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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

MatthewWayne The Tapestry Weaver from Camp Echo One Since: Oct, 2014 Relationship Status: 700 wives and 300 concubines
The Tapestry Weaver
#136476: Oct 31st 2021 at 6:36:02 PM

Speaking of Eternals...how did I miss that Bill Skarsgård is the voice of Kro?

Gotta wonder how he and his dad feel about each others' recent films coming out a few weeks between each other.

"I'm Mr. Blue, woah-woah-ooh..."
slimcoder The Head of the Hydra Since: May, 2013
The Head of the Hydra
#136477: Oct 31st 2021 at 6:38:08 PM

[up][up][up] Well who knows maybe they might go more serious.

I mean if they like ever do Annihilation War, that would be a more serious take of fighting a brutal war against an Armageddon onslaught.

"I am Alpharius. This is a lie."
RavenWilder Since: Apr, 2009
#136478: Oct 31st 2021 at 11:55:36 PM

Endgame and Infinity War had lots of cosmic stuff going on, and were overall pretty serious in tone.

Zarius Since: Nov, 2012
#136479: Nov 1st 2021 at 1:22:30 AM

Another big casting rumour floating about is that Jim Carrey is set to debut, possibly as early as She-Hulk, in the role of Modok, and will also factor into Quantamania.

Diana1969 Since: Apr, 2021 Relationship Status: Non-Canon
#136480: Nov 1st 2021 at 1:25:46 AM

I know I shouldn't put stock into rumors but my god that would be perfect casting.

M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#136481: Nov 1st 2021 at 1:31:56 AM

I could also see him playing Mojo or Arcade.

Disgusted, but not surprised
PizzaDog11 Pizza is my business from closer than you think Since: Mar, 2018 Relationship Status: Holding out for a hero
Pizza is my business
#136482: Nov 1st 2021 at 3:12:00 AM

Mojo would be absolutely perfect

Weirdguy149 Former King from Lumiose City Since: Jul, 2014 Relationship Status: I'd jump in front of a train for ya!
Former King
#136484: Nov 1st 2021 at 7:27:36 AM

Modok is the perfect match for Carrey. The dude is pretty much all face, and Jim Carrey is very good at facial comedy.

The legend has returned.
dmcreif Vault Dweller from Vault 33 (Troper Knight) Relationship Status: Robosexual
Vault Dweller
#136485: Nov 1st 2021 at 8:06:30 AM

Possible merch leak for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.

Edited by dmcreif on Nov 1st 2021 at 11:07:17 AM

Okey Dokey!
Ultimatum Disasturbator from the Amiga Forest (Old as dirt) Relationship Status: Who needs love when you have waffles?
Disasturbator
#136486: Nov 1st 2021 at 8:43:57 AM

Dang rumours mills are running so fast I'm worried one of them might actually be correct

have a listen and have a link to my discord server
MatthewWayne The Tapestry Weaver from Camp Echo One Since: Oct, 2014 Relationship Status: 700 wives and 300 concubines
The Tapestry Weaver
#136487: Nov 1st 2021 at 9:09:08 AM

I'm surprised that Marvel hasn't been trying to make fake leaks to circumvent what could possibly be real. Yeah, the supposed airborne virus leak reshoot from The Falcon and the Winter Soldier turned out to be pretty stupid in retrospect, but it did keep news outlets spinning for a bit. Maybe we need more smokescreen stuff like that.

Edited by MatthewWayne on Nov 1st 2021 at 9:09:26 AM

"I'm Mr. Blue, woah-woah-ooh..."
Synchronicity (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#136488: Nov 1st 2021 at 9:11:28 AM

Personally I am just excited for the post-NWH and MOM period where everyone calms the hell down, remembers these are just movies, and lets the internet trust actors when they say they aren't in things again.

Agreed about that rumor though. If it's ultimately just a fancast it's a great one.

Edited by Synchronicity on Nov 1st 2021 at 11:12:10 AM

KnownUnknown Since: Jan, 2001
#136489: Nov 1st 2021 at 9:14:07 AM

That rumor doesn't seem to come from a very credible place (it mostly just sides a reddit thread that's been collating rumors, and the rumor that Carrey will be in Ant-Man 2 has been around since long before we even knew that Kang would be the Big Bad), which is fine by me. Jim Carrey isn't really a good fit for MODOK, imo.

I think people tend to forget that even though MODOK looks silly, he is not typically a comedic character.

Edited by KnownUnknown on Nov 1st 2021 at 9:15:07 AM

Ultimatum Disasturbator from the Amiga Forest (Old as dirt) Relationship Status: Who needs love when you have waffles?
Disasturbator
#136490: Nov 1st 2021 at 9:17:56 AM

He's a floaty robot head that kills people according my mainstream exposure

have a listen and have a link to my discord server
KnownUnknown Since: Jan, 2001
#136491: Nov 1st 2021 at 9:19:56 AM

He's a pretty good example of how in the 60's Marvel liked to go wild and crazy with ideas and sold themselves on having some of the most out-there villains and concepts. "This week Captain America fights a guy who's literally half snake!" "This week Captain America fights a monster made out of goop!" "This week Captain America fights a giant psychic head!"

