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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.
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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

Falrinn Since: Dec, 2014
#128476: May 24th 2021 at 9:28:16 AM

Beautifully shot trailer. Hard to say what the movie is actually about precisely, but that's not too uncommon for the initial teaser.

I do suspect that the reason the Eternals have remained illusive, and why they have stopped doing so, will be a major point of conflict.

Also I the vibe I get from the trailer is less "aliens built the pyramids" and more "aliens subtlety helped humanity to realize the pyramids could be built". Which I think is an important distinction.

ArthurEld Since: May, 2014
#128477: May 24th 2021 at 9:36:08 AM

From what I've read, certain Eternals have helped humanity advance, be it technologically (Phastos) or more generally (Ajak), but in a secretive, guiding way as opposed to open leadership.

Falrinn Since: Dec, 2014
#128478: May 24th 2021 at 9:38:50 AM

[up] That makes enough sense.

The teaser did flat out say that they watched humanity build wonders, which sort of implies they weren't the ones who did the building.

miraculous Goku Black (Apprentice)
Goku Black
#128479: May 24th 2021 at 9:41:25 AM

So what villains do the eternals have ? Never heard off them before.

"That's right mortal. By channeling my divine rage into power, I have forged a new instrument in which to destroy you."
Beatman1 Since: Feb, 2014 Relationship Status: Gone fishin'
#128480: May 24th 2021 at 9:44:24 AM

[up]The Deviants, a subspecies created by the Celestials who discarded them and are miffed about it. They also were the In-Universe inspiration for folktales of demons, gargoyles and what have you.

Edit - Fixed.

Edited by Beatman1 on May 24th 2021 at 12:48:59 PM

ArthurEld Since: May, 2014
#128481: May 24th 2021 at 9:47:27 AM

The Deviants were made by the Celestials, not the Eternals.

I imagine we will learn a bit more about the Celestials in this film, after getting little hints of them throughout the MCU.

Bocaj Funny but not helpful from Here or thereabouts (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: Pining for the fjords
Funny but not helpful
#128482: May 24th 2021 at 9:57:07 AM

From what I recall in the comics the Celestials made the Eternals and Deviants with humans as the test group

Deviants represent chaos to the point where each one is practically a species unto themselves and there’s tons of the bastards and the Eternals represent order with numbers kept steady and the System ie the Earth reviving them and keeping them in their roles

Although recently revealed in the comics that the Eternals real purpose was to safeguard humanity until it completed its purpose of becoming a cure for some anti Celestial plague

Comics.

Edited by Bocaj on May 24th 2021 at 12:57:25 PM

Forever liveblogging the Avengers
Khfan429 Since: Aug, 2009
#128483: May 24th 2021 at 10:01:29 AM

Honestly I wouldn't be surprised if Thanos is the reason that the Eternals take a more active role in things, especially if they clarify that Thanos is an Eternal/Deviant.

Whether he is or isn't, "one of our own/some random mortal snapped away half of all life in the universe for five years because we were sitting around being passive observers" is the kind of thing that could spur a lot of people to action.

Aleistar Since: Feb, 2018 Relationship Status: Hugging my pillow
#128484: May 24th 2021 at 10:17:44 AM

I wonder if any of the Eternals themselves got snapped and if that changed their minds.

Cortez from Parts Unknown (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#128485: May 24th 2021 at 10:56:44 AM

I honestly wonder if the people at Marvel Studios actually understand why nobody liked Inhumans.

Because Perlmutter wanted to replace the Mutants with Inhumans. That's not an issue here.

The Eternals not getting involved with previous events doesn't have to be complicated. They likely were dealing with the Deviants or other threats at the time.

They also don't want to go around solving all of the mortals problems for them. They don't need them for everything.

Edited by Cortez on May 24th 2021 at 2:07:16 PM

Whowho Since: May, 2012
#128486: May 24th 2021 at 11:02:37 AM

I think people are over estimating how easy it is to take part in the Thanos earth fights.

To take part in Infinity War you have to get into Wakanda within a handful of hours. That would be unreasonable for say the Netflix heroes... I wrote that fan fic by the way, but give or take for more powerful heroes, who may have persued other responces to investigating that alien invasion which didn't pan out. Not to mention plenty of heroes probably wasted their time trying to get to NYC instead only to see Ebony Maw's ship leave.

To take part in Endgame you have to literally be on Strange and Wong's mailing list. Outside of that? You wouldn't have gotten an invite.

The thing that has really baffled me for years now is that Dark Elves invaded London in 2013 from space, and London is a city where Doctor Strange's order has a sanctum. Like, in retrospect why did no one but Thor take part in THAT alien invasion?

I'm looking at you Black Knight.

Tuckerscreator (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: Drift compatible
#128487: May 24th 2021 at 11:06:41 AM

The sorcerers in Doctor Strange basically dismissed their being uninvolved in prior conflicts with “uhhh we fight trippy stuff offscreen”, so this movie might go with that or not.

Edited by Tuckerscreator on May 24th 2021 at 11:07:53 AM

Cortez from Parts Unknown (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#128488: May 24th 2021 at 11:09:02 AM

[up]

The magic users are making sure eldritch horrors don't destroy our dimension.

