#like.... what if 2012!Loki is going have Hela and ragnarok Loki is just standing there like ''im not ur dad'' after hela says 'hello father' | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

lokihzra · 3 years

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Brother

Summary: Loki x avengers au, idk man Loki isn’t dead, he missed Thor, nobody trusts him, Tony and Banner feel bad, Loki is slightly losing it but won’t tell anyone

“Loki!” Thor hears Thanos growl as he picks himself off the ground, Rogers is on the ground beside Thanos, Loki holding the gauntlet, if it weren’t for the purple kool-aid man yelling his name Thor would swear he’s dreaming “drop-“ Thanos starts to growl again, starting to stand “lovely to see you again but i must be going now” Lokis smirks before disappearing in a green light. Thor feels his knees wanting to give out but he doesn’t let them “where is he” Thanos growls grabbing Thor by his throat and lifting him off the ground “i., dont, know” Thor wheezes out trying breathe better. “here” he hears his brothers voice to his right, so faint he barely heard it “snap now” Loki states and he looks over to see Loki standing beside banner as the latter screams in pain as he veins light up different colours and then Thanos drops him, he wheezes, catching his breath as he watches Thanos running over to them and without a thought he throws stormbreaker at him and the overgrown eggplant trips over it as Loki holds his palms out and spreads them apart. Thor stops getting up as he sees a green barrier surround his brother and Banner. “Bruce!” Loki spins around to face the man in his hulk form and he replies with a snap. For some reason Loki expects himself to fade away, like ash but he opens his eyes to all of Thanos’ men, ships and the man himself slowly dissolving into thin air. He lets the barrier down watching as the man that tortured and controlled him weakly walked over to a pile of rubble and takes a seat on it “good to see you again reindeer games” Tony pants from a couple feet away before he lays back down exhausted I did it.

“How the hell are you here?!” Natasha threatens sitting on top of Loki and holding a knife to his throat “brother, help please” he looks at Thor who’s still shocked standing still not saying anything “shut up” she snarls pressing the knife harder into his throat, now if it wasn’t his own dagger he wouldn’t be scared “let me up and i’ll tell you all everything” he stares her directly in the eyes hoping that she can see that he’s being honest for once in his life, after a second of glaring she hesitantly removes the knife and stands,never stopping her glare. He lets out a sigh before getting up “did you all really think it would be that easy for me to die?” he asks “well he did see your dead body” clint says obviously disappointed while pointing at Thor, he notices his brother still never moved “brother?” he tries to get his attention ignoring everyones eyes on him, doesnt work “brother” Thor doesnt respond and Loki lets out a mix of a groan and a sigh “can you smack him or something?” he asks Bruce and the man frowns “he was kicking your ass on Sakaar don’t worry about it” Bruce’s mouth moves up and down in surprise before finally saying “you’re Ragnarok Loki?” and he frowns “you’re the Loki that fought and died for his people, not the 2012 Loki that was trying to take over New York” Bruce simply says “god you guys are slow” Natasha sighs before turning and punching Thor in the face, it does the trick but doesn’t hurt him which kinda hurts Nat’s ego “i saw you die” Thor says offended and Loki smirks “so you’ve said before” his smile drops and he sighs going to sit on the couch, Thor, Banner and Tony following right away “so i actually did die but since Hela also died, the names in Hells book wouldnt apply, basically Hell was closed until it found a new owner, there was no other place for me to go but reincarnation, took 5 damn years for my body to regenerate though” he smiles happily “then where will Thanos go” Nat asks and Loki can hear the fear in her voice “oh he’s going to Hell” Loki nods smiling harder “i thought you just said Hell’s closed” Tony frowns taking a sip of his drink “not anymore” he takes Tonys drink and downs it in one gulp ignoring the mans offended look instead focusing on Peter i think that’s his name as he asks “then whos the new owner, or ruler?” He’s sitting with his arms crossed on the armrest of the chair that Doctor Strange is in “me” Loki smirks looking directly at Doctor Strange showing that i am completely unfazed by your suspicion of me so stop glaring “wait why’d you show up after the snap?” Tony says taking a seat again with a new drink and Loki barely stops himself from flinching when did he get up? “my soul was stuck in the soul stone so when you snapped my soul took that opportunity to reunite with my body and then I had to become the ruler of Hell so i took a bit longer than everyone else”

“can we trust you?” Steve asks standing beside peter and doctor strange

“No you cant, i saved the planet for nothing” Loki states sarcastically he then sighs becoming serious “i’ll admit it, i was under mind control when i tried to take over new york but i knew what i was doing, i couldnt say anything because thanos and his people had a psychic connection with me” he looks at Thor knowing he remembers the fight on Stark Tower but he flinched when stark places something around his wrists “this will disable your magic and shock you if you try and leave the building, just until we trust you” Stark adds on when he sees Loki tense “in the meantime you can train people” Stark gets up and downs his drink placing the cup in the sink “i’ll have FRIDAY and Happy make up your room” and Stark walks out almost everyone follows behind him excluding Natasha, Banner,Wanda and Thor. “you so much as act suspicious and i’ll kill you” Nat snarls

“you think you can win against me?” Loki smirks looking up from the little silver bracelets around his wrists “i got you down 10 minutes ago” she smiles and Loki loves that the smug look on her face will be gone soon

