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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

TobiasDrake (•̀⤙•́) (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Arm chopping is not a love language!
(•̀⤙•́)
#52626: Mar 7th 2016 at 2:04:18 PM

Any time the words "non-white" are used in conjunction with any form of media, there's going to be some people online who are very upset with it. That's just business as usual.

edited 7th Mar '16 2:04:37 PM by TobiasDrake

My Tumblr. Currently side-by-side liveblogging Digimon Adventure, sub vs dub.
comicwriter Since: Sep, 2011
#52627: Mar 7th 2016 at 2:15:58 PM

Mc Feely was just as lost. “Is there really fish oil? What are you talking about?”

LOL

AdricDePsycho Rock on, Gold Dust Woman from Never Going Back Again Since: Oct, 2014 Relationship Status: [TOP SECRET]
Rock on, Gold Dust Woman
#52628: Mar 7th 2016 at 2:16:45 PM

I just hope this means Agents of SHIELD doesn't get retroactively declared non-canon.

Have you any dreams you'd like to sell?
Tuckerscreator (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: Drift compatible
#52629: Mar 7th 2016 at 2:17:41 PM

That would probably be a PR disaster for them so I doubt they will.

VeryMelon Since: Jul, 2011 Relationship Status: Anime is my true love
#52630: Mar 7th 2016 at 2:30:05 PM

This doesn't mean Agents of SHIELD isn't canon, it's more of a reminder that watching it won't be needed to understand the plots of the films.

alliterator Since: Jan, 2001
#52631: Mar 7th 2016 at 2:30:32 PM

I just hope this means Agents of SHIELD doesn't get retroactively declared non-canon.
Yeah, that's never going to happen. There's never going to be something that completely contradicts the show, because the shared continuity is part of the built in appeal.

TobiasDrake (•̀⤙•́) (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Arm chopping is not a love language!
(•̀⤙•́)
#52632: Mar 7th 2016 at 2:32:01 PM

I wouldn't be surprised to see something that completely contradicts the show. The filmmakers don't care one whit about it. The show would just be forced to come up with some explanation for how, no really, that glaring contradiction isn't a contradiction at all!

The show's doing all the legwork for their shared continuity. They go out of their way to involve whatever new thing the films are doing. They're basically the MCU's little brother, jogging in its footsteps and going, "Hey, whatcha doing? Civil War? Cool! Can I come?"

edited 7th Mar '16 2:34:24 PM by TobiasDrake

My Tumblr. Currently side-by-side liveblogging Digimon Adventure, sub vs dub.
AlleyOop Since: Oct, 2010
#52633: Mar 7th 2016 at 2:34:24 PM

It's the B tier to the films' A tier, similar to the old Star Wars canon system.

zam Since: Jun, 2009
#52634: Mar 7th 2016 at 2:38:21 PM

Wouldn't it be C-Tier? Since we do have the Netflix shows and all.

AdricDePsycho Rock on, Gold Dust Woman from Never Going Back Again Since: Oct, 2014 Relationship Status: [TOP SECRET]
Rock on, Gold Dust Woman
#52635: Mar 7th 2016 at 2:39:05 PM

I trust in the TV writers to be able to bend to the film's continuity (hell, they've done it enough times right now), but I do worry that one day we're gonna end up seeing Agents of SHIELD (or, at worst, all of Marvel's TV and Netflix series) getting declared non-canon because the movies contradict them.

Have you any dreams you'd like to sell?
TobiasDrake (•̀⤙•́) (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Arm chopping is not a love language!
(•̀⤙•́)
#52636: Mar 7th 2016 at 2:39:18 PM

As of yet, the Netflix shows are in the same boat as AOS. The films have never referenced them and, as yet, there are no plans to involve them in anything. It's just less noticeable because they aren't trying to keep pace with the films.

edited 7th Mar '16 2:39:53 PM by TobiasDrake

My Tumblr. Currently side-by-side liveblogging Digimon Adventure, sub vs dub.
VeryMelon Since: Jul, 2011 Relationship Status: Anime is my true love
#52637: Mar 7th 2016 at 2:39:25 PM

If anything I'd put the Netflix shows below Agents of SHIELD on the tier system. They're about as separate from the films as possible.

comicwriter Since: Sep, 2011
#52638: Mar 7th 2016 at 3:08:14 PM

The Netflix shows are smarter in the way they handle continuity in that they aren't constantly referencing them. The tie-ins in Daredevil and Jessica Jones were brief but very well implemented.

