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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

AdeptGaderius Otaku from the Anime World Since: Nov, 2018 Relationship Status: Anime is my true love
Otaku
#127576: May 3rd 2021 at 4:01:13 PM

Anyways, let's talk about the future appearance of the Fantastic Four and how should they be introduced.

This is my hypothetical pitch for a MCU Fantastic Four:

The story is basically a superhero Period Piece set in the 1960s, the time period where the Space Race is still in the minds of the public and tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union are running high as the Cuban Missile Crisis approaches.

NASA sponsors scientist and genius Reed Richards to construct a spaceship capable of bringing a man to the Moon in a highly classified mission. Reed enlists Ben Grimm, Sue Storm and Johnny Storm to become astronauts on the mission. Supporting the mission is Victor von Doom, who supplies spaceflight technology for the mission.

Due to cut corners, the four astronauts are bombarded with cosmic radiation and the spaceship they are on crash lands. Soon, the Fantastic Four are born. The main villain for the film is Mole Man, who tries to attack various nuclear facilities and cities. The post-credits scene would hint in the existence of Galactus in the MCU.

slimcoder The Head of the Hydra Since: May, 2013
The Head of the Hydra
#127577: May 3rd 2021 at 4:01:33 PM

[up][up][up] They have not no. They’ve actually been dead as a whole for the better part of a couple decades with the well know parts of them, being the Celestials and Deviants (though only because Thanos is a deviant and he has since outgrown the property).

Seriously this is beyond just being a casual. The Eternals are......... probably the most minor !Ariel property to get their own movie.

Far more minor than Guardians since at least Guardians had a modern comic run. The Eternals got zilch.

Edited by slimcoder on May 3rd 2021 at 4:02:23 AM

"I am Alpharius. This is a lie."
Bocaj Funny but not helpful from Here or thereabouts (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: Pining for the fjords
Funny but not helpful
#127578: May 3rd 2021 at 4:04:01 PM

They’ve gotten one recently

I looked at the first issue and if it’s supposed to be adjacent to the movie the movie is going to be weird

Forever liveblogging the Avengers
gjjones Musician/Composer from South Wales, New York Since: Jul, 2016
Musician/Composer
#127579: May 3rd 2021 at 4:06:44 PM

So, are you guys looking forward to Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3?

Edited by gjjones on May 3rd 2021 at 7:11:34 AM

He/His/Him. No matter who you are, always Be Yourself.
slimcoder The Head of the Hydra Since: May, 2013
The Head of the Hydra
#127580: May 3rd 2021 at 4:07:45 PM

Yup they only just got a new comic now (first one in over a decade). Already gender-flipped several characters to match the movie actors under the reasoning of “Gods can shape-shift”.

It’s kinda like what was done with the Inhumans but at least the Inhumans while never the most major mixture were always an existing thing. The Eternals is basically just a blip in Marvel history.

"I am Alpharius. This is a lie."
FGHIK Since: Aug, 2013
Ultimatum Disasturbator from the Amiga Forest (Old as dirt) Relationship Status: Who needs love when you have waffles?
Disasturbator
#127582: May 3rd 2021 at 4:10:59 PM

The Eternals being so minor is why I'm nervous about their film,I figure it's so they can introduce their cosmic Gods before their competitors do,when really they should have done that during Infinity War

have a listen and have a link to my discord server
Bocaj Funny but not helpful from Here or thereabouts (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: Pining for the fjords
Funny but not helpful
#127583: May 3rd 2021 at 4:11:38 PM

I sincerely hope that Sersi rejoins the Avengers as part of an ill conceived push

I have a fondness for the jacket era

Forever liveblogging the Avengers
slimcoder The Head of the Hydra Since: May, 2013
The Head of the Hydra
#127584: May 3rd 2021 at 4:20:25 PM

Ah if only Jack Kirby were still alive so he could see how far his creations have come.

Especially since New Gods and Eternals were both canceled before he could finish either.

"I am Alpharius. This is a lie."
chasemaddigan I'm Sad Frogerson. Since: Oct, 2011
I'm Sad Frogerson.
#127585: May 3rd 2021 at 4:38:16 PM

I forget, did Kirby ever get to tell that "end of the gods" story he wanted to do? I know he tried it with Thor and later the New Gods, but Marvel and DC told him no because the characters were too profitable to them.

Did he get to try the idea again later and tell it without somebody trying to stop him?

Edited by chasemaddigan on May 3rd 2021 at 7:38:31 AM

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.
#127586: May 3rd 2021 at 4:40:24 PM

Due to cut corners, the four astronauts are bombarded with cosmic radiation and the spaceship they are on crash lands. Soon, the Fantastic Four are born. The main villain for the film is Mole Man, who tries to attack various nuclear facilities and cities. The post-credits scene would hint in the existence of Galactus in the MCU.

While I would handle some other stuff you mentioned differently, I am all-in on the first main villain of the F4 movie being Mole Man. It's mostly because he's the iconic main antagonist of their very first comic, to the point that multiple F4 tv shows have directly referenced that exact comic in various episodes. Plus, he rules an underground city and commands kaiju, so he's not lacking in threat level for a main villain. Save Doom for the sequel, it's what he deserves.

KnownUnknown Since: Jan, 2001
#127587: May 3rd 2021 at 4:43:50 PM

I'd be down for a FF film that begins In Medias Res with them exploring the Mole Man situation with their powers already in hand. Or if it's not Mole Man and is a space enemy, tweak their origin to have their powers happen through the plot they're already delving through rather than be its own chunk of the film.

