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uniiiquehecrt · 8 months

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Plz explain then the travesty that is love and thunder

A trainwreck directed by an egotistical six-year-old in a leech of a man's body who thinks he's a screenwriter and still plays pretend with his uwu self-insert OC.

.... real talk, though, in short:

The real travesty of Love and Thunder is that Thor is already made of love and thunder, and simultaneously Jane is the love to his thunder, and the MCU, through taika wai-feck-off, decided he can be neither of those things, and have no nice things. Thor is the most tragic character in the ENTIRETY of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and yes, I do think more tragic than Wanda.

He has lost :

his entire home planet

his people

his entire family of four (no hela does not count he was not connected to her and should have been odin's sister)

before which he lost his brother (his platonic soulmate, to boot) a total of 3 times emotionally, two of those physically

he lost his ENTIRE friend group because his half-sister murdered Volstagg, Hogun and Faendral; he never reconnected with Sif

his only good mentor/parental figure (heimdal) was stabbed through the heart in front of him

he lost his dignity, his crown, his birthright (voluntarily and otherwise)

he lost his self-worth, his sense of direction (bc the writers legitimately thought his arc was about stepping down from the crown instead of making it his own and growing into it in his own way, by his own merits, at his own pace and gave it to some literally no-name side character that showed up for one movie and never respected thor in the first place to even earn his title from him smh)

and taika's idea of rectifying any of this .... is to give him some random child he doesn't know, that he doesn't care for, and manipulate him into taking her under his wing not because of the kindness and limitless love of his own heart even after shutting himself down post!endgame, but because jane asked him to as her dying wish — and then say that THAT is his happy ending.

Tell me why Thor, the longest standing of the Big Three, the king of the stars, the hero who is by all respects the embodiment of love, gets no companionship, no friends, no home, no place to belong, when Tony got a hero's send off and Steve got to be with an alt!dimension Peggy.

#and don't hecking tell me that 'oh but jane had cancer so'#bro i went out of my way to read that comic after i realized how irritated that movie got me #and you know hecking what? JANE COMES BACK #HE USES ALL OF HIS POWER TO /BRING HER BACK/#AND SHE CHOOSES TO COME BACK FROM THE GATES OF VALHALLA #BECAUSE THAT'S HOW MUCH SHE LOVES HIM - AND HOW MUCH HE LOVES HER #AND GOSH DANG IT GANG — mcu deserved that win #JUST ONE #HE DESERVES THE /ONE/ WIN #if he can't live for his people and carry the torch of everyone he has lost by being king #and being the best king he can be and choosing to live and love and survive and /lead/ despite his loss #then AT THE VERY LEAST he deserved to be happy with jane as a vagabond protector and /be/ with her and have his kiddos and be at PEACE #furthermore we really gonna act like the royal line isn't gonna end with thor and that that is a pROBLEM??? LIKE A COSMIC ONE???#like they're not gods and i hate that L+T tries to make them more like the comics when they are n o t literal gods #but gosh dang it the royal asgardian line is like... titan and dare i say /celestial/ tier levels of ridiculous #and thor is the lastoline #we really not gonna talk about that??#&&. meta #salt to taste #&&. whispers #&&. | marvel. |#&&. thor.#anti thor love and thunder #t:l+t #l+t #anon #nonny my love ty for the ask im just so salty about everything taika's gone and rubbed his nasty hands on concerning my boy

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romancomicsnews · 9 months

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Who should play Professor X in the MCU?

Despite multiple X-Men movies with multiple bad interpretations of classic X-Men characters, Professor X is a character that has been adapted to the screen fairly well.

With Patrick Stewart portraying in multiple X-Men films and even all the Wolverine films (yes post credit scenes count), and James McAvoy playing a younger Charles, both felt like the same character but in very different parts of his life.

With the X-Men on their way, it's nearly impossible to imagine them without a Charles Xavier, even just to begin with. So I will be my darnedest to cast a Charles who feels fresh but can live up to both these outstanding actors.

Before we look at who we should cast. We need to answer a few questions.

What can we learn from past portrayals?

As with all my castings (check out Flash and Lex Luthor here), I will briefly go over what came before and what I loved about them to look ahead, starting with:

Patrick Stewart as Charles Xavier

I mean, he's a legend.

Patrick Stewart is most people's definitive Charles Xavier and it is easy to see why. He's charming, calm, and a strong steady presence for his X-Men.

Stewart portrays a wisdom mixed with sincerity that I quite like. You get the sense he genuinely believes humanity, even when it fails him.

I do want a that genuine nature, but my only fault with this version is he is not arrogant enough. We get glimpses of it in X-Men the Last Stand, but Charles can be and should be wrong in many of his decisions. Unlike most mutants, Charles views all come from privilege, and that should be reflected through mistakes.

James McAvoy as Charles Xavier

While I'll admit Stewart feels more like classic Charles, James McAvoy's version is still my favorite.

While he still contains that half glass full hope that Stewart has, McAvoy mixes it with this arrogance, charm, and wit of a young man I just love.

McAvoy was able to lean into the flaws of Charles, making him more relatable and sympathetic. I think he was a standout of the First Class, and was able to hold his own with the likes of Hugh Jackman.

This should be more of the blueprint for me, someone who guises their poor decisions with a calm intelligence and logic that often lead the X-Men into more trouble.

Where does Charles fit in the MCU?

In my mind, Charles will not be the leader of the team for long. I think a well-intentioned Charles could die within the first two films, leaving the X-Men to find a new leader and continue his legacy.

This gives us enough room to get an actor who maybe wouldn't normally do a role like this and leaves the X-Men in an interesting place to elect a new leader. Perhaps Storm, Cyclops, or even Magneto.

What ethnicity/race should Charles be?

Charles has been exclusively white through media, particularly British.

While I don't think he needs to be white, British is a staple of the character and I think adds a barrier of "I'm better than you" to others that I want to keep.

I do think it is interesting that for a team that is meant to be a metaphor for racism, there is hardly any people of color on the X-Men.

While I think there is value to keeping Charles white, as he is the embodiment of privilege leading the X-Men, I will say a person of color can still nab this one.

Any other stipulations?

Yes, a few.

We want an actor old enough to feel like an equal to a Magneto and an elder of the team. While we don't have a clear view of how the MCU would do a Magneto, I think over 50 is a safe bet.

Given we had Stewart and McAvoy, we have some wiggle room to get some big name actors. We should go for names only.

I don't like casting people who have already been in superhero media. It's not entirely off the table, but most likely I will look elsewhere.

Bald is cool but not a dealbreaker.

Let's get into it.

3. Jude Law

I know I just said no superhero repeats, but he is just too good.

Jude Law is known for roles like Dr. John Watson, Dumbledore, and Yon-Rogg, Law has an intense presence that cannot be denied.

While he is a bit younger, just on the cusp of 50, I can see Law playing a very flawed version of Charles, picking up right where McAvoy left off.

My main concern is he has played a role within the MCU before, as Yon-Rogg.

While he was wasted here, it was a noticeable role, and MCU fans aren't soon to forget.

I also don't know if Law is a big enough name to helm the X-Men or take over for the great performances that came before.

I think he's got a solid shot, but there's a few more I like a bit more.

2. Daniel Craig

Arrogant. Smartest person in the room. Cool smooth British man. Daniel Craig has done it all.

Known for James Bond or Benoit Blanc, Craig has been known to part of big franchises, (although he seems less excited about it these days.)

While he was apparently rumored to play Balder in Multiverse of Madness, Craig has not been in a part of any Marvel or DC Comics.

I think this role suits his resume quite nicely, and depending on the writer/director, this could be the best Professor X we have ever seen.

If it weren't for his history being anti Bond, and his love for Benoit Blanc, I'd say this would be a slam dunk. But because of the uncertainty, I have to leave him at number 2.

1. David Oyelowo

Known for roles in Selma, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Nightingale, and The Butler, David Oyelowo may be the only name on this list you don't know.

Oyelowo is best known for playing Martin Luther King Jr. in Selma, where he was nominated for several awards.

Charles Xavier is often seen as a stand in for MLK in the X-Men Universe, so casting MLK as Charles can be kind of meta, and we can play with expectations.

