Marvel Cinematic Universe, Phase 4 & Beyond (and a chance to change your vote)

'I could have just avoided the thread altogether but because clicking through to spray the room down with needless haterade is an addiction akin to the most raging of junk habits, allow me to just state for the 457,017,381st time that the MCU is the nadir of Western culture.'

There, I saved some of you some time if you know how to copy + paste.

Crazy to think we're now 15 months and counting with no new MCU (unless you count the final season of Agents of SHIELD, which even I don't anymore).

the Helstrom TV show started on Hulu this week

which apparently sort of counts

Oh. Well, that was a stealth-ass debut.

it looks, and by all accounts is, absolutely terrible

I could have avoided the thread but it's fun to talk shit about garbage every once in a while

anyway, dud

Simon, I left you a present upthread. Please use it in good health.

you forgot "fascist"

Sorry, I very quickly fell asleep, what was that you were saying?

ANNNNNNYway.

I could have avoided the thread but it's fun to talk shit about garbage every once in a while

new board descrip pls

Glad this thread is here to get you to stop social distancing, bg! Adopt herd immunity!

work on yr nerd immunity imo

ok ok I'm actually done for now enjoy folks

Gentlemen you can’t needlessly rehash something for the 457,017,381st time in here, this is the marvel cinematic universe phase 4 and beyond thread

Looool

Did u know that if your eyes roll with enough force that they can actually detach from their stalks and fly out u face? I wish I hadn't had to discover that first-hand just this very moment. Dang.

is this the thread where we can talk about andrew garfield and tobey maguire maybe appearing as spider-men in the third tom holland spider-man movie? because i can't be fucked looking to see if it's been mentioned elsewhere

Hadn't read that. I did read that Jamie Foxx will be playing Electro again, which certainly suggests some multiversal fuckery.

I liked the look of Jamie Foxx's Electro, while hating the electric eel origin / Max Dillon as social misfit portrayal. Andrew and Tobey were good, before we knew Marvel could do better. I've compartmentalized Sony's properties from the MCU, so the last two Spider-Man have far exceeded expectations.

Phase 4, most looking forward to Shang-Chi, and hoping they nail the Paul Gulacy visual tone. Expecting to be most surprised by Eternals. If/as the movies go cosmic/magical/horror, looking forward to how they ground them.

Beyond - FF and X-Men. About damn time.

Are we allowing MCU television in these threads as well? Cuz it looks like the Maslany She-Hulk was just a rumor that she debunked in a recent interview, sadly.

most looking forward to Shang-Chi, and hoping they nail the Paul Gulacy visual tone.

Yeah the credits are going to say "based on the character created by Steve Englehart and Jim Starlin" and I'm going to be sad because it's not "based on the character in that holy-shit awesome run by Doug Moench and Paul Gulacy, DUUUUUDE."

Pretty sure I first "heard" "Rhiannon" thanks to Master of Kung Fu.

So much character fleshing-out that was lovable but verged on dumb...Black Jack Tarr becoming a big Frank Frazetta fan, lol. (This might have been in the Mike Zeck or Gene Day days, can't remember.)

okay lol @ "nerd immunity"

it looks like the Maslany She-Hulk was just a rumor that she debunked in a recent interview, sadly.

I don't know, I smell a rat. Kind of like when Taika denied he was making a Star Wars movie and then was all, psych, I'm making a Star Wars movie.

I assume she's still negotiating her contract, and Ruffalo's tweet improved her payday/terms.

Oh I hope it's a feint, makes sense since she called it a "press release that got out of hand", which doesn't come across as quite the strong denial the article I read implied. I'm still hopeful she shows up in it.

maybe she plays jennifer and somebody else plays she hulk? and she plays "the voice in her head"? it's a weird bit of pr thus far.

https://www.vulture.com/2020/10/oscar-isaac-moon-knight-marvel-series.html

Just negotiating phase/tactics. Though I'd love to see his take on the character.

it's a meaty fuckin' role!

lol oscar isaac hated working for disney so much during Star Wars, wonder what kind of sweetheart deal they’re offering him for this

Well, much like Finn his role got worse and worse as the series went on, so I don't blame him

Is this the right thread for this(?) Kate Bishop on-set images have surfaced: https://www.comicbookmovie.com/tv/marvel/hawkeye/hawkeye-set-video-gives-us-a-much-better-look-at-hailee-steinfeld-and-jeremy-renner-a180551#gs.mgnaf1

The casting announcements for Spider-Man 3 make it really look like they are just going to repeat the multiverse thing that worked so well in Into the Spider-Verse with a live action version. Even for the MCU this seems really lazy. Happy to be proven wrong, but I really liked watching the first two with my son and this makes me way less excited for a third one.

