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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.
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    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

Theokal3 Since: Jan, 2012
#47676: Dec 6th 2015 at 5:36:56 PM

Personally I would go for either Gwen Stacy or someone even before her (like Betty Brandt), but I'd be fine as well with no love interest (though I doubt this will happen since this will be a teenage movie) or even Mary-Jane, as long as she is better developped than in the Raimi trilogy.

AlleyOop Since: Oct, 2010
#47677: Dec 6th 2015 at 5:53:57 PM

I'd be down with Black Cat only if it's one-sided on Peter's part like the reverse of the Ultimate comics. Black Cat can acknowledge it as cute puppy love with a smile and gently let him down or something. Introduce MJ and Gwen as side characters who start off as Peter's friends and can stand on their own first, then any potential romance can come later down the line if at all.

edited 6th Dec '15 5:59:06 PM by AlleyOop

higherbrainpattern Since: Apr, 2012
#47678: Dec 6th 2015 at 5:54:43 PM

There's a growing distaste for any type of romance in superhero movies, so I'm good with lack of romance.

Unless there's great chemistry between the actors and/or it's well written, most superhero movie romances tend to suck.

Case in point, MCU romances that suck: Black Widow and Hulk.

MCU romances that don't suck, IMO: Tony Stark and Pepper Potts, Cap and Peggy Carter in The First Avenger....and that's it.

edited 6th Dec '15 5:58:36 PM by higherbrainpattern

VeryMelon Since: Jul, 2011 Relationship Status: Anime is my true love
#47680: Dec 6th 2015 at 5:56:23 PM

That's not really surprising given how out of touch with the rest of the MCU the Netflix shows are.

PushoverMediaCritic I'm sorry Tien, but I must go all out. from the Italy of America Since: Jul, 2015 Relationship Status: watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ
I'm sorry Tien, but I must go all out.
#47681: Dec 6th 2015 at 5:56:23 PM

[up][up][up]Black Widow and Hulk being an example of a well-written romance with great chemistry?

edited 6th Dec '15 5:57:23 PM by PushoverMediaCritic

Theokal3 Since: Jan, 2012
#47682: Dec 6th 2015 at 5:57:30 PM

[up][up][up][up]What about Hawkeye and his wife?

edited 6th Dec '15 5:57:54 PM by Theokal3

higherbrainpattern Since: Apr, 2012
#47683: Dec 6th 2015 at 5:57:37 PM

[up][up] Read my comment again. They're the example of the romance that sucks.

[up] Hawkeye and his wife didn't have a lot of screentime together, so I really can't judge them based on that, aside from me noting that she seems...supportive about Hawkeye's Avenging.

She even says it in the movie!

edited 6th Dec '15 6:01:43 PM by higherbrainpattern

PushoverMediaCritic I'm sorry Tien, but I must go all out. from the Italy of America Since: Jul, 2015 Relationship Status: watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ
I'm sorry Tien, but I must go all out.
#47684: Dec 6th 2015 at 5:58:41 PM

I know. And our opinions differ.

AdricDePsycho Rock on, Gold Dust Woman from Never Going Back Again Since: Oct, 2014 Relationship Status: [TOP SECRET]
Rock on, Gold Dust Woman
#47685: Dec 6th 2015 at 6:33:32 PM

Well Thor and Jane was a crappy relationship. Took up too much of the damn movie.

Have you any dreams you'd like to sell?
FoxBoxKid Philosophy Enthusiast from California Republic Since: Oct, 2013
Philosophy Enthusiast
#47686: Dec 6th 2015 at 6:34:44 PM

It's not really Spider-Man without women vying for Peter's affection. Of course, Peter has to have his own competition too.

edited 6th Dec '15 6:40:50 PM by FoxBoxKid

Make mine Marvel.
Anomalocaris20 from Sagittarius A* Since: Sep, 2010 Relationship Status: Love blinded me (with science!)
#47687: Dec 6th 2015 at 8:08:50 PM

Thor and Jane sucks. Peter and Gamora are better off as friends. Black Widow and Hulk ended with the former metaphorically living up to her name, and are better off as a result. Ant-Man and Wasp are better off as friends. Potts puts up with Iron Man way more than she should, and Iron Man's probably better off bachelor-for-life anyway. Cap and Peggy... okay, that romance arc actually fit into the narrative without feeling stupid or shoehorned, so I'll give them props for that even if I don't like romance.

But still, I'd like more Marvel movies without a Romantic Plot Tumor. Avengers and Winter Soldier are two of the most highly-regarded films and they had no romance arc, so it's not like it can't work.