Oyelowo has played unlikeable villains, heroes of Civil Rights, even a redeemed empire soldier (watch Star Wars Rebels it's really good).

This Charles can go in any direction we want, and with an actor who won't take us out of the film for their name.

While he is the youngest actor, at 47, Oyelowo can play older believably, and can easily play a mentor to the X-Men.

And as a person of color, I believe this will help the metaphor of the X-Men and racism feel improved.

If we want a dramatic force with room to see where this Charles leans, I think Oyelowo is the way to go.

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burningdarkfire · 4 months

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10 characters/10 fandoms/10 tags

tagged by the lovely @aevallare, thank you!! 🫶

i overthought the "10 fandoms" to a painful degree because surely we all understand that a fandom does not simply mean "a piece of media" and thus the random YA book i read when i was like 12 doesn't count even though it probably does have one of my fave characters ever. but also it's a silly tag game so i can do whatever i want. anyway

caleb widogast (critical role) - YOU WERE NOT BORN WITH VENOM IN YOUR VEINS. YOU LEARNED IT! YOU LEARNED IT!!!!! what if a fictional character taught me how to let go of the guilt i've been carrying around since i was a teenager. and he likes cats and books. and he has unmatched hubris and beautiful long hair

lan wangji (the untamed) - how did you already know your heart at 16, lan wangji? how did you know? what is it like to have such incredible conviction in your own righteousness, such immeasurable devotion to your love, that the only regret you will ever have is not making the decision sooner as the years tick by and you are without him?

leona (league of legends) - we're just going to ignore the 2248402 retcons and go for the vibes of a sun knight who believes so fervently that she is an embodiment of her faith and yet it loses her the person she cares most about in the world. devotion that turns into ash in your mouth babyyyy

hanzo (overwatch) - literally just this text post it makes me howl with laughter every time. it's giving redemption but while still being the worst person ever the entire time. vibes

fabian seacaster (d20) - the way that everything about him is about his father except that he's not his father. the way he kills his father. the way he keeps his father's legacy. i love a character a) who is meticulously crafted in the shadow of someone else and b) who, despite everything, desperately wants to live!!

tom wambsgans (succession) - the pathetic man representation of the group. toxic wifeguy but he's actually the wife except he's not the wife at all because he's a man. guy who knows how to simper and shake ass and still punches down at every opportunity. king

mizu (blue eye samurai) - revenge quest. gender fuckery. unlimited toxic threesome potential. a sense of self that is warped beyond comprehension by the world around her AND a never give up attitude. she can literally do it all

tony stark (mcu) - redemption arc except he takes great power = great responsibility so seriously that he makes it the entire world's problem and also it kills him. incalculable hubris, horrendous attitude, infinite daddy issues, etc.

kylo ren (star wars) - you kind of have to pick and choose with this one but i choose the guy who thought his uncle was going to kill him and, again, proceeded to make his problems the entire galaxy's problems. desperate attempt to escape the legacy he inherited, fucked up sense of self, too many ego problems to count, do we see the pattern yet. etc.

cersei lannister (asoiaf) - unfortunately tywin lannister's trueborn son and heir was born a girl and proceeded to make that everybody else's problem. we get it by this point right

also here are some recent book-ish runner ups because i'm incapable of not recommending these books if the opportunity arises: yskandr (a memory called empire), general ouyang (she who became the sun), breq (imperial radch), and baru cormorant (the masquerade) 😎✌

i'll tag @callingvoicemail @capitola @road-rhythm @saturdaysky @eskelent @pairofsunflowers @nocttvrnes @tangereendream @perpetualnovelboyfriend @princesskuragina if any of y'all want!

#my posts #replies

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falcqns · 2 years

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what are you relationships with the other avengers like in your Marvel dr? who are you closest to? Does Bucky have Alpine the cat?

hey bby!! i'd love to talk about this!

i'll give you a list of the ones i talk to/interact with the most, and this will be about my regular marvel dr, not my winnie one since i speak about that all the time, and have

Bucky Barnes: we're engaged and i'm pregnant with his baby (its a girl, no name yet lol)! we met during the mission to save my parents, and bonded after when he had a meltdown and i was the only one who could comfort him (something that intrigued wanda and i explained that i have an autistic brother and am in testing myself in my cr after i told her i shifted), and we started dating after i jumped in front of a bullet for him (it missed both of us, but all i saw was a bullet heading towards my comfort character and i acted without thinking), and have been together ever since!

Natasha Romanoff (yes she's alive): we're close, and we share a ballet studio in the compound! she helped a lot in finding my mom and stepdad, and accepted me into their family immediately! she's also wanda's adoptive mom!

Steve Rogers: we barely have a relationship. we met once on a mission to the 1950's, and i screamed in his face and berated him. he came back recently, and absolutely destroyed Bucky's progress mentally and isn't currently living in the compound lol so we don't talk

Tony Stark (also alive): we have a good friendship! he was the one that located the compound my parents were being held in, and was the first one to comfort Bucky after he had a meltdown on the jet back. he's provided us with so much and protected us, and i have great respect for my dr version of him (not MCU tony)

Clint Barton: my bio dad! amazing human, and wasn't mad in the slightest when it was revealed that he was my dad (i can go further into my backstory if you want!) and all he told Mama was "you did what you had to do to protect our daughter. how could i be mad about that?"

Wanda Maximoff: legally Steve and Natasha's daughter! her and i are the same age (i aged her down so she was only 15 during AOU), and we're best friends! such a sweetheart, and didn't deserve Steve leaving. she forgave him immediately when he came back, but we all know (her included) that she only did it so she didn't lose another parent. she only ever has nice things to say to others, and the sweetest sight is seeing her curled up in Natasha's arms doing skin to skin (happens daily). she's a shifter as well (my mcu dr is her cr thought!) so we talk about that often!

Vision: i adore him. so protective of Wanda, and you can tell how much he loves her but wont tell her because he's scared of hurting her (he did it once when mind controlled by Ultimo) so he's literally the embodiment of She by Dodie rn but is getting better thanks to his therapist! (yes even computers need therapy)

Peter Parker: we would have been almost the same age if it wasnt for the blip :( but we're still besties! they've recently come out as bisexual and nonbinary and i adore them. has the biggest crush on Flash but wont admit it LOL

Bruce Banner: love this man with my whole heart. he was apprehensive of Bucky at first, but it was just because he was scared of Hulk hurting him. after an incident with the Hulk, they grew closer, and Bruce willingly protects him with his life.

Hulk: my big green baby. i love him with my whole heart. he used to be really loud, but after he scared Bucky and sent him into a meltdown, he was very gentle around him, and him and Bucky are play mates when Buck's regressed. Walker said something horrible about Bucky that I wont repeat (it was very ableist) Hulk saw Bucky regress immediately because of the hurt, came out, and scooped Bucky up and moved him before yelling at Walker, and literally said "YOU NO HURT THE BABY!" and it was so cute lmao

Yelena: bff. that all i have to say about her. we're the same age as well, and was formally adopted by Melina and Alexei (along with Natasha even thought she was in her early 30's), and they all live at the compound in an apartment style room!

Kate: bff as well! we met after the events of hawkeye (it still happened, i just altered the events slightly), and clicked immediately! she doesn't live at the compound, but was taken in by Jack Duquesne, who she calls Dad and who is putting her through college!

Shuri: also bff! Bucky's arm was malfunctioning so we went to see her and thats when her and i met for the first time (yes i did cry when i saw T'Challa for the first time thats how Wanda found out i was shifter) and we clicked immediately. her, Wanda, Peter, Yelena, Kate and I are all in a friend group w MJ, Ned, Flash (leave me alone abt this one) and my best friend from my cr (wont be mentioning her name, soz)

i think thats everyone! i didn't mention my mom or stepdad because they're 'technically not in the MCU' (adrianne palicki was at disney upfront yesterday though so i'm hoping that means a possible return for her as Bobbi!!!) and i've talked about our relationship before!

and yes, Bucky has Alpine! when he found her, he was out getting me tacos at 3 am (pregnancy cravings ok) and found her, close to death after being attacked by another feral cat. she was tiny, around 8 weeks old, and he just scooped her up, and brought her back to the compound. i'm a trained vet (its my reality and i went overboard with my education while scripting lol) and i managed to save her, and Bucky decided that it would be adorable to raise her with our baby since they were roughly the same age (i was between 8-12 weeks pregnant at the time) and we adopted her! she's 8 months now and the sweetest little cat i've ever met, and loves her sister already!

if you have any other shifting questions, let me know and i'll answer!! i love talking about shifting!! <3 i know i didnt talk about my relationships with every one but the post is getting long, so if you want to know about someone specific, let me know!

