Marvel Cinematic Universe

[Reply #40 on:]

What, still no Moon Knight movie?

[Reply #41 on:]

Captain Marvel 2 set to be released in November, 2022.

Kamala Khan is also confirmed to make an appearance, which IMO is the best news. Now might also be a good time to introduce Rogue if they don't mind introducing mutants early.

Tim Roth will return as the Abomination in the Disney+ series, She-Hulk. Mark Ruffalo also set to appear.

I don't know much about She-Hulk, but I'm glad The Incredible Hulk's existence is finally being acknowledged. Hopefully Abomination's CGI doesn't look like a bad PS3 game this time.

Samuel L. Jackson and Ben Mendelsohn to star in Disney+ series, Secret Invasion.

Now this is unexpected. Surely this is a setup for Captain Marvel 2? It could even be the other way around. I could also be talking out of my ass.

Dominique Thorne to star as Riri Williams in Disney+ series, Ironheart.

IDK what that even is.

Don Cheadle returns as War Machine in Disney+ series, Armor Wars.

Hooray! I was hoping we'd get a hint on War Machine's next appearance. This is a good time for Justin Hammer's to return as well.

The Guardians of the Galaxy have a Holiday Special to be released on Disney+ in 2022, directed by James Gunn.

I'm sure it will be good, but I'd much rather they put their efforts into GOTG3. Oh well!

Baby Groot will star in I Am Groot, a series of shorts on Disney+.

Well, that's odd, especially since Baby Groot is now Teen Groot. I don't have a lot of interest in this for now

Christian Bale confirmed to appear in Thor: Love and Thunder as villain Gorr the God Butcher.

I believe a number of the Guardians are also involved, as well as basically all of Thor's supporting cast. This has to be the Thor version of Civil War.

Peyton Reed returns to direct Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. Jonathan Majors confirmed to appear as Kang the Conqueror.

I love how ridiculous that subtitle is. Cassie Lang has been recast AGAIN which is dumb. By the time this comes out, the original actress will probably be the correct age. Just bring her back!

Jon Watts (Spider-Man: Homecoming and Far From Home) to direct Fantastic Four.

I'm not a huge FF fan but they are long overdue for a good movie. Hopefully they'll be done justice for once!

What, still no Moon Knight movie?

That was actually announced a while ago (however it's not a movie; it's a Disney+ show). I believe Oscar Isaac is playing the titular role.

All the other stuff Danny didn't mention sounds promising, especially WandaVision, Ms Marvel and Hawkeye. The only one I'm a little skeptical about is Loki.

[Reply #42 on:]

What, still no Moon Knight movie?

That was actually announced a while ago (however it's not a movie; it's a Disney+ show). I believe Oscar Isaac is playing the titular role.

Wait, that's actually a real thing?

Welp, time for me to find a new joke.  I'll have to look through The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe and find some other obscure character that no one else has ever heard of.

[Reply #43 on:]

I kind of object to the Marvel cinematic universe on both aesthetic and commercial principles, but I have been known to enjoy many MCU movies, so I am obliged to note that I am so fucking excited for the next Thor movie, and that the WandaVision miniseries seems like it has the potential to be genuinely interesting. I'll likely try to see both of them at some point.

[Reply #44 on:]

I'll have to look through The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe and find some other obscure character that no one else has ever heard of.

Marvel Studios presents:

Stilt Man.

[Reply #45 on:]

It could happen.

excited for the next Thor movie

[Reply #46 on:]

I'll have to look through The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe and find some other obscure character that no one else has ever heard of.

Marvel Studios presents:

Stilt Man.

My obscure character choice is: Turner D. Century.

[Reply #47 on:]

Anyone seen WandaVision yet? I can't stop thinking about it. I won't get into spoilers (new PEEL doesn't seem to like spoiler tags), but episode 3's ending was amazing. Elizabeth Olsen is seriously talented.

[Reply #48 on:]

So I have no fucking idea what's happening in WandaVision (my boyfriend, who's far more well-versed in both the MCU and the comics than me, has some theories), and I fear they ultimately won't find a satisfying way to tie in the sitcom conceit with all the other stuff, but I'm still finding the show oftentimes delightful, occasionally disturbing, and wholly engrossing.

I agree that by the end of episode three the overall plot seems to be kicking into high gear, but I have to say that the magic show set-piece in episode two was a real highpoint for me--Paul Bettany is a treasure, and Elizabeth Olsen has so perfectly tapped in to that Lucille Ball, Elizabeth Montgomery sitcom-wife energy.

[Reply #49 on:]

It's kind of oddball, in a charming way. I'm thinking that the sinister quotient could ramp up any second too. Which is somewhat compelling.

[Reply #50 on:]

Welp, I was not expecting that!

