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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

edvedd Darling. from At the boutique, dear. Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: We finish each other's sandwiches
Darling.
#24476: Jan 2nd 2015 at 12:02:06 AM

That's modern moviemaking for ya. Trailers are an event you have to build to.

Visit my Tumblr! I may say things. The Bureau Project
Bocaj Funny but not helpful from Here or thereabouts (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: Pining for the fjords
Funny but not helpful
#24477: Jan 2nd 2015 at 12:07:29 AM

With how much movies cost to make they want to make sure you're good and hype.

Forever liveblogging the Avengers
Mattonymy Mr. Dr. from The Evils of Free Will Since: Jul, 2010
Mr. Dr.
#24478: Jan 2nd 2015 at 12:21:19 AM

Know what's even worse?

Having ads in front of trailers on youtube.

Yes.

It's now a requirement to watch an ad to watch an ad.

You are displaying abnormally high compulsions to over-analyze works of fiction and media. Diagnosis: TV Tropes Addiction.
Bocaj Funny but not helpful from Here or thereabouts (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: Pining for the fjords
Funny but not helpful
#24479: Jan 2nd 2015 at 12:36:35 AM

I have ad block so...

Forever liveblogging the Avengers
Mattonymy Mr. Dr. from The Evils of Free Will Since: Jul, 2010
Mr. Dr.
#24480: Jan 2nd 2015 at 12:38:11 AM

It's the principle of the thing.

You are displaying abnormally high compulsions to over-analyze works of fiction and media. Diagnosis: TV Tropes Addiction.
Mukora Uniocular from a place Since: Jan, 2010 Relationship Status: I made a point to burn all of the photographs
Uniocular
#24481: Jan 2nd 2015 at 12:42:42 AM

I don't use adblock on Youtube because ad revenue is scarce enough as it is. So I've had to deal with five minute, unskippable ads for a 45 second video in the past.

It's not as fun as it sounds.

"It's so hard to be humble, knowing how great I am."
Bocaj Funny but not helpful from Here or thereabouts (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: Pining for the fjords
Funny but not helpful
#24482: Jan 2nd 2015 at 12:44:06 AM

I had to get ad block because I kept getting viruses from banner ads and that's not fun.

Not from clicking them. Just from them existing. Its like if billboards could give you dysentery

edited 2nd Jan '15 12:48:40 AM by Bocaj

Forever liveblogging the Avengers
Mukora Uniocular from a place Since: Jan, 2010 Relationship Status: I made a point to burn all of the photographs
Uniocular
#24483: Jan 2nd 2015 at 1:05:05 AM

Oh, yeah. I keep it on for every other site because I've totally had that happen to me. But as far as I'm aware, Youtube's ads are a bit more selective than most sites, and typically don't have that issue.

"It's so hard to be humble, knowing how great I am."
LDragon2 Since: Dec, 2011
#24484: Jan 2nd 2015 at 2:38:08 AM

Having recently watched both Captain America movies back to back, can I just say that I feel that that solo series is the best one out of the MCU so far? Both The First Avenger and Winter Soldier I found to be very well made films, and don't even require that one needs to see the rest of the MCU to understand them.

Also, I really didn't see any major flaws or lack of common sense in WS, and the story is so good that I can ignore any nitpicks. Really, you have to be looking really hard to find flaws in it that aren't explained or made up (which makes, at the risk of sounding like a broken record, CS's vid feel like a Douchy Mc Nitpick rant, done only because of Hype Backlash).

Overall, if Civil War manages to live up to them, I think I'll place the CA trilogy up there with other greats.

edvedd Darling. from At the boutique, dear. Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: We finish each other's sandwiches
Darling.
#24485: Jan 2nd 2015 at 2:46:34 AM

I didn't see the first one, but Winter Soldier was pretty special.

Visit my Tumblr! I may say things. The Bureau Project
Mukora Uniocular from a place Since: Jan, 2010 Relationship Status: I made a point to burn all of the photographs
Uniocular
#24486: Jan 2nd 2015 at 2:51:59 AM

First Avenger is probably the best "origin story" movie in the MCU.

"It's so hard to be humble, knowing how great I am."
Wackd Since: May, 2009
#24487: Jan 2nd 2015 at 4:19:20 AM

I've got to disagree and go with Iron Man. Captain America has a strong first act but once Cap's first rescue mission is over it's pretty much just a collection of things happening with no coherent narrative through-line until he puts the plane in the water.

Thor's got a stronger narrative but is weakened by being a mediocre movie in general; and Guardians has all the origins but Quill's happen off-screen (and Quill's doesn't have a whole lot to do with the rest of the movie.) Which leaves Iron Man, which does well with Stane, I think. It's tough, once your hero is established, to find a reason for the villain to go after them that follows logically from it, because the hero hasn't done anything yet but resolve to be a pain in the villain's side in the future. By having Stark become a hero specifically because of a preexisting threat rather than some past tragedy or sense of nobility, that threat can linger, and because Stane operates through proxies you get a lot of narrative meat trying to draw him out.

Maybe you'd be less disappointed if you stopped expecting things to be Carmen Sandiego movies.
edvedd Darling. from At the boutique, dear. Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: We finish each other's sandwiches
Darling.
#24488: Jan 2nd 2015 at 9:21:36 AM

Ladies and gentlemen, a literal trailer for ants.

The full version is going up with Agent Carter.tongue

edited 2nd Jan '15 9:27:10 AM by edvedd

Visit my Tumblr! I may say things. The Bureau Project
WarriorEowyn from Victoria Since: Oct, 2010
#24489: Jan 2nd 2015 at 9:28:14 AM

They just love trolling us, don't they?

