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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

slimcoder The Head of the Hydra Since: May, 2013
The Head of the Hydra
#101651: Apr 30th 2019 at 6:24:24 PM

What's a tailgate party?

"I am Alpharius. This is a lie."
Mizerous Pet Owner from Hell Since: Oct, 2013 Relationship Status: Brewing the love potion
Pet Owner
#101652: Apr 30th 2019 at 6:26:00 PM

Football fans hang out in the parking lot with food before a game.

Just Makima.
slimcoder The Head of the Hydra Since: May, 2013
The Head of the Hydra
#101653: Apr 30th 2019 at 6:26:42 PM

Huh dope.

"I am Alpharius. This is a lie."
Dirtyblue929 Since: Dec, 2012 Relationship Status: [TOP SECRET]
#101654: Apr 30th 2019 at 6:27:16 PM

And skimming it again, it's Armond White, the man infamously known in pretty much all circles as "the most tasteless, ignorant film critic of all time." Seriously, look at his record - with exceptions that number in the single digits, every movie he likes is considered bad and every movie he hates is considered good.

Edited by Dirtyblue929 on Apr 30th 2019 at 7:24:32 AM

slimcoder The Head of the Hydra Since: May, 2013
The Head of the Hydra
#101655: Apr 30th 2019 at 6:30:49 PM

Oh man that's the contrarian Videodunkey once talked about in his video game reviews video.

"I am Alpharius. This is a lie."
Galadriel Since: Feb, 2015
#101656: Apr 30th 2019 at 6:36:56 PM

There are plenty of crappy criticisms of comic books and superheroes to be made, but I think there are some valid ones as well.

I like superhero movies, but I also do feel like there’s something troubling about the way they’re fundamentally based around wanting someone(s) with a bunch of power to show up and fix everything. Does anyone else remember this Jibjab video? https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=kVFdAJRVm94 It felt like there was a backlash against Obama just for not being able to magically fix everything. (Though there are certainly also valid critiques to be made of his presidency.) And Trump’s supporters have the same kind of ideas about him fixing everything they don’t like about the country and the world.

Then there’s underlying message that the most important/heroic way of addressing anything wrong with the world is by beating up bad people. In reality, the world’s greatest threats aren’t from “bad guys”. They’re from broader systems that we all participate in every day - vast wealth inequalities, climate change, structural discrimination - and that will never be solved by finding the ‘right’ people to attack.

The recent wave of popularity for superheroes feels kind of like us attempting to avoid the complexity of the world’s real problems, and wanting to fantasize about everything having an easy solution that we can get just by giving the right person enough power.

On top of that there’s the way ground-level superheroes distort the way we think about crime and criminals - look at the casual use of torture on Daredevil, for example. Though cop/CSI shows are pretty bad about dehumanizing criminals and normalizing abuses of civil liberties, as well.

Edited by Galadriel on Apr 30th 2019 at 10:01:15 AM

Protagonist506 from Oregon Since: Dec, 2013 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
#101657: Apr 30th 2019 at 6:42:50 PM

[up]May I suggest taking that post to the Politics in Media thread in the on-topic forum?

Leviticus 19:34
TheAirman Brightness from The vicinity of an area adjacent to a location Since: Feb, 2011 Relationship Status: Historians will say we were good friends.
Brightness
#101658: Apr 30th 2019 at 6:43:28 PM

Jesus Christ that review was painful to read. I almost want to pity the guy who wrote it. Almost.

PSN ID: FateSeraph | Switch friendcode: SW-0145-8835-0610 Congratulations! She/They
Galadriel Since: Feb, 2015
#101659: Apr 30th 2019 at 6:44:24 PM

[up][up] Yeah, this may not be the best place for it, sorry.

AyyItsMidnight Look, just be decent to one another ok? Since: Oct, 2018
Look, just be decent to one another ok?
#101660: Apr 30th 2019 at 6:54:05 PM

Lord knows the superhero/MCU fanbase has no shortage of highly questionable/backwards takes.

Self-serious autistic trans gal who loves rock/metal and animation with all her heart. (she/her)
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.
#101661: Apr 30th 2019 at 7:41:40 PM

Adults are only allowed to like Sports, Daytime TV and literature that's over 50 years old. Anything else is immature, and a sign that your parents were pansies who didn't beat you and make fun of your hobbies like they're supposed to.

What about comics that are over 50 years old? Viva la Golden Age!

Edited by PushoverMediaCritic on Apr 30th 2019 at 7:42:07 AM

Dirtyblue929 Since: Dec, 2012 Relationship Status: [TOP SECRET]
#101662: Apr 30th 2019 at 8:01:33 PM

Yes, but only as something to be analyzed academically as the origins of a genre. Actually liking them for the stories about men in tights fighting crime is stupid baby poo poo.