“i don’t favour hitting girls” he leans back placing an arm over the back of the couch and smirks when Natasha gets up and leaves

“what the hell is there to do around here?” he asks “can’t use my magic so what can i do?” he looks to Thor but his brother still looks kind of shocked ”it’s no fair putting me up against you if you can bend yourself at 90 degrees” Natasha pants as Loki holds out a hand for her “your enemies don’t care what’s fair” she takes it as he pulls her up with ease “to them it’s simply an advantage” she frowns at him while raising her fists and getting back into a fighting stance and without hesitation she throwing punches faster than a storm but Loki has no problem dodging them. As he dodges one he grabs her arm and moves so that hes standing beside her, her arm straight out and pressed against his chest he pushes down on her chest at the same time that he kicks her legs out from under her but before she can hit the ground he moves his left hand to the back of her head saving her from smacking it into the floor i don’t know how weak these mortals are.He lets go leaving her on the ground panting once again “you’re not skilled enough for me to train” he states walking over to a boxing ring and sitting on the edge “is that a challenge?” she raises her brow easily standing up with confidence “no, it’s a fact” Loki says seriously and Tony barges in “he’s right Cruella DeVille” clearly a jab at her platinum blonde and auburn hair, he points towards the door “can you take off please? i have to talk to Rock of Ages alone” Tony whispers once hes close enough to Natasha and she glares at Loki not wanting to leave him alone with Tony but does as asked.

“you look weird in normal clothes” Tony states once Natasha’s gone studying his grey sweater, black sweatpants and green t-shirt peeking out from under the sweater “you came to talk about my clothes?” Loki asks but Tony dismisses him waving his hands “no no no no” he places his hands in his pockets “just came to warn you that if you so much as act suspicious” he points towards the ceiling “i’ve asked FRIDAY to crank the heat up in whatever room you’re in until you pass out” and in response Loki raises his wrists looking to the silver bracelets “lucky i cant do anything then” Tony smirks “trust is a two way street Diva, i’m willing to trust you so you gotta give us something” he paces a bit “i let you snap these on me without killing you” he raises a wrist again “if i recall, if it weren’t for me you would be dead right now” Loki leans back against the boxing rings barrier and smirks a bit at the shock on Tonys face “what?” he asks after a second “you’re almighty Doctor Strange didn’t tell you?” Loki leans forward resting his elbows on his knees and for a second Tony can see 2012 Loki “you were supposed to snap” Loki states lowly and Tony feels numb.

“how did you know?” Doctor Strange directs at Loki who’s sitting calmly on the couch despite the chaos in the room but Tony interrupts “ah, don’t try and change the subject Bonnie Bennett” Doctor Strange frowns in confusion obviously not knowing who that is “you knew i was going to die thats why you gave Thanos the time stone?” Tony asks and states at the same time “Loki was already dead, you were the last hope” Strange says solemnly and it pisses Tony off “don’t try and act like you feel guilty, you would do anything if it meant saving the planet including letting my daughter grow up without a father” Strange didn’t know what to say because he couldn’t deny it, so instead he turned to Loki who still sat calmly on the couch “how did you know?” he asks no emotion and Loki leans forward slightly eyeing him “how long have you been studying Mystic Arts?” Strange looks up in thought and quickly answers “almost 4 years now” Loki looks disappointed like he expected longer “i’ve been studying every single form of magic for over a thousand years, you really think i haven’t mastered prophecy? my mother was the goddess of prophecy” he leans back relaxing and he looks surprised when Thor speaks to him, they haven’t really talked since he got back “mother taught you prophecy? Loki nods with an “mhmm”

“Mother” Thor asked walking up to his mother who sat on the bench on a balcony “Why do people hate Loki?” he asks taking a seat beside her, Thor was a curious kid “i don’t think they hate him they’re just-” she paused looking out towards the scenery of Asgard while thinking “biased” and Thor looks at her in pure confusion “well my dear son, It is taught that men are meant to fight, that they’re supposed to be strong and at the head of battle, but your brother fights differently, he doesnt go for throwing punches, he prefers things to be quick because he doesn’t like fighting that much so he uses magic as an advantage” she says looking her teen son in the eye “and because of that people think he’s weak or scared but you know what I think” she asks and Thors anger turns back to curiosity “what” he smiles widely making Frigga smile too “I think your brother can be the best fighter there is, i think he can be a healer, a sorcerer and that’s what makes him special, thats what makes people fear and loathe him”

“I only use it when needed” Loki looks at him and Thor tries to hide the fact that he zoned out by trying to make it look like he was thinking “the sun will shine on us again” and Loki doesn’t look ashamed or mad he simply smirks with a nod “all of you are needed for that” Loki looks at everyone in the room “so where are the Gaurdians?” Loki ignores Thors frown because Loki shouldn’t know about them and Steve shakes his head with his arms crossed obviously weary of Loki “we don’t know” Tony walks out “they went to find Flash Gordons woman” Natasha rolls her eyes “can’t you ask that Bifrost keeper of yours if he can see them?” she questions and Scott budges in “yeah lets just go to the new Asgard and ask” he says enthusiastically “Heimdall is dead” Loki and Thor say at the same time and Loki frowns at it “Thanos killed him for sending Banner back when Thanos destroyed our ship” he gets up and heads into the connecting kitchen behind the couch Loki is on “so we have no way of finding them” he says grabbing a beer out of the fridge and Loki wants to fucking stab him “Heimdall wanted me to be his successor awhile ago” Loki says turning to face Thor and he sees his brother almost spit out his beer i wish he did “taught me how to see people but im not as good as him, i don’t know if i could see them considering they could be anywhere” Thor takes another swig of his beer “well practice for a couple days” he says nonchalantly and walks away

