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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

comicwriter Since: Sep, 2011
#49301: Jan 13th 2016 at 4:51:15 PM

[up][up]It's pretty obvious at this point. Mantis is confirmed to be in the movie (Vin Diesel posted a script page on his Facebook and the name "MANTIS" is visible) and it was said that the role Pom won was written exclusively for an Asian woman.

There's not really anyone else it could.

alliterator Since: Jan, 2001
#49302: Jan 13th 2016 at 4:53:08 PM

(Vin Diesel posted a script page on his Facebook and the name "MANTIS" is visible)
Really? I didn't see that. I heard about them asking for an Asian actress, but not the script page.

Swanpride Since: Jun, 2013
#49303: Jan 13th 2016 at 5:04:23 PM

Isn't it kind of the point of the MCU to make silly costumes and names believable? Jewel's costume turns up exactly once, just to make fun of it and the name, otherwise Jessica Jones is Jessica Jones. With all the other heroes it is either some sort of code name or a moniker the press made up. They rarely call each other by those names anyway...with the exception of Steve, who is often called Cap, but, well, he actually IS a Captain and the leader of the group, so it makes sense. So why should the villains start to wear silly costumes and have silly names?

comicwriter Since: Sep, 2011
#49304: Jan 14th 2016 at 8:25:34 AM

As I suspected, the Russos have clarified that there aren't 67 characters in Infinity War, and that it was them being figurative.

TobiasDrake (•̀⤙•́) (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Arm chopping is not a love language!
(•̀⤙•́)
#49305: Jan 14th 2016 at 8:29:06 AM

I've never understood the point of having a superhero codename if you don't have a secret identity anyway, so I like how the MCU is handling codenames and costumes.

That's one of the things that always bugged me about X-Men, that everyone's supposed to call him Cyclops, for instance, when in the field even though there is literally no reason why they can't just say Scott. The costumes at least make sense as a team uniform sort of thing, but the codenames are arbitrary Standard Superhero Traits present just to be there.

edited 14th Jan '16 8:30:21 AM by TobiasDrake

My Tumblr. Currently side-by-side liveblogging Digimon Adventure, sub vs dub.
Swanpride Since: Jun, 2013
#49306: Jan 14th 2016 at 9:22:48 AM

If Civil War works out, than Captain America is officially the best franchise within the MCU. I admit, I have no doubt that it will, not just because of the people involved, but also because everyone seems so confident and/or excited about this movie. Yes, unless they are name Josh Trank, movie crews more or less always say that their project is great, but it is rare that you get this feeling of "I can't wait to show it to everyone" in every single interview.

DrFurball Since: Jan, 2001
#49307: Jan 14th 2016 at 9:38:37 AM

[up][up] I especially found it strange in the 90s cartoon, where they used their codenames even out of costume. Even watching it in reruns as a 12 year old, it kinda took me out of the moment to hear Jean refer to Scott as "Cyclops" when neither of them are doing anything X-Men-related.

LordofLore Since: Jun, 2012 Relationship Status: Consider his love an honor
#49308: Jan 14th 2016 at 9:39:54 AM

Depending on the Writer some used the codenames as their "mutant" or "real" names.

comicwriter Since: Sep, 2011
#49309: Jan 14th 2016 at 9:51:19 AM

At least one writer had Magneto claim Magneto was his real name and that Erik was his "slave" name.

MousaThe14 Writer, Artist, Ignored from Northern Virginia Since: Jan, 2011 Relationship Status: Showing feelings of an almost human nature
Writer, Artist, Ignored
#49310: Jan 14th 2016 at 9:51:25 AM

It's a sort of "Scott was my slave name" thing with some mutants, especially when Magneto's involved. I think I remember a moment in the X2 movie where he asks for Pyro's name, Pyro obliges with his civilian name and then Magneto asks for Pyro's "real" name.

[nja]'d by the Comicwriter.

edited 14th Jan '16 9:52:16 AM by MousaThe14

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Whowho Since: May, 2012
#49311: Jan 14th 2016 at 9:58:16 AM

X2 handled it well, the names are a rejection of society, I prefer that to an insensitive and inaccurate invoking of 'slave names'.

Theokal3 Since: Jan, 2012
#49312: Jan 14th 2016 at 10:03:16 AM

Isn't it kind of the point of the MCU to make silly costumes and names believable? Jewel's costume turns up exactly once, just to make fun of it and the name, otherwise Jessica Jones is Jessica Jones. With all the other heroes it is either some sort of code name or a moniker the press made up. They rarely call each other by those names anyway...with the exception of Steve, who is often called Cap, but, well, he actually IS a Captain and the leader of the group, so it makes sense. So why should the villains start to wear silly costumes and have silly names?

