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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.
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    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.
#24901: Jan 13th 2015 at 9:52:05 PM

I dunno, it's kinda nice that they use their real names more often. Feels more human.

Maria Hill did say 'Falcon'.

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
#24902: Jan 13th 2015 at 9:52:21 PM

Reminds me of the post civil war thing where Thor beats eight kinds of shit out of Tony and lets him know he's been holding back all these years (which wasn't much of a secret. I remember Thor having a moment about that, which caused him to quit the Avengers. Because Moondragon -shakes fist-)

Forever liveblogging the Avengers
KarkatTheDalek Not as angry as the name would suggest. from Somwhere in Time/Space Since: Mar, 2012 Relationship Status: You're a beautiful woman, probably
Not as angry as the name would suggest.
#24903: Jan 13th 2015 at 9:55:30 PM

[up][up] Me too. I like when they use their real names - makes them more personable, for what it's worth.

Oh God! Natural light!
Mukora Uniocular from a place Since: Jan, 2010 Relationship Status: I made a point to burn all of the photographs
Uniocular
#24904: Jan 13th 2015 at 9:58:10 PM

Sometimes it feels too personal. I can't call Captain America Steve, or Black Widow Natasha, or Hawkeye Clint without feeling... Weird.

"It's so hard to be humble, knowing how great I am."
KarkatTheDalek Not as angry as the name would suggest. from Somwhere in Time/Space Since: Mar, 2012 Relationship Status: You're a beautiful woman, probably
Not as angry as the name would suggest.
#24905: Jan 13th 2015 at 9:59:44 PM

I mean, when they're on the job, I'm fine with codenames. When they're not, though, I like to call them by their real names.

Oh God! Natural light!
edvedd Darling. from At the boutique, dear. Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: We finish each other's sandwiches
KarkatTheDalek Not as angry as the name would suggest. from Somwhere in Time/Space Since: Mar, 2012 Relationship Status: You're a beautiful woman, probably
Not as angry as the name would suggest.
#24907: Jan 13th 2015 at 10:03:44 PM
SonOfSharknado Love is Love is Love Since: Oct, 2013 Relationship Status: And they all lived happily ever after <3
Love is Love is Love
#24908: Jan 13th 2015 at 10:05:04 PM

But since they barely interact with civilians, no one calls them by their "Code" names. It's just "Steve in his fighting pajamas."

My various fanfics.
spashthebandragon thebandragoness from USA Since: Feb, 2010 Relationship Status: Yes, I'm alone, but I'm alone and free
thebandragoness
#24909: Jan 14th 2015 at 6:07:22 AM

About the "400% charged" thing... I guess this means Tony has his suit set to automatically absorb any potential energy source that strikes it, even alien magically-generated lightning from the God of Thunder. He probably did it to lengthen the battery life or something.

Of course, auto-absorbing all magical energy sounds like a really freaking terrible idea, but something tells me Tony didn't believe in magic or aliens immediately prior to Thor smacking him in the face with magical alien lightning, so it was more like a happy accident (and he's lucky it didn't just make his suit explode).

edited 14th Jan '15 6:09:19 AM by spashthebandragon

I've got fanfics for Frozen, Spectacular Spider-Man, Crash Bandicoot, and Spyro the Dragon.
MousaThe14 Writer, Artist, Ignored from Northern Virginia Since: Jan, 2011 Relationship Status: Showing feelings of an almost human nature
Writer, Artist, Ignored
#24910: Jan 14th 2015 at 6:11:05 AM

I doubt the lightning itself is made of magic. It's probably just the way Thor summons it. Lightning is lightning and presumably the parts of Tony's suit run on some sort of electricity and the various parts have capaicitors that store power based on need since it takes time for the Arc reactor to do it's thing and every part of the suit isn't going to need all the power all the time.

Getting hit by lighting was basically filling up all those capacitors instantly, no transfers, no charging.

Actually it should have shorted out Tony's suit but I guess he has failsafes against that sort of thing.

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wanderlustwarrior Role Model from Where Gods Belong Since: Jun, 2009 Relationship Status: What's love got to do with it?
Role Model
#24911: Jan 14th 2015 at 6:25:41 AM

"It appears to run on some sort of electricity..."

MousaThe14 Writer, Artist, Ignored from Northern Virginia Since: Jan, 2011 Relationship Status: Showing feelings of an almost human nature
Writer, Artist, Ignored
#24912: Jan 14th 2015 at 6:27:10 AM

Well, I'm not wrong.

