Marvel Cinematic Universe (NO SPOILERS ALLOWED!)

[Anthony Shaw]

Lord knows we sure need that now

I believe we will get an awesome Black Panther.

[Anthony Shaw]

Thor only has Loki as a truly effective villain. The others were, forgettable. And after two movies they STILL have woefully underused the Asgardian cast (and given what we've heard about Ragnarok, I have my doubts that they'll be used to their full potential there either).

I think he meant in the comics

Yes, I was referring to the comics. I'm sorry for not making that clear.

Speaking of comics, the problem I have with the Thor films were the same as the early comics: too much focus on the romance with Jane. I'm not sure if it was more Jack than Stan, but once she was written out the book, business definitely picked up. I think this will happen with Ragnarok.

I think Malekith should have gotten more time to breath in the film. I don't think the Dark Elves should have been so make up heavy. You had a former Doctor Who actor playing him, darn it. Given his popularity, I think more time was given to Loki, than the other cast members.

[Anthony Shaw]

Her one liners in Thor 1 were fine.

They gave her too many lines in Thor 2 (movie was just on earth too much) and then added another earth crew member int he intern intern.

It was just too much. That and the slapstick humor for Selvig was a little too much

And I really like TDW lol

I think that showed Clint Barton's strength of will. It kinda made sense a normal guy like Selvig would not quite be the same again after having his mind messed with by Loki & the mind gem.

[Anthony Shaw]

Thor gonna arrifve in Asgard, hand in hand with Valkryie

Sif just gonna be like, "OH COME ON!"

Thor is surrounded by very beautiful women.

[Anthony Shaw]

The weird thing about Thor 2, which I dub The Dark World Paradox, is that they gave ALL the characters more to do, and because of that, it felt like none of the characters got enough. Heimdall did more, but not that much. Frigga did more, but not that much. Sif & the Warriors Three did more, but not that much screen time. The humans got more screen time, but didn't do that much overall. Even Loki got a beefier role than he was going to, and even then it wasn't that much. And then you just have Malekith and Kurse who are just useless.

It's an oddity, but I think overall I still enjoy the film thanks to a lot of truly funny moments, great character interactions with Loki, and the final Portal battle is one of the MCU's best climaxes.

I agree with everything here. The content in bold is my bottom line for why I love the film.

[Ascended]

Just watched The Dark World again last night. And it really isn't as bad as a lot of people say it is. It has some big flaws, but it's fun.

Someone was mentioning (on the last page I think) how they're expecting the critics to be more ruthless with Marvel, as if the poor reviews of Iron Fist have opened the floodgates and made critics think its now okay to tear the MCU a new asshole. I dont know if that will happen, but I cant say I'd be surprised if it did. That's what happens to every institution; it starts out as this golden idea everyone loves, then becomes accepted as the norm, and then everyone starts to hate it. And the MCU is most certainly considered the norm, so are we about to turn the corner on stage 3? I suppose its quite possible, but then again this negative commentary could just be an aberration as well. I guess we'll see.

But if this does force Marvel to explore new territory and push the envelope, I see that as a good thing. If films like Logan are challenging people to re-evaluate what a superhero film can be, that's good for everyone. If people realize you can tell that sort of story in different ways than the normal Marvel method, that opens up new avenues for everyone, including Marvel.

[Blind Wedjat]

Just watched The Dark World again last night. And it really isn't as bad as a lot of people say it is. It has some big flaws, but it's fun.

Someone was mentioning (on the last page I think) how they're expecting the critics to be more ruthless with Marvel, as if the poor reviews of Iron Fist have opened the floodgates and made critics think its now okay to tear the MCU a new asshole. I dont know if that will happen, but I cant say I'd be surprised if it did. That's what happens to every institution; it starts out as this golden idea everyone loves, then becomes accepted as the norm, and then everyone starts to hate it. And the MCU is most certainly considered the norm, so are we about to turn the corner on stage 3? I suppose its quite possible, but then again this negative commentary could just be an aberration as well. I guess we'll see.

But if this does force Marvel to explore new territory and push the envelope, I see that as a good thing. If films like Logan are challenging people to re-evaluate what a superhero film can be, that's good for everyone. If people realize you can tell that sort of story in different ways than the normal Marvel method, that opens up new avenues for everyone, including Marvel.

