TVTropes Now available in the app store!
Open

Follow TV Tropes

Following

Marvel Cinematic Universe

Go To

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

Gaon Smoking Snake from Grim Up North Since: Jun, 2012 Relationship Status: Above such petty unnecessities
#131826: Aug 18th 2021 at 9:48:56 PM

It's true that superhero films are much more continually interconnected than westerns tended to be. Though that itself is a mildly arguable point depending on the era we're talking about: during the spaghetti western era characters like Django, The Man With No Name, Sartana, Sabata and Trinity got sequels and dozens of "non-official" sequels and crossovers. This was of course because of Italy's loose copyright laws, but it is still an example of a loosely connected bunch operating on the genre.

Even so, you could make the case that westerns (in the hollywood era particularly) were interconnected by the star system in a similar way the MCU is with continuity, just rather than the MCU brand what connected them was wanting to see "what adventure John Wayne would get up to now".

The interconnected nature of the MCU is indeed something that sets it apart in some sense, regardless. But given this level of "cinematic universe" is basically unheard of at this level (as far as "blockbusters" go, Universal's Horror films and Japan's Kaiju franchises are probably the closest) it's hard to tell how this would harm or benefit the longevity of the genre. You could easily make the case the connected nature would make it more resilient, with the MCU allowing unseccsful franchises to be reshuffled into more successful ones (you coul argue this is what happened to the Hulk, more or less) to maximize earnings.

I think the question is moreso how the superhero genre would fare if the MCU tanked out of a sudden. While the MCU is the genre's unquestionable juggernaut, it's not the only game in town (aside from Warner, there's Netflix and Amazon which have made a fair bunch of forays into the genre), so I think by this point the genre would have at least some afterlife if the MCU just vanished one day. Even then, as I said, I have the feeling it'd be pretty difficult to kill off the MCU for good because of the sheer size and variety of it.

I think to kill off the MCU (its movie branch, anyhow, as noted they're coming on serialized streaming pretty strongly) you'd need something like a 4-5 string of continuous flops (because the MCU tends to have like 4-5 films in various levels of production and post-production while one is being released) or a gigantic flop like the Infinity War-level crossover being a astronomical failure.

Even then, I think it's more likely Disney would just scale back the budgets and amount of films to focus on some more guaranteed-earners rather than cutting the cord on the whole thing.

And even then as I noted, there's a bunch of other superhero media going out and about. A film genre is a hard thing to kill, and superhero films (due their tremendous adaptability) particularly so.

For the Spaghetti Western parallel, for example, it'd be something akin as if the MCU slowed down and lost room to a new wave of cheap, auteur, gritty and deconstructive superhero films made in (for example) South Korea that took the world by storm for a decade and a half and changed the whole genre forever.

Edited by Gaon on Aug 18th 2021 at 9:51:30 AM

"All you Fascists bound to lose."
jessicadicicco610 Since: Oct, 2018 Relationship Status: [TOP SECRET]
comicwriter Since: Sep, 2011
#131828: Aug 19th 2021 at 12:14:20 AM

Marvel dropping the new Eternals trailer at 3am. Looking good.

slimcoder The Head of the Hydra Since: May, 2013
The Head of the Hydra
#131829: Aug 19th 2021 at 12:15:14 AM

Final trailer? Damn already.

Though whooooooo we finally got the plot, so its not kickstarted by a murder mystery looks like. Huh instead their gathering up the squad and Black Knight straight up asking the question everyone's been asking.

Edited by slimcoder on Aug 19th 2021 at 12:17:18 PM

"I am Alpharius. This is a lie."
Cortez from Parts Unknown (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#131830: Aug 19th 2021 at 1:12:22 AM

And like people suspected suspected the answer is that they were instructed not to interfere unless deviants were involved.

HBarnill Since: Mar, 2013 Relationship Status: All is for my lord
#131831: Aug 19th 2021 at 1:38:14 AM

[up] Would it even matter? Even if they could interfere, I doubt they could do anything to stop us from killing each other. We're killing each other over masks.

I will say the scene of Chan smiling while braiding the girl's hair while Madden looks on disconnected tells you all about how each one see the world, especially as they're in a complicated relationship, as was explained in that EW article. It's that kind of show-don't-tell we don't get in trailers these days.

Asherinka from Winterfell Since: Jan, 2018
#131832: Aug 19th 2021 at 2:50:01 AM

"What If: Bucky was Vision?" Arriving in theaters November 5.

The trailer looks great, but the tone is suspiciously sweet. They are not bravely fighting the natural disaster and hoards of evil mooks together, are they?

