MCU Discussion Thread (Contains Spoilers)

[Anubis]

5 minutes ago, Paul said:

Just finished it. Think the whole thing was shit and boring. The first really big misstep in the MCU. Felt like almost half that last episode was Kang talking absolute gibberish. And it completely failed to establish why he was so apparently terrifying. Fuck knows what they’ll use a second season for. Hope this isn’t a sign that Feige has spread himself too thinly. 

I think you’re misreading the Kang thing. That is the most benevolent version of Kamg, albeit one that straight jacketed the multiverse to try and keep order. I suspect that the next version (Ant Man & The Wasp, I believe) will be a thoroughgoing twat.

 

EDIT: I agree that Loki was pedestrian though. It was a six episode set up for the multiverse.

[Paul]

Just now, Anubis said:

I think you’re misreading the Kang thing. That is the most benevolent version of Kamg, albeit one that straight jacketed the multiverse to try and keep order. I suspect that the next version (Ant Man & The Wasp, I believe) will be a thoroughgoing twat.

No. I get that Kang is a big bad but there was nothing in that episode to show that or justify Loki’s reaction. It either relies on comics knowledge in the viewer or just doesn’t establish how bad he is. Either way, that’s really shit writing. 

[Anubis]

Just now, Paul said:

No. I get that Kang is a big bad but there was nothing in that episode to show that or justify Loki’s reaction. It either relies on comics knowledge in the viewer or just doesn’t establish how bad he is. Either way, that’s really shit writing. 

Well there was, because he made it clear that by choosing the path of not continuing to prune the timeline there were much worse versions coming. Loki, having been one of the worse versions of himself, recognised that. At least that’s what I took from it.

[Paul]

5 minutes ago, Anubis said:

Well there was, because he made it clear that by choosing the path of not continuing to prune the timeline there were much worse versions coming. Loki, having been one of the worse versions of himself, recognised that. At least that’s what I took from it.

Yeah, but someone saying, “Oooh there’s a baddie coming” isn’t my idea of peril. 

I’m not setting out to piss on it; I’m just really disappointed. I think the whole thing has just been really dull with characters I don’t care about and a narrative that’s overly complex without justification. 
 

And it’s laden with exposition that just goes on and on. 

[Anubis]

Just now, Paul said:

Yeah, but someone saying, “Oooh there’s a baddie coming” isn’t my idea of peril. 

I’m not setting out to piss on it; I’m just really disappointed. I think the whole thing has just been really dull with characters I don’t care about and a narrative that overly complex without justification. 

I’ll agree it was a bit dull but saw it more as a means to an end. 

[Juniper]

“And if you think I’m evil, well, just wait till you meet my variants.”
 

That was the setup for the next version(s) of Kang, but the series’s main purpose seemed to be to turn the MCU into the Marvel Cinematic Multiverse.

 

I didn’t like the portrayal of that version of Kang that much, if felt a bit silly in a Doctor Who kind of way.

 

Obviously we’ll see where they go with it 

[Elite]

I'm swerving this. Sounds shit.

[RedKnight]

I thought Loki was the best of the new MCU shows. Amazing production design, intriguing premise, Hiddleston and Wilson were great, Alligator Loki, an actual villain introduction and it didn't felt like a stretched out movie. A start to finish better run. WandaVision was great until the last episode where it fell into the generic battle arc and Falcon and Winter Soldier mainly wasted it's running time and didn't flesh out characters enough.

 

I agree that there were moments where it was exposition heavy and the final episode took a huge risk throwing more explanations whilst introducing Kang, but Jonathon Majors is a good enough actor to carry it off, much like Owen Wilson in the first episode.

 

[Anubis]

Just now, Elite said:

I'm swerving this. Sounds shit.

All you need to know is that there is now a multiverse. That's basically it.

[Numero Veinticinco]

6 minutes ago, Elite said:

I'm swerving this. Sounds shit.

I think it was good. Well worth a watch. 8.7 on imdb, 92 on Rotten Tomatoes, 96% of google users liked it. Generally well received outside of Paul's view. That's not to say he's totally wrong, but he is totally wrong. 

 

I'm looking forward to 'What if...?' now. Sounds like it could be good.

 

 

[Anubis]

1 minute ago, RedKnight said:

I thought Loki was the best of the new MCU shows. Amazing production design, intriguing premise, Hiddleston and Wilson were great, Alligator Loki, an actual villain introduction and it didn't felt like a stretched out movie. A start to finish better run. WandaVision was great until the last episode where it fell into the generic battle arc and Falcon and Winter Soldier mainly wasted it's running time and didn't flesh out characters enough.

