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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

comicwriter Since: Sep, 2011
#58176: Jun 2nd 2016 at 10:57:37 AM

In the comics, she's also a Colonel, but I suspect that they will simply make her a Captain in the movie. And becoming a Captain in the Air Force by 30 is doable.

Someone mentioned there are captains in their late 20's anyway.

TobiasDrake (•̀⤙•́) (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Arm chopping is not a love language!
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#58177: Jun 2nd 2016 at 11:04:29 AM

IIRC, 27 is the average age for a Captain, while 45 is the average age for Colonel.

My Tumblr. Currently side-by-side liveblogging Digimon Adventure, sub vs dub.
Whowho Since: May, 2012
#58178: Jun 2nd 2016 at 11:23:52 AM

I'm not happy with the age either. Captain Marvel in the MCU would have been one of the rare opotunuties to have an older female protagonist in a mainstream genre film. Robert Downey Jr is 51 so don't tell me people over fourty can't be super heroes, it just seems like its women over forty who can't.

Captain Marvel had every reason to be over fourty.

edited 2nd Jun '16 11:26:04 AM by Whowho

Punisher286 Since: Jan, 2016
#58179: Jun 2nd 2016 at 11:28:16 AM

I wouldn't have nearly as big an issue with it (although mid-30's is my preferred age range for an actress playing Carol honestly) if they wouldn't then constantly prove the double-standard by casting actors in their 40's or even 50's (or at least late 30's) to play their male heroes. Brie is younger than Liz Olsen is for goodness sake, and SW is the "rookie kid" on the Avengers in the MCU. If a slightly older actress cannot get a shot with THIS role, then I doubt that they will get many opportunities in the future sadly.

Casting Chadwick Boseman, who's already pushing 40, to play BP really drives this point home imo. Also Jeremy Renner, RDJ, Benedict Cumberbatch, Don Cheadle, Paul Rudd, Dave Bautista, Paul Bettany, Mark Ruffalo, etc.

edited 2nd Jun '16 11:30:06 AM by Punisher286

comicwriter Since: Sep, 2011
#58180: Jun 2nd 2016 at 11:28:38 AM

I never put many eggs in that basket. Hollywood has an age problem with women and I didn't expect that'd suddenly stop now.

Whowho Since: May, 2012
#58181: Jun 2nd 2016 at 11:30:59 AM

Captain Marvel will be closer in age to Peter Parker than Tony Stark. That's messed up, really messed up.

616 Carol Danvers was in her mid thirties in 1968', when she was introduced.

edited 2nd Jun '16 11:33:41 AM by Whowho

AlleyOop Since: Oct, 2010
#58182: Jun 2nd 2016 at 11:31:26 AM

Same. I understand a younger Marvel would enhance her longevity but we already have some fairly old actors as the lead males. Iron Man, Ant-Man, Ruffalo Hulk, and Black Panther have all debuted in their 40s-50s, while Star Lord, Cap, Thor, all started in their 30s or close to it and looked their ages. Not sure why they can't do the same for the lead of Captain Marvel.

comicwriter Since: Sep, 2011
#58183: Jun 2nd 2016 at 11:32:35 AM

[up]Hollywood ageism. That's been an issue in the industry forever. Dudes still get work well into their 50's while a lot of actress' careers slow down considerably once they get into their 40's and 50's.

edited 2nd Jun '16 11:33:26 AM by comicwriter

TobiasDrake (•̀⤙•́) (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Arm chopping is not a love language!
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#58184: Jun 2nd 2016 at 11:33:08 AM

[up] That. Hollywood hates middle-aged women. Even when they're willing to cast them, they're reluctant to actually age the character to match. Unless she's a villain, then it's okay.

Where men are encouraged to be mature, women are encouraged to be youthful.

edited 2nd Jun '16 11:34:18 AM by TobiasDrake

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comicwriter Since: Sep, 2011
#58185: Jun 2nd 2016 at 11:34:45 AM

Captain Marvel will be closer in age to Peter Parker than Tony Stark. That's messed up, really messed up.

In the grand scheme of things, it won't matter much because unfortunately, Captain Marvel is not a well known character yet. That doesn't make it okay, but the people who are well versed in her history are not gonna be the bulk of the audience.

Some discussion on Kang and rights.

edited 2nd Jun '16 11:45:02 AM by comicwriter

alliterator Since: Jan, 2001
#58186: Jun 2nd 2016 at 11:35:38 AM

Captain Marvel will be closer in age to Peter Parker than Tony Stark. That's messed up, really messed up.
You are assuming that the characters are the same age as the actors. That's not necessarily true. For example, in the movies, Tony Stark was born in 1970, which makes him five years younger than Robert Downey Jr. Carol Danvers could easily be five years older than her actress is.

Whowho Since: May, 2012
#58187: Jun 2nd 2016 at 11:36:28 AM

I freaking hope that the MCU lasts another twenty years so we could get a freaking age appropriate cornal female lead.

Of course Hollywood would probably just insist on taking focus off of Carol once her actress hits late thirties.

