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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

KnownUnknown Since: Jan, 2001
#61876: Aug 25th 2016 at 9:19:05 PM

Also, because Thor is so interested in realms outside of Asgard (and because there are so many other storylines and characters Asgard that don't involve him), it's not necessarily impossible to do further Thor movies without Odin appearing in person.

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.
#61877: Aug 25th 2016 at 10:18:12 PM

I'm so sorry for bringing this up, but I just want to say one small thing about the Mandarin- *ducks and covers from a flurry of bricks*

I really love the concept of the Mandarin: a wealthy, Eastern, magic-using, traditionalist character to contrast Tony's wealthy, Western, technological, modern character. I just have one small gripe: I hate his power-set. Having ten magical rings is a decent idea, and could make a really cool villain, but it doesn't work at all as the powerset of Iron Man's evil opposite.

You know what would be a much better power-set for Iron Man's mystical, Eastern, villainous opposite? Goku's power-set. Flight using chi blasted from the feet to counter flight using repulsors blasted from the feet. Chi energy beams to counter Repulsor beams. Controllable Chi blasts to counter homing missiles. Focused Chi beams to counter laser cutters. Enhanced strength, speed, and durability to counter the same from Tony's suit.

Killian's power-set is much closer to Goku's than the comics Mandarin is, so that was one change I didn't have a problem with, outside of them not using the whole power-set.

Unsung it's a living from a tenement of clay Since: Jun, 2016
it's a living
#61878: Aug 25th 2016 at 10:45:42 PM

...Damn it. You're right. That would be kind of perfect. Now I can only dream of the Iron Man/Madame Gao fight I know we'll never see.

MedusaStone Since: Jan, 2015
#61879: Aug 25th 2016 at 10:55:04 PM

[up]x several I would be happy with Falcon!Captain America too, but it's not going to happen any time soon. Because he's a fugitive like Steve. The only way I could see it happening is if sometime during Infinity War or its unnamed sequel (the Russos said the second movie would have a different tittle rather than Infinity War part 2) Steve Rogers -who would've picked up the shield again because they needed literally everyone capable of fighting- dies, and Sam picks up the shield and carries on. And maybe at the very end we find out he didn't really die, but took the chance to pass the mantle for good.

Also, I'm laughing at the idea that in between CW and IW the government picked someone else to take Steve's place because "the world needs Captain America" and it's a disaster: the public doesn't trust him (because they're not very happy with Steve, but you can't just give some guy a shield and say "ok, he's Captain America now"), and the legal Avengers don't like him or trust him either, because in their eyes he's just a crony of Ross. So they support him in battle, but otherwise they ignore him, exclude him from anything not work related, and just generally freeze him out. Bonus points if he's actually a genuinely good guy, and it's just his bad luck that he was put in a position that makes him a convenient scapegoat for everyone else.

Gaon Smoking Snake from Grim Up North Since: Jun, 2012 Relationship Status: Above such petty unnecessities
#61880: Aug 25th 2016 at 10:57:39 PM

Mandarin's rings include several "counter-blaster" ones that he uses to match IM's propulsors. The cool thing about the other rings is that they throw IM off his game. Most of his enemies just attack him from one front. But the Mandarin keeps zigzagging between 10 whole different powersets plus a few tricks of his own (like kung-fu that allows him to shatter steel with a fucking punch), so Stark always has to be fully on guard and coming up with new ideas to catch him off-guard.

Iron Man: Enter the Mandarin, has a pretty solid fight in that regard. It starts with Mandarin just straight up hurling a chinese broadsword at IM and it's fantastic because Stark is so mind-boggled by this tactic the Mandarin gets a drop on him for it.

"All you Fascists bound to lose."
jakobitis Doctor of Doctorates from Somewhere, somewhen Since: Jan, 2015 Relationship Status: I'd need a PowerPoint presentation
Doctor of Doctorates
#61881: Aug 26th 2016 at 12:57:14 AM

The main problem I have with the Mandarin (and admittedly having not read much with/about him) is that from what I have seen, his wide powerset, being able to take on Iron Man barehanded, and his intelligence and experience on top of all that... Tony should be really, really luck to beat him even once, let alone come out on top more often than not. Mandarin has had a big enough operation for long enough that even Tony's fall-back option of chucking cash at the problem and just being richer than whoever he's up against isn't a sure thing either.

The MCU version that Trevor appeared to be (a terrorist mastermind with some awesome PR) would be more plausible and perhaps even more satisfying than a direct adaptation of the comics version, for me at least.

"These 'no-nonsense' solutions of yours just don't hold water in a complex world of jet-powered apes and time travel."
TobiasDrake (•̀⤙•́) (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Arm chopping is not a love language!
(•̀⤙•́)
#61882: Aug 26th 2016 at 7:42:37 AM

Anthony Hopkins is pretty old and him being able to play the same character through 3 movies is quite an achievement. If Hopkins were to die soon it would be a little awkward to explain Odin's death in future movies.

The names keep changing but the theory remains the same. "Marvel's about to kill off X character because the actor won't be here forever."