#ava's anons #shifting consciousness #shifting to marvel #shifting to the mcu #shifting realities #shiftingblr #reality shifting #shifting #ava's a shifter

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capsarcastica · 6 months

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The Marvels Review

To those claiming the MCU is falling apart, that Disney needs new leadership, that superhero movies are dying this movie won't do a thing to change anyone's mind. While better than feared, it's worse than hoped.

There isn't a single idea in the movie that isn't half-baked and underdeveloped. So much of the events, hinting at far more interesting stories, are told not shown. So many character dynamics are hinted at but never used, like not meeting your heroes which should be obvious but is never developed.

The movie can't settle on one tone, swinging wildly between straightforward serious and sitcom-like silly. This is most notable in the escape sequence towards the end that tries to be about cute kittens and Lovecraftian horror in every shot.

There will be much discussion about the planet where they can only communicate through song and Carol is an actual Disney-style princess. A better filmmaker, like James Gunn, could have had much fun with it. But, again, it's played both too serious and too silly to settle one what they're trying to do.

Like the over bloated Spider-Man 3, Carol has one story going with Kamala but an entirely different one with Monica that the two don't work together. Carol is more interesting than she was in Endgame, though not enough to really carry a film. Monica seems included more to dump exposition and technobabble. Brie Larson and Teyonah Parris give okay but nothing memorable performances. Kamala is the movie's best part, an excellent continuation from her show. Iman Vellani perfectly embodies the comic book fan getting to be part of the adventure. In fact, it's only the cast of Ms. Marvel that really seems to be trying. The villain is one of Marvel's worst, with nothing memorable about her and a scheme literally out of Spaceballs. Nick Fury, once the glue that held the universe together, is now nothing but a useless character spouting cheesy one-liners.

The Multiverse is pointlessly shoehorned in, proving Marvel doesn't seem to have any idea what to do with it besides forcing it into everything they do.

Those who don't like having to study the entire MCU going into every project should be glad they don't have to know everything all the way back to Iron Man. They just have to know Guardians of the Galaxy, Avengers: Infinity War, Captain Marvel, Avengers: Endgame, WandaVision, Hawkeye, Ms. Marvel, and X-Men: Days of Future Past in order to understand all the story and references. Secret Invasion's place is confusing as the movie was originally supposed to come out before the series, but it neither sets up the series while it would directly contradict the show's ending.

But it makes the worst crime a movie can, it's dull, boring, and forgettable. Everything about the movie screams contractual obligation rather than a story anyone wanted to tell. The story doesn't seem all that impactful to the overall MCU and none of the characters really seem changed.

The film just can't escape all the behind-the-scene troubles. Reports of on-set fighting, terrible test screenings, numerous reshoots. Disney may just have the worst 100th anniversary since only the third Guardians movie has been anything close to a success for them. Many claim there is superhero fatigue, but it's really lousy movie fatigue. Sword-and-sandals, westerns, and slashers all went through the same thing. Superhero movies can no longer get by with just being part of some universe, they have to actually be good. After all, Guardians 3 and Across the Spider-Verse proved audiences will still come out for good story. Disney and all their properties seem to be coasting on name-recognition alone.

Hopefully this movie will be the straw that broke the camel's back proving that they can't just keep blaming online haters, racists, and sexists and that real change is needed.

#The Marvels #Movie Review #Film Review

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telltalesonline · 6 months

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40 Best Movie Series of All Time – Top Franchises to Binge

Sometimes, you just want to binge a whole franchise with your friends, or do a marathon by yourself from beneath a big blanket.

But with all the good movie series hitting our screens lately, from fantasy to action, thriller to superheroes, it can be difficult to make the right choice – especially in an era that loves sequels, prequels and spin-offs.

So, to make things easier for you, we’ve bundled up a list of the best movie series everyone has to watch in their lifetime.

You only have to choose in what order you’re going to binge-watch them all….

1. Harry Potter

Films: 11 Time to Binge-Watch: 26h (inc. Fantastic Beasts trilogy)

Sit through eight magical movies and go on a spellbinding journey with Harry Potter. A young wizard is chosen to defeat Lord Voldemort, a dark lord who wants to rule the wizarding world, even if it means murdering wizards and muggles (a.k.a. regular people like you and I). You’ll meet fascinating creatures, evil and loveable characters, and a magnificent world you wished you lived in.

Once you’re done with the eight Harry Potter films, dive right into the Fantastic Beasts spin-offs. These popular movies have everything any film lover might want – magic, friendship, action, mystery, and much more. You’ll be begging your parents to go to Hogwarts by the end of it.

2. Superman

Films: 8 Time to Binge-Watch: 17h

Just like any superhero, Superman has been embodied by many actors. From Christopher Reeve in the 80s, to Henry Cavill’s Man of Steel, there have been many famous adaptations for the big screen in the last century. There’s a total of eight Superman films (including Batman v Superman and Justice League), all promising a fun adventure watching the man in blue tights fly through the sky, fight off iconic supervillains, and save the day.

The caped vigilante is one of the greatest DC heroes on Earth, and his movies are some of the best on the planet (if you’re ignoring the worst movie sequel, Quest for Peace). So, if you’ve yet to tuck into the long legacy of Superman movies, now’s the right time.

3. Marvel Cinematic Universe

Films: 32 Hours to Binge-Watch: 60+h

These movies can be watched in any order, but try to stick to the correct MCU timeline if you truly want to understand what’s going on. Tuck into some Iron Man action, swing through New York with Spider-Man, or have a laugh with Ant-Man. This franchise is so addictive (and occasionally silly), you’ll be begging for more by the end…if there even is one (more MCU movies are on their way!).

The MCU isn’t exactly easy to summarize – there are over 30 movies to date! But if you like watching powerful superheroes get together to fight the bad guys, you’ll be satisfied. From the Earth-defending Avengers to the space-cruising Guardians of the Galaxy, Marvel films have a lot of action to give, but also a lot of heart. The MCU might also be the best there is out there for visual entertainment!

Continue reading at Tell Tales Online.

#movies #movie series #film #movies to watch #hollywood

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smokeybrandreviews · 2 years

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One Y, but It's Not Where You Think

To be clear, i am enjoying She-Hulk tremendously. I am, in fact, and unapologetic Marvel shill, however, and have been a fan of the character since i was a kid. My objective opinion is muddled at best. I was kind of ecstatic when i heard that she was getting the MCU treatment. Jen always struck me as a great opportunity for syndication. A comedy jaunt set in am eccentric law office starring a giant, green, muscle-mommy who constantly breaks the fourth wall and is the embodiment of lust? Sign me up! Top off that potential hilarity by signing up the brilliant Tatiana Maslany as the lead and you have my all of my attention. We are seven episodes in and, so far, there are a good amount of things i enjoy. The aforementioned Maslany performance is everything i thought it would be. I am enjoying the rather brisk pacing an interesting cameos. The bit of action we’ve gotten so fr is pretty solid and i did chuckle at some of the jokes. All in all, I'm having a decent time with this show, even if it’s being painted as misandrist, feminist, drivel by a lot of incel neck-beards Nothing in this show’s message is inherently bad or derisive unless you choose for it to be so. If a woman goes on a tirade about controlling her anger due to constantly having to prove herself in an all-male work environment or ignoring boorish advances by cats she has no romantic interest in, you’re probably one of these dude. Stop being a creep and get over yourself. She-Hulk is not that bad. However, it ain’t that good, either.

