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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

Ultimatum Disasturbator from the Amiga Forest (Old as dirt) Relationship Status: Who needs love when you have waffles?
Disasturbator
#127876: May 9th 2021 at 6:04:53 AM

I just want to some purple dragons show up out of nowhere,wearing shorts with their magic rings

have a listen and have a link to my discord server
Nightwire Since: Feb, 2010
#127877: May 9th 2021 at 6:26:41 AM

Truly, the shorts-and-magic-rings combo will be too powerful for any mortals to handle.

Bocaj Funny but not helpful from Here or thereabouts (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: Pining for the fjords
Funny but not helpful
#127878: May 9th 2021 at 6:38:02 AM

I don’t think Fin Fang Foom ever uses the rings

Since he’s a dragon and doesn’t need to

Forever liveblogging the Avengers
Weirdguy149 Former King from Lumiose City Since: Jul, 2014 Relationship Status: I'd jump in front of a train for ya!
Former King
#127879: May 9th 2021 at 6:47:01 AM

I think the Armored Adventures Mandarin is the most impressive-looking of the bunch: a big black suit of armor.

The legend has returned.
Ultimatum Disasturbator from the Amiga Forest (Old as dirt) Relationship Status: Who needs love when you have waffles?
Disasturbator
#127880: May 9th 2021 at 7:14:20 AM

> Truly, the shorts-and-magic-rings combo will be too powerful for any mortals to handle.

true masters wear short shorts

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
#127882: May 9th 2021 at 7:22:07 AM

That makes a lot of sense

Forever liveblogging the Avengers
TargetmasterJoe from Velocitron Since: May, 2013 Relationship Status: I like big bots and I can not lie
#127883: May 9th 2021 at 7:41:58 AM

I just want to [see] some purple dragons show up out of nowhere, wearing shorts with their magic rings

Weird, I don't remember any of the Purple Dragons from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles having shorts or magic rings…

Nightwire Since: Feb, 2010
#127884: May 9th 2021 at 7:42:49 AM

Shorts are also comfy and easy to wear

Watchtower Since: Jul, 2010
#127885: May 9th 2021 at 8:09:25 AM

I always took the fake Mandarin as trying to be more vaguely Middle Eastern. I believe the movie openly references Bin Laden as an influence and it helps that the Ten Rings in the first movie were also generic Middle Eastern Terrorists. Also yeah, trying desperately to avoid any scent of Yellow Peril - IM3's probably the MCU's most overt case of trying really hard to appeal to China, and here's a reminder of how that went.

(Funnily enough the Chinese audience throwing shade at Shang-Chi for being too stereotypically plain also love the shit out of Wenwu because it's Tony Leung.)

Bocaj Funny but not helpful from Here or thereabouts (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: Pining for the fjords
Funny but not helpful
#127886: May 9th 2021 at 8:11:36 AM

Is Shang Chi supposed to be hot?

He spent almost his entire life getting punched in the face and then punching other people in the face

Forever liveblogging the Avengers
miraculous Goku Black (Apprentice)
Goku Black
#127888: May 9th 2021 at 8:15:36 AM

[up][up][up]Chinse moviegoers from what I've heard always respond badly to overt pandering like that.

"That's right mortal. By channeling my divine rage into power, I have forged a new instrument in which to destroy you."
Blueace Surrounded by weirdoes from The End Of the World Since: Dec, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Surrounded by weirdoes
#127889: May 9th 2021 at 8:19:53 AM

It's not pandering to the people. They are just bending over to the CCCP to be allowed to have their movies in Chinese cinemas. No wonder people don't like it.

Wake me up at your own risk.
Watchtower Since: Jul, 2010
#127890: May 9th 2021 at 8:21:46 AM

[up]x4 The argument/sentiment I've seen is that Simu Liu looks too much like an average Chinese countryman, with particular emphasis on his stubble and his eyes, and that Shang-Chi should be played by an actor that fits the Chinese equivalent of Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Evans, with Tony Leung ironically being closer to that ideal.

If I've misrepresented this at all someone please correct me, I am simply trying to present it as neutrally as possible because I don't know if I want to try to unpack the layers of Unfortunate Implications that it potentially presents.