The Eternals were probably protecting the earth from unseen threats as well.

Whowho Since: May, 2012
#128489: May 24th 2021 at 11:10:38 AM

Or "we were fighting, but we did it invisibly in our mirror dimensions" which is a good shout.

[up] The Dark Elves were eldritch horrors trying to destroy our dimension! Low level Eldritch sure...

But dang, if you were to introduce Excalibur or Captain Britain or the modern Union Jack, you'd have to have had their origins take place after 2013.

Which isn't actually asking that much. Gosh this franchise is getting years under it's belt.

Edited by Whowho on May 24th 2021 at 7:11:50 PM

miraculous Goku Black (Apprentice)
Goku Black
#128490: May 24th 2021 at 11:10:42 AM

[up][up]Easy fix.

"That's right mortal. By channeling my divine rage into power, I have forged a new instrument in which to destroy you."
Whowho Since: May, 2012
#128491: May 24th 2021 at 11:13:07 AM

I might have to write a fan fic where Wong is having to deal with the events of Thor the Dark World without drawing attention to himself.

miraculous Goku Black (Apprentice)
Goku Black
#128492: May 24th 2021 at 11:17:01 AM

If were getting captain Britain. Could we see an adaptation of Mad Jim Jaspers and a crooked world. Arguably his most famous story.

"That's right mortal. By channeling my divine rage into power, I have forged a new instrument in which to destroy you."
Whowho Since: May, 2012
#128493: May 24th 2021 at 11:26:12 AM

I'm not familiar that story what's the appeal?

I don't actually like any of the British superheros personally. They've never appeared in the comics I've read.

Okay I like Spider-Punk. I'd enjoy British superiors more if they were more counter culture.

Gaon Smoking Snake from Grim Up North Since: Jun, 2012 Relationship Status: Above such petty unnecessities
#128494: May 24th 2021 at 11:30:50 AM

The MCU is approaching something I call "the law of constant evil" in superhero comic books: the explanation for "Why wasn't X hero involved in Y event" is that evil is constant and thus said hero was busy elsewhere. When they aren't, that's where we get crossover events.

"All you Fascists bound to lose."
miraculous Goku Black (Apprentice)
Goku Black
#128495: May 24th 2021 at 11:34:01 AM

Here A Crooked World. Mad Jim Jaspers leads the death of his worlds metahumans in a V for vendetta purge. Hes the most powerful mutant in existence with the ability to bend reality to Alice in wonderland levels of trippy. With his ultimate goal after losing it being the destruction of the multoverse itself.

Widely considered one of the most epic marvel stories.

"That's right mortal. By channeling my divine rage into power, I have forged a new instrument in which to destroy you."
Whowho Since: May, 2012
#128496: May 24th 2021 at 11:38:46 AM

I would like for the MCU to reach the point of constant evil where we can have noodle incidents and cold opens happening constantly to clients in that adventures are happening between the events of the films. But for now it doesn't quite feel like that.

It's almost there. The five years of unseen stuff during the blip helps set that tone.

It doesn't help that there's very little supervilain continuity in the MCU and no super villain community.

Falrinn Since: Dec, 2014
#128497: May 24th 2021 at 11:49:48 AM

I was thinking about the question posed at the end of the trailer (who will lead the Avengers?), and I think I have an answer.

It's not actually an urgent issue since it can probably stay unresolved until Avengers 5, which won't be for some time. That means newer characters should be considered since they could be ready for the position by the time they are needed.

Such as a particular character who once lead the team in the comics: Monica Rambeau

ArthurEld Since: May, 2014
#128498: May 24th 2021 at 11:57:53 AM

I think future Avengers films will probably go back to the team not really having a single leader, which was how it was done in the first few movies in the MCU.

KnownUnknown Since: Jan, 2001
#128499: May 24th 2021 at 11:58:31 AM

[up][up] Yeah, imo a feeling that the world is still happening when the cameras aren't rolling and the heroes are still doing things offscreen - to the point where Noodle Incident isn't even strictly needed for the audience to think about it - is a big thing they're only now just starting to work towards in the MCU.

They probably could've gotten there earlier, but imo they did a lot less branching out in Phase 2 than they should have.

Watchtower Since: Jul, 2010
#128500: May 24th 2021 at 12:08:55 PM

@Gaon: I mean the MCU is kinda already there: Black Panther never got involved until Civil War between Wakandan isolationism and T'Challa only becoming Black Panther on T'Chaka's death, The Ancient One was helping with the Battle of New York but only to the extent of protecting the Sanctum, Captain Marvel pulls off two Big Damn Heroes entrances because she was elsewhere when the action started, and Spidey's plucked to help stop "the Elementals" because he's the only one active then and there (discounting any strings pulled from Beck's side).

For the Eternals if the series really is inspired by Gaiman's mini as rumored/theorized then it'd most likely pull said mini's Identity Amnesia as a wave to Hand Wave their lack of presence so far. If not that I think the earlier mentioned idea of Blue-and-Orange Morality where they essentially regard humans like Sapient Pets until Thanos happened could work as well.


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