 

I agree that there were moments where it was exposition heavy and the final episode took a huge risk throwing more explanations whilst introducing Kang, but Jonathon Majors is a good enough actor to carry it off, much like Owen Wilson in the first episode.

 

I agree on the production design. Wilson was likable, but then he always is. I just felt it was a bit flat. I thought Hiddleston's choices in the final episode were entirely consistent with the journey his character has been on, from evil Loki to realising that any other variant of Kang might be more like what he is than what he has become, or worse. Far too early to judge Majors as a plain-dealing villain based on a sort of benevolent/gone insane part he was playing here.

[Anubis]

Also, as I said on the Film thread, I thought Black Widow was more of a mis-step. Watchable, but not what you were hoping for.

[Leyton388]

Just finished Loki and it wasn't too bad. Changed my opinion on it now. Although for me it had that Dr Who feel about it all through the series. 

[Scott_M]

I really enjoyed Loki and thought it was the best of the Marvel shows but IMO, the show deteriorated a bit as it went on.

 

I enjoyed Hiddleston and Wilson sparring in the first episode more than the action of later episodes. 
 

Still, sets the ball rolling for Avengers 5

[Juniper]

5 hours ago, Anubis said:

Also, as I said on the Film thread, I thought Black Widow was more of a mis-step. Watchable, but not what you were hoping for.

Yeah, Black Widow was a little disappointing. 
 

Enjoyable enough as a senses action film but not that great and more setting up Natasha’s replacement and an element of the Hawkeye Disney+ show. 
 

Taskmaster and Ray Winstone’s terrible Russian accent another two negatives. 

[Anubis]

20 minutes ago, Juniper said:

Taskmaster and Ray Winstone’s terrible Russian accent another two negatives. 

Yes. Winstone in particular had wandered in from a late Roger Moore era Bond film. I think somebody else thought that when they had Natasha watch the Moonraker clip. And Kurylenko is older than Johanssen and yet was supposed to be playing a much younger character.

[Leyton388]

Her sister was hot though. 

[RedKnight]

Yeah, agree that Winston was bad casting and Kurylenko was wasted. I thought Florence Pugh was really good though, she'll do well in the next TV show later this year.

[Strontium]

I enjoyed Loki, although I have to echo the sentiment that it felt like Doctor Who with much better production design, with numerous nods to other stuff (Brazil, The Matrix, Wizard of Oz etc). While I feel it was the least substantial of the TV series so far, and the last scene a bit Burton Planet of the Apes, I think it's about as good as it could have been, given it was limited in scope by the need to introduce Kang into the MCU. 

[Paul]

I’ve just been watching a couple of videos about where the MCU is going and then doing a bit of follow-up reading. While the potential remains exciting, I am starting to get concerned that Kevin Feige, who has had the overarching vision for the entire MCU, is now spreading himself too thin to maintain the quality.
 

There are so many shows on the way with so many characters being crammed in that I think it has potential to become gimmicky and old really quickly. I sincerely hope I’m wrong but it seems like every single week there is a new TV series announced with three or four more characters being shoehorned in. The latest are Daredevil, Kingpin and Jessica Jones in and around the next Spider-Man film and Hawkeye/She-Hulk series. I’ve just been reading about Echo too. 
 

It’s so important that what Marvel has been so brilliant at (an integrated overall narrative arc with occasional but consistent detours) isn’t lost in the quest to drive Disney+ subscriptions. With all three TV shows flawed to one degree or another so far, the chances are things are going to go awry. 

[Anubis]

I’ve personally no problem with Daredevil and Kingpin in and around the Spiderman films given they are Spiderman staples. Jessica Jones has always seemed a bit superfluous to me.

[Paul]

1 minute ago, Anubis said:

I’ve personally no problem with Daredevil and Kingpin in and around the Spiderman films given they are Spiderman staples. Jessica Jones has always seemed a bit superfluous to me.

I've got no problem with any of it as an aim as it's simply the logical extension of the whole concept of the MCU. I'm just concerned they're moving at a pace that is incompatible with a level of quality that has existed up to now. Obviously time will tell, but it seems a bit mind-blowing to think there are roughly a dozen new shows and movies arriving within the next 12 months alone and nearly all of them are introducing new characters and crossing over others.

[Bobby Hundreds]

I still havent watched black panther after seeing a clip of him fighting another character and it looking like cartoon. It only takes a small thing to put me off, like if Jack Whitehall is in something it's just a no go.

[Juniper]

The minute the MCU casts James Cordon in anything I’m out. 
 

*shudders*

[Anubis]

With ScoJo suing Disney over the simultaneous release of Black Widow in theatres and on streaming (citing breach of contract), and Disney hitting back citing her scandalous disregard for the pandemic, does this mean no miraculous comicesque return for Natasha Romanov.