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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

AyyItsMidnight Look, just be decent to one another ok? Since: Oct, 2018
Look, just be decent to one another ok?
#104551: Jul 3rd 2019 at 7:08:31 PM

Without spoiling things, Far From Home gets my seal of approval. Needs time to simmer and stew before I can decide where it lands on my rankings.

Self-serious autistic trans gal who loves rock/metal and animation with all her heart. (she/her)
Gaon Smoking Snake from Grim Up North Since: Jun, 2012 Relationship Status: Above such petty unnecessities
#104552: Jul 3rd 2019 at 7:11:50 PM

I still fail to see what's so outrageous about a guy who juices himself on supernatural herbs fighting superhumans. I mean, that's Black Panther a few steps removed.

"All you Fascists bound to lose."
slimcoder The Head of the Hydra Since: May, 2013
The Head of the Hydra
#104553: Jul 3rd 2019 at 7:16:31 PM

I'm also not sure how its pointlessly mean-spirited for Ultimate Kraven to get arrested for illegal genetic tampering after he's beaten.

"I am Alpharius. This is a lie."
GNinja The Element of Hyperbole. from The deepest, darkest corner of his mind. Since: Apr, 2015 Relationship Status: I'd need a PowerPoint presentation
The Element of Hyperbole.
#104554: Jul 3rd 2019 at 7:17:35 PM

[up][up] In general I tend to notice this weird habit among comic fans where they seem to enjoy describing precisely how every villain in a series should be a complete joke for the hero to deal with. Maybe they simply enjoy winding me up. XD

It's weird, it's like they would rather the hero effortlessly win, so they downplay the powers of every villain while hyping up what the hero can do.

[up] I find it mean spirited to write in a worthless villain I guess.

Edited by GNinja on Jul 3rd 2019 at 2:18:13 PM

Kaze ni Nare!
lrrose Since: Jul, 2009
#104555: Jul 3rd 2019 at 7:20:19 PM

I saw Far From Home today. I put more detailed thoughts in the spoiler thread, but the non-spoilerly take away is that it is one of my favorite MCU movies and my favorite live-action Spiderman movie.

M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#104556: Jul 3rd 2019 at 7:25:08 PM

[up][up]Not all of us need every villain out there to be some hyper competent badass who makes heroes look like a joke.

Besides, it's not as if the Ultimate Spider-Man comics didn't already have plenty of genuinely dangerous and competent villains.

Edited by M84 on Jul 3rd 2019 at 10:25:40 PM

Disgusted, but not surprised
GNinja The Element of Hyperbole. from The deepest, darkest corner of his mind. Since: Apr, 2015 Relationship Status: I'd need a PowerPoint presentation
The Element of Hyperbole.
#104557: Jul 3rd 2019 at 7:26:19 PM

[up] I don't need every villain to make the heroes look like a joke. I just don't get a villain being worthless. It doesn't make sense to me. Especially a well known character.

Edited by GNinja on Jul 3rd 2019 at 2:26:52 PM

Kaze ni Nare!
M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#104558: Jul 3rd 2019 at 7:30:23 PM

[up]The thing is, you always complain about villains who aren't super awesome or something.

Disgusted, but not surprised
Fighteer Lost in Space from The Time Vortex (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: TV Tropes ruined my love life
Lost in Space
#104559: Jul 3rd 2019 at 7:38:45 PM

Okay, back from Far from Home; I can read the thread again. No spoilers.

Great film, probably the best Spider-Man we've seen to date. Even Homecoming, which is great, feels like a screen test for this, like it's the real story they wanted to tell but they had to spend a film setting everything up first.

FFH feels like they have all the pieces in place so now they can just go nuts.

Mysterio does not disappoint. That's all I can say without giving away too much.

Stay for the credits scenes. Like, really stay.

"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"
GNinja The Element of Hyperbole. from The deepest, darkest corner of his mind. Since: Apr, 2015 Relationship Status: I'd need a PowerPoint presentation
The Element of Hyperbole.
#104560: Jul 3rd 2019 at 7:41:01 PM

[up][up] Fair enough. I'll mention one I do like.

Crossbones. In fact, I like every villain in Winter Soldier. Even though Batroc and Crossbones were no match for Cap, they did better than I was expecting. Which was awesome.

That's generally how it is, if I don't expect much from a character, and they exceed it, that makes me be happy.

I get nada out of scenes like the Sword guy from Raiders of the Lost Ark who just gets shot. XD

Edited by GNinja on Jul 3rd 2019 at 2:41:38 PM

Kaze ni Nare!
RavenWilder Since: Apr, 2009
#104561: Jul 3rd 2019 at 8:11:15 PM

The sword guy from Raiders of Lost Ark is just a nameless henchman. Getting shot with no fanfare is what they do. Only reason he stands out is because he clearly thought his fancy sword skills made him more of a threat than he actually was.