There is a lot to like in this show. Maslany’s performance, alone, is worth the price of admission, but there are A TON of issues with this thing. She-Hulk feels rushed. Like the character, this show feels like it was thrown together in a panic to capitalize on an absence in the MCU lineup. Marvel, to this day, doesn’t own the rights to Hulk fully. Similar to the Spider-Man deal, they have to split custody with another studio, Universal. This is why Hulk doesn’t have it’s own movie series. Marvel can’t make a feature length Hulk flick without cutting Uni in on the profits so, instead, he just makes cameos or a strong supporting role in a different character’s film. Think Thor: Ragnarok and the Avengers films. She-Hulk is a Hulk that is fully owned by Marvel. They can do whatever they want with her and keep all the money. It was only a matter of time before Jen replaced Bruce as THE Hulk for that express reason. It’s true that there has been a distinct pivot toward female energy but that’s more because a lot of those characters are fully owned by Marvel and they can keep all the profit for themselves. Plus, we need more female heroes on screen. It’s weird that the term “M-SHE-U” is considered derogatory among a certain portion of the fan base. There are worse things to get your dander frothy over, one of which is the effects in this show.

Disney is a sh*tshow right now and its all rolling downhill. Chapek has been skimping on too much sh*t, forcing the MCU to make up for his thriftiness by churning out content at unsustainable rates. I like the idea of MCU shows but eight at once? With an average episode count of eight? While simultaneously releasing seven theatrical movies? All of which are HEAVY with CG effects? Bro, something had to give and it was definitely She-Hulk. Sometimes, she looks really great. Her facial animation is pretty f*cking solid, even if it’s a stretch to call Shulkie, Tatiana. You can definitely see Mark Ruffalo in his Hulk model but that is NOT the case with Maslany and her emerald alter ego. Shulkie does look pretty goo in motion, at times. The fight with the little demon things was solid and i enjoyed the cousin scrap but then you get sh*t like that Megan Thee Stallion twerk scene and I'm just over here like, “Bro. Wat.” Its one step forward ans then two steps back with this show. If you got beef with the effects, i understand. That sh*t is a real and credible grievance. It’s not the worst thing I've ever seen but it sure the f*ck ain’t great. The writing is kind of the worst I've seen in the entire MCU, though.

What the f*ck is going on in the MCU writing room right now? This sh*t is BAD, man. It’s a borderline unfunny comedy. How does that happen? How is this so pedestrian when the book it’s based on, is so goddamn good? It’s right there. Just do THAT. And the wild thing about all of this? They are! This thing smacks of that old Dan Slott She-Hulk run. Say what you will about what that asshole did to Pete, he did right by Jen. SO much content in those pages and this show is just Facebook LOL worthy? What are you f*cking doing? More than that, SH-Hulk: Attorney at law can’t even do the attorney stuff right. Seriously, Ally McBeal exists. Just do that but with gamma mutates. Seriously, Ally McBeal is exactly what this show should have been. It has sharp comedy, strong emotion, and gets the lawyer stuff right. More to the point, they make Ally, the shows protagonist, a fourth wall breaking, bundle of nerves, with an endearing quality that really draws you into her world. This is who they should have modeled human Jen after; An absolute mess that gets sh*t done and occasionally catches a dick or two. Ally McBeal had some of the sharpest writing on TV and it’s wild to me that She-Hulk didn’t even attempt to emulate that tone.

At the end of the day, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law is an exercise in lost potential. This show could have been something really special and, instead, we got a generic slice-of-life, with occasional litigation, and way more cringe than i ever expected in an MCU outing. Say what you will about the films, those things had solid scripts but this? This show is sh*t in that department, for sure. The writers actually came out and said after the first episodes initial draft, they understood they had no idea how to write this type of show. And then commenced to write eight more episodes. Why wouldn’t you pivot focus? Put the lawyer stuff on the back burner and focus on the character of Jennifer Walters? Make this show about her wrestling with the idea of BEING She-Hulk, ultimately embracing it at the end of the show. Like, what if we got to see Bruce learn how to be Smart Hulk but with Jen? Give it a Jekyll/Hyde type of situation at first, leading into her slowly accepting that Shulkie is still part of Jen. That way, she doesn’t have to be a lawyer yet and you can take the time to hire writers who can write that stuff or, at least, give Gao an her team time to LEARN how to write this sh*t. Instead, i get Stallion cameos and Madisynn King. But why, tho.

#She-Hulk: Attorney at Law #She-Hulk #Jennifer Walters #MCU

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smokeybrand · 2 years

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One Y, but It's Not Where You Think

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getmemymicroscope · 2 years

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Comparisons to Ragnarok are, of course, impossible to avoid. Taika Waititi is at it again, giving us another colorful explosion in a Thor movie, throwing in numerous laughs and a lot of fun, and some exciting guest appearances. And, I don't know. I guess it's not as great as Ragnarok only because Ragnarok sorta came at you with low expectations - given that the first 2 Thor movies weren't exactly the class of the MCU (though, personally, I really didn't mind them and even kinda/sorta enjoyed them) - whereas this one is coming on the heels of Ragnarok. But, on the other hand, this one is coming at you on the heels of an overall uncertain phase 4 - there's been some hits but also some 'meh,' so not quite sure what to expect going in. And, unlike pretty much everything else recently, this doesn't really connect to anything we've seen since Endgame - none of the movies or the shows of phase 4. Which, maybe, is a nice thing. Its got its own story to tell, and that it does. I really did enjoy it. A lot.

It also, and this is something I found myself thinking during the movie, was a very interesting (timely?) story. You've got a bad guy who, for spoilerific reasons, has decided to end the gods, aided by a powerful sword of some sort. And he's doing his job pretty well.

But like - this idea of humanity being forsaken by the gods who are supposed to be looking out for them, or being cast aside because 'others will follow even if you die,' or prayers are going unanswered, or what not. Like, god has turned his/her/its back on humanity and left them to fend all evil by themselves, despite humanity's prayers and wishes - and, in the movie's dialogue, sacrifices - and, when this man (though, not really a man) comes makes the impossible trek to find a god, god just laughs in his face and tells him he's no better than a number and that him, and the people he loves, and the people that believe in this god, are all irrelevant numbers.

Like, what would someone in that position do? Not that I'm supporting the villians' actions but, much like Thanos in Infinity War/Endgame, you almost start wondering if this villain maybe has a very solid point. Where is this god that we're praying to and believing in as our lives, and the world, completely fall apart under his watch?

The other thing the movie really seems to hone in on is 'love over hate,' best amplified at the end. But like, it's a big theme in this movie - from hilarious start to sad end - and it's a good contrast of things. Humans (and Thor, of course) embody this idea of 'love others' while the other gods (aka, all but Thor) are just like "fuck off."

Jane Foster and, for a scene, Darcy being back was pretty cool and fun. Valkyrie and Korg too. And, for the bit that they're in, the Guardians as well. All brought plenty of laughs, and emotions. And those screaming goats - they were great. Especially when they fly into that shadow world - the time of that scream was just perfect. Seeing Zeus was pretty interesting too, as a non-Marvel person, I didn't realize that they were part of the MCU as well - and I'm interested to see what that sets up (hopefully it will, just like I'm hoping that the post-credits from GotG2 will set up the next GotG movie).

I really enjoyed the fight scenes. And the music. And the acting and characters. And seeing Matt Damon again (uh, spoiler, I guess maybe, though it's clearly just a comedy sequence and nothing vital to the plot).

But yeah, as much as fun as I had -a lot - and as much as I laughed - a lot - this movie really made me think a lot about Christian Bale's character. Like, he's clearly wrong in his actions but his ultimate point - he may be onto something. Humanity, no, the world, deserves better. But hey, I guess once you've been forsaken, you've been forsaken.

#movies #movieblr #gmmm does movies

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avengemyanus · 4 years

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Happy birthday Don Cheadle!

