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

KnownUnknown Since: Jan, 2001
#51726: Feb 20th 2016 at 6:40:59 PM

Hand waving valid plot points and obvious fridge logic is bad writing, especially if it invalidates the narrative of an earlier relevant plot. The bare minimum they could do is dedicate a somber scene where they all meet him again.

edited 20th Feb '16 6:43:07 PM by KnownUnknown

AdricDePsycho Rock on, Gold Dust Woman from Never Going Back Again Since: Oct, 2014 Relationship Status: [TOP SECRET]
Rock on, Gold Dust Woman
#51727: Feb 20th 2016 at 6:43:02 PM

Then just have a tiny somber scene and then alien fight.

Have you any dreams you'd like to sell?
KnownUnknown Since: Jan, 2001
#51728: Feb 20th 2016 at 6:44:13 PM

Not tiny. Coulson dying was a big deal, and was a major bit of character development for all the characters involved with it. There are questions involved (for people who haven't watched the show), narrative investment is now going in a very different direction, etc.

If they were going to throw it and the effect it had on the plot away with a tiny scene just to get back to action, I'd question the point of even bringing Coulson back into the movies in the first place rather than just focusing that action without the interruption. In any case, even at their most flippant they're better than that.

edited 20th Feb '16 6:49:43 PM by KnownUnknown

Gaon Smoking Snake from Grim Up North Since: Jun, 2012 Relationship Status: Above such petty unnecessities
#51729: Feb 20th 2016 at 6:49:27 PM

I think the best way of having Coulson show up would be during a Big Badass Battle Sequence, everyone is in shock but they have bigger problems so they can cope with it offscreen (like the search for Bucky was entirely offscreen)

"All you Fascists bound to lose."
KnownUnknown Since: Jan, 2001
#51730: Feb 20th 2016 at 6:51:01 PM

I think the best way to bring it up is to have everyone who knew Coulson be off planet dealing with Thanos, and Coulson show up helping the Defenders and maybe one or two Avengers defend Earth. That way, they can avoid part of the narrative problem by only having him interact with people for whom it wouldn't be relevant.

Imo, that's the only way downplaying his death would work, but either way he should probably have a major role in the Earth plot so they can write in small vague references to how he returned over his screentime.

edited 20th Feb '16 6:53:39 PM by KnownUnknown

AlleyOop Since: Oct, 2010
#51731: Feb 20th 2016 at 6:52:35 PM

Didn't the Black Widow novel have an offhand line indicating they (or at least Natasha) knew?

alliterator Since: Jan, 2001
#51732: Feb 20th 2016 at 7:30:22 PM

I think the best way to bring Coulson back in film is to not bring Coulson back in film. What would be the point? Either the characters would be completely shocked and the film would have to come to a halt in order for him to explain or everyone would just handwave it and it wouldn't even matter if he was there at all.

Now, if they have Melinda May show up in the film and obliquely reference the "director," then yes, that would be awesome.

Didn't the Black Widow novel have an offhand line indicating they (or at least Natasha) knew?
The Black Widow novel? This Black Widow novel doesn't take place in the MCU, it takes place in the comic book verse.

edited 20th Feb '16 7:32:19 PM by alliterator

DeathsApprentice The Ultimate Lifeform from The Ark Since: Aug, 2011 Relationship Status: Is that a kind of food?
The Ultimate Lifeform
#51733: Feb 20th 2016 at 8:40:55 PM

Just show a montage of the heroes of Earth fighting Thanos' forces, and include some brief scenes showing Team Coulson and the Netflix heroes.

I feel like that would be the best way to at least have an acknowledgement of the TV shows in the films. That wouldn't take too much screentime, and would be the least confusing for audience members who don't watch the shows.

Now, if they have Melinda May show up in the film and obliquely reference the "director," then yes, that would be awesome.

Hell yes! Now I really want that to happen.

edited 20th Feb '16 8:41:16 PM by DeathsApprentice

When we're done, there won't be anything left.
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.
#51734: Feb 20th 2016 at 9:30:45 PM

[up][up] That's not what its page says.

edited 20th Feb '16 9:31:36 PM by KarkatTheDalek

Oh God! Natural light!
AlleyOop Since: Oct, 2010
#51735: Feb 20th 2016 at 10:33:09 PM

Hard to tell. Maybe it doesn't take place in the Earth-199999999 MC Uverse proper, but it's supposed to at least be MCU-adjacent (Earth-199999998?).