I mean, given the Dr. Strange sequel’s subtitle, the multiverse was already long planned, but this seems like a questionable move.

Even for the MCU this seems really lazy.

McKenna was nominated for both an Emmy and a Hugo, for writing a multiverse story, seven years before Spider-Verse came out tbfttl

A bunch more Kate Bishop set pics circulating today; Steinfeld looks like a great casting choice.

Just misread that as 'Seinfeld' and I'm still laughing from that mental image.

McKenna was nominated for both an Emmy and a Hugo, for writing a multiverse story, seven years before Spider-Verse came out tbfttl

Oh I don't have any issue with McKenna and, again, this is total speculation just based on the casting, it's more just surprise that they'd use the Spider-Man film to redo the Spider-verse think so soon again.

It may be wise to speculate with caution, as you may recall that a lot of the pre-release assumptions about the last Spidey flick were upended (ie the thing about Mysterio dropping in from a different earth).

they'll need to add more Spiders-Man and Girls if they're going to sorta hit the key diversity theme

Maybe this is Mysterio running the same scam again. Maybe every future Marvel movie will end by revealing that actually it was Mysterio.

iirc doesn't Mysterio make that multiverse claim himself in the movie, as part of his ruse? Between the timeline resolution of the Avengers, Spider-verse and Dr. Strange title, and possibly what they hinted at with the Vision/Witch show, they're definitely leaning in to this. Someone versed in the comics could maybe make a good guess as to the overarching plot or big bad. I have no idea. Does Captain Marvel 2 have a title or casting? They've hinted at introducing Adam Warlock a few times now, I think. Certainly a multiverse scenario could allow, say, the Fantastic Four to just pop in as a deus ex reboot at the end of a movie. Lots of ways Marvel can go, assuming they even want another giant overarching crossover scenario.

Yeah, I have no issue with the multiverse idea and that's clearly where we are heading, I was just saying that it seems kinda lazy to launch into it with a do-over of the multiple Spider-Men thing. Especially since the Spider-Man flick is slated before the Dr. Strange sequel, which will obviously lean heavily into the multiverse too.

I just have no idea why they'd want to maintain any association with the awful Andrew Garfield movies

there's (un)surprisingly a small, vocal fanbase online who grew up with and liked those movies

i can't lie though - i am excited to see all those jabronis in one big battle royale. even the characters who died! let's get Topher Grace in there while we're at it

hoping they insert Mulaney's Spider-Ham Who-Framed-Roger-Rabbit-style

It could be cool if they do it right.

It’s kind of funny that a generation will grow up thinking of multiple Spideys as a basic “Spider-Man” feature, when for most of Marvel’s history, there was only one Parker, he was a very singular hero... even while there were a few different Caps, Thors, Captain Marvels, etc. (I’m talking back in the ’80s, long before there were a zillion versions of every character.)

I mean, a generation already has grown up thinking multiple Spideys are a basic Spider-Man feature; Ben Reilly, although created in the 70s, came into his own circa 1994.

Ok Agatha rules <3

I’ve only watched the first episode but it was fantastic

Full days but will be catching up as I can, glad to know it sounds a treat!

Meanwhile...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-94Snw-H4o

That looks fun. Though it’s a testament to the unstructured glut of MCU content over the last 5 years that I can’t remember if I’ve met all these characters before or if some of them are new

You know, shit. I might … have to see that.

oh nice, had no idea they shot some of this in KL (that scene around a minute in of Yelena looking up at the exploding building)

I think the only character they haven’t introduced in a different project is Sentry.