“he’s probably just not used to you being here after 5 years” he hears Tony behind him and senses how close he is, he spins around catching Tony’s hand before the man can pat his back in comfort “try and touch me again” Loki snarls squeezing Tonys hand so tight the man cant help but groan lightly “and i’ll break all 14 knuckles in your hand” Loki stands up and let’s go of Tony hand harshly walking out and leaving everyone stunned he was making such good progress “im gonna kill him” Natasha says happily going to follow after him but of course Steve has to stop her “even without magic he’s stronger than us” Nastasha frowns at him he looks at Tony still rubbing his left hand in pain “Thor crushed your suit with his bare hands, I imagine Loki can snap those bracelets off like nothing, we shouldn’t push him”

The next day Loki sat quietly on the couch reading a book, Thor at the other end, Peter sitting in an armchair playing with a colourful cube and Bruce in the other writing things down in a notebook, “hey i’ve always wondered” Peter says and Loki looks up to see him looking right at him and Thor “Asgardians dont speak english so how can we communicate?” he fiddles with the colourful cube in his hands waiting for an answer “it’s called an AllSpeak, it allows Asgardians to speak any and every language” Loki says still flipping through his book he resists flinching when stark bursts through the door with a clap a group of people following in behind him “ok meeting in session” he says with a smile “cap please stop fucking around with mewmew we know you’re worthy” steve stops and drops mjolnir before anyone can see him and gets serious “its mjolnir” Thor retorts and Tony brushes him off “we got a signal on Rockets ship, they got here about 20 minutes ago so they should be here soon” Natasha sits down beside Loki careful not to touch him “and,Peter” the teen straightens up in his seat “Loki is going to train you” Loki doesn’t react but he hears the kid let out a nervous laugh “im just a kid i can’t win against a god” Loki can see Peter point at him out of the corner of his eye and he resists the urge to snap his wrist nobody here is going to hurt you, you are fine, you are safe “you’re the only other person that can compare to his agility and flexibility, not to mention you got spidey sense” Peter raises his eyebrows looking at Steve like he’s lost it “he’s a sorcerer, surely he can block me from sensing him” Loki smirks and closes his eyes concentrating, drowning out the conversation and once he thinks he’s got it he whips his book at Peter and the teen catches it a split second before it hits him, letting out a breath that he held “Loki!” Thor says like he’s scolding a child “guess i can’t block you out” he holds out a hand towards Peter and he looks confused “the book?” and Peters face drops in realization before throwing the book back to Loki “what if you could block him out?” Steve says and Loki can hear the anger “then a book would have hit him in the face” Loki states going back to reading “someones coming” Peter states looking towards the door the second he feels the hairs on his neck stand up “oh it’s probably the Gaurdians” Tony says sitting beside Peter and he’s right when the door busts open 2014 Gamora, Nebula, Drax, Rocket, Mantis, Quill and Groot walk in “My friends” Thor gets up happily to walk over to them and Loki hides his jealousy, Thors been out of it for days so he turns to see who got his bubbly brother bubbly again and then Loki couldnt breathe, he felt like mjolnir was sitting on his chest when the hammer was clearly nowhere near him, he could barely hear, he felt like he was being held underwater “you’ve heard of my brother” he hears Thor through the drowning in his ears and no matter how much Loki wants to run he cant panicking, trying to swim back to the surface, screaming for help but nothing comes, “Loki?” Gamora says like she couldn’t believe her eyes, she couldnt believe he was alive is the first thing in Lokis mind “you know him?” Thor turns to Gamora frowning he feels his nerves turn to ice, ironic since he’s a Frost Giant “my father made me torture him” Gamora says quietly and Loki can hear and feel her remorse but that isnt enough. That doesnt make up for the 547 days that he was tortured, the 547 days he begged for his brother and mother, the 547 days that he thought he was safe only to be met with Thanos and Gamora again and again, the 547 days he tried to keep himself together, the 500 days that he kept his pride together, the 47 days that he wished for death, the 47 days that he prayed to any God that it would be over soon it doesnt make up for the 547 days of pure agony and suffering, filled with illusions, blood, broken promises and so much pain.

He must’ve froze in shock because Bruce snaps him out of it “Loki? hey?” Loki looks at Bruce trying to control his breathing then back to Gamora, Nebula and Thor, he couldn’t do it. He snapped the bracelet off his left wrist like glass, Natasha grabbed his wrist trying to stop him but he twisted her wrist causing her to fall to the floor and before anyone else could get close enough the second bracelet was gone and so was he. “what the fuck just happened” Natasha said sitting up on the floor “Thor go check your brothers room” Tony points at him Thor looks between him and Gamora obviously trying to process everything “go!” Tony yells and finally Thor listens ignoring his heartbeat in his ears “Loki wouldn’t be in his room” Steve spits “we gotta check the perimeter, ask Valkyrie to check around Asg-“

“No, Loki wants us to trust him and if that’s true then he’ll be in his room” Tony emphasizes the last part walking out past everyone to the elevator “FRIDAY check for Loki on the cameras, get back to me as soon as you find him” He doesnt look at anyone as the elevator doors close “Yes boss” FRIDAY says automatically.

continuing on AO3

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icyxmischief · 6 years

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@juliabohemian every time I try to reblog your posts Tumblr won’t let me, but I know you don’t have me blocked so this is a strange conundrum indeed. Anyway you posted something that just circulated my dash and I spent a while making an addition, so here it is:

Not to compound your heartache, but I’ve been writing about this stuff since 2012 and it’s even worse than that.