[Reply #51 on:]

Possibly an unpopular opinion, but this show has made me realise that I prefer the traditional weekly episode format way more than the Netflix "All at once" approach. Dissecting theories and analysing every frame like a sweaty nerd is so much fun.

And the "That" I assume Danny is referring to is still blowing my mind. So far each episode has topped the previous one. I'm super impressed so far!

[Reply #52 on:]

'Spider-Man: No Way Home' Premieres in December 2021

Yesterday the three stars of the movie (Tom Holland, Jacob Batalon, Zendaya) each revealed the (incorrect) title of the film: Phone Home, Home-Wrecker and Home Slice. No doubt a little tease to the multiverse plot we have coming (cannot WAIT to see my boy Tobey back in the suit!).

[Reply #53 on:]

I'm thinking that the sinister quotient could ramp up any second too.

Well, that did happen. Agatha Harkness is one of the more powerful MCU entities, and serves as a direct subordinate to Mephisto (bigger and badder than a fully powered-up Thanos with his gauntlet).

This could get very interesting.

[Reply #54 on:]

I think it's far too late for there to be yet another villain reveal, but they could be setting Mephisto up as an antagonist for the future (Doctor Strange 2, maybe?)

[Reply #55 on:]

Well, that finale was excellent, although I'm somewhat disappointed with the treatment Agatha received. I really hope she comes back. She's a far more engaging character than Wanda or Vision.

[Reply #56 on:]

Yup, Agatha was brilliant. I'm currently watching Parks and Rec, so seeing her actress pop up alongside Paul Rudd was a fun surprise.

Seems like a lot of people were expecting a big cameo like Doctor Strange or Reed Richards. I wouldn't have been surprised with the former, but I'm glad the story spoke for itself and didn't devote half the runtime into being an ad for the next movie, especially since Wanda and Vision have been set aside as side characters until this point.

Anyway, I was pretty satisfied with how it ended; I just wish they showed what happened to white Vision. His sudden disappearance was confusing. Not long until Falcon and the Winter soldier! To be honest, I don't think Anthony Mackie is a particularly great actor, so I'm not expecting it to top WandaVision. But if it's even half as good, I'll take it!

[Reply #57 on:]

I typed a whole thing full of spoilers before realizing the spoiler tags don't work currently. What's the current stance on spoilers here? Just avoid them? Post them openly and expect people who come in here to be caught up?

I guess until the spoiler tags get fixed you'll just have to come to the Discord to find out my thoughts on WandaVision. Don't all flock there at once now...

[Reply #58 on:]

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[Reply #59 on:]

[youtube]giWIr7U1deA[/youtube]
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I didn't think that YouTube tabs were currently working. Does Dan's link show as a YT video to anyone else? Or do I have to be a member of the R-rated Peel section before I can see it?

[Reply #60 on:]

His post appears to me to be just a big, blank, empty space.

That's probably a metaphor for something, I'm just not sure exactly what.

[Reply #61 on:]

Wandavision was not bad but im not a fan of the whole sitcom thing as much sense as it could make in the whole history..

In the end is like they took way too long to tell what is told in this history i asume in transition to Wanda's future role in next movies like i think next Strange part...

Falcon and the Winter soldier i did enjoyed a lot.. Winter Soldier was one of my fav MCU films and this totally feels like a very well planned and fitted continuation of whats shown in Captain America history, Winter Soldier , Civil war and End Game.. it was interesting that they made the whole "half humanity came back sudenly" as a major plot to global policy.. also it was hard but good to see having to see Bucky came face to face with the many murders he did of innocents during his involuntary live as the winter soldier..  MCU is not fond on this kind of violence but it was nice to acknowledge and for once show someone facing the consecuences even when he was tecnically not responsable.. not magic hand wave here "nah he was not himself"..  he wasnt but he renembers and he renembers everyone he murdered .. trying to bring closure is as much as he can do ..
The whole captain america history was also a good transition to put Falcon where he all knew would end up but without it feeling "granted" .. also liked how they handled the whole Iseia Bradley thing.. it ended up being balanced..

what i didnt liked much was the final resolution and Sam "speach" lecturing the politicians in front of convenient public TV .. sorry but as much right as he was the whole setting was a bit too naive , specially in a series with the dark tone as this .. but well.. not that it ruins much at all..

[Reply #62 on:]

I thought many aspects of FATWS were solid, especially John Walker and all the scenes with Zemo. But Sharon's plotline felt underwhelming, and the flagsmashers were just all-round terrible villains. They tried way, way too hard to make literal terrorists that murdered innocent people into sympathetic foes, which made Sam's speech at the end very hard to take seriously.

Loki's last episode is tonight, which I've loved so far. This was my least-anticipated of phase 4's lineup but it might actually be my favourite!

I also saw Black Widow. Mid-tier MCU movie, I would say. New characters were fun and I'm excited to see more of Florence Pugh.