Edited by Watchtower on May 9th 2021 at 11:22:16 AM

chasemaddigan I'm Sad Frogerson. Since: Oct, 2011
I'm Sad Frogerson.
#127891: May 9th 2021 at 8:32:18 AM

Well, that's one thing America and China have in common. They're both incredibly shallow when it comes to how their leading men should look. tongue

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.
#127892: May 9th 2021 at 10:59:08 AM

Mandarin functions as a magic vs technology opponent for Iron Man. Tony’s suits of incredible technological prowess vs Mandarin’s 100 distinct magical abilities.

I always thought Mandarin's 10 rings didn't make much sense as an evil counterpart to Iron Man. If you want a magical evil counterpart to Iron Man, give the villain Goku's power-set. Flight, super-strength, super-durability, energy beams, controllable projectiles, it all matches up. Anything Tony can do with tech, Goku can do with ki.

windleopard from Nigeria Since: Nov, 2014 Relationship Status: Non-Canon
#127893: May 9th 2021 at 11:04:12 AM

It makes sense if you consider that neither of them has eternal superpowers. Tony relies on technology while Mandarin relies on magical items.

miraculous Goku Black (Apprentice)
Goku Black
#127894: May 9th 2021 at 11:09:33 AM

I always thought of it as magic vs science thing.

Both of them are genuises but methods are more or less the opposite hence being foils to each other.

"That's right mortal. By channeling my divine rage into power, I have forged a new instrument in which to destroy you."
Bullman Enid Sinclair Since: Jun, 2018 Relationship Status: Longing for my OTP
Enid Sinclair
#127895: May 9th 2021 at 11:16:48 AM

The biggest problem with the Mandarin twist in Ironman 3 in my opinion is the fact that Kingsley pretending to be the Mandarin is a hundred times more intimidatingly than Aldrich Killian could ever be.

Edited by Bullman on May 9th 2021 at 1:18:19 PM

Fan-Preferred Couple cleanup thread
DeadlyAssassin Last of the Stellarians from Helsinki Since: Sep, 2014 Relationship Status: Above such petty unnecessities
Last of the Stellarians
#127896: May 9th 2021 at 11:19:53 AM

Yeah, I think the twist itself is pretty good, the problem is that the real villain completely fails to give it satisfying follow-up.

Children of Dievas - my webcomic about the Northern Crusades
jakobitis Doctor of Doctorates from Somewhere, somewhen Since: Jan, 2015 Relationship Status: I'd need a PowerPoint presentation
Doctor of Doctorates
#127897: May 9th 2021 at 1:31:30 PM

Yeah, the actual twist/reveal was not necessarily terrible but the follow up was just bad. If they hadn't gone with yet another "businessman with a vendetta against Tony" or hell just given him some actual depth, any depth at all, it could have been at least okay.

Instead it looked like a Shocking Swerve chucked in for no reason with no plan.

"These 'no-nonsense' solutions of yours just don't hold water in a complex world of jet-powered apes and time travel."
KnownUnknown Since: Jan, 2001
#127898: May 9th 2021 at 2:01:01 PM

The twist was fantastic and was definitely the highlight of the movie. Subsequently, it was all steadily downhill from here. The twist that the Number Two was the Big Bad all along would’ve been dynamite if the replacement villain had been at all engaging in comparison.

Though I always joke that the point where the movie started to fall apart wasn’t the twist itself, but specifically the moment Killian breathes fire at Rhodey. It’s around that point that Killian stops being written as the mastermind pulling the strings of a political conspiracy, and just morphs into Snidely Whiplash.

Edited by KnownUnknown on May 9th 2021 at 2:01:35 AM

warrior93 warrior93 from North Carolina Since: Feb, 2011
warrior93
#127899: May 9th 2021 at 2:03:51 PM

Should they have set up the Netflix shows such as Daredevil and others after Infinity War instead of having the shows being setup after the Avengers?

I think the Snap would been a better explanation for why New York city is so messed up instead of the Chiturari invasion.

Edited by warrior93 on May 9th 2021 at 5:05:23 AM

Place your past in a book burn the pages let them cook.
HandsomeRob Leader of the Holey Brotherhood from The land of broken records Since: Jan, 2015
Leader of the Holey Brotherhood
#127900: May 9th 2021 at 2:05:49 PM

Maybe. It might have worked better.

But they had their own plans at the time, and we know the movie and TV sides weren't on the same page.

One Strip! One Strip!

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