The entire Thor narrative has brought Odin’s family full circle back to where they began in 2011′s first film. I mean this in terms of filial dynamics and discrete roles within a dysfunctional family structure. Not only is Loki still always the responsible party for everyone’s missteps and crimes, the “progress” that the family has made is actually a regression that reinforces his scapegoat role.

This is why when others are endlessly celebratory about the moment in Infinity War during which Loki refers to himself as “Odinson,” I cringe.

Because Loki WAS allowed a redemption, in Ragnarok, and then, in Infinity War: but one contingent upon Thor’s, and, by extension, Odin’s, idea of what connotes heroism (and, even though Mjolnir is long gone, “worthiness”). Loki became a hero when Loki stopped having his own thoughts about what to do after Hela’s invasion, when he stopped having ANY healthy notions of self-preservation, and when he followed THOR’S plan to defeat Hela. ONLY when Loki emulated Thor did Loki become a hero. The one thing that has always driven Loki to lack inner peace has been incessant negative comparison to Thor. So it’s only in an extremely toxic message of SELF-ERASURE that he completes the Thor films’ narrative of “healing” and “redemption.” Just like when Odin imprisoned both Hela and Loki under Asgard, to ritually erase them both from the fabric of his family tree, only FAR more subtle and insidious, by giving him NO OTHER OPTION FOR LOVE AND ACCEPTANCE BY HIS SOLE LIVING FAMILY MEMBER (Thor) EXCEPT TO “CHOOSE” TO STAND AND FIGHT (AND DIE) AT THOR’S SIDE.

Loki is only granted redemption when Loki IS NO LONGER LOKI.

And the freakiest part about this is that the broader Marvel audience has accepted this as “evidence” that Loki “was a hero all along” and it is the ONE THING that has made fans lighten up on hating him. The story stuffed Loki, who is a marvelous gray-amoral antihero, in a hero box--and not just ANY HERO BOX, but the box labeled “ultimate self-sacrifice in death, even against characterization and logic.”

Think about it.

--What was Loki in Thor 1? A passive receptacle for Thor’s warmongering and impulsivity, who must “shut up” and “know his place” at all times, whose plans to divert Thor from a disastrous place on the Throne were thinly veiled by the “heroes” as “treason” and “a whiny jealous younger brother’s petty vendetta.”

--What was Loki in The Dark World? A prisoner Odin and Thor genuinely hoped the world would forget, whose inconvenient truths about mirroring his father and brother’s warmongering on a protected (translate: already “owned”--claimed by Thor as “his” because of Jane Foster) territory of Asgard (Midgard) got him thrown in prison for life. Odin was angrier that Loki brought up these truths of Odin’s hypocrisy than he was that Loki tried to take Midgard as his own. Because unlike Thor, Odin couldn’t control Loki’s cognitions and beliefs. He never could. And when was Loki released from prison? Only when he became useful to Thor. A passive receptacle, being retrained as such, being told his mission basically to escape Thanos’s abuse with Midgard as a consolation prize was basically just a “childish tantrum” for which he should be gaslit and punished. And when was Loki forgiven? When did Thor weep for him, and say he’d take memory of his noble deeds to their father? ONLY when it appeared he had made a self-sacrifice in extremis, and was dying.

--What was Loki in Ragnarok? A traitor and a laughable clown. How dare he lay around eating grapes and watching theater that craftily reinvented his image to a previously disdainful populace? How dare he SURVIVE? Thor is angrier at Loki for surviving, seemingly, than he is relieved! Simply because Loki didn’t die for him, so of course, to Thor, it’s tantamount to another betrayal, it can’t be anything in between total self-effacement and total selfishness: it isn’t all about Thor, God forbid! Loki must be again a passive receptacle! How dare he cunningly outwit all of that lifelong conditioning to be silent and obeisant? So Thor acts juvenile, and emotionally strongarms Loki (yep, electrocution scene) and refuses to speak to him, and unfairly blames him for Hela’s return (WHEN IT’S ODIN WHO RAISED HELA TO BE A MONSTER AND THEN IMPRISONED HER! but if you’re groomed to be a narcissist by your father and emotionally dependent on your father’s praise then you can’t turn on your father, EVER) untilllll? Loki shows up with a ship from Sakaar and fights on Thor’s behalf.

“If you were here I’d give you a hug” translates to “If you would only abide by MY rules for what connotes a good person (cause after all Thor knows best, right? ‘That’s what heroes do!’) then I’d reward you for it.” And the whole movie ends with Loki going “I’m here” which is tantamount to saying “I YIELD.”

PASSIVE. RECEPTACLE.

