy, video game, etc. that they make is marketing for the films and comics. The decision to stop featuring X-Men and Fantastic Four characters is a tactical decision to stop giving Fox free advertising for their properties. The shift in focus will drive up sales for Marvel-owend properties and might also hurt Fox's sales, possibly even making them more inclined to strike a deal in the future.

edited 5th Aug '15 2:14:31 PM by TobiasDrake

My Tumblr. Currently side-by-side liveblogging Digimon Adventure, sub vs dub.
Kostya (Unlucky Thirteen)
#39895: Aug 5th 2015 at 2:14:06 PM

They probably shouldn't have agreed to perpetual contracts though. If they had signed ones that only had a ten year lifespan they would have all the rights back by now.

Bocaj Funny but not helpful from Here or thereabouts (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: Pining for the fjords
Funny but not helpful
#39896: Aug 5th 2015 at 2:15:10 PM

When Marvel was signing off a lot of these rights back in the 90s, there was no guarantee that Marvel would last even ten years.

Bad decisions were made desperately is what I've gathered.

Forever liveblogging the Avengers
TobiasDrake (•̀⤙•́) (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Arm chopping is not a love language!
(•̀⤙•́)
#39897: Aug 5th 2015 at 2:15:34 PM

And before anyone chimes in with "Marvel shouldn't have sold those properties", if they hadn't there very well might not have been an MCU, because the company would most likely have been dissolved in bankruptcy court. It sold the rights for those properties in The '90s to generate cash to keep from going out of business.

Quite. Imagine a world where Marvel declared bankruptcy in the 90's and DC bought up all their properties.

edited 5th Aug '15 2:15:54 PM by TobiasDrake

My Tumblr. Currently side-by-side liveblogging Digimon Adventure, sub vs dub.
Nohbody "In distress", my ass. from Somewhere in Dixie Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: Mu
"In distress", my ass.
#39898: Aug 5th 2015 at 2:16:07 PM

@Kostya: There are two (or some times more) parties involved in a contract. "If you don't manage something in X years the rights revert" (which is what the contracts basically say, hence why Daredevil, Punisher, Blade, and a few others are now back in Marvel's hands) is a lot easier to sell than "you have only Y years no matter what you do".

edited 5th Aug '15 2:17:44 PM by Nohbody

All your safe space are belong to Trump
Kostya (Unlucky Thirteen)
#39899: Aug 5th 2015 at 2:17:17 PM

[up][up][up]Even if there was no guarantee it's still a good precautionary measure. You should never agree to a contract that extends in perpetuity. There needs to be some point where you and the other person are forced to renegotiate.

[up]Why is that easier? Just say that the rights for the films last until ten years after the signing date at which time they'll have to negotiate a new deal.

edited 5th Aug '15 2:18:30 PM by Kostya

wanderlustwarrior Role Model from Where Gods Belong Since: Jun, 2009 Relationship Status: What's love got to do with it?
Role Model
#39900: Aug 5th 2015 at 2:17:41 PM

It's you, Rob. You're the Uchiha. Stop being a jerk!

edited 5th Aug '15 2:18:02 PM by wanderlustwarrior


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