Sometimes it's Iron Man, sometimes it's Cap, now apparently it's Odin. Because, as both Rhodey and Hulk can testify, Marvel would never recast a character. They're clearly above that.

edited 26th Aug '16 7:43:11 AM by TobiasDrake

My Tumblr. Currently side-by-side liveblogging Digimon Adventure, sub vs dub.
Discar Since: Jun, 2009
#61883: Aug 26th 2016 at 8:08:09 AM

A lot of people (myself included) would prefer they kill off characters rather than recast. I'm not talking about Bruce and Rhodey, those were different situations. It's just that one of the big problems in comics is caused by them refusing to permanently get rid of old characters. Using real actors gives them a perfect excuse to let the characters die or retire when the actors get tired of playing them. Then, the new generation takes over.

So you're right, they could recast Odin. But why would they? His story is almost completely done as it is.

Writing a post-post apocalypse LitRPG on RR. Also fanfic stuff.
comicwriter Since: Sep, 2011
#61884: Aug 26th 2016 at 8:08:13 AM

I doubt they'd kill Odin because of Anthony Hopkins. I think they're gonna kill Odin because he's the most logical remaining death. He's probably the biggest character in the movie series who doesn't have to be kept around for future installments.

And it's Odin. It's not like there's a whole hell of a lot left to do with him.

edited 26th Aug '16 8:08:46 AM by comicwriter

Swanpride Since: Jun, 2013
#61885: Aug 26th 2016 at 8:15:11 AM

Odin is a practically immortal character, so it would make more sense to phase him out for a whole and then let him return with another actor. Same for Thor. Tony and Rhodey are another matter, because they are already pretty old to fly around in those suits in-universe. And since the MCU doesn't have a sliding timeline, a change of guards would be a good idea eventually. If they do it by killing off characters or sending them into retirement, we will see.

RavenWilder Since: Apr, 2009
#61886: Aug 26th 2016 at 9:19:09 AM

Also, I'm laughing at the idea that in between CW and IW the government picked someone else to take Steve's place because "the world needs Captain America"

That's actually my theory on how Captain Marvel will work. When an Air Force soldier winds up with superpowers, the U.S. government is eager to have a patriotic superhero to replace Captain America, and actually have a PR team come up with the "Captain Marvel" identity.

higherbrainpattern Since: Apr, 2012
#61887: Aug 26th 2016 at 9:23:13 AM

Oh man, I really hate that idea. I hope that doesn't happen.

AlleyOop Since: Oct, 2010
#61888: Aug 26th 2016 at 9:23:41 AM

Odin dying so that Thor assumes the Asgardian throne also serves as a natural endpoint for Thor's own story. He can still participate in adventures from time to time as king.

Swanpride Since: Jun, 2013
#61889: Aug 26th 2016 at 9:26:08 AM

Honestly, I think the outlets make more out of the remark than there was. I mean, duh, Cap leaving the shield behind is him symbolically leaving behind the identity which was created around him, allowing him to be "Steve" again. That doesn't necessarily mean that he will never pick up a shield again.

comicwriter Since: Sep, 2011
#61890: Aug 26th 2016 at 9:26:28 AM

[up][up][up]No need to be rude about it.

[up][up]Also possibly grant him the Odinforce, which he might need to help defeat Thanos.

edited 26th Aug '16 9:27:31 AM by comicwriter

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.
#61891: Aug 26th 2016 at 9:52:22 AM
Falrinn Since: Dec, 2014
#61892: Aug 26th 2016 at 10:07:58 AM

Even if he isn't Captain America anymore, there's probably an 95%+ chance he'll reclaim the mantle in the next movie he has an actual story arc in.

Wouldn't mind seeing him take on the Nomad identity in the mean time however. Maybe have him fighting under that identity during his character's introduction in Infinity War, before transitioning back to being Captain America as he gets involved in the main plot.

Swanpride Since: Jun, 2013
#61893: Aug 26th 2016 at 10:27:40 AM

I don't care what he calls himself, as long as he is around, throwing the shield, and I don't have to deal with someone else loosing his own badass name in order to be captain America.

hollygoolightly Since: Apr, 2012 Relationship Status: Showing feelings of an almost human nature
#61894: Aug 26th 2016 at 11:37:47 AM

[up]He won't be throwing the shield at first though. Right now, it's with Tony, and it would really kind of undermine the symbolism of dropping the Cap identity by dropping the shield.

If Steve decides to go by Nomad at least for a bit, I want someone - Sam? Clint? - to at least suggest the traditional Nomad costume.

edited 26th Aug '16 11:39:32 AM by hollygoolightly

Swanpride Since: Jun, 2013
#61895: Aug 26th 2016 at 11:52:45 AM

I don't like the idea of Steve actually using the Nomad identity...it puts too much importance on his Captain America role. Why shouldn't he go by Steve Rogers? Especially since the Avengers don't really use silly aliases....

VeryMelon Since: Jul, 2011 Relationship Status: Anime is my true love
#61896: Aug 26th 2016 at 12:10:49 PM

Steve is The Nomad in all but name now, and besides the MCU has never tried giving no spies/idiots comic book names anyway.

higherbrainpattern Since: Apr, 2012
#61897: Aug 26th 2016 at 12:17:16 PM

@comicwriter: how am I being rude? I just don't want Carol's identity as Captain Marvel to be some PR tactic created by the US government.

Steve Rogers as Nomad in the MCU should be cool.

edited 26th Aug '16 12:19:30 PM by higherbrainpattern

VeryMelon Since: Jul, 2011 Relationship Status: Anime is my true love
#61898: Aug 26th 2016 at 12:19:40 PM

You could have explained that instead in your post.

alliterator Since: Jan, 2001

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