The MCU has been putting new spins on the superhero movie genre since what, TWS? Avengers? They've been constantly putting out what hasn't been seen in the genre for a long time. Maybe their stories haven't been as emotional as Logan or as completely left-field as Deadpool but they haven't been making the same type of movie over and over, unlike FOX (someone please tell me how any of the X-Men movies are any different from each other, save Logan and Deadpool). You can't tell me any movie in the Captain America series is like Guardians of the Galaxy or any of the Thor movies. You can't tell me any of the Thor movies are like the Iron Man movies or like Ant-Man. Yes some of their movies have similar things and similar character arcs but that doesn't make them the same type of movie. Which other superhero movie had a final battle like CW or DS? Most people don't want to point it out because they have similar things (namely humour, and in some cases, a poorly developed villain). They all have different feels, and while it would be nice to see them improve and get even more radical, let's not pretend they've not tried to be different.

[HaveAtThee]

Kurse did look awesome, but really, that was a waste of Adewale (last name I can't spell)'s talent. He just stood there and punched stuff.

That fight with Thor was awful. Kurse was sorely underused. That entire scene was cannon-fodder for the supposed emotional "death" of Loki.

[Blind Wedjat]

That fight with Thor was awful. Kurse was sorely underused. That entire scene was cannon-fodder for the supposed emotional "death" of Loki.

Yea I didn't like that fight to be honest. Thor was getting his ass kicked and even though that should probably feel tense, it just felt annoying. When Kurse knocked Mjolnir out of the air I just went "Oh COME ON!!" I don't even remember why he was stronger than the other Kursed as we saw one in the (pretty fantastic) opening sequence get downed by four or five Einherjar (Asgardian soldiers). It was literally just Kurse beating him and then Loki saving the day. I wanted an actual fight.

[HaveAtThee]

Yea I didn't like that fight to be honest. Thor was getting his ass kicked and even though that should probably feel tense, it just felt annoying. When Kurse knocked Mjolnir out of the air I just went "Oh COME ON!!" I don't even remember why he was stronger than the other Kursed as we saw one in the (pretty fantastic) opening sequence get downed by four or five Einherjar (Asgardian soldiers). It was literally just Kurse beating him and then Loki saving the day. I wanted an actual fight.

The MCU really haven't gotten too intense with any of their action sequences really. There's not one duel where I instantly remember thinking "wow, that was cool." I guess the closest they got to an all-out brawl was the Hulk/Iron Man brawl, but even that was ended rather abruptly.

That Thor/Kurse scene should've been a major heavyweight slugfest. I don't mind Kurse being Thor's physical superior because in the comics he is twice as strong as Thor, but that doesn't mean Thor can't beat him or at least challenge him. Just a poorly written and edited fight scene. Thor just stands there like a goober and gets clobbered by someone way heavier and (presumably) slower than him.

I'm hoping in Ragnarok with Thor and Hulk they at least give both characters some room to cut loose and kick some ass. They deserve some sustained scenes of supreme power display. Especially considering they don't have to worry about plot-contrived collateral damage on Earth seeing as they'll be surrounded by much more powerful characters generally.

[Inversed]

The MCU really haven't gotten too intense with any of their action sequences really. There's not one duel where I instantly remember thinking "wow, that was cool." I guess the closest they got to an all-out brawl was the Hulk/Iron Man brawl, but even that was ended rather abruptly.

That Thor/Kurse scene should've been a major heavyweight slugfest. I don't mind Kurse being Thor's physical superior because in the comics he is twice as strong as Thor, but that doesn't mean Thor can't beat him or at least challenge him. Just a poorly written and edited fight scene. Thor just stands there like a goober and gets clobbered by someone way heavier and (presumably) slower than him.

I'm hoping in Ragnarok with Thor and Hulk they at least give both characters some room to cut loose and kick some ass. They deserve some sustained scenes of supreme power display. Especially considering they don't have to worry about plot-contrived collateral damage on Earth seeing as they'll be surrounded by much more powerful characters generally.