The lack of crossover with SHIELD is more noticeable because the characters on that show are constantly referencing the Avengers or other stuff in the MCU happening. Them having Coulson be part of the set up for Age of Ultron but then Age of Ultron not referencing him or his team just underscored how one-sided the relationship is.

LordofLore Since: Jun, 2012 Relationship Status: Consider his love an honor
#52639: Mar 7th 2016 at 3:13:24 PM

Coulson's actor pretty much said that if the movies want to they can just ignore everything Ao S has done with inhumans.

comicwriter Since: Sep, 2011
#52640: Mar 7th 2016 at 3:25:04 PM

That's probably why most of the show's Inhumans are Canon Foreigners.

edited 7th Mar '16 3:25:12 PM by comicwriter

MedusaStone Since: Jan, 2015
#52641: Mar 7th 2016 at 3:46:33 PM

Late, but the reason I won't watch Ao U I because there are just too many things I either have no interest in or actively dislike, and everything I've read in this very thread confirmed that.

Same thing with Civil War, actually. If I watch that, it'll only be because of Bucky. And Bucky and Steve together. And even that might not be enough to tempt me if they actually kill off Steve.

I'm a total Spoiler Hound, so I'll watch this space.

KnownUnknown Since: Jan, 2001
#52643: Mar 7th 2016 at 4:19:10 PM

Yeah, so far, at least as AOS is concerned, this doesn't seem like Star Wars' current system where everything is meticulously arranged such that even tie-in things fit into the canon, are acknowledged as such by the whole universe, and may conceivably be referenced in the movies in the future. It feels more like Star Wars' old system where the filmmakers give only a token acknowledgement to the tie-ins, and the writers for those have to scramble to fit the films' changing storylines rather than have equal contribution.

The Netflix shows largely avoid this by keeping to a niche that is far outside the films' vision range (and in terms of development seem to be a more organized effort on Marvel Studios' part), but its starting to be a problem for AOS because they tend to do grand, large scale plots that would have far reaching effects in the MCU if only the rest of the universe were paying attention.

But yeah, so far even though the filmmakers don't seem to care there's little that outright contradicts AOS, but there have been several close calls, and the real test is going to be when Inhumans comes out. Although if Zemo is HYDRA in this continuity, then we could see something sooner rather than later.

edited 7th Mar '16 4:22:25 PM by KnownUnknown

AlleyOop Since: Oct, 2010
#52644: Mar 7th 2016 at 4:21:34 PM

Not much longer than AOU? Aww, although knowing that some characters will only play minor roles in the movie makes me feel a little better. Speaking of which:

– They spent a year and a half with the screenwriters and producer Nate Moore combing through the script to make sure each character’s emotional arc tracked correctly. However, they cautioned that at some point “you have to sacrifice logic for expediency” otherwise you end up with a three and a half hour movie.

A little disappointing, but understandable, and let's hope that they save it for the Blu-Rays and that their awareness of all the Fridge Logic helps them smooth it over somewhat.

comicwriter Since: Sep, 2011
#52645: Mar 7th 2016 at 4:30:00 PM

Although if Zemo is HYDRA in this continuity, then we could see something sooner rather than later.

"What, of course HYDRA doesn't worship some ancient alien death god. That'd be stupid!"

edited 7th Mar '16 4:36:09 PM by comicwriter

edvedd Darling. from At the boutique, dear. Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: We finish each other's sandwiches
Darling.
#52646: Mar 7th 2016 at 5:23:58 PM

[up][up]I'm sure every movie has to eventually make those sacrifices.

Visit my Tumblr! I may say things. The Bureau Project
LordofLore Since: Jun, 2012 Relationship Status: Consider his love an honor
edvedd Darling. from At the boutique, dear. Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: We finish each other's sandwiches
Darling.
#52648: Mar 7th 2016 at 5:43:57 PM

On JK Simmons in DC: Let's make a fair trade - Gary Oldman for Jameson. tongue

edited 7th Mar '16 5:44:40 PM by edvedd

Visit my Tumblr! I may say things. The Bureau Project
dantecito Since: Dec, 2014
#52649: Mar 7th 2016 at 5:44:32 PM

Imagine if they made reference.

  • Zemo: My boss is the Hive.
  • Captain America: And who the hell is that guy.?
  • Zemo: The enemy of Coulson.
  • Captain America: Coulson is alive?

edited 7th Mar '16 5:46:24 PM by dantecito

wehrmacht belongs to the hurricane from the garden of everything Since: Dec, 2010 Relationship Status: YOU'RE TEARING ME APART LISA
belongs to the hurricane
#52650: Mar 7th 2016 at 5:45:40 PM

[up][up]...you know, I think he could probably do it too.


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