[Reply #63 on:]

"FATWS" sounds like it could be the title of a historical drama about the Arab conquests.

Yes, I know that you're talking about The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, but it took me a moment to realize that.  I wish that people wouldn't use so many abbreviations on the internet.  Is it really that much harder to type out the actual words?

[Reply #64 on:]

Hah. Sorry about that. Normally I wouldn't use such long abbreviations but I figured the context made it clear.

[Reply #65 on:]

Being a casual fan it took me a few seconds to get it. I watch these movies for fun and emotional impact...the raging debate and hate seems so pointless.

[Reply #66 on:]

I did figure it out from the context, just not right away.  In retrospect, it should have been obvious.

Is Taskmaster in the Black Widow movie?

[Reply #67 on:]

Is Taskmaster in the Black Widow movie?

Yep! However, it's an... unusual depiction that seems to have a bit mixed reception. Personally, the Avengers game gave me enough Taskmaster to last several lifetimes, so I was fine with a version I had never seen.

[Reply #68 on:]

"What If...?" has been a real mixed bag so far.

I like the concept, but it's very hard to see some of these as genuine, "canon" alternate realities when some of them are so bloody outlandish.

The Doctor Strange, Killmonger, and "Avengers Die" episodes were excellent, in my opinion. They showcased plausible scenarios that were in-character for those involved, and revealed interesting titbits about their personalities.

The Captain Carter and Zombies episodes were alright. The latter felt a bit too light-hearted for how dark the subject matter was, and the former felt like it followed the Captain America 1 plot too closely to be interesting.

The Thor and Star-Lord episodes were shit. Both of these episodes felt like they pushed the boundaries way too far and ended with a silly mess of cameos.

Minor spoilers for those two episodes below

Thanos being on T-Challa's crew bothered me. I can accept Yondu turning good under T-Challa's influence, since that ends up happening in Guardians of the Galaxy 2, but Thanos is so extremely narcissistic and stubborn, that having him change over 20-ish years is a total joke. Also, his elite goons from Infinity War apparently aren't as loyal to him as was previously implied, since they're still evil here.

As for the Thor episode, the general premise was alright and I liked the brawl between Thor and Carol. But the cameos at the party were completely devoid of logic. It makes no sense for Mantis, who's basically Ego's slave, to leave him and be partying on Earth (I don't recall seeing Ego there, but if he was, that's equally out of character). Same with Nebula, who barely understand the concept of fun. And what about Sutur, the apocalyptic super-demon hell-bent of destroying Asgard? Did he have a change of heart? I get that Thor is old, and a lot can change in 1500 years, but there's only so much I can suspend disbelief for.

I probably sound like a nitpicky, whiney nerd. And that's exactly what I am.

On a more positive note, the recently-released Hawkeye trailer looks fucking amazing and I can't wait to see it. Kate Bishop is one of my favourite characters and that trailer absolutely nailed my expectations.

[Reply #69 on:]

I like the concept, but it's very hard to see some of these as genuine, "canon" alternate realities when some of them are so bloody outlandish.

Well, they're not canon; they're "what if" stories.  That's kind of the whole idea.

I mean, did you ever read any of the old What If comics?  Those were a mixed bag in terms of quality as well.  I think that's probably inevitable when making an anthology series with a variety of writers though.

Mind you, I haven't actually watched any of the show.  I'm just responding to your comments about it here.

[Reply #70 on:]

Well, they're not canon; they're "what if" stories.  That's kind of the whole idea.

They're being presented as canonically taking place within alternate universes, and Marvel have already confirmed that "What If...?" will impact future projects. Since the multiverse is gonna be a major thing in the future, some of these may somehow cross over into the main timeline. That said, I reckon this show's importance is being overstated and it won't even up being a big deal.

I never read any of the "What If...?" comics either, so I was coming into this with fairly neutral expectations.

[Reply #71 on:]

They're being presented as canonically taking place within alternate universes, and Marvel have already confirmed that "What If...?" will impact future projects.

Yeah, that's how the stories were presented in the comics as well.  Uatu the Watcher was giving us glimpses into alternate universes where things went differently from the way that they did in the Marvel Universe that we know.  I never really thought of that as anything more than a framing device though.  As far as I know, nothing from the What If comics ever crossed over into other comics, although I could be wrong about that.  I'm certainly not an expert on Marvel Comics continuity.

[Reply #72 on:]

Updated rankings for May 2022.

1) Avengers: Infinity War
2) Avengers: Endgame
3) Captain America: Civil War
4) Guardians of the Galaxy
5) Captain America: The Winter Soldier
6) Iron Man
7) The Avengers
8) Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
9) Thor: Ragnarok
10) Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
11) Spider-Man: No Way Home
12) Hawkeye
10) Ant-Man
11) Spider-Man: Homecoming
12) WandaVision
13) Ant-Man and the Wasp
14) Loki
15) Doctor Strange
16) Spider-Man: Far From Home
17) Avengers: Age of Ultron
18) Shang-Chi
19) Iron Man 2
20) Moon Knight
21) Iron Man 3
22) Falcon and the Winter Soldier
23) Black Panther
24) The Eternals
25) Captain Marvel
26) Black Widow
27) Captain America: The First Avenger
28) Thor: The Dark World
29) Thor
30) The Incredible Hulk
31) ...What If?