There is making costumes and codenames more believable (Winter Soldier, Iron Man, Captain America...), and then there is discarding them altogether to the point we lose what make the concept something from a comic (Savin, Killian's "Mandarin"...) or using them just to mock them without actually adapting them (Trevor's Mandarin, the Jewel costume thing). I will let you guess which one I prefer. And personally, I find the whole "avoiding to use the superhero names as much as possible" pretty ridiculous: these are comic book movies who had their success by embracing this kind of sillyness, they don't need to feel embarassed about it! Especially stupid when both Roger and Stark have been referred under their superhero aliases in their respective movies. I can buy that they would call each others by their real name to be fair, but Banner calling Hulk "the Other"? Seriously?

To be fair though, I am fine with things like Yellowjacket being the suit's name rather than the villain's alias, but in some case the fact they discard the suits and alias rather than adapting them is kinda annoying. This ends up making a lot of them feel generic and unmemorable.

TobiasDrake (•̀⤙•́) (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Arm chopping is not a love language!
(•̀⤙•́)
#49313: Jan 14th 2016 at 10:05:14 AM

It's a sort of "Scott was my slave name" thing with some mutants, especially when Magneto's involved. I think I remember a moment in the X2 movie where he asks for Pyro's name, Pyro obliges with his civilian name and then Magneto asks for Pyro's "real" name.

I can respect that with the villains but it kind of undermines the whole equality message to have the X-Men themselves running around going, "Don't call me by my SLAVE NAME! I reject humanity!"

Having everybody take a new name when they become X-Men only drives home the idea that mutants are fundamentally different from humans and should be treated differently. This is antithetical to the principles of a civil rights cause.

edited 14th Jan '16 10:06:15 AM by TobiasDrake

My Tumblr. Currently side-by-side liveblogging Digimon Adventure, sub vs dub.
Bocaj Funny but not helpful from Here or thereabouts (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: Pining for the fjords
Funny but not helpful
#49314: Jan 14th 2016 at 10:06:44 AM

"We have a Hulk."

Personally, I feel that names and costumes are secondary to giving Falcon his bird telepathy powers.

Forever liveblogging the Avengers
TobiasDrake (•̀⤙•́) (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Arm chopping is not a love language!
(•̀⤙•́)
#49315: Jan 14th 2016 at 10:07:32 AM

And on that note, now that Disney owns Marvel, Falcon/Cinderella Team-Up when?

My Tumblr. Currently side-by-side liveblogging Digimon Adventure, sub vs dub.
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.
#49316: Jan 14th 2016 at 10:08:35 AM

And absolutely NOBODY refers to Jean Grey as anything but. Especially not Marvel Girl.

TobiasDrake (•̀⤙•́) (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Arm chopping is not a love language!
(•̀⤙•́)
#49317: Jan 14th 2016 at 10:09:12 AM

They call her Phoenix sometimes, which gets confusing because the Phoenix is a separate character, and Jean is only one of the hosts it's had over the years.

edited 14th Jan '16 10:09:33 AM by TobiasDrake

My Tumblr. Currently side-by-side liveblogging Digimon Adventure, sub vs dub.
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.
#49318: Jan 14th 2016 at 10:10:17 AM

A separate character/Jean's Superpowered Evil Side.

Hodor2 Since: Jan, 2015
#49319: Jan 14th 2016 at 10:11:13 AM

[up][up]Although I think that was a retcon...

As far as the lack of codenames goes, I think the Banner example is one of the most justified ones. For him, the Hulk isn't a secret identity, it's a malign split personality that he fears and is ashamed of.

edited 14th Jan '16 10:11:27 AM by Hodor2

Hodor2 Since: Jan, 2015
#49321: Jan 14th 2016 at 10:13:31 AM

I wonder if it will literally be a hoodie (along the lines of Spider-Gwen).

Looking at it, it actually looks like a combination of Miles' costume and the Amazing Spider-Man costume.

MousaThe14 Writer, Artist, Ignored from Northern Virginia Since: Jan, 2011 Relationship Status: Showing feelings of an almost human nature
Writer, Artist, Ignored
#49322: Jan 14th 2016 at 10:19:27 AM

Also not many take Hulk's name as a proper name but a descriptor to refer to "that thing".

Also, the lack of secret identities in the MCU sort of foregoes the need for them to go by codenames all the time. It's useful for someone like Daredevil or Spider-man but virtually worthless to Scarlet Witch or Falcon.

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LordofLore Since: Jun, 2012 Relationship Status: Consider his love an honor
#49323: Jan 14th 2016 at 10:25:46 AM

Pretty much the only hero with a public identity who a codename would work for in the MCU is Richard Rider and that's mostly because it's a rank, a job and kinda cool.

And it sounds great when you scream it.

Bocaj Funny but not helpful from Here or thereabouts (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: Pining for the fjords
Funny but not helpful
#49324: Jan 14th 2016 at 10:31:14 AM

Did he just despine Annihilus?

Forever liveblogging the Avengers
LordofLore Since: Jun, 2012 Relationship Status: Consider his love an honor
#49325: Jan 14th 2016 at 10:36:33 AM

Spine, organs, pretty much everything inside him.

If you can't punch through the armor you just have to find a weak spot in it and our hero who hates swearing figured out a way quickly.

edited 14th Jan '16 11:03:56 AM by LordofLore


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