#again the lack of birthday posts gosh #there's a pattern emerging and i hate that #anyway #give it up for the man who embodies the only character in the mcu with any braincells #don cheadle #war machine #iron patriot #hbd #mcu #marvel #marvel studios

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imposterogers · 3 years

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you are sooo right on that mcu spider man tags, the mcu stripped peter with anything that made him peter parker and now he’s just some guy to me bc he’s not at all peter!!!! mcu has some bad things/movies/characters but i really can’t care at all for spider trilogy because like who’s that??? iron man jr??? and that’s exactly who the tony stans wants him to be. i kinda really hope that if that multiverse thing is real they keep the andrew spider around, not only he was a good peter but andrew also deserves it

that’s the main issue right? the mcu took away everything about peter parker that made him peter parker. I’ve seen the argument “oh well they wanted to do something new we’ve all seen the same old story before”. ok! then give us middle aged peter. give us 28 year old peter. give us a peter parker who stumbled onto the avengers and his powers later in life by investigating a story for the daily bugle. or hey, choose a different spider person! the mcu blatantly copied and pasted miles morales and stamped “pete” on him so..........

taking peter parker, a working class social awkward kid who did everything from scratch, who was anonymous and could have been ANYONE, who fought tirelessly for the unheard in the city, the little guys, and making him a trust fund kid who fought working class villains and had his mask taken off publicly? idk there’s something so wrong about that to me

I can’t help but think about the tobey maguire films bc as cheesy as they were, they slapped so hard and lasted. peters family was so poor that when he got his powers, he tried making fast cash off of them and instead of stopping a thief, he let him go in spite. that same thief ended up killing his uncle. the green goblin was a rich capitalist who made a military deal and wanted to expedite the process, and turned himself into an embodiment of what the city already saw him as—a villain. peter (as spiderman) passed out saving a train and lost his mask, and instead of taking a photo the people inside save him, comment on how young he is (god, he’s just a kid) and conceal his face, promising to keep his secret

I have nothing against tom holland, and I have nothing against exploring new story lines or spider people, but what was the point in calling him peter parker if they weren’t going to respect the character at all?

#peter parker #mcu critical #sorry this is so long I have feelings

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mk-wizard · 3 years

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Big Hero 6 The Series: It could have been better

Hello, friends. Today, I will be analyzing a TV series based on a movie that I fell in love with for its colourful themes, deep plot, compelling characters, great CGI and memorable messages. Before I get into it, I want to take a moment to say that I have quit doing videos. They are too big of a pain in the petunia to make and I write better than I speak, so I will stick to writing essays, reviews and more. Anyway, onto the analysis.

All I can say about Big Hero 6 the series is that it had a great concept, it presented some great ideas and tried hard to be a cartoon of the times, but it could have and should have been a lot better. The show’s downfall all centers around trying too hard to be kid friendly which makes the shame sting all the more because Big Hero 6 was already kid friendly even with its dark themes, sharp edges and intelligent writing. If anything, even the brightest kid friendly cartoons (Steven Universe, She-Ra, etc.) had those things and actually benefitted from them. By needlessly trying too hard, character development got scrapped, the edges were all smoothed out, storytelling was subpar, the humour was too silly and the executive meddling in the end produced a dismal final season. However, I don’t want this analysis to be one lengthy negative rant about how awful the series was because in its defense, awful is an unfair word. It did have potential and ideas which are worth carrying over to a reboot that I hope will be done someday in the future. Also, we should root for a reboot because Big Hero 6 would not be the first story that needs it before striking gold. Just look at how many times Spider-Man was rebooted in film before MCU found the version that worked. Anyway, I will list all the things in Big Hero 6 that could have been better in my opinion;

1- Go easy on the laughs and be more generous with the action. - I love adding comedy to my own writing because I think a good sense of humour makes everything better, but Big Hero 6 is not a stand up comedy routine. It is a superhero story where we expect action, suspense and life or death situations that are to be taken seriously first. The comedy should be for relief and with the right timing. Also, the chibi cutscenes and having characters act like fools aren’t funny. Ren and Stimpy are the exception not the standard and their way of making you laugh doesn’t fit an action series. In a show as big as Big Hero 6, real life physics and danger matters.

2- Make the villains menacing and gritty. - I admit that after having a movie villain like Yokai who was the stuff of nightmares, it is going to be a challenging act to follow, but it was obvious that the writers were trying especially with some villains who could have easily gone into some dark relatable territory. For example, Mr. Sparkles (the gentleman in the photo above) embodies social media and Internet personalities. Right off the bat, you have a long list of things which embody the dark side of that like scams, fraud, using social media to dox or harass, driving people to suicide, online predators, the Internet personalities being very depressed people in real life, and much more horrifying things. When you stop and look at it, Mr. Sparkles even looks like the Joker which hints how dark and scary he could have been if the stops were removed. The same goes for enemies like Hardlight who embodies online gaming, Liv with cloning, Obake an amoral and insane scientist, and Trina and Noodle Burger Boy (more on him later) being evil robots. Globby especially should have been painted and written in much darker colours rather being played off for laughs because he has many parallels with Clay Face. The only two villains who I can say were supposed to be campy, charming and comical were Baron Von Steamer and Supersonic Sue because they were a satire of the Adam West style villains.

The rest of them needed to be dark and threatening including Mr. Sparkles. In fact, I would love a rebooted version of Mr. Sparkles who gives me the heebie-jeebies. Going back to Noodle Burger Boy, I must confess that I was actually excited when I heard that he was going to be the main villain of the final season because I thought he was going to fulfill his master’s final wish and as a reminder, Noodle Burger Boy was based on a super robot for military purposes.

It would have been fantastic if Noodle Burger Boy was upgraded into a full military war machine with a new threatening look. For that, I think all of the villains deserve to be rebooted and have their full potential unlocked for better or for worse.

3- A show about geniuses merits genius level art quality. - I am usually forgiving towards art styles, but in the case of Big Hero 6, the oversimplified style with minimal details and lack of textures did not suit the show. The characters blend in with the background which makes them look flat and the special effects were extremely dulled down. I also know for a fact that Disney can do a lot better than this because I saw how superbly Tangled the Series was drawn.

You can see and almost feel the difference in quality, the number of layers and level of detail between the two styles. I think there was no excuse Big Hero 6 was not done in the same style and at the same level if not better as Tangled.

3- Don’t dumb down or flanderize amazing characters. - I absolutely detest it when characters are flanderized because it makes them one dimensional and grating. For example, Go Go is tough as nails and extremely calm, but she is not cold or hesitant towards helping her friends. She doesn’t require very special episodes for us to know that. If anything, the movie version of Go Go reminded me a lot of Garnet in how she deconstructed the broody character. She isn’t cold or emotionless. Just calm and mature. Another good example was how Honey Lemon was rewritten to be overly positive to the point of toxicity, naïve and oblivious with a juvenile obsession with stickers. Then you have poor Fred who was rewritten to be an incompetent fool. The spark that makes Big Hero 6 shine is that they are a team of geniuses meaning they are all intelligent. Even Fred is genius in his own way just not a scientific one. He has a vivid imagination, he is resourceful and can get himself out of tight spots. Please, don’t turn characters into dummies especially if their intelligence is a part of them. It doesn’t make them better or funnier. It ruins them.

4- Tadashi needs closure and honour. - I am all for Hiro making peace with the loss of his brother, but Tadashi is to the Big Hero 6 team what Uncle Ben was to Spider-Man. His loss was the catalyst if not the reason. He should never be forgotten. Moreover, there was never any true closure to him especially with the possibility that he may still be alive up in the air. After all, like Callaghan, his body was never found and it turned out that Callaghan was still alive.

With that said, who is to say that Tadashi was not secretly still alive and just hiding or being hidden? This is something that Disney really needed to clear up if not for the fans, then at least as a service to such an important character. Never just forget about them.

5- The format can only be episodic with a deep plots, continuity and character development. - Random episodes with a mere monster of the day is an outdated format which doesn’t fit Big Hero 6′s modern and bright setting. In seasons 1 and 2, when the episodes were plot heavy with character development, the series shined brightest. It also helped move the story along, but with the final season, plot was removed, closure was abandoned or poorly written if any was given, and characters were disallowed from growing. A good example at how plot and character development could have made this series and its characters better was the relationship between Hiro and Megan. Would it have truly survived or would they have broken up?

Would Richardson Mole have eventually lost interest in his obsession with besting and bullying Fred or would his obsession consume him compelling him to become a super villain? I do see quite a few similarities between Mole and Reverse Flash.

Then you have Karmi who is in my opinion, the biggest wild card of the bunch. She was intentionally introduced as an arrogant, prickly and unlikable yet complex character who rivaled Hiro bitterly.

Yet had a huge crush on his alter ego and as time went on, started to grow up and even form a friendship with Hiro. What would have happened further down the road with her? Would she have become a super hero herself? Or maybe even another love interest for Hiro kind of like how Black Cat is for Spider-Man?

Is Obake really gone?