You cannot firmly grasp the true form of Squidward's technique!
DrFurball Since: Jan, 2001
#47688: Dec 6th 2015 at 8:16:07 PM

[up][up] Yeah, while I'm not a fan of romantic subplots, it's been a big thing in the comics since the beginning, with Liz Allen and Betty Brant. Part of the whole Soap Opera vibe Lee, Ditko, and Romita were going for.

KnownUnknown Since: Jan, 2001
#47689: Dec 6th 2015 at 8:16:40 PM

I always thought the sheer amount of flak Thor/Jane get is odd, since all it is is just a textbook action/fantasy romance. It's meh, and when I saw it I rolled my eyes because I'd seen it a million times before, but I'm still surprised there's such a vocal group decrying it as a blight on the plot.

I especially never got the idea that it was distracting from the rest of the movie, given that Thor's interactions with Earth people make up the bulk of his character development in the movie (such as it is), and the parts about Jane's research arguably did more for the worldbuilding than even the Asgard scenes.

I mean, I do get the criticisms of it in the first movie, but I think they're way overblown (and that, in some cases, its also Misblaming). Also, they're largely complains about the first movie blanket applied to the series as a whole.

Though I'm also of the opinion that none of the movie romances in the MCU except maybe Steve/Peggy are particularly great. I like the way Jessica and Luke are written too, but that had the benefit if a tv show's pacing I suppose.

edited 6th Dec '15 8:37:39 PM by KnownUnknown

HandsomeRob Leader of the Holey Brotherhood from The land of broken records Since: Jan, 2015
Leader of the Holey Brotherhood
#47690: Dec 6th 2015 at 8:43:11 PM

We interrupt this talk about romance and if Spider Man could beat Captain America in a fight to give you a Rock version of Ant-man's theme:

One Strip! One Strip!
Anomalocaris20 from Sagittarius A* Since: Sep, 2010 Relationship Status: Love blinded me (with science!)
#47691: Dec 6th 2015 at 9:10:14 PM

I always thought the sheer amount of flak Thor/Jane get is odd, since all it is is just a textbook action/fantasy romance. It's meh, and when I saw it I rolled my eyes because I'd seen it a million times before, but I'm still surprised there's such a vocal group decrying it as a blight on the plot.

Because it's meh. The MCU has proven itself to be one of the best film franchises of all time in every other regard, it can do so much better than textbook action/fantasy romance.

You cannot firmly grasp the true form of Squidward's technique!
Wackd Since: May, 2009
#47692: Dec 6th 2015 at 9:11:38 PM

I still say the best move would just be to write Thor out and make movies about Jane and Darcy and Sif.

Maybe you'd be less disappointed if you stopped expecting things to be Carmen Sandiego movies.
FoxBoxKid Philosophy Enthusiast from California Republic Since: Oct, 2013
Philosophy Enthusiast
#47693: Dec 6th 2015 at 9:27:39 PM

[up]

Make mine Marvel.
VeryMelon Since: Jul, 2011 Relationship Status: Anime is my true love
#47695: Dec 6th 2015 at 9:32:07 PM

I wouldn't care for a film like that, but it's just your opinion so I don't have an issue with it.

FoxBoxKid Philosophy Enthusiast from California Republic Since: Oct, 2013
Philosophy Enthusiast
#47696: Dec 6th 2015 at 9:33:27 PM

[up][up]

Make mine Marvel.
AlleyOop Since: Oct, 2010
#47697: Dec 6th 2015 at 9:56:41 PM

[up][up], [up][up][up] Any Asgardian-starring film with a large focus on ordinary humans no matter who they are sounds like a recipe for garbage in my opinion.

edited 6th Dec '15 9:57:20 PM by AlleyOop

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.
#47699: Dec 6th 2015 at 10:01:01 PM

[up][up][up] Now you're just being mean...

[up] This is an excellent point. But is MCU!Jane the type to suddenly start talking in Thor-speak?

edited 6th Dec '15 10:01:44 PM by KarkatTheDalek

Oh God! Natural light!
alliterator Since: Jan, 2001
#47700: Dec 6th 2015 at 10:01:37 PM

I'd love it if Thor fell unconscious during the last part of Ragnarok and Jane picked up the hammer and became Thor and beat the bad guy and saved the world. Oh god, that would piss off so many fanboys, it would be awesome.

[up] Marvel Jane doesn't speak Asgardian either, it's just a byproduct of the hammer.

edited 6th Dec '15 10:02:47 PM by alliterator


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