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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

chasemaddigan I'm Sad Frogerson. Since: Oct, 2011
I'm Sad Frogerson.
#129526: Jun 28th 2021 at 11:25:32 AM

I remember as a kid, one of the few comics I had was the What If? issue where Peter's robo-parents ended up killing his entire family, and it ended with Peter being arrested for seemingly killing them.

As a child who didn't quite get the concept that What If? stories were one-and-dones, I wanted to know how Peter would get out of it. I was quite confused why the next issue was about what if Wolverine got the Venom symbiote.

TobiasDrake (•̀⤙•́) (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Arm chopping is not a love language!
(•̀⤙•́)
#129527: Jun 28th 2021 at 11:41:16 AM

I remember a comic I had a long time ago where someone else (I want to say Flash Thompson but it's been literally decades) was bit by the radioactive spider instead of Peter. And that person became a supervillain or something? I think it ended with Peter building robot spider legs and defeating them?

I legit have no idea what this comic was. It was something I had as a kid.

Edited by TobiasDrake on Jun 28th 2021 at 11:41:25 AM

My Tumblr. Currently side-by-side liveblogging Digimon Adventure, sub vs dub.
Beatman1 Since: Feb, 2014 Relationship Status: Gone fishin'
#129528: Jun 28th 2021 at 11:45:16 AM

[up]That was a What If? as well. Peter ends up working with Dr. Octavius and becomes a Science Hero with gadget arms instead of spider powers.

RedHunter543 Crimson Paladin Since: Jul, 2016 Relationship Status: Barbecuing
Crimson Paladin
#129529: Jun 28th 2021 at 12:32:29 PM

[up][up] And Mary Jane was shot by the burgler instead of Uncle Ben for some reason I can't remember.

Also Peter as a hero was popular and got his own holiday. Even supported by Jameson. Because he wasn't wearing a mask.

Peter becoming a heroic Doc Ock basically.

HAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAH!

Edited by RedHunter543 on Jun 28th 2021 at 3:33:35 PM

"The Black Rage makes us strong, because we must resist its temptations every day of our lives or be forever damned!"
unknowing from somewhere.. Since: Mar, 2014
#129530: Jun 28th 2021 at 12:40:10 PM

[up]so he was superior doctor ock?tongue

"My Name is Bolt, Bolt Crank and I dont care if you believe or not"
RedHunter543 Crimson Paladin Since: Jul, 2016 Relationship Status: Barbecuing
Crimson Paladin
#129531: Jun 28th 2021 at 12:41:28 PM

[up] It's funny to see Peter being a better Doc Ock than Doc Ock ever could be.

"The Black Rage makes us strong, because we must resist its temptations every day of our lives or be forever damned!"
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.
#129532: Jun 28th 2021 at 12:42:05 PM

One story involving Peter's parents that I always wanted them to adapt into a movie was one where he finds out they were secret agents working for Hydra, then Spidey goes on a globe-trotting expedition to clear their names and fights the Red Skull, who reveals that he killed them by sabotaging a plane they were on. Turns out they were double-agents working for Shield all along.

Blueace Surrounded by weirdoes from The End Of the World Since: Dec, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Surrounded by weirdoes
#129533: Jun 28th 2021 at 12:42:53 PM

Peter also turned out to be the better Spider-Man, anyway. Otto really keeps getting roasted.

Wake me up at your own risk.
RedHunter543 Crimson Paladin Since: Jul, 2016 Relationship Status: Barbecuing
Crimson Paladin
#129534: Jun 28th 2021 at 12:44:20 PM

[up][up] Honestly after Amazing Spider-Man, I never want to see Peter Parker's parents get a starring role ever again, but that was a pretty fun arc.

"The Black Rage makes us strong, because we must resist its temptations every day of our lives or be forever damned!"
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.
#129535: Jun 28th 2021 at 12:47:05 PM

Amazing tried to adapt something similar to that story arc, but without Shield or Hydra they had to connect Peter's parents to Oscorp and then connected them to the Radioactive Spider and it all devolved into a mess.

I wish they had never even tried, it's a good story that really only works in the setting of the MCU.

chasemaddigan I'm Sad Frogerson. Since: Oct, 2011
I'm Sad Frogerson.
#129536: Jun 28th 2021 at 12:56:04 PM

Spider-Man: The Animated Series sort-of adapted that arc for the "Six Forgotten Warriors" arc.

XMenMutant22 The Feline Follies of Felix the Cat Since: Jan, 2012 Relationship Status: Hoping Senpai notices me
#129537: Jun 28th 2021 at 4:18:56 PM

Not sure if I'm late on this, but I just found out Hyundai has been releasing a series of ads based on the individual Marvel Studios series from this year, featuring original footage. Funny enough, our first daytime look at Falcon's Captain America suit.

Early heads-up that after the initial WandaVision ad, there's an intentional abridged patch-up of all three series' ads. The full versions of the later two come up directly after.

The description also notices that a What If…? (2021) ad most likely coming soon.

Edited by XMenMutant22 on Jun 28th 2021 at 7:20:34 AM

Cortez from Parts Unknown (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#129538: Jun 29th 2021 at 2:00:31 AM

Never read to comics so I’m curious which villains are Shang-Chi’s main enemies.

There's Shen Kuei, though they're friendly enemies.

unknowing from somewhere.. Since: Mar, 2014
#129539: Jun 29th 2021 at 2:14:04 AM

[up][up][up]Funny anecdote: because the animated series which was my firest real exporsure of spiderman media I always though electro was this super serious heavy hitter in the world of comics and I was always expect they make him justice in other media.

knowing he wasnt the threat the animated series made him to be was.....disapoint it, to said the least.