What does the future hold Diana (Liv’s clone), Liv herself or the Sycorax the genetics company?

Is Alistair Krei going to become an ally to Big Hero 6 or an antagonist? There is also the issue at how little we know about the other Big Hero 6 characters other than Fred, Hiro and Baymax. What are Honey Lemon, Wasabi and Go Go’s backstories? These questions matter and while not every mystery can be solved, leaving none of them solved is lazy writing.

6- Executives, kindly stay out of the writing and any other part of the creative process. - I’m sorry, execs, but there is no nice way to say it. History itself proves that every time executives got involved in the creative process of any media, it got worse not better. Leave the writing to the creative team and the execs should only handle the legal stuff. Please. We understand that TV is a business, but writing itself is not. It is an art which you just don’t have a talent for. Let the creative people do their thing with the freedom necessary and you do your thing, deal? Deal.

7- Focus on Hiro and Baymax. - The are the main characters so keep them at the heart of the series no matter what happens around them. That is all I can say.

And that sums up all the things that could have made Big Hero 6 the series better, but this is all just my opinion. What is yours?

PS: I am well aware that the Big Hero 6 series is being retconned because a new series called Baymax is in the works as well as the long awaited sequel to the first movie. I am looking forward to both with an open mind. PPS: I also am aware that some people liked this show the way it was including the art style and I am cool with that. An analysis for art that includes cartoons is never right or wrong. It is solely based on opinion. I may have thought this series could have been better, but there are people who make arguments that it could have been worse.

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none-gender-left-man · 4 years

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Let's talk LGBTQ+ erasure in the Marvel Fandom

Mischaracterization in fandom is a big problem, and it's something we see from every fanbase. A character gets boiled down into a few condensed traits and their nuance is washed out and forgotten. Fanonization isn't always inherently bad, and can lead to fandom solidarity and representation through headcanon, and this can sometimes eventually have influence on canon, which can be seen in the Homestuck fandom, where eventually slash pairings that received enough attention became endgame romantic pairings (Dave and Karkat, Rose and Kanaya, etc.). Of course I'm not here to discuss Homestuck today, I'm here to discuss the Marvel fandom and its toxic dudebro fans, as well as related topics that intersect with this issue.

There's a common mischaracterization problem in the Marvel fandom, particularly in relation to queer relationships and characters.

First example is Deadpool. Wade Wilson is described by his canon writers and creators to be omnisexual or pansexual, or of an otherwise fluctuating and open sexuality. The Deadpool video game wildly mischaracterized Wade and even made him behave in some homophobic ways, acting grossed out by men and homoerotic implications. This was jarring for me as someone who has read his comics and knows for a fact that Wade has multiple emphasized crushes on or at least attraction to other male characters, such as Spider-Man, Thor, Cable, and others. The game was very popular despite this mischaracterization and created a condensed fanonized Deadpool that is made into nothing more than an ultraviolent oversexualized joke, despite his character being the epitome of coping humor and having a very tender and compassionate side to him. It's known in the comics that Wade uses his humor to cope with his severe trauma, this doesn't mean he is just comic relief. This has gotten consistently worse since the Deadpool films. (I'm looking at you, shitty Wal-Mart DP t shirt that shows Wade holding a sign that says "oh I'm sorry did I offend you?" Which is really OOC imho)

Many of the more hypermasculine fans of Deadpool seem to have this false image of him being the epitome of "offensive humor" when in reality his trademark is Metahumor, not going out of his way to be a dick to people. These fans also often either ignore or aren't aware of Deadpool not being straight, portraying him as thirsting after buxom ladies but forgetting his openly admitted male attracted orientation which is just as obvious if you're not actively ignoring it. This is a grave mistake that takes so much from his character, especially in the case of the Deadpool/Spider-Man team up comics.

In that span of issues Wade went through an entire moral transformation, molding himself and his moral compass to earn the respect of Spider-Man, while unable to go more than a few pages without flirting with him. The things Wade goes through in order to Do the Right Thing by Spider-Man in any other story would be considered romantic. If a man did this much for a woman in a narrative of course no one would question the romantic subtext, but because it's two men, half of the fanbase has a kneejerk reaction to this concept and swear that Deadpool flirting is a joke. (Or that it's just "Bromance")

Yes, because apparently a man being attracted to a man has to be a joke. /Sarc

Wade and Peter are even canonically shown to be "heartmates" and this still isn't enough for the erasure to end, and ultimately I think this is because the fans guilty of this either didn't read the Deadpool comics and only know the movie or game, or they chose to read the comics through a straight washed lense, assuming all "gayness" is a joke.

It's made prominently clear in Deadpool/Spider-Man that Wade is probably in love with Spidey based on his actions, and truly every single interaction with him leaves more evidence to support this idea, especially when you look at his relationship with Shiklah and how not-good it was in comparison to his much healthier dynamic with Peter. Even with the knowledge of the ridiculous Peter Parker Policy (that states Peter Parker must always be portrayed as a straight white man in canon despite him being the embodiment of the underdog), one cannot deny Wade is attracted to Peter canonically. The only thing in the way of them being a pair is that they're both men and Marvel is too cowardly to make one of their most famous and family oriented characters queer, and that fans who aren't queer actively ignore the obvious subtext and narrative value of the Wade/Peter dynamic in the comics. Marvel has doubled down on this with the MCU by making Peter Parker WAYYYYY younger than Wade than he actually is in the comics (don't ship MCU spideypool folks, that's gross. Comics only. MCU Spider-Man is far too young even at 18), making it now impossible for us to see this dynamic on screen, because they're only capable of giving queer representation when it comes with an R rating, apparently (and they really didn't do that w Deadpool either tbh they stated that he's pansexual in some trailers but never showed much queerness in the films at all, even with Ryan Reynolds wanting to focus on Wade having a boyfriend at some point, it hasn't come to fruition bc Marvel is too scared to lose their rabid straight fans).

The same erasure can be seen in Venom, in relation to Eddie Brock and his undeniably queer relationship with the genderless, masculine presenting alien living in his body.

Eddie and Venom are portrayed and referred to as if they're married, Venom himself states that their bond is equivalent to a marriage, and Eddie calls Venom "love". Yet again, this is ignored by edgier straight fans who refuse to see the blatant truth about the characters.

Venom drops everything to be with Eddie, his purpose in life itself. He chooses Eddie over his biological purpose and has repeatedly been shown to do ANYTHING to stay with him, never wanting to be apart from Eddie.

After the release of Venom 2018 this relationship is receiving spotlight again, but not without pushback. Many fans seem to have the impression that this relationship is fan generated and accuse shippers of "hamfisting gay shit into everything" when in reality they're the ones hamfisting straightness where there is none, and erasing the canon in order to fit their personal interpretation, the very thing they accuse queer fans of doing. The same thing happens with Spideypool, with Stucky, with Symbrock, with Loki and Venom's nonbinary genders, with every LGBTQ+ hero or character in Marvel this can be seen as a pervasive problem. The elitist nerds who go out of their way to delegitimize other fans are often the least fluent in the source material they claim to defend.

This is both a result of toxic fandom, and of badly managed representation on the part of Marvel as a company. I'm by no means an authority on all things Marvel, but as a queer fan of Marvel properties, I feel this needs to be said.

#deadpool #spider man #spideypool #eddie brock #venom #symbrock #steve rogers #bucky barnes #stucky #loki laufeyson #queer theory #queer subtext #queer narrative #queer representation #lgbtq representation #lgbtq characters #marvel #mcu

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r3volutionary-queen · 3 years

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A few thoughts about this latest episode. I’m going to break it down by character.

Bucky: Ffs, rip my heart out in the first minute, why don’t you? Seb’s acting in that initial flashback was heart-wrenching. The relief at his first taste of freedom was just 😭 And then... things shifted for me. Can you imagine the betrayal the Dora Milaje must have experienced at the hand of Bucky? Here is this vulnerable man who they helped with their time, their resources, and who, I think, they genuinely cared about... And he goes and frees the man who murdered their King without so much as a word to them? Ya’ll know I love our boy, but I think he fucked up. Most likely he freed Zemo without thinking of what that would convey to the people of Wakanda (whom he owes his goddamn life to and also just another example of Bucky’s white male privilege, imo). However, I also think the scene where Ayo removes his arm was a betrayal against his personhood. She was angry, understandably so, but I felt like that was a low blow. He has been violated more times that any of us would like to think about and to have Ayo do that to him without him even being aware it was a feature? Oof. That hurt.