Ergo Odin remains the benevolent all-controlling patriarch. Ergo Thor remains the petulant narcissist who always gets his way. Ergo Frigga, dead, is more absent from stopping the toxicity than ever, because fridging! Ergo, Loki remains the silent scapegoat.

Seven. Years. Of films. And counting.

#meta #Loki meta #juliabohemian

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rate-out-of-10 · 7 years

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THOR: RAGNAROK REVIEW

Thor: Ragnarok is the 17th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe; and this is just counting the feature films, not any of the TV series. I’m not going to spend too long on how monumental that is, but it’s worth mentioning. Also, with the first two solo Thor movies getting mixed reviews from audiences and critics, the fact that Thor: Ragnarok, the third solo Thor movie, and (again) the 17th MCU movie, is so well received and by all accounts a great movie is pretty astounding. Marvel and Disney have continuously knocked it out of the park, they have the winning formula.

SPOILERS AHEAD

CHARACTERS AND PERFORMANCES

The Marvel universe is filled with wonderful characters, everyone has someone to connect to and love. Thor: Ragnarok might be the best example of how vast and colorful Marvel is (alongside of the Guardians movies, of course). Our man Chris Hemsworth returns as Thor, and the fit has never been better. Hemsworth has always seemed to shine brightest along with his other Avengers, but here in Ragnarok Thor comfortably fits the main stage and our center of attention. Chris is extremely charming and funny in his role in Ragnarok, hitting a stride and comfortability with the character that’s so easy to see. Honestly now, Hemsworth and Thor are inseparable images, it’s never been clearer. Next to Thor is perhaps another fan favorite, Tom Hiddleston as Loki. I’ve always enjoyed Loki to an extent, I felt as though he was a bit flat in The Avengers (2012), but he’s always been welcomed on screen. Here in Ragnarok, he seems stuck in a mischievous loop. Perhaps it’s the start of an arc for Loki, but I wish I saw something different from him here. Just as something seems to look like its turning for the best, he falls back into the same old, same old. The ending of the film, where he finds himself heading back to Earth with Thor and now all of Asgaard on a big space ship is perhaps to be the best place for him to land, but we’ll see. I was probably most excited to see Mark Ruffalo’s Bruce Banner/The Hulk in this. I was excited to see how he’d fit in, the backstory of him winding up with Thor, and to be honest I just missed Mark Ruffalo. Mark is so kind and gentle and the perfect counter to his Hulk. Banner is funny and just a fish out of water, like Thor is too, and it’s fun to see their chemistry flare on screen. Hemsworth and Ruffalo share the screen phenomenally well, they are just too fun. Also joining the cast, in spectacular fashion, I definitely wanted to highlight is Tessa Thompson as Valkyrie. Tessa was mysterious at first, but felt like a friend by the end. She was wonderful and empowering. I can’t wait to see more from her.

Now the big thing to talk about is Cate Blanchett as Hela, the Goddess of Death, and Thor’s long lost sister. Marvel has had its run-ins with flat, choppy, all too typical villains, and while I don’t think Hela fits that description, she doesn’t surpass it too far either. Hela is a lot of fun to watch on screen during battles and Cate looks incredible in the role (don’t get me started with that perfect eye flare when she stops Mjolnir), but her character progression is what I take issue with. It feels as though she’s more of the same with the rest of Marvel’s misstep villains. She actively looms in the background of the plot, building her army, scheming, and just being all around menace to Asgaard, but she never exceeds it. She wasn’t the worst Marvel has offered, but she’s not top tier either.

Now, Thor: Ragnarok is loaded with colorful and interesting supporting characters, as well. Jeff Goldblum’s Grandmaster was hilarious and you could just tell he loved every minute of what he was doing. He was just having fun and allowed himself to dive deep into the melodrama of his character. As well as Jeff Goldblum, the director himself (Taika Watiti) takes up a hilarious CGI role in Korg. In a movie loaded with comedy, Korg somehow manages to stand out as one of the funniest additions to the movie. And of course we get our Doctor Strange appearance from Benedict Cumberbatch. He really just has a smaller role, moving the plot along, but it is worth mentioning the direction of Strange’s character. He seems to be mastering his mystic arts quite well and his outfit is just so comic-book, it’s glorious.

WRITING AND DIRECTION

As Thor’s third film, the writers and director, Taika Watiti, had to make Ragnarok definitive. Kenneth Branaugh’s Thor introduced us to the character, his world, and his family in Shakespearean fashion. The first Thor (2011) isn’t my favorite of the MCU, but I respect it immensely because of Branaugh’s Shakespearean eye for drama. It was a great, creative direction to go in for Thor’s introduction. Thor: The Dark World (2013) made a much more streamlined superhero movie. It’s not bad, but it’s just all too obvious of a movie, plus with the MCU’s debatably weakest villain to date, it made for a weak second outing for solo Thor. Ragnarok decided to take Thor as far away from what he (and we) knew and twisted the movie into something that was just fun. That, I can tell, was the main topic in the production meetings. This movie was just made to have fun. Yes, it advances our main characters and sets the stage for some big things to come, but all in all Thor: Ragnarok is just fun. It never takes itself too seriously, it takes itself for what it is, and it was great to see that. One thing that made Spiderman: Homecoming (2017) so infectious was how it took what it was doing with a grain of salt, and brought us away from the world ending threats and gave us smalltown, neighborhood Spiderman. Ragnarok does something similar where the stakes are indeed high, but the emphasis of character is what moves the movie forward. Sure, there were plot convenience issues, but they’re barely worth mentioning. Ragnarok stands out because it’s truly one of the best examples of character driven storytelling in the MCU, for our heroes. The plotline with Hela is really the only spot where the writing falters, but the film never dips too low, and hits high points consistently.