I would argue there are a couple instances pretty cool duels. Probably off the top I would say Cap Vs. Bucky on the streets in The Winter Soldier, Iron Man Vs. Thor in Avengers, Hulkbuster Vs. Hulk in Age Of Ultron, Hulk Vs. Abomination in Incredible Hulk, and Strange Vs. Kaecilius' follower in the Spirit World in Doctor Strange.

[Ascended]

The MCU has been putting new spins on the superhero movie genre since what, TWS? Avengers? They've been constantly putting out what hasn't been seen in the genre for a long time. Maybe their stories haven't been as emotional as Logan or as completely left-field as Deadpool but they haven't been making the same type of movie over and over, unlike FOX (someone please tell me how any of the X-Men movies are any different from each other, save Logan and Deadpool). You can't tell me any movie in the Captain America series is like Guardians of the Galaxy or any of the Thor movies. You can't tell me any of the Thor movies are like the Iron Man movies or like Ant-Man. Yes some of their movies have similar things and similar character arcs but that doesn't make them the same type of movie. Which other superhero movie had a final battle like CW or DS? Most people don't want to point it out because they have similar things (namely humour, and in some cases, a poorly developed villain). They all have different feels, and while it would be nice to see them improve and get even more radical, let's not pretend they've not tried to be different.

Oh, Marvel has certainly used other genres as inspiration for their movies and that's something I really appreciate and enjoy. But its a matter of elasticity; most of the MCU films are superhero movies that bend slightly around another genre (political thriller for Winter Soldier, heist comedy for Ant-Man, etc), and dont get me wrong, that's awesome, but I'd like to see them push that further and, as you said, get even more radical.

And really, Marvel started doing this before Deadpool or Logan. They just used Netflix to do it, instead of the theaters. So just keep pushing the envelope and experimenting. That's all I want to see. And I think that's what they're doing, even if Doctor Strange wasn't nearly as out-of-the-box as it could have been.

[Blind Wedjat]

The MCU really haven't gotten too intense with any of their action sequences really. There's not one duel where I instantly remember thinking "wow, that was cool." I guess the closest they got to an all-out brawl was the Hulk/Iron Man brawl, but even that was ended rather abruptly.

That Thor/Kurse scene should've been a major heavyweight slugfest. I don't mind Kurse being Thor's physical superior because in the comics he is twice as strong as Thor, but that doesn't mean Thor can't beat him or at least challenge him. Just a poorly written and edited fight scene. Thor just stands there like a goober and gets clobbered by someone way heavier and (presumably) slower than him.

I'm hoping in Ragnarok with Thor and Hulk they at least give both characters some room to cut loose and kick some ass. They deserve some sustained scenes of supreme power display. Especially considering they don't have to worry about plot-contrived collateral damage on Earth seeing as they'll be surrounded by much more powerful characters generally.

I would argue there are a couple instances pretty cool duels. Probably off the top I would say Cap Vs. Bucky on the streets in The Winter Soldier, Iron Man Vs. Thor in Avengers, Hulkbuster Vs. Hulk in Age Of Ultron, Hulk Vs. Abomination in Incredible Hulk, and Strange Vs. Kaecilius' follower in the Spirit World in Doctor Strange.

Pretty much every action sequence in TWS is intense and top notch. The fights on the ship deck, the elevator scene and escape from S.H.I.E.L.D, the confrontation on the bridge, nick fury highway car chase, the final fight between Bucky and Steve on the helicarrier. All fantastic and keep you (or at least me) on the edge of your seats. But if we're talking about fights that are cool, I say every single one in Doctor Strange was, especially, the opening sequence, the Mirror Dimension chase/fight scene and the battle in Hong Kong. I love the last one particularly because the time reversal spell shows you just how violent and brutal the destruction was, but because it wasn't happening in real time, it allowed Strange and Mordo to fight the bad guys without trying to save people at the same time. I also like how pretty much everyone resorted to punching each other. That gave off this feel of desperation for both parties. Some other ones come close like mentioned above but to me those ones have stuck out the most. I also really like the final fight between the Guardians, the Ravagers, the Nova Corps and Ronan's forces. That was beautifully shot.

Oh, Marvel has certainly used other genres as inspiration for their movies and that's something I really appreciate and enjoy. But its a matter of elasticity; most of the MCU films are superhero movies that bend slightly around another genre (political thriller for Winter Soldier, heist comedy for Ant-Man, etc), and dont get me wrong, that's awesome, but I'd like to see them push that further and, as you said, get even more radical.