He's not much more or less outlandish than, say, Zola being a robot with a Hatbox Ghost-esque hole in his chest, where he keeps his head, but MODOK kind of uniquely gets a lot of belief from people not too familiar with the character that he has to be a joke even though he's... not.

I blame the FGC, myself.

Edited by KnownUnknown on Nov 1st 2021 at 9:24:45 AM

Synchronicity (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#136492: Nov 1st 2021 at 9:31:36 AM

M.O.D.O.K. (2021) fwiw leans into the inherent comedicness of being a big head person.

KnownUnknown Since: Jan, 2001
#136493: Nov 1st 2021 at 9:35:19 AM

So does Marvel Super Heroes: What The—?!, but I wouldn't call either of those typical adaptations of Marvel media. Those two are explicitly comedic parody series, which is something the MCU is not.

The craziest you get is something like Earth's Mightiest Heroes, where the heroes rag on MODOK's appearance for a bit but he's still written as a serious villain.

Heck, Marvel itself put a definitive lampshade in that sort of thing in Gwenpool, where Gwenpool thinks she can treat MODOK like a gag villain because she's that kind of fan, so MODOK murders her best friend and forcibly conscripts her into AIMs service.

Edited by KnownUnknown on Nov 1st 2021 at 9:39:03 AM

Mizerous Pet Owner from Hell Since: Oct, 2013 Relationship Status: Brewing the love potion
Pet Owner
#136494: Nov 1st 2021 at 9:41:04 AM

Modok was kinda serious in Marvel's Avengers game.

Just Makima.
Gaon Smoking Snake from Grim Up North Since: Jun, 2012 Relationship Status: Above such petty unnecessities
#136495: Nov 1st 2021 at 10:07:50 AM

I like MODOK the most when he's a Beware the Silly Ones bit, definitely silly in appearance and with his Large Ham, over-the-top For Science! personality but also undeniably a threat. Earth's Mightiest Heroes really perfected that approach where MODOK is introduced with a lot of jokes about his deformed appearance at the same speed he goes toe-to-toe with Thor.

As far as actors for him, I'd throw in my hat for Jemaine Clement as MODOK.

Edited by Gaon on Nov 1st 2021 at 10:12:20 AM

"All you Fascists bound to lose."
Ultimatum Disasturbator from the Amiga Forest (Old as dirt) Relationship Status: Who needs love when you have waffles?
Disasturbator
#136496: Nov 1st 2021 at 10:11:23 AM

I love how Wasp flies around like Tinkerbell,kinds of wish movies had gone with that approach

have a listen and have a link to my discord server
chasemaddigan I'm Sad Frogerson. Since: Oct, 2011
I'm Sad Frogerson.
#136497: Nov 1st 2021 at 10:37:37 AM

While he was mostly played for comedy in the '90s Iron Man cartoon, there's an episode showing MODOK's origins that plays him as a sympathetic figure. It's one of the few episodes from the first season I can say was actually pretty good, since it's actually dedicated to fleshing out one of the characters a bit.

Watchtower Since: Jul, 2010
#136498: Nov 1st 2021 at 11:25:30 AM

MODOK is one of those characters that's near-impossible to take seriously because, well, look at him. He's a prime sort of character for a Beware the Silly Ones approach precisely because his appearance makes him someone consistently underestimated by both other characters and the audience alike. It's frankly impressive the Avengers game managed to make MODOK legitimately dangerous and sympathetic without it resorting to Bathos.

I actually think Carrey's kind of a perfect fit casting-wise, taking all that into consideration. Like, say what you will about the Grinch face meme but that sort of ungodly facial muscle control is a perfect mocap canvas for a character that is literally a giant floating head, and it's not like Carrey's completely incapable of doing something resembling pathos. Patton Oswalt is certainly still a personal choice fave but I get it.

KnownUnknown Since: Jan, 2001
#136499: Nov 1st 2021 at 11:31:24 AM

If the audience can take Galactus seriously, or the Joker, or Zola being on a bunch of 70's era 8-tracks seriously, practically any Star Trek villain, or any other of the profoundly silly comic book or sci-fi concepts put to film (or often requested to be put to film, in Galactus' case), the audience can take MODOK seriously. If anime fans can look at a character like Majin Buu and say "this is a weird but terrifying villain," film watchers can look at MODOK and say the same thing: all you need is for someone to actually do it.

It's rare to get a character that's impossible to adapt in a way that the audience can latch onto, because what matters at the end of the day is execution. The audience will take them seriously if the writer allows them to lean into the Suspension of Disbelief and do so.

Edited by KnownUnknown on Nov 1st 2021 at 11:36:05 AM

Watchtower Since: Jul, 2010
#136500: Nov 1st 2021 at 12:47:45 PM

I did say near impossible. He's just signficantly harder to do.

It ultimately boils down to his overall appearance/design, and the issue is that he looks incredibly cartoony but in such a way that would look horrifying IRL. Zola has the benefit of being a face behind a digital screen. MODOK, however, would be a giant realistic human head on a hoverchair, which likely wouldn't look as clean.

This is assuming they try to be as 1-to-1 with his typical look as possible. The Avengers game threads the needle in still giving him an overly-enlarged head as a defining feature but shrinking it significantly enough that the rest of his body still looks vaguely proportional. I could easily see the MCU taking a similar approach for the sake of "realism".


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