First and foremost, the FF movie needs to remember what all the other ones forgot: that the FF are at their best when they're explorers, not standard superheroes. It needs to be an adventure movie, not a superhero origin movie.

Edited by KnownUnknown on May 3rd 2021 at 4:44:01 AM

Gaon Smoking Snake from Grim Up North Since: Jun, 2012 Relationship Status: Above such petty unnecessities
#127588: May 3rd 2021 at 4:44:13 PM

My suggestion was actually Red Ghost (AND HIS SUPER-APES!), with Mole-Man as the chief antagonist of the sequel. Doom would be introduced the post-credits scene of film one, be a secondary character in movie 2 (maybe even as a false ally to the heroes who wins in the end), and take the center stage in movie three.

"All you Fascists bound to lose."
HandsomeRob Leader of the Holey Brotherhood from The land of broken records Since: Jan, 2015
Leader of the Holey Brotherhood
#127589: May 3rd 2021 at 4:44:23 PM

Whoo.

Had stuff to do today, so I'm pretty far behind on this stuff.

Long story short, lets do this!

Yeah! Every movie! I'm there....even if there is home. I still ain't got my damn shot yet.

One Strip! One Strip!
Bocaj Funny but not helpful from Here or thereabouts (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: Pining for the fjords
Funny but not helpful
#127590: May 3rd 2021 at 4:47:03 PM

They should condense the FF’s origin down into a promotional cheesy cartoon that plays at like an FF museum or something

Pan out to Ben looking mortified

Forever liveblogging the Avengers
Gaon Smoking Snake from Grim Up North Since: Jun, 2012 Relationship Status: Above such petty unnecessities
#127591: May 3rd 2021 at 4:50:30 PM

[up] I posted a pitch a few times here (that I probably still have saved somewhere) with their origin condensed as a cheesy 60's cartoon they're watching in space and the whole film is essentially Lost in Space (with this version of the space anomaly that gave them their powers chucking them off through time and space) and the whole plot is them racing their Soviet counterpart Red Ghost (AND HIS SUPER-APES!) to make their way home (of course, Red Ghost is actually a good guy this time and sacrifices himself to let the F4 return home).

Edited by Gaon on May 3rd 2021 at 4:50:45 AM

"All you Fascists bound to lose."
KnownUnknown Since: Jan, 2001
#127592: May 3rd 2021 at 4:51:04 PM

That, I think, is the best pitch for a FF film I've seen yet.

chasemaddigan I'm Sad Frogerson. Since: Oct, 2011
I'm Sad Frogerson.
#127593: May 3rd 2021 at 4:52:08 PM

So, basically tell their origin like this?

"That's ungrammatical!"

KnownUnknown Since: Jan, 2001
#127594: May 3rd 2021 at 4:54:22 PM

TBH, what I would do is just have them already in space, already have powers, and already underway in the midst of the rest of their adventure. Have some well delivered exposition in the dialogue that indicates how they got there and had those powers, with perhaps brief flashbacks to the incident (for instance, one of them - let's say Ben - has nightmares about it that persist throughout the film), so on and so forth.

Edited by KnownUnknown on May 3rd 2021 at 4:55:15 AM

Synchronicity (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#127595: May 3rd 2021 at 4:56:10 PM

I did wonder if they would go the Spider-Man route and assume everyone knows the FF's origin by now because of the multiple movie attempts (although one of those second reboots was much better and more successful than the other) and just have 'em as Experienced Protagonist.

[up] [nja] but yeah.

Edited by Synchronicity on May 3rd 2021 at 6:56:50 AM

HandsomeRob Leader of the Holey Brotherhood from The land of broken records Since: Jan, 2015
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.
#127597: May 3rd 2021 at 5:04:21 PM

I really think we need to see a good origin story for the F4, since the previous two attempts didn't really do it right. The first one didn't really make them intrepid explorers, they were just going to space like normal astronauts, and the second one had the intrepid explorers part right but interdimensional travel really doesn't fit the iconography or themes. I think just showing their backstory in the 60s is the best call, and include Doom as Reed's college roommate who hates him.

As for the time issue, they could make them just eternally in the 60s, but that's no fun. Maybe instead of cosmic rays, their ship goes through a portal that transports them into the future, and that's what gives them powers?

miraculous Goku Black (Apprentice)
Goku Black
#127598: May 3rd 2021 at 5:13:54 PM

Would Diablo or the frightful four work. Don't think we've had a full team vs team yet film.

"That's right mortal. By channeling my divine rage into power, I have forged a new instrument in which to destroy you."
Bocaj Funny but not helpful from Here or thereabouts (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: Pining for the fjords
Funny but not helpful
#127599: May 3rd 2021 at 5:16:45 PM

The more that the origin is focused on the more it sort of sidelines the team being the fantastic four is my thought

The first actually released movie had them spend half the movie adjusting to their powers and hanging out in a lab

Fan Four Stick had Reed estranged from the others for a large chunk

Forever liveblogging the Avengers
Beatman1 Since: Feb, 2014 Relationship Status: Gone fishin'
#127600: May 3rd 2021 at 5:18:00 PM

I would make the origin the first 15 minutes, then have them go “Now what?” The problem with origins is they focus on how the character or team forms. Here they’re already a team. Now they need to figure out what to do with themselves.


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