It's good, but still not as funny as the Iron Man 3 "Extended Look".

edvedd Darling. from At the boutique, dear. Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: We finish each other's sandwiches
Darling.
#24490: Jan 2nd 2015 at 9:29:58 AM

Still though. "What is this? A trailer for an- Oh yeah it is."

Visit my Tumblr! I may say things. The Bureau Project
swanpride Since: Jun, 2013
#24491: Jan 2nd 2015 at 9:52:17 AM

Marvel is now beating the Sherlock creators with their trolling, which is quite a feat.

I also go for The first Avenger as the best origin story. Yeah, the last quarter of the movie is the weakest part of it, but it still makes sense in the narrative. Can't say the same for Iron Man, for which I would also say that the start of the movie is way better than the end. Stane becoming crazy is coming kind out of nowhere, not because I don't expect him to be evil, but because he seems to be too clever to reveal his true self to the world like that.

TobiasDrake (•̀⤙•́) (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Arm chopping is not a love language!
(•̀⤙•́)
#24492: Jan 2nd 2015 at 10:05:31 AM

When did Stane become crazy?

Stane was screwed from the moment Pepper escaped with the files from his computer. Everything after that point is the desperation of a man who knows he's going to prison forever and needs to get the hell out of dodge, but also to take the biggest gun he has with him for the inevitable pursuit. A Ford isn't going to last long against S.H.I.E.L.D. and Iron Man.

edited 2nd Jan '15 10:06:05 AM by TobiasDrake

My Tumblr. Currently side-by-side liveblogging Digimon Adventure, sub vs dub.
comicwriter Since: Sep, 2011
#24493: Jan 2nd 2015 at 10:09:03 AM

Stane didn't become crazy. The jig was up so he did what many cowards do and just went on a rampage. The second he saw that Pepper had got the government involved he knew there was nothing left but going out in a blaze of glory, hopefully taking Tony and Pepper with him.

swanpride Since: Jun, 2013
#24494: Jan 2nd 2015 at 10:22:35 AM

He saw that Pepper had the file the moment she left the office and didn't even try to delay her or do anything else in order to try and hide his guilt. Or take his money and leave the country. I never felt that his reaction really fit his character, and the timespan from the moment Tony realized his duplicity to the final battle felt a little bit rushed for me. It was also way too easy for Pepper to download those files.

Mattonymy Mr. Dr. from The Evils of Free Will Since: Jul, 2010
Mr. Dr.
#24495: Jan 2nd 2015 at 10:26:03 AM

Personally, I'd choose Cap over Tony any day since I tend to dislike characters that are assholes for assholes sake. But then I have to ask "If Captain America had been the first Marvel Studios movie, would the studio be where it is now?"

You are displaying abnormally high compulsions to over-analyze works of fiction and media. Diagnosis: TV Tropes Addiction.
comicwriter Since: Sep, 2011
#24496: Jan 2nd 2015 at 10:27:16 AM

I don't even think so from a character perspective. Iron Man is just a much stronger film than The First Avenger.

Winter Soldier was an Even Better Sequel but the first Cap movie wasn't that great.

Mukora Uniocular from a place Since: Jan, 2010 Relationship Status: I made a point to burn all of the photographs
Uniocular
#24497: Jan 2nd 2015 at 10:32:51 AM

And I'm in the minority again. Great.

I dunno. I just felt like Cap was a much more relatable hero to me than Tony (who I do like a lot, too.) I mean, at least until he got superpowers and stuff. And even then he was basically still a puppy in a body that's too big for him.

I didn't really notice any of the problems with the plotting. I'm too dumb to care about that.

"It's so hard to be humble, knowing how great I am."
Mattonymy Mr. Dr. from The Evils of Free Will Since: Jul, 2010
Mr. Dr.
#24498: Jan 2nd 2015 at 10:33:48 AM

Cap was definitely a period film and as such feels a lot more like a 1940s propaganda war film than a modern day brooding anti-hero superhero film. It also fell into a lot of the classic stereotypes of obvious "hero" and "villain" stereotypes as that period was when those roles were coming into public fruition.

But I still enjoy the film more because of this.

edited 2nd Jan '15 10:34:30 AM by Mattonymy

You are displaying abnormally high compulsions to over-analyze works of fiction and media. Diagnosis: TV Tropes Addiction.
wanderlustwarrior Role Model from Where Gods Belong Since: Jun, 2009 Relationship Status: What's love got to do with it?
Role Model
#24499: Jan 2nd 2015 at 10:36:30 AM

I think Iron Man 1 was a better film to get general audiences interested in the MCU with, and was possibly a better solo film. I'm more prone to rewatching Cap 1, though.

TobiasDrake (•̀⤙•́) (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Arm chopping is not a love language!
(•̀⤙•́)
#24500: Jan 2nd 2015 at 10:41:49 AM

Stane didn't see she had the file. He suspected she might be hiding something, but it wasn't until he checked his computer that he knew exactly what had just transpired, and by that time, she was already exiting the building in the custody of a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent - which he saw when he raced back out of his office to attempt to delay or stop her. By the time he knew what she had, there was nothing he could do to keep it out of Coulson's hands.

Also, it's hard to take your money and flee the country when your assets are frozen, which is one of the first things law enforcement does when pursuing a wealthy fugitive, a pursuit that would have began not long after Pepper and Coulson exited the building. Taking the Iron Monger armor at least gives Stane both a fighting chance at getting out of the country and also a bargaining chip for wherever he ends up. It's not a perfect plan, but at that point, there is no perfect plan.

Stane was beaten and in an unsalvageable position, and did everything in his power to try and get out.

edited 2nd Jan '15 10:44:53 AM by TobiasDrake

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

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