The Blog The Art
CorrTerek The Permanently Confused from The Bland Line Since: Jul, 2009
The Permanently Confused
#24913: Jan 14th 2015 at 7:18:00 AM

"Actually it should have shorted out Tony's suit but I guess he has failsafes against that sort of thing."

It's been awhile since I've seen Iron Man 2, but I'm pretty sure Whiplash did exactly that during one of their confrontations. Or at least, he caused significant damage to the suit via electricity. I Think the 400% charge thing was a callback to that (i.e. Tony learned from the experience) as well as a way to just not have Thor drop Tony instantly.

Bocaj Funny but not helpful from Here or thereabouts (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: Pining for the fjords
Funny but not helpful
#24914: Jan 14th 2015 at 7:31:18 AM

Its something that would happen in comics so I'm not overly aggrieved.

Forever liveblogging the Avengers
comicwriter Since: Sep, 2011
#24915: Jan 14th 2015 at 8:07:06 AM

I mean, when they're on the job, I'm fine with codenames. When they're not, though, I like to call them by their real names.

I've seen some comic book fans get very upset about the fact that they don't use the codenames very often and I've never understood why. It always sounded awkward and stilted as hell when you'd have a bunch of heroes hanging out in close quarters and still referring to each other exclusively as stuff like Batman or Iron Man.

Bocaj Funny but not helpful from Here or thereabouts (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: Pining for the fjords
Funny but not helpful
#24916: Jan 14th 2015 at 8:07:49 AM

How about stuff like Shellhead and Highpockets?

Forever liveblogging the Avengers
MousaThe14 Writer, Artist, Ignored from Northern Virginia Since: Jan, 2011 Relationship Status: Showing feelings of an almost human nature
Writer, Artist, Ignored
#24917: Jan 14th 2015 at 8:10:07 AM

Yeah, it only makes sense in contexts where their identities are secret and they don't know each other's identities.

So it's probably fine for most DC heroes but for a lot of Marvel heroes whose masks are either helmets or formalities, referring to each other by their actual names makes sense.

I mean, I would like maybe on reference to their codenames like per film or every other film just to help the less astute audience members to get that "Yes, this person has this superhero identity".

edited 14th Jan '15 8:16:35 AM by MousaThe14

The Blog The Art
Swanpride Since: Jun, 2013
#24918: Jan 14th 2015 at 8:39:38 AM

Honestly, for most of the DC heroes, the codename is their true self and the secret identity is just there because they can't constantly run around in masks (in Superman's case his Clark Kent glasses are practically his mask). While with most Marvel heroes (with the notable exception of Thor) it is the other way around, for them the codename is something they use to protect their true self.

Kostya (Unlucky Thirteen)
#24919: Jan 14th 2015 at 8:45:23 AM

I always figured the in universe reason was because it makes it harder for them to slip up and use a person's real name around people that don't know it. If Flash is in the habit of calling GL Hal then he's more likely to accidentally call him that in front of the press.

DrFurball Since: Jan, 2001
#24920: Jan 14th 2015 at 8:45:55 AM

I'm all right with how they've handled it so far. They're not avoiding code names completely, just using them when they make sense.

Except in the Hulk's case. I don't think they ever explained how Banner's alter-ego became known as that. It had apparently been established before the 2008 movie, since he refers to himself as the Hulk during the final battle.

Canid117 Since: Oct, 2010 Relationship Status: Hello, I love you
#24921: Jan 14th 2015 at 8:52:17 AM

It's established after the University fight. A student calls him that and the media runs with it. He probably saw it on the news while heading to Dr Sterns place.

"War without fire is like sausages without mustard." - Jean Juvénal des Ursins
MousaThe14 Writer, Artist, Ignored from Northern Virginia Since: Jan, 2011 Relationship Status: Showing feelings of an almost human nature
Writer, Artist, Ignored
#24923: Jan 14th 2015 at 9:02:53 AM

@Swan, not really, the only person whose "true self" is their superhero identity is primarily Batman. Everyone else has mostly healthy relationships with their own humanity.

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Mukora Uniocular from a place Since: Jan, 2010 Relationship Status: I made a point to burn all of the photographs
Uniocular
#24924: Jan 14th 2015 at 9:08:40 AM

What about Superman?

"It's so hard to be humble, knowing how great I am."
MousaThe14 Writer, Artist, Ignored from Northern Virginia Since: Jan, 2011 Relationship Status: Showing feelings of an almost human nature
Writer, Artist, Ignored
#24925: Jan 14th 2015 at 9:18:43 AM

Superman has and always will be Clark Kent, he's Clark Kent when he's Superman, he's Clark Kent when he's Clark Kent just a little more awkward to throw people off his scent.

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