The first act of the film might be the area where I had to push through, but that’s only because the lighthearted approach was, at first, off-putting. I didn’t quite grasp what the film was trying to do, what it wanted to be (as some critics say), but once I allowed for the film to take me on this colorful, fun, and exciting journey with its characters, the film became immensely enjoyable. That’s what I’d say to first time viewers, expecting a hard hitting, more dramatic movie, especially after Age of Ultron (2015) and Civil War (2016), this movie is meant to be energetic and easy-going, while moving our characters forward in wonderful ways.

Thor: Ragnarok, in addition to wonderful characters, has some wonderful set pieces and CGI sequences and a kick ass soundtrack to boot. Led Zeppelin’s “Immigrant Song” is the lead take away track from the movie, but the original score has a great 80s Sci-Fi vibe, like a brighter Blade Runner. Aesthetically, visually, the film does a wonderful job, right down to the costumes; it’s grand.

FINAL RATING: 8.75/10

#thor #marvel #mcu #thor ragnarok #film review #movie review #comic books #chris hemsworth #cate blanchett #tom hiddleston #super hero #out of 10 #reviews #review #writing

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almohamady-blog · 5 years

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MCU: Most Defining Scenes of The Original 6 Avengers

We’re in the endgame now. The Avengers movie we’ve been waiting, theorizing about, obsessing over and anticipating more than any other movie for quite some time is finally coming to theaters this week. Avengers: Endgame has been marketed as the culmination of over a decade of Marvel films revolving around the core six who kicked this whole thing off. The original six Avengers also just happen to be some of the few heroes left after Thanos’ snap. Since it's distinctly possible we’ll be saying some goodbyes to the heroes at the center of this franchise phenomenon, let’s take a trip down memory lane to the moments in the MCU that were instrumental in defining the climax we’ll soon be witnessing. Avengers Assemble!

I Am Iron Man

Iron Man kicked off the MCU back in 2008 with an unforgettable bang from Robert Downey Jr’s Tony Stark when he broke the superhero cardinal rule: announcing your identity… oh, and on live television. It was already a different kind of origin story about a billionaire playboy’s journey into creating his own tech to undo the damage his weapons company had created. The final moment of the film showed the new Marvel universe wouldn’t be playing the same game as Superman or Batman and making a mark of its own.

I Told You, I Don’t Want To Join Your Super Secret Boyband

After Samuel L. Jackson’s Nick Fury makes his first appearance during the post-credit scene for Iron Man, the Avengers ringleader came back for the sequel to give Tony Stark a bit of an intervention on his recklessness midway through the film. He brings along Black Widow too on her first-ever appearance in the MCU. It’s a funny scene that has Fury calling Stark out for what he’s doing wrong and helping him out on his hero work. While Stark is great at playing it off, he probably needed a dose of S.H.I.E.L.D. on his side at that moment before he had the Avengers.

If He Be Worthy

Chris Hemsworth’s Thor has certainly come a long way since having bleached eyebrows and Natalie Portman’s Jane on his arm in his 2011 origin story. The quirky action flick introduced audiences to the complicated relationship between brothers Thor and Loki, culminating in the scene where Thor stands up to his brother (who's controlling The Destroyer) by sacrificing himself in order to save the people on Earth. While he takes a pretty bad hit, it earns him the right to his iconic hammer from Odin. At the same time, it angers Loki further which later kicks off the events of The Avengers.

Peggy, I’m Gonna Need A Raincheck On That Dance

This scene gets me every. single. time. It’s the moment when Cap must force down the plane in order to save everyone while on the line with Peggy Carter. It’s also the scene that signals Steve Rogers’ ultimate sacrifice to become a hero, which he ends up needing to live with nearly 70 years later when he is dug out of some ice. As Cap’s journey continues, the past that could have been haunting him and his relationship with Peggy is an important one (even alluded to in an Endgametrailer).

I’m In The Middle Of An Interrogation

It’s crazy to imagine that just a few years ago in 2012, a showcase of female badassery such as Black Widow’s at the beginning of The Avengers was something new to be introduced on screen. Since we have Rey in Star Wars, Wonder Woman, Captain Marvel and so on, but I distinctly remember the way Scarlett Johansson lights up this scene, in particular, feel special. It was the start of an era for action flicks and this defining scene was certainly part of it. From her snark and the skilled choreography, this is the moment when we were all sold on Black Widow.

That’s My Secret Cap, I’m Always Angry

Aside from the snap, this might just be the most iconic moment in the MCU to date. As Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, Black Widow and Hawkeye deal with the chaos attacking New York, Bruce Banner later rides up on a motorcycle to help. While the character’s fear of losing control to the “other guy” is brought up throughout the film, here he embraces it with the above line and completes the Avengers team once he Hulks out. That iconic shot of the six of them in a circle taking on the alien army showed the power of the MCU as the team was successfully brought together.