Sam: GIVE THIS MAN HIS FUCKING FLOWERS. My god. Sam continues, endlessly, to be one of the most selfless, kind, and caring characters in the MCU period. If you don’t see it yet, he embodies goodness and all the things that we loved in Steve as Captain America (not a perfect soldier, but a good man). His desire to understand Karli and to talk her down in an attempt to avoid violence? That’s character. Also I 10/10 loved the discussion he and Karli had about fighting for the same cause but being against each other’s methods. The throwback and reminder that working with folks struggling with PTSD is in Sam’s wheelhouse? Beautiful (you can see this experience in how Sam responds to Bucky—even in his utter frustration with him). Sam’s instant refusal of the serum? That’s heroic and reminds me so much of Steve and what made his character so noble and so beloved. I am really looking forward to Sam’s reckoning with the shield though, I think it is going to break my heart and lift it all at once.

John Walker: Okay. Whew... Here we go. My first initial thought with this man becoming so unhinged and taking the serum? This is our new Red Skull. The serum magnifies the man and no amount of medals or awards or recognition makes you a good person, it’s about your heart, not what you can accomplish. I see so many parallels to the initial CA movie. John Walker has known strength and power all his life, he’s never known weakness. He’s the perfect soldier (very much like the man who trained beside pre-serum Steve, the one they initially wanted to give the serum to). He is going to be a terrifying villain though, he feels so much more sinister to me than the Red Skull. Why? Because John Walker is the worst of us (saying this as an American). It’s like watching the ugliness of ourselves but with a super-twist. His insanity, his asshole behavior, his entitlement, his response to situations, the things he says... it is a representation of privileged white America at its core. Marvel went dark here and the symbolism is so well done, but ya’ll, we’re about to watch someone fall into a really deep, dark insanity. I can feel it in my bones and obviously we saw it towards the end. That image with the blood-soaked shield was chilling.

Lemar Hoskins: I am sad for Lemar. I think he was the only one who could have talked some sense into John Walker. But I also see another parallel to Steve... Look at the difference between how Steve responded when he lost Bucky and how John Walker responded when he lost Lemar... yikes. But also.............. marvel? Why do we have to make the Black man die to further the white dude’s story arc? Why?

Karli: somebody get this kid into some therapy. Please. She is one of those “villains” who I see their cause and, like Sam, believe in it. But the method? That’s corrupting and I can’t get on board. I hope we get to see her get some kind of breakthrough moment with Sam, but I’m not sure. I’m hopeful though because I really like this character.

#fatws #fatws spoilers #tfatws spoilers #tfatws #the falcon and the winter solider #Sam wilson #bucky barnes #john walker #lemar hoskins #karli morgenthau #dora milaje #captain America

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twh-news · 3 years

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Is Loki genderfluid? “It's always been there,” Tom Hiddleston says

“This is something we felt responsible for.”

— Tom Hiddleston

When it comes to Easter eggs, Loki’s Twitter is a whole basket. A glimpse at a Time Variance Authority file for the trickster god was released as a Twitter video on Sunday, and fans were quick to point out all the juicy tidbits involved, including one that confirmed one of the oldest Marvel theories around.

The most exciting of these reveals is what’s written after “Sex.” Instead of a standard “Male” or “Female,” Loki’s file reads “Fluid.” This confirms a fan theory that goes back to the Norse mythology where Loki originated: he’s canonically genderfluid.

For Loki head writer Michael Waldron, this reveal was a long time coming.

“I know how many people identify with Loki in particular and are eager for that representation, especially with this character,” Waldron tells Inverse. “We worked really hard.”

But even Waldron may be putting it lightly. Loki’s fluidity isn’t just some corporate attempt at corporate wokeness from Disney, it’s a direct reference to both comic book lore and mythological history. Here’s how it happened and why it matters, according to both Waldron and Loki himself — Tom Hiddleston.

“It's always been there in the comics for some time and in the history of the character for hundreds, if not thousands of years,” Hiddleston tells Inverse.

Loki before the Marvel Cinematic Universe

To find the source of this seemingly confirmed MCU theory, you have to go all the way back to Loki, the trickster god of Norse mythology. While the mischievous nature and chaotic personality of Loki carried through from the start, one of the most important aspects of his mythologic persona was his shapeshifting ability. This meant Loki can be a fly, a fish, or even an old woman. His appearance — and his gender — are constantly in flux.

In Marvel Comics, Loki also possesses the power to shapeshift. But when he does, it always seems to be in terms of a disguise, not as a gender expression. It wasn’t until 2014’s Original Sin Vol 1 #2 that Loki’s gender identity was clarified. In this comic, Thor and Loki find themselves in a female-run society. When Thor assures his brother “These are fair maidens,” Loki responds with “So am I, sometimes. It doesn’t mean I’m safe to talk to.”

When Loki later takes on a female form to blend in with the society, she’s only referred to with she/her pronouns. This isn’t a disguise, it’s just another form of Loki. This fluidity is later confirmed in the same arc when Odin reflects on his children. “My son, my daughter, and my child who is both,” he says.

At that point, Loki was no longer a male comics character who dressed up with shapeshifting as necessary, but those elements were considered additional parts of what makes up “Loki.”

Loki comes out

This brings us up to date with Loki, and while fans may be excited for Tom Hiddleston’s character to catch up with the comics, Michael Waldron is quick to say Loki’s genderfluid identity isn’t something he’s qualified to speak on.

“I think that is best experienced in the show, as opposed to me, a cis straight white guy giving clunky answers about it,” Waldron says.

He’s still proud of bringing that representation to the MCU, especially crediting it to Loki director Kate Herron. “That was so important to Kate, that we did that justice. Everyone will have to watch and see.”

Loki has apparently been representing genderfluidity for nearly a decade.

The person most intimately familiar with Loki is Tom Hiddleston, who has embodied the character for just under a decade. For the Marvel actor, genderfluidity was a logical conclusion to his character.

“Breadth and range of identity contained in the character has been emphasized and is something I was always aware of when I was first cast 10 years ago,” Hiddleston says. “I know it was important to Kate Herron and Michael Waldron and to the whole team. And we were very aware, this is something we felt responsible for.”

Whether or not it’s explored in depth in the series remains to be seen, but just this Twitter confirmation retroactively adds a whole new layer of representation to the MCU. After years of the only confirmed LGBTQ+ character being a director cameo in Avengers: Endgame, this moment has retroactively made one of the most iconic Marvel villains canonically, if technically, transgender.

Will Loki actually expand on this new canonical trait?

The Inverse analysis — Marvel’s Loki reveal isn’t perfect. Tom Hiddleston is a cisgender man, and casting cis actors in trans roles is frowned upon, though Loki’s shapeshifting abilities may help sidestep that issue. There’s also some criticism that this canonical reveal is paired to a Disney+ streaming series, instead of a blockbuster film.

Still, when it comes to genderfluid and gender non-conforming representation in any sort of popular media, some is better than nothing at all. For someone who is genderfluid like me, a massively iconic character like Loki sharing this trait makes it easier for my identity to be explained.

Just like Loki, I can shift into a boy or a girl or somewhere in between, but I’m still me. No matter how this trait is explored in the MCU’s future, that’s a huge win.

#Loki #Loki series #Tom Hiddleston #Interview #Article #Inverse

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davidmann95 · 3 years

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How about those JL storyboards?

In case you haven’t heard, Zack Snyder is putting on display the ‘storyboards’ - i.e. a rough plot summary accompanied by some Jim Lee sketches - for what would have been Justice League 2 and 3, or as this puts it 2 and ‘2A’. You can see them here (I imagine better-quality versions will soon be released), and read a transcript here. This is evidently a very early version: this was apparently pitched prior to the release of BvS and Justice League being rewritten in the wake of it, with numerous plot details that now don’t line up with what we know about the Snyder Cut, plus it outright mentions it builds on the originally planned versions of the Batman and Flash movies. But it’s a broad outline of what was gonna go down, and while I initially thought it was Snyder throwing in the towel, the timing - paired with the ambiguity left by the necessity for changes, including that this doesn’t factor whatever that “massive cliffhanger” at the end of the Cut is - says to me he’s hoping this’ll be a force multiplier behind efforts to will sequel/s into existence. He’s probably right.