KnownUnknown Since: Jan, 2001
#51736: Feb 20th 2016 at 11:27:13 PM

Now, if they have Melinda May show up in the film and obliquely reference the "director," then yes, that would be awesome.

Back before we know exactly what the Accords were about and still thought it would be about controlling the superpowered population, I had the idea that Simmons could show up as a scientist who developed superpower dampeners or containment technology - in a similar role to how Helen Cho is a supporting character whose science is relevant in Ultron.

alliterator Since: Jan, 2001
#51737: Feb 21st 2016 at 12:26:54 AM

That's not what its page says.
Considering the page also says that the main character joins SHIELD Academy when there isn't a SHIELD Academy anymore should tell you that the book has a very loose definition of "continuity." It probably takes place in its own universe.

Apparently, Margaret Stohl thinks the book is in the Marvel TV Universe, "cinematic but still with Coulson very much around!" So, uh, yeah.

Swanpride Since: Jun, 2013
#51738: Feb 21st 2016 at 3:31:04 AM

Even the official tie-in comics sometimes contradict what is established in the movies.

I don't think that Coulson should turn up in the movies, but they can put more or less everyone else into it as "random SHIELD agent who helps out at one point". Not in a role specifically written for them, but in a role which was already needed for the narrative. This way the movie audience would most likely not even notice that something was added, but those of us who follow the show would be all excited about it. And since Shield is still around in the movies too, there would not even be an explanation necessary.

alliterator Since: Jan, 2001
#51739: Feb 21st 2016 at 3:43:49 AM

I don't even know if SHIELD is around in the movies - in Age of Ultron, Fury revealed that there was still some remants of SHIELD around willing to help, but in the show, the government still considers SHIELD to be a terrorist organization - although that might have changed with Rosalind Price and the ATCU and in the preview for the next half of the season, we do see Coulson talking to the President.

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.
#51740: Feb 21st 2016 at 9:24:44 AM

[up][up][up] Couldn't the book just take place before Winter Soldier?

Oh God! Natural light!
AdricDePsycho Rock on, Gold Dust Woman from Never Going Back Again Since: Oct, 2014 Relationship Status: [TOP SECRET]
Rock on, Gold Dust Woman
#51741: Feb 21st 2016 at 9:27:29 AM

It says on the page that it takes place after The Avengers, so we can assume it's before Winter Soldier.

Have you any dreams you'd like to sell?
alliterator Since: Jan, 2001
#51742: Feb 21st 2016 at 9:35:56 AM

I mean, according to the Marvel wiki, Spider-Man is also mentioned, so I'm really not sure where it's supposed to fit in continuity.

AdricDePsycho Rock on, Gold Dust Woman from Never Going Back Again Since: Oct, 2014 Relationship Status: [TOP SECRET]
Rock on, Gold Dust Woman
#51743: Feb 21st 2016 at 9:51:06 AM

I don't see anything about Spider-Man being mentioned in it.

Have you any dreams you'd like to sell?
alliterator Since: Jan, 2001
#51744: Feb 21st 2016 at 9:53:48 AM

Scroll down where it says "Other characters":

Other Characters:

  • S.H.I.E.L.D.
    • The Avengers (Mentioned)
    • Captain America (Steve Rogers) (Mentioned)
    • Hulk (Bruce Banner) (Mentioned)
    • Spider-Man (Peter Parker) (Mentioned)
    • Thor (Thor Odinson) (Mentioned)

AdricDePsycho Rock on, Gold Dust Woman from Never Going Back Again Since: Oct, 2014 Relationship Status: [TOP SECRET]
Rock on, Gold Dust Woman
#51745: Feb 21st 2016 at 9:55:53 AM

Huh, I missed that.

Have you any dreams you'd like to sell?
LordofLore Since: Jun, 2012 Relationship Status: Consider his love an honor
KnownUnknown Since: Jan, 2001
#51747: Feb 21st 2016 at 8:04:30 PM

Hey, do you guys think Avengers Academy (or a loosely adapted story about the characters therein) would make a good movie or MCU project?

DeathsApprentice The Ultimate Lifeform from The Ark Since: Aug, 2011 Relationship Status: Is that a kind of food?
The Ultimate Lifeform
#51748: Feb 21st 2016 at 8:05:49 PM

The video game or the comic?

When we're done, there won't be anything left.
Philcoulson I do not think of myself as a king I think of my from From shadows Since: May, 2015 Relationship Status: Abstaining
I do not think of myself as a king I think of my
#51750: Feb 21st 2016 at 8:46:22 PM

There should be a grant ward novel

All I see I conquer

Total posts: 186,763
Top