I’m Not Going To Fight You, You’re My Friend

Skipping to Captain America: Winter Soldier, Steve Rogers grapples with his past in a big way when he ends up in a showdown fight with his ol’ pal Bucky (a.k.a. Winter Soldier) in the finale of the film. A brainwashed Bucky is beating Cap up real good, but he refuses to fight with his best friend, even trying to jog his memory to help him remember. It’s a clever work of irony that the one piece of his past he can have is the person he is at odds with. While the relationship between them never seems to feel like the ‘40s, an ounce of Bucky does come through when he saves Cap from drowning.

Did You Bring Auntie Nat?

The MCU has always struggled a bit to give Hawkeye a story arc for the audience to care about, especially when he wasn’t given a movie of his own prior and his abilities are objectively less impressive than his fellow members. Avengers: Age of Ultron helped turned that around when it was revealed that Hawkeye has a family of his own living out somewhere in a safe house set up by Fury. His wife (Linda Cardellini) and kids surprise the other Avengers when they turn up to the house and Natasha have a cute banter with them. The scene helped to humanize Clint and get us more interested in his double life.

We’re Still Friends, Right?

Fans were divided into Team Cap and Team Iron Man in the event film Captain America: Civil War that had a bit of the old and new team of heroes fighting against each other based on principle. It will be hard to soon forget the airport battle that had Spider-Man, Ant-Man and Black Panther being featured in the mix, along with most of the original Avengers punching it out in a dynamic we’re not used to. Black Widow and Hawkeye going head-to-head were really fun, along with Cap and Spidey, but when Rhodey got hurt, it took a turn for the serious.

I Can Do This All Day

Civil War went for another unexpected match-up of hero versus hero when Iron Man and Captain America ended up getting into a heated fist fight over what should be done with Bucky, who is revealed to be the killer of Stark’s parents but is still Cap’s old bestie. It was a heartbreaking moment to watch as the heroes who once worked side-by-side were violently going at each other until Cap pins Iron Man on the floor and walks away with Bucky as he yells “That shield doesn’t belong to you. You don’t deserve it. My father made that shield.”

Are You Thor? The God of Hammers?

After Thor: Ragnarok delivered a completely different (and welcome) side of Odinson thanks to Taika Waititi’s direction, the third Thor film also upgraded his powers as well to someone much more powerful than a big hunk with a hammer. After Hela rips out his eye and looks to be doing quite well for herself in taking over Asgard, Thor is able to see a vision of his father, who tells him that the hammer isn’t the source of his power, but a way to wield it. To “Immigrant Song,” Thor comes out with this thunderous powers and with some help from Hulk and the gang, takes down her army. His newfound powers come in handy for Thanos, but aren't quite enough…

You Should Have Gone For The Head

This scene brings us up to speed to the jaw-dropping events of Infinity War where the Avengers actually fail to stop Thanos from possessing all the Infinity Stones and wiping out half of all life in the universe. The scene when the core Avengers have to watch as heroes all around them turn to dust and they are powerless to stop it is truly one we won’t soon forget, especially since it’s so untypical for them to not save the day. The ending was a complete shock at the end of the movie, especially when they were so close to victory. It showed the Avengers are flawed and not at a place of unity. What’s next for the Avengers? We’ll know soon when Endgame hits theaters on April 26. What are your favorite moments in the MCU so far? Let us know in the comments below! Read the full article

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medproish · 6 years

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The following contains spoilers for “Avengers: Infinity War.”

After 10 years of bringing Marvel Comics’s biggest superheroes to the big screen, “Avengers: Infinity War” finally pulled together Earth’s Mightiest Heroes for a whopping standoff against biggest villain to date, the purple world-destroyer Thanos. “Infinity War” doesn’t just offer fun match-ups like Thor and the Guardians of the Galaxy; it promises to pay off on every single clue hidden across multiple franchises and in countless post-credits scenes.

As one character in the movie puts it: “It’s all been leading up to this.” That means everything, from the very first time we saw Tony Stark in 2008’s “Iron Man” to his devastating fall out with Captain America in “Civil War.” But what happens now?

(SPOILERS BELOW)

Read More:‘Avengers: Infinity War’ Review: A Decade of Marvel Movies Collide in One Epic Showdown After Another

“Infinity War” is an implosion of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, a farewell to iconic heroes and fan favorites (some permanent, some likely temporary). Many of the deaths are shocking and sad. But sometimes, to move forward you have to blow everything up and start over again. That’s exactly what the MCU is doing.

The title of “Avengers 4” has been withheld because, according to the Russo Brothers, it’s a giant spoiler. After seeing “Infinity War” and watching half of the MCU either die or crumble into dust, it feels like that title can only be one thing: “Thanos Wins.”

At the end of “Infinity War,” Thanos doesn’t just get every single Infinity Stone, including the one lodged in Vision’s head. He also completes the Infinity Gauntlet and, as he does in the comic of the same name, he snaps his fingers to restore balance to the entire universe, wiping out half of all life in the process.

As Thanos explains, both to a young Gamora and to Doctor Strange, the universe and its resources are finite. Prior to his pursuit of the gauntlet, Thanos traveled from planet to planet, wiping out half of the population in a calculated but “random” form of genocide. It didn’t matter if you were rich or poor — everyone had the same 50/50 odds of survival. With the gauntlet completed, he can accomplish that genocide on a massive scale by simply snapping his fingers. So he does.