Eternals seems like it's getting torn to shreds by critics... which honestly really surprises me, because I enjoyed it a lot. Like, how is it not lightyears ahead of the first two Thors and Incredible Hulk.

[Reply #73 on:]

Well, the characters aren't as well known.  Maybe that has something to do with it?  They're also kind of derivative.  I mean, the Eternals are just Marvel's version of DC's New Gods, which are just DC's version of Marvel's Thor.

I haven't actually seen the movie, though.  I went to see the other superhero movie that's currently playing instead.

[Reply #74 on:]

No spoilers, but I saw Spider-Man: No Way Home earlier today and it was really fucking good. I went into it with no grand expectations, and it pleasantly surprised me with a compelling mix of superhero shenanigans and genuine pathos (I got legitimately verklempt a few times). Just a really well-written, well-acted movie—definitely one of my favorites from the MCU.

[Reply #75 on:]

New Doctor Strange movie was awesome, and Elizabeth Olsen is low-key one of the best actors/actresses in the MCU.

Minor spoilers below

They did a far better job showcasing Strange's magic compared to the first movie (which for some reason was filled with a lot of lame magical punching). But here? Crazy trippy shit that looks amazing. The post credit scene of Doctor Strange 1 seems like a dead-end plotline now, which is a bit of a shame, but Mordo's role here was pretty cool. Also, his name is Karl?! I love me some sweet, sweet Karl representation. Yes, that is also my name, why do you ask?

Bigger spoilers below

The Illuminati was a fun sequence, and all the cameos were great. Captain Carter was the one-and only "What If?" crossover I was on-board with, so I'm satisfied there. John Krasinski as Reed Richards? Hell yeah. Wanda brutally murdering all of them in uniquely creative methods? Hell yeah! Speaking of which, I'm really glad they committed to making a her a full-blown villain. She's had a very strong and tragic arc, and if this is truly the end for her then she's easily one of my favourite villains. It was little jarring that she seems to have gone so far gone since the end of WandaVision, however it does check off one of my criticisms of that show; that being she doesn't seem to face any consequences for kidnapping an entire town.

The only part I thought was kind of stupid was America Chavez being able to control her powers so quickly. I understand Strange's explanation... but it could have been executed a bit better. Much like Mr. Fantastic being turned into spaghetti or Xavier being neck snapped by a vicious red cloud. Hmm, yes. I definitely can't wait to see that sequence again.

My first impressions for Doctor Strange: Mom are pretty fucking strong. It probably beats Spider-Man NWH and definitely beats Black Widow, Shang-Chi and Eternals. I'm still not entirely sure how to compare the shows to the movies yet, but most of them have been just okay.

[Reply #76 on:]

The post credit scene of Doctor Strange 1 seems like a dead-end plotline now, which is a bit of a shame, but Mordo's role here was pretty cool. Also, his name is Karl?!

Yep.  Baron Karl Amadeus Mordo.

I love me some sweet, sweet Karl representation. Yes, that is also my name, why do you ask?

Well, enjoy having a Marvel namesake then.  I've got Legion, and the Bill Bixby version of the Hulk, I suppose.

[Reply #77 on:]

I was similarly impressed by the new Dr. Strange movie. It was definitely among the most competently put-together Marvel movies, and I mean that as a compliment: well-paced, well-acted, and visually interesting, with a good balance of punchin’ to talkin’/thrills to feels. I especially enjoyed the stuff with Strange and Christine—their last scene together could have easily been corny, but Cumberbatch sold the hell out of it. Good stuff!

[Reply #78 on:]

Went to see Thor: Love and Thunder yesterday and, while I enjoyed the experience of watching the movie—solid performances, a handful of laugh-out-loud moments, some cool-enough visuals—I do think that, as a film itself, it was kind of a hot mess. The writing was mediocre, the pacing was off, the plot was at times nonsensical, and I found the ending immensely unsatisfying.

It was kind of a bummer, because I’ve long been a fan of the Thor movies’ general weirdness and goofiness, but this one felt pretty lifeless to me. Definitely the weakest of the last three MCU movies I’ve seen; No Way Home and Multiverse of Madness were far superior in pretty much every way, and easily some of my favorites of the MCU as a whole.

[Reply #79 on:]

Yeah, it's a big step down from Ragnarok. I enjoyed Jane's integration in the plot but the movie felt like it was missing something... It could have maybe been longer.