"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.
#129540: Jun 29th 2021 at 2:37:43 AM

Electro's just as powerful in the comics. The problem is that the comics version doesn't think like a heavy-hitter. He's a thug at heart, and superpowers don't change that.

Several Marvel villains have this issue. Graviton's a Gravity Master who is to gravity what Magneto is to magnetism. But his ambitions revolve around getting laid. Molecule Man controls molecular bonds which makes him effectively a Reality Warper, but he's a weak-willed idiot and thus isn't as much of a threat as he could be. The Hood has wielded powerful dark magic and even the Infinity Stones, but he can't stop thinking like a street thug. The Wrecker has a magical crowbar courtesy of Loki that makes him strong enough to throw down with Thor when he's at his strongest, but he's also a thug at heart (he also regularly splits his power with his gang the Wrecking Crew making him less of a threat).

Edited by M84 on Jun 29th 2021 at 5:43:32 PM

Disgusted, but not surprised
jakobitis Doctor of Doctorates from Somewhere, somewhen Since: Jan, 2015 Relationship Status: I'd need a PowerPoint presentation
Doctor of Doctorates
#129541: Jun 29th 2021 at 2:57:10 AM

It's actually something of a (minor) theme of Marvel that kind of works as a parallel to Spidey's great power/great responsibility shtick. A lot of villains have far MORE power than they show but lack the application or dedication to actually reach that potential.

At the other end of the scale you have guys like Shocker who is very good at robbing banks and other "normal" crimes... And generally sticks to that because he knows his limits.

"These 'no-nonsense' solutions of yours just don't hold water in a complex world of jet-powered apes and time travel."
M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#129542: Jun 29th 2021 at 3:02:43 AM

Shocker isn't even superpowered. Instead he wears gauntlets that can emit powerful shockwaves and a suit that protects him from said shockwaves.

Disgusted, but not surprised
Cortez from Parts Unknown (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#129543: Jun 29th 2021 at 3:11:47 AM

Interestingly, Absorbing Man has been subverting this in Immortal Hulk, he even learned that his powers allow him to absorb an object's purpose.

windleopard from Nigeria Since: Nov, 2014 Relationship Status: Non-Canon
TargetmasterJoe from Velocitron Since: May, 2013 Relationship Status: I like big bots and I can not lie
#129545: Jun 29th 2021 at 10:58:52 AM

Feige confirms that yes, we did see Abomination fighting Wong in the Shang-Chi trailer!

(Probably adds fire to the speculation that Shang-Chi takes place during the five year time skip that happened in Avengers: Endgame?)

Regardless, shit just got real! evil grin

Edited by TargetmasterJoe on Jun 29th 2021 at 11:07:04 AM

fredhot16 Don't want to leave but cannot pretend from Baton Rogue, Louisiana. Since: Jan, 2015 Relationship Status: Too sexy for my shirt
Don't want to leave but cannot pretend
#129546: Jun 29th 2021 at 11:01:56 AM

Those excretions will stay a figment of your imagination and you know it!

Edit: Oh, thank god that wasn't a pagetopper.

Edited by fredhot16 on Jun 29th 2021 at 11:02:14 AM

Trans rights are human rights. TV Tropes is not a place for bigotry, cruelty, or dickishness, no matter who or their position.
KnownUnknown Since: Jan, 2001
#129547: Jun 29th 2021 at 11:04:40 AM

The whole "has amazing powers, thinks like a thug" thing is also one of the things Marvel uses to fill rogues galleries with powerful enemies that don't necessarily have to be plot important to show up - which thus allows many of their bad guys they create to be slottable into most plots in a variety of roles, interchangeable about which characters they face, allows them to have moments where the the heroes can just dip in to fight a supervillain without there needing to be plot consequences, etc.

It's a big thing with Iron Man's villains, for instance.

TargetmasterJoe from Velocitron Since: May, 2013 Relationship Status: I like big bots and I can not lie
#129548: Jun 29th 2021 at 11:08:45 AM

[up] It's one thing to do that in the comics, but when it's happening in a multi-million dollar live-action motion picture, it really shows that the sky is the limit, doesn't it?

fredhot16 Don't want to leave but cannot pretend from Baton Rogue, Louisiana. Since: Jan, 2015 Relationship Status: Too sexy for my shirt
Don't want to leave but cannot pretend
#129549: Jun 29th 2021 at 11:14:16 AM

...Shrug.

Trans rights are human rights. TV Tropes is not a place for bigotry, cruelty, or dickishness, no matter who or their position.
TobiasDrake (•̀⤙•́) (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Arm chopping is not a love language!
(•̀⤙•́)
#129550: Jun 29th 2021 at 1:05:42 PM

Honestly, I can't help but feel like Rogues Galleries are an unnecessary genre convention. They make sense for DC because every hero is divided into their own specific city. Batman stays in Gotham, Superman stays in Manhattan, Flash stays in Central City, Green Lantern stays in Coast City, and they all fight the respective villains who menace those specific places.

But the Marvel universe isn't like that. Half of Marvel's heroes live in New York City and everyone travels around a lot. There aren't clear jurisdictional divisions like there are at DC. There's no reason that, like, Doctor Octopus should be exclusively Spider-Man's villain, a character who only ever menaces Spider-Man and for whom only Spider-Man ever shows up to thwart.

And as the years have gone by, Marvel's gotten a bit more lax about that. We have plenty of stories where Iron Man fights Malekith or Thor fights Galactus or Spider-Man fights the Juggernaut. The lines of which villain belongs to what hero blur from time to time.

Hopefully, some day, they can shatter entirely.

My Tumblr. Currently side-by-side liveblogging Digimon Adventure, sub vs dub.

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