Edited by Dirtyblue929 on Apr 30th 2019 at 8:21:32 AM

Swanpride Since: Jun, 2013
#101663: Apr 30th 2019 at 10:51:14 PM

There is a problem with his angle: The majority of the audience of the MCU aren't even comic book fans. Just people who fell in love with this version of the characters and the notion of multi-layered stories and a franchise which explores how events influence each other.

Theokal3 Since: Jan, 2012
#101664: May 1st 2019 at 3:07:37 AM

Finished reading this review, and fuck this guy. For starter, that whole thing about outgrowing comic books is BS, we're allowed to like whatever we want regardless of age, thank you very much. Second.... really? Comparing Thanos' slap to the Rapture?

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.
#101665: May 1st 2019 at 3:26:55 AM

Oh my god, you really should read this review (note that the review has spoilers, though I will not be posting any). It's fucking hilarious how wrong he is. Like, it's straight-up this:

Some choice excerpts:

Infantilization is the MCU game plan. A serious publication is obligated to point out similarity to the free-college, no-student-loans, socialized-medicine political promises that stoke immaturity.

Repetition now replaces depth for the franchise/binge-watching club; there is no character development outside seeing the mature cast of actors in Halloween costumes, though their overly familiar faces cry out for the new digital de-aging process.

And the single best part, the part that made me laugh out loud:

The directors Anthony and Joe Russo do routine CGI action, but they don't know how to supply meaning to any of the goings-on, and that's the major difference between MCU and the D.C. Comics Universe, which advanced from Christopher Nolan's nihilism to Zack Snyder's visual richness and emotional depth. Snyder's Watchmen was the first comic-book movie to deal with mature themes and play out a credible moral dilemma. Going deeper with Man of Steel and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Snyder's art angered the kiddies. MCU fans don't know what great filmmaking is. They defer to their post-Star Wars indoctrination. ... Snyder rescued comic-book movies from nihilism and juvenilia, making modern myths worthy of adult spirituality and politics. Avengers: Endgame takes place in a violent kindergarten.

People are absolutely right to call this hack "the most tasteless, ignorant film critic of all time".

Swanpride Since: Jun, 2013
#101666: May 1st 2019 at 3:29:55 AM

You know, I am now wondering about the political leanings of this guy...

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.
#101667: May 1st 2019 at 3:30:42 AM

I thought the first quote made it extremely obvious where he stands.

slimcoder The Head of the Hydra Since: May, 2013
The Head of the Hydra
#101668: May 1st 2019 at 3:32:23 AM

Okay wow he actually fellatiated the Snyder run DCCU stuff cause it was “deep”.

Red flag among red flags.

"I am Alpharius. This is a lie."
Swanpride Since: Jun, 2013
#101669: May 1st 2019 at 3:35:43 AM

Not to mention the Anti-SJW whistleblowing in it.

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.
#101670: May 1st 2019 at 3:46:06 AM

Not just fellating Snyder, fellating Snyder while ALSO saying that the Nolan Batman movies are "nihilistic and juvenile". If he was just refusing to enjoy the MCU out of DC favoritism, that would be one thing, but he hates the actually good dark and edgy movies that the early DCCU was just mindlessly copying!

Edited by PushoverMediaCritic on May 1st 2019 at 3:46:36 AM

wisewillow She/her Since: May, 2011
She/her
#101671: May 1st 2019 at 3:46:35 AM

Yeah, uh pretty sure Armond White is a super conservative Ayn Rand fanboy type.

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.
#101672: May 1st 2019 at 3:51:03 AM

I'm gathering that he's the kind of asshole who heard Batman v Superman's Family-Unfriendly Aesop of "Don't be a hero, don't help or save people. Saving someone always hurts someone else indirectly" and went "Yes! Absolutely! Finally, a movie that gets it!".

Edited by PushoverMediaCritic on May 1st 2019 at 3:51:26 AM

Fighteer Lost in Space from The Time Vortex (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: TV Tropes ruined my love life
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.
#101674: May 1st 2019 at 4:00:23 AM

Because he did a really funny and bad review of Avengers: Endgame, and Endgame hasn't been out long enough to move the spoiler discussion from the spoiler thread to here, so there's not a lot to talk about overall.

I guess we could spitball theories about future MCU films, but there's going to be a lot of tip-toeing around Endgame spoilers in those discussions too.

Swanpride Since: Jun, 2013
#101675: May 1st 2019 at 4:06:31 AM

Yeah, Endgame is kind of a minefield. Hell, we can't even talk about the TV shows. Other than Cloak and Dagger. which is still awesome and deserves more attention.

Honestly, am I the only one here watching the show?


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