And just like that, the entire MCU that audiences have grown to love over the past 10 years is changed forever — or so it seems.

“Avengers: Infinity War”

Marvel Studios

After having the Mind Stone ripped out of his head, Vision lies crumpled, gray, and discarded in front of his stunned fellow Avengers. Then their numbers start to dwindle. The Winter Soldier staggers and disappears; Okoye is horrified as Black Panther disintegrates in front of her; Scarlet Witch and Falcon fade next; Rocket Raccoon is the only Guardian left standing; and Peter Parker clings to Tony Stark, begging for help before Spider-Man vanishes as well. At the exhausting end of “Infinity War,” Thanos truly does win.

But does he really? There’s no question that Jim Starlin’s 1991 “The Infinity Gauntlet” played a role in shaping the events of “Infinity War.” Unlike the film, the comic starts out with Thanos already possessing the gauntlet, and his quest isn’t so much to provide balance to the universe but to win the love of Madame Death, a metaphysical manifestation of death not dissimilar to Cate Blanchett’s Hela from “Thor: Ragnarok.”

Read More:‘Avengers: Infinity War’ Post-Credits Scenes: What They Are and What They Mean For the MCU

Thanos’ finger snap wipes out plenty of heroes in the comic, from Hawkeye to Daredevil to all of the Fantastic 4. Eventually, with the help of the Silver Surfer, Doctor Strange and Adam Warlock, the remaining Avengers assemble and try to take on Thanos. It goes as poorly as it does in “Infinity War.” In the comic, Thanos kills Scarlet Witch, he rips the wiring out of Vision, and Iron Man is left headless. Thanos touches She-Hulk and Namor as they quickly crumble into dust. Wolverine and Cyclops are also no match for the Mad Titan.

By the middle of the comic’s storyline, Thanos seems invincible. Much like the film, Marvel doesn’t have many superheroes left standing.

But then things take a big turn, thanks to Nebula — the antagonist first introduced in 2014’s “Guardians of the Galaxy,” who’s also Thanos’ daughter, and Gamora’s sister. This is where “Avengers 4” might come in to play.

Like most villains, Thanos’ pride gets the better of him, and believing himself truly invincible, he sheds his physical body and takes on a metaphysical form, becoming the center of all reality. But leaving his body behind also means leaving behind the gauntlet, which Nebula, who has been tortured beyond recognition, promptly takes for herself and reverses everything that Thanos has done.

In “Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 2,” Nebula explains that she has always resented Gamora because Thanos favored her. As children, the two sisters were trained as assassins, squaring off against one another, and each time Gamora won, a part of Nebula’s flesh was taken from her. In “Infinity War,” the audience sees Nebula suspended in air, her robotic body parts twisted and torn apart as she cries out in pain. He uses this torture to tease out the location of the Soul Stone from Gamora.

“Avengers: Infinity War”

Marvel Studios

But Nebula escapes and heads to Titan, where she squares off against Thanos again. In the end, she’s the only one left standing on the planet with Tony Stark, and she knows all too well what has happened.

Her survival in the film, when considered in light of her role in the comic, is telling: Nebula will likely be crucial in taking down Thanos. Her hatred for him burns deeper than Gamora’s ever did. If Nebula stabs the Mad Titan, there will be no tears shed on her part. Her hatred could also cloud her judgement; Nebula wouldn’t know how to wield the massive power of the Infinity Gauntlet, but she certainly would take it for herself, and it seems likely she would reverse everything he did. And it could offer the Avengers the chance to go back in time, this time to prepare for Thanos’ arrival.

Which leads back to that shocking ending. Just before Thanos is about to kill Tony Stark, Doctor Strange stops him and offers him the Time Stone. Tony doesn’t understand, but Strange just says, “We’re in the end game now.” With the help of the Time Stone, Strange went forward in time and saw over 14 million possible outcomes of the Avengers’ face-off with Thanos and only one led to success. With this in mind, letting Thanos win has to lead to his downfall.

Read More:Spike Lee Praises ‘Black Panther’: It’s ‘Changed Everything, Especially for People of Color’ — Tribeca

It seems fair to say that everyone else who disappears at the end of the film is coming back. The deaths of Black Panther and Spider-Man were the most shocking, especially as “Black Panther” set multiple box office records just a few weeks ago and remains in theaters even months after its release. But with a Spider-Man sequel film already set for next summer, and a third “Guardians” movie set for 2020, it seems unlikely that we’ve truly said goodbye to these heroes.

The Captain Marvel teaser at the end of the film suggests the remaining Avengers will get some big help to set things right.

Some viewers have wondered why Captain Marvel never helped the Avengers in past movies. If the Avengers go back in time, to the events of 2012’s “The Avengers” (where Loki is first sent to destroy New York by Thanos) she could join them and take down the Mad Titan before he even gets a single Infinity Stone. Going back in time would mean some of the deaths that seemed permanent, like Loki and Gamora and even the Black Order, could also be undone.

Thanos will return, the teaser at the end of “Infinity War” tells viewers, but plenty of clues in both the comics and Marvel’s cinematic slate suggest that Earth’s Mightiest Heroes will, too.

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