I’ll be discussing spoilers below, but in short: with this Zack Snyder has finally lived up to Alan Moore, in that like Twilight of the Superheroes I wouldn’t believe this was real as opposed to a shockingly on-point parody if not for direct, irrefutable evidence.

Doing some rapid-fire bullet points for this baby to kick us off:

* Folks who know the subject say a lot of this is a yet further continuation of Snyder doing Arthuriana fanfic with the League reskinned over those major players, and I’ll take their word for it.

* I don’t know whether I love or hate that in Justice League 2 the Justice League are only an extant thing for the first scene, and then it’s Snyder giving everybody their own mini-movies. It’s compressing the entire MCU “loosely interconnected solo stories leading to a single big movie later” strategy into a single movie!

* Funniest line in the whole thing: "Even Lantern has heard of the Kryptonian, worried that he's under the control of Darkseid. He heard his spirit was unbreakable." Hal what fuckin' Superman movie did YOU watch? Second funniest being “IT WILL GIVE HIM POWER OVER ALL LIVING LIFE”

* 90% of the plot I have nothing to say about, it’s generic stage-setting crap. That to be clear is the ‘shocked it’s Snyder’ element, it feels so crassly commercial in a way I can’t believe is coming from the BvS guy.

* Most of what I have to say is unsurprisingly gonna be about a handful of characters but Cyborg’s happy ending being “he isn’t visibly disabled anymore!” is not great!

* The Goddess of War battle with Superman...never pays off? No clue why it’s there.

* What I’d originally heard was that the Codex in Superman’s blood was the last key to the Anti-Life Equation and that’s why Darkseid was coming to Earth. It’s not like all of this wouldn’t have already been averted by Kal-El’s pod smacking into an asteroid on the way to Earth so it’s not as if this makes it any more Superman’s fault, and it would have at least tied all this back to the beginning of the movies, but I suppose that was either fake or from a later draft.

* I have NO idea how this was reimagined without the ‘love triangle’, it’s the central character thing and the entire climax flows directly out of it!

* Darkseid’s kinda a chump in this, huh

Anonymous said: So: Does Zack Snyder hate Superman?

Look: the hilarity of this when Cuck Kent has been a go-to Snyder cult insult towards ‘inferior’ takes on Superman for years cannot be understated, yet at the same time I can almost wrap my brain around where Snyder’s coming from with that as the end for his take on the character. He talked in that Variety piece on how his interest in Superman is informed by having adopted children himself, and Deborah Snyder is the stepmother to his kids by previous relationships, so I can see where he’d be coming from, and I can even imagine how he’d see this as ‘rhyming’ in the sense of “the series begins with Kal-El being adopted by Earth, it ends with him adopting a child of Earth!” In the same way as MARTHA, I can envision how he would put these pieces together in his head thematically without registering or caring what the end result would actually look like. In this case, Superman raising the kid of the man who beat the shit out of him who Batman had with Clark’s wife, who earlier told Bruce she was staying with Clark because he ‘needed her’, suggesting if inadvertently that this really honest to god was a “she’s only staying with Superman out of pity, she really loved Batman more” thing.

But Clark is nothing in this. He’s sad and existential because of coming back from the dead I guess, then he’s corrupted, then time’s undone and he woo-rah rallies the collective armies of the world (interesting angle for the ‘anti-military/anti-establishment’ Superman he’s talked up as) as his big heroic moment in the finale, and then he stops being sad because he’s adopting a kid. So his big much-ballyhooed, extremely necessary five-movie character arc towards truly becoming Superman was:

Sad weird kid -> sad weird kid learns he’s an alien, is still weird and sad, maybe he shouldn’t save people because things could go really wrong? -> his dad is so convinced it could go wrong he lets himself die -> ????? -> Clark is saving people anyway -> learns his origin, gets an inspiring speech about being a bridge between worlds and a costume -> becomes superman (not Superman, that’s later) to save the world, albeit a very property-damagey version, rejects his heritage he just learned about and space dad’s bridge idea -> folks hate him being superman and that sucks though at least he’s got a girlfriend now -> things go so wrong he considers not being superman but his ghost dad reminds him shit always goes wrong so he should be good anyway, which sorta feels like it contradicts his previous advice -> immediate renewed goodness is out the window as he’s blackmailed into having to try and kill a dude but the dude happens to coincidentally have some things in common so they don’t kill each other after all -> big monster now but superman keeps supermaning at it because he loves his girlfriend and he dies -> he’s brought back, wears black which apparently means now he likes Krypton again? -> he has work friends now but he’s still sad because he was dead -> evil now! -> wait nevermind time travel -> rallies the troops -> his wife’s having a kid so he’s not sad anymore -> Superman! Who gives way to more Batman.

Do I think Zack Snyder is lying when he says he likes Superman? No. I think he sincerely finds much of the basic conceits and imagery engaging. But I don’t think he meaningfully gives shit about Clark as a character, just a vessel for Big Iconic Beats he wants to hit. Whereas while for instance he’s critical of Batman as an idea (at least up to a point), he’s much more passionately, directly enamored with him as a presence and personality. So while Superman may be the character whose ostensible myth cycle or arc or however it’s spun might be propelling a lot of events here, it’s a distant appreciation - of course the other guy takes over and subsumes him into his own narrative. Of course Batman is the savior, the past and the future (though if he’s supposed to be Batman’s kid raised by Superman there’s no excuse for him not to be Nightwing), the tragic martyr to our potential. Admittedly the implication here is also that Batman can apparently only REALLY with his whole heart be willing to sacrifice his life to save an innocent, for that matter apparently his great love, once said innocent is a receptacle for his Bat-brood, but he and Clark are both already irredeemable pieces of shit by the end of BvS so it’s not like this even registers by comparison.

Anonymous said: That “plan” Snyder had was utter dogshit. Picture proof that DC & WB hate Superman. Also I love how you’re like Jor-El: Every single idealistic take you had about Snyder, his fandom, and BvS was wrong. Snyder’s an edgy hack, his fanbase just wants to jerk off to their edgy self-insert Batgod as he screams FUCK while mowing people down with machine guns, and the idea that BvS said Superman was better than Bats was completely wrong. You know what comes next SuperMann: Either you die or I do.

In the final analysis, beyond that mother of god is there sure no conceivable excuse for the treatment of Lois in this? The temptation is to join that anon and say as I originally tweeted that these were “built entirely to disabuse every single redemptive reading of the previous work and any notion of these movies as nuanced, artistic, self-reflective, or meaningful”.

...

...yeah, okay, that’s mostly right. Zack Snyder’s vision really was the vision of an edgelord idiot with bad ideas who was never going to build up to anything that would reframe it all as a sensible whole. He’s a sincere edgelord genuinely trying really hard with his bad ideas who put some of them together quite cleverly! But they’re fucking bad and the endgame was never anything more than ramping up into smashing the action figures together as big as he could, the political overtones and moral sketchiness of BvS while trying to say something in that movie reverberated through the grand scheme of his pentalogy in no way beyond giving his boys a big sad pit to rise out of so when they kicked ass later it’d rule harder, and all the gods among men questions and horror and trappings were only that: trappings. Apparently he’s really pleasant and well-meaning in person, but at his core his art as embodied in a couple weeks in his 4-hour R-rated Justice League movie meant to be seen in black-and-white all comes down to that time he yelled at someone on Twitter that he couldn’t appreciate Snyder’s work because it’s for grown-ups. He made half-clever, occasionally exciting shit cape movies for a bunch of corny pseudo-intellectual douchebags, folks latching onto and justifying blockbusters that at least acknowledge how horrifying the world is right now even if the superheroes are basically useless in the face of it if not outright part of the problem until a convenient alien invasion shows up to justify them, and a handful of non-asshole smart people who vibe with it but...well. ‘Suckered’ is a harsh word, and definitely doesn’t apply to all of them re: what they’ve gotten out of it up to this point and would (somehow) get out of this. But it doesn’t apply to none of them, either.

#Justice League #Zack Snyder #Superman #Batman #DCEU #Opinion

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