Edited by Asherinka on Aug 19th 2021 at 12:59:16 PM

Of all the things at risk, the loss of an objective reality is perhaps the most dangerous.
Ultimatum Disasturbator from the Amiga Forest (Old as dirt) Relationship Status: Who needs love when you have waffles?
Disasturbator
#131833: Aug 19th 2021 at 3:08:18 AM

Neat!That happens to be a million times better then the previous trailer they released,however,I still think with all the Eternals being human in appearance they would fit better in a TV show with Monster of the Week plots,it's practically what tv shows are for,there's so much you can do with a TV show that movies have to rush past because of a desire to fit everthing into an hour,two plot line

Also,I giggled at bad guys being called Deviants because I only know of the term through deviant art

have a listen and have a link to my discord server
Synchronicity (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#131834: Aug 19th 2021 at 4:49:57 AM

At least we finally know what the film’s about, kinda.

My other main complaint about the teaser was that the colors looked like mud; there’s more to go around in this one.

Beatman1 Since: Feb, 2014 Relationship Status: Gone fishin'
#131835: Aug 19th 2021 at 4:51:25 AM

The full trailer at least is remembering “Right, this was a Jack Kirby epic. Let’s use that.” Let’s hope that the CG comes closer to that than Green Lantern.

Weirdguy149 Former King from Lumiose City Since: Jul, 2014 Relationship Status: I'd jump in front of a train for ya!
Former King
#131836: Aug 19th 2021 at 5:27:53 AM

Unless it’s the climax of Black Panther, the CGI has always been good to fantastic.

The legend has returned.
Ultimatum Disasturbator from the Amiga Forest (Old as dirt) Relationship Status: Who needs love when you have waffles?
Disasturbator
#131837: Aug 19th 2021 at 5:46:42 AM

I definately get the impression the appearance of a Celestial in the trailer is going to be the big scene everyone talks about when the film is released,the Eternals are kind of boring looking in the contrast being humanoid

Also,all the jokes about why they could not stop Thanos

Edited by Ultimatum on Aug 19th 2021 at 12:47:23 PM

have a listen and have a link to my discord server
Fighteer Lost in Space from The Time Vortex (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: TV Tropes ruined my love life
Lost in Space
#131838: Aug 19th 2021 at 6:24:03 AM

Were half of them killed in the Snap? What about the Celestials? Seems like an odd risk to take.

"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"
Eagal Since: Apr, 2012
Ultimatum Disasturbator from the Amiga Forest (Old as dirt) Relationship Status: Who needs love when you have waffles?
Disasturbator
#131840: Aug 19th 2021 at 6:39:00 AM

At a guess,the snap chiefly applies to mortals and Gods aren't part of the same equation since they exist outside the normal realms of existence

[up]He has some of their DNA yes

Edited by Ultimatum on Aug 19th 2021 at 1:40:54 PM

have a listen and have a link to my discord server
Falrinn Since: Dec, 2014
#131841: Aug 19th 2021 at 6:52:26 AM

[up] It is probably worth noting that this only applies to comic!Thanos. MCU Thanos has no established connection to the Eternals or Deviants.

miraculous Goku Black (Apprentice)
Goku Black
#131842: Aug 19th 2021 at 7:24:35 AM

Guess what

Sir Ben Kingsley Confirms His MCU Return in 'Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings'

"That's right mortal. By channeling my divine rage into power, I have forged a new instrument in which to destroy you."
Weirdguy149 Former King from Lumiose City Since: Jul, 2014 Relationship Status: I'd jump in front of a train for ya!
Former King
#131843: Aug 19th 2021 at 8:22:30 AM

He’s gonna get killed by the true Mandarin in his one scene, guaranteed.

The legend has returned.
Ultimatum Disasturbator from the Amiga Forest (Old as dirt) Relationship Status: Who needs love when you have waffles?
Disasturbator
#131844: Aug 19th 2021 at 8:23:23 AM

I'm just picturing the spiderman meme with them pointing at each other

have a listen and have a link to my discord server
Chrononaut70 Since: Dec, 2020
#131845: Aug 19th 2021 at 8:26:41 AM

At least the new trailer mostly answers why the Eternals didn't intervene (they were ordered not to unless the Deviants ran amok on Earth). However, since Thanos is likely a Deviant-Eternal hybrid, this just creates more questions than answers.

Edited by Chrononaut70 on Aug 19th 2021 at 8:28:26 AM

ArthurEld Since: May, 2014
#131846: Aug 19th 2021 at 8:29:53 AM

...He isn't, though.

MCU Thanos has never been even hinted to have any connection to the Celestials.

Synchronicity (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#131847: Aug 19th 2021 at 8:30:08 AM

However, since Thanos is likely a Deviant-Eternal hybrid

Again: we don't know this yet...

Chrononaut70 Since: Dec, 2020
#131848: Aug 19th 2021 at 8:31:21 AM

Perhaps they might allude to or at least mention this connection.

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.
#131849: Aug 19th 2021 at 8:36:58 AM

Given that they give that justification in response to being asked why they didn't stop Thanos, I think it's pretty safe to say Thanos is not connected to them in any way.

ArthurEld Since: May, 2014
#131850: Aug 19th 2021 at 8:37:04 AM

[up][up]...

Anyway I wonder who's doing the voice/mo-cap for Kro.

Edited by ArthurEld on Aug 19th 2021 at 8:37:18 AM


Total posts: 186,763
Top