I think you need to make a distinction between "weak villain" and "weak villain who thinks they're a tough villain".

Tuckerscreator (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: Drift compatible
#104562: Jul 3rd 2019 at 8:18:57 PM

I take the Roald Dahl approach: “the more loathsome and nasty a villain is, the more fun it is to watch them get scrunched.”

slimcoder The Head of the Hydra Since: May, 2013
The Head of the Hydra
#104563: Jul 3rd 2019 at 8:20:19 PM

That sword guy is not a even a character, he's just a literal gag.

A reverse of the joke would be like a no-name hero dude showing up, going "I''ll save the day", jumps in the air against machine gun fire doing parkour, & then lands full of bullet holes because Reality Ensues.

And the scene moves on from there without any acknowledgement to the guy.

Because they are just for a good joke.

"I am Alpharius. This is a lie."
HandsomeRob Leader of the Holey Brotherhood from The land of broken records Since: Jan, 2015
Leader of the Holey Brotherhood
#104564: Jul 3rd 2019 at 8:30:09 PM

[up]

I'm pretty sure there's a webcomic about that exact joke. It might have been The Adventures of Dr. McNinja or something.

Edited by HandsomeRob on Jul 3rd 2019 at 9:30:48 AM

One Strip! One Strip!
wisewillow She/her Since: May, 2011
She/her
#104565: Jul 3rd 2019 at 8:31:03 PM

[up][up]There was supposed to be a fight scene.

Harrison Ford was ill and wasn’t up to it. Hence, just shoot him.

Edited by wisewillow on Jul 3rd 2019 at 8:31:17 AM

slimcoder The Head of the Hydra Since: May, 2013
The Head of the Hydra
#104566: Jul 3rd 2019 at 8:33:05 PM

[up] Amazing how things turn out.

We got a good joke out of it.

Edited by slimcoder on Jul 3rd 2019 at 8:33:51 AM

"I am Alpharius. This is a lie."
Fighteer Lost in Space from The Time Vortex (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: TV Tropes ruined my love life
Lost in Space
#104567: Jul 3rd 2019 at 8:33:17 PM

It's one of the best character establishment scenes in any action film ever, and it came about by accident.

Edited by Fighteer on Jul 3rd 2019 at 11:33:51 AM

"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"
M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#104568: Jul 3rd 2019 at 8:48:35 PM

[up][up][up][up]It's even the page image for Reality Ensues.

Disgusted, but not surprised
Tuckerscreator (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: Drift compatible
unknowing from somewhere.. Since: Mar, 2014
#104570: Jul 4th 2019 at 12:20:40 AM

Granted I will said that at times Marvel can kinda strugle of how much of a threat a villian is(and well, is a issue with super) at times their villian and sort of there.

For example Ultron, once the twins are out is competence drop up FAST.

Meanwhile winter solder you can at least be impress in how damn threating Hydra is against Cap, he really win by the skin of is teeth.

I will said making the villian threating or pushing the hero is a always a yes for me.

"My Name is Bolt, Bolt Crank and I dont care if you believe or not"
M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#104571: Jul 4th 2019 at 12:27:21 AM

It really depends on the nature of the threat posed by the villain. They don't necessarily need to be a physical threat to the hero.

And if they aren't even the main villain of the story, there's no harm in them being a joke either. Ultimate comics Kraven for example was never the Big Bad of any story arc. Even in the arc he was introduced, the real antagonist was Doctor Octopus. Kraven was just someone who was built up throughout and shows up at the end only to go down in a hilarious anticlimax.

Edited by M84 on Jul 5th 2019 at 3:28:44 AM

Disgusted, but not surprised
unknowing from somewhere.. Since: Mar, 2014
#104572: Jul 4th 2019 at 12:29:50 AM

[up]No but I will feel the movie need to establish the sense of dread to the hero for me to work, indeed Hydra is more a ensamble villian team in Winter soldier, with bucky as the physical, pierce as the mental and so own but you can feel they are behind cap over and over.

Meanwhile you need feel the threat level of Ultron in the movie even when you should.

"My Name is Bolt, Bolt Crank and I dont care if you believe or not"
M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#104573: Jul 4th 2019 at 12:32:32 AM

One thing I do find amusing in Age of Ultron is that Ultron in the MCU is yet another example of the plot happening because Tony Stark fucked up.

Disgusted, but not surprised
slimcoder The Head of the Hydra Since: May, 2013
The Head of the Hydra
#104574: Jul 4th 2019 at 12:35:01 AM

Thank God that's never gonna again.

"I am Alpharius. This is a lie."
unknowing from somewhere.. Since: Mar, 2014
#104575: Jul 4th 2019 at 12:35:18 AM

[up]Antony Stark: the begining and the end of all problems.

"My Name is Bolt, Bolt Crank and I dont care if you believe or not"

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