She is INDESTRUCTABLE SUPER STRONG AND CAN FLY she has no need to be the age of an Olympian!

[up] she better be! Even then that's youth washing. Which superhero films are terribly terrible at.

edited 2nd Jun '16 11:37:54 AM by Whowho

AlleyOop Since: Oct, 2010
#58188: Jun 2nd 2016 at 11:41:48 AM

Which is why I'm hoping whoever they cast for Janet will be at least a little older, but I'm expecting them to use some sort of Quantum Realm time fuckery to justify casting someone the same age as or even younger than Evangeline Lilly.

Whowho Since: May, 2012
#58189: Jun 2nd 2016 at 11:43:43 AM

I'm certain of it.

GAH I'm going to chuck paper around my room.

comicwriter Since: Sep, 2011
#58190: Jun 2nd 2016 at 11:46:02 AM

I freaking hope that the MCU lasts another twenty years so we could get a freaking age appropriate cornal female lead.

I doubt she's gonna be a colonel right away anyway.

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
#58191: Jun 2nd 2016 at 11:47:43 AM

The age-ism is honestly really excessive. Just for one thing, Olivia Wilde was denied the role that eventually went to Margot Robbie in The Wolf of Wall Street because she was "too old"...and she was like, what, just barely on the cusp of 30 at that point? It's really dumb.

thatindiantroper Since: Feb, 2015
#58192: Jun 2nd 2016 at 11:48:06 AM

I was thinking it'd be neat to get Jack Kirby to play him but then I googled it and the man's been dead for twenty years so

That IS one hell of a scheduling conflict.

Whowho Since: May, 2012
#58193: Jun 2nd 2016 at 11:51:03 AM

@comicwriter which is another issue I have with this. Female characters having their careers and positions of authority downplaid.

Swanpride Since: Jun, 2013
#58194: Jun 2nd 2016 at 11:51:12 AM

RDJ was cast ten years ago, and back then nobody could have expected the MCU to be that long ongoing. Cumberbatch is in his 30s, and they needed an actor who is old enough to pull off the white in Doctor Strange's hair. Ruffallo is pushing it, but he plays a character who is CGI whenever he is in action. The only double standard I see is Bosman...I didn't knew he was that old. He certainly doesn't look that way.

Bree Larson is a little bit younger than I would have liked, but she is also incredible talented. Like I said, she wouldn't be my first choice, but neither would she be my last. The only thing which worries me that Marvel by going more and more after Oscar nominees and winners, stops doing what they have done best, finding the perfect fit in an unexpected place.

Whowho Since: May, 2012
#58195: Jun 2nd 2016 at 11:54:39 AM

Ten years ago Bob Downey was still in his forties. It's kind of disheartening to me to see how keen people are to pull out excuses on this topic.

AdricDePsycho Rock on, Gold Dust Woman from Never Going Back Again Since: Oct, 2014 Relationship Status: [TOP SECRET]
Rock on, Gold Dust Woman
#58196: Jun 2nd 2016 at 11:56:24 AM

Has she been cast yet?

Have you any dreams you'd like to sell?
Punisher286 Since: Jan, 2016
#58197: Jun 2nd 2016 at 12:00:56 PM

No but given who's reporting it, I think that the chances of her getting it are pretty good. And it does speak to what type of actress Marvel is likely looking for in-general.

And when you have so many actors in the MCU who were in the late 30's or 40's or even 50's in a couple of cases when they STARTED playing these parts, and they just cast a guy who's already pushing 40 to play BP recently, yet the female Avengers are played by women in their 20's, or JUST out of their 20's (Johansson is in her early 30's not, but in her 20's when she first got cast), then the double-standard is really freaking obvious.

Swanpride Since: Jun, 2013
#58198: Jun 2nd 2016 at 12:01:32 PM

[up][up][up] I don't put excuses...I am just pointing out that there aren't that many examples to claim that there is a pattern, especially not if you consider that the male leads who play physical heavy roles, meaning mainly the Chrises, were all cast very young too...the oldest of this bunch is Jeremy Renner, and he was still in his 30s when he was cast. I would be more worried if, for example, Linda Cardinelli weren't Renner's age, but since she is, and Marissa Tomei, no matter how "hot" she looks, also has the fitting age to be Peter Parker's aunt, I am not ready to call fool play just yet.

edited 2nd Jun '16 12:02:14 PM by Swanpride

comicwriter Since: Sep, 2011
#58199: Jun 2nd 2016 at 12:01:51 PM

which is another issue I have with this. Female characters having their careers and positions of authority downplaid.

Eh. I don't think having her exact military history adapted beat for beat is necessary. She needs to be a veteran and authoritative, but nothing there says she has to specifically be a colonel.

edited 2nd Jun '16 12:02:22 PM by comicwriter

AdricDePsycho Rock on, Gold Dust Woman from Never Going Back Again Since: Oct, 2014 Relationship Status: [TOP SECRET]
Rock on, Gold Dust Woman
#58200: Jun 2nd 2016 at 12:02:03 PM

I'm not gonna care until the casting is official, and even then all I care about is if she does a good job in the role.

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