And really, Marvel started doing this before Deadpool or Logan. They just used Netflix to do it, instead of the theaters. So just keep pushing the envelope and experimenting. That's all I want to see. And I think that's what they're doing, even if Doctor Strange wasn't nearly as out-of-the-box as it could have been.

I think it's good Doctor Strange wasn't so out-of-the-box. There's always room for that in the sequel, although one of my complaints for the film (as much as I love it) was the second fight between the Ancient one, Kaecilius and his Zealots in the Mirror Dimension. Since the Ancient One exposed herself, she didn't really need to fight the way she would if Mordo or Strange weren't around and didn't know, so why make her hold back. She says the Masters of the Mystic Arts draw energy from other dimensions, so why didn't we see her doing even more of that? I mean she shows Strange this fantastic Multiverse, so are you really trying to tell me someone as old as she is can only draw energy from three dimensions (the Mirror Dimension, the Dark Dimension and wherever the orange fiery stuff comes from)? She should have let loose, and I didn't really like that she died that quickly though it was a good move on Kaecilius' part and the way she fell was brutal (and her death scene was brilliant stuff IMO).

What I would like to see for a Doctor strange sequel is a kind of inter-dimensional, road film with some (more) horror elements with Strange, Wanda, Brother Voodoo and Wong (maybe Clea too) running away from Mordo/Nightmare as he's trying to take their power/kill them.

[MindofShadow]

Marvel Studio has a house style, just like they do with Marvel comics. I don't think they need to deviate from that. They have their niche in the marketplace carved out. People know what to expect tone wise. There is a "scale" to that tone but it is firmly in the "PG13 action comedy" range. Some of more comedy (ant-man) some are more action and a bit more serious (TWS) but it is still in that range.

I don't think you will see Marvel and Disney jump anywhere near that R range. And they don't really need too. Wolverine and Deadpool need that rating. Wolverine needs it for the violence alone (dude has knife hands lol) and to show off his healing factor... plus he has always been a darker character with the whole "best there is" thing and horrible life. Deadpool needs it because ... hes deadpool lol. That's always been his thing.

Not a lot of the heroes Marvel Studios owns really "need" that R rating like that. And the one that really does (Punisher) got thrown in the netflix world.


Re Kurse: Him swatting Mjolnir had me like "holy shit whaaaaaaaaaat"

Re Fights: I just don't agree with that at all. But I am not sure how you are defining "intense" though

[Frontier]

My (completely biased) favorite MCU fights:

- Hulk vs. Abomination (The Incredible Hulk)

- The Warriors Three and Sif vs. The Destroyer (Thor)

- Thor vs. Loki (Thor)

- Iron Man and War Machine vs. Vanko and his drones (Iron Man 2)

- Cap vs. Red Skull (The First Avenger)

- Cap and Iron Man vs. Loki (The Avengers)

- Thor vs. Iron Man (The Avengers)

- Hulk vs. Thor (The Avengers)

- The Avengers vs. The Chitauri (The Avengers)

- Thor and Loki vs. Kurse (The Dark World)

- Thor vs. Malekith (The Dark World)

- Cap vs. Winter Soldier (Winter Soldier)

- Hulkbuster vs. Hulk (Age of Ultron)

- Ant-Man vs. Yellowjacket (Ant-Man)

- The airport fight (Civil War)

- Cap vs. Iron Man, with Bucky in tow (Civil War)

Let Parker grow up.

Put Miles in the MCU

profit

I think we're a long ways from seeing Miles in the MCU, especially with the animated Sony movie with him in it coming out, which might even become it's own franchise.

Miles coming in would probably depend a lot on how long Holland is willing to stay on as Spidey. He's not even in his late 20's yet.

Unless they feel he needs a sidekick. But I think that's who Glover is going to end up being (if he's playing Prowler).

I know Vulture looks really different from his comic book counterpart but that design is so badass

If they can make the Vulture look that cool, then they could probably find a cool way of adapting the classic Green Goblin design without resorting to a generic Hulkgoblin design that even the artist regrets making .