Was the one that was teleporting around from Ant Man and the Wasp? And I didn’t recognize the masked woman with the bow and arrow, who wasn’t the new Hawkeye.

Bow and arrow is Taskmaster from Black Widow. And yes on Ghost.

Agatha All Along reminds me of one of the ways that John Constantine is occasionally written - it's a little unclear how much power he has, or whether he's mostly just someone who knows the rules of magic and can talk anyone around.

I enjoyed this week's confirmation that everyone else can see what a cursed little puppy Joe Locke is (in his second ever role!). They're clearly feeding us a fake answer to who he is - for some reason I've become convinced that he is in some sense Agatha herself

Could be! And yes caught up with all the episodes now and what a fun treat of a show.

absolutely fucking OBSESSED with Agatha All Along, its unlocked all my witch-nerd tendencies lol

also the Nancy Meyers/Big Little Lies/ Death Becomes Her of it all was fun as hell, love how unafraid this show is of references

Okay the latest episode was pure LOL in the best way. As well as an inadvertant Stereophonic tribute, as in the play.

yeah that was v funny & enjoyable, love this show so muchhhhhh ugh

weeeeeeee next week is gonna be so good *rubs hands witchily*

am finally caught up and just wanna say I was very sure the ouija board was spelling MR SHART and I can’t believe an MCU show missed that joke entirely

Haha you weren't the only one I know to wish that had happened. But yes, bring on the next episode for sure.

Question: do I need to see wandavision to know what’s going on with this series?

Not entirely, but it absolutely helps, yeah. (Especially as this series is going on.) WandaVision is also just really good in its own right.

it does provide some good context if you feel like diving in - and yes, a great show regardless

I'm liking Agatha more than expected and it's making me wish I'd rewatched Wandavision. I also find the Screen Crush recaps (mainly for easter eggs/refs I wouldn't know in advance) on YouTube pretty good for these shows.

And as per Loki the credits visuals rule hard

Really fantastic and they've been having good fun with the song syncs.

Yeah, that was a great end-credits needle drop

i won’t tell anyone they have to listen because it’s a lot & the eps are VERY long lol: BUT Ringer’s House of R podcast does incredible & fun weekly deep dives into Agatha & it is so incredibly my shit

this week’s episode was so good, loved all the backstory and bonus Ralph Bohner!

Good fun, that. This new Variety interview worth it too.

Yeah it turns out that Joe Locke can be a teen in love, cutely!

so adorbs, i love him in his eyeliner being a baby goth

Strikingly good episode, that. (And also deep LOL at Teen getting the Maleficent makeover)

yeah i loved this episode so much! it was making me me weirdly emotional all the way through, even before the end. Patti Lupone is the best ❤️

I agree, this ruled

I think it's great we're getting a one-two finale next week right before Halloween. Honestly can't wait!

i dont want it to end :(

Strong ending despite being over ten minutes shorter than last week's episode (sorry but probably never gonna stop complaining about this)

I hadn't noticed that you'd started - is it the irregularity or that it should be shorter? I was surprised by how long the previous one was, but that was partly because it never dragged.

Nor did this - Patti LuPone was great, though obviously focus in an episode is not an omen of long life

I really loved the various instances of Bill & Ted time logic - Lilia stops being mad at the Teen because Jen tells her that they're over it, but she only knows that because Lilia told her

I liked that they lent into the timey wimey side of things... aka bill & ted logic.

also the taroty waroty.

best episode for me, probs going to double team the last episodes with the new WWDITS season at Halloween..

mmmm thats good spooky but safe TV.

Now that was a fine way to wrap it up. And that final episode took a nice stylistic swing for its first half.

I need to watch it again I think because I was weirdly unmoved by the last episode

I think it’s because they didn’t explicitly tie Agatha’s murderous ways to the pact that was keeping Nicky alive? It’s heavily implied but there’s no actual bargain stated, and Agatha keeps killing witches after his death so I guess she’s more of a witch vampire?

Penultimate episode ruled though and making The Witches Road be a long-running con Agatha was using to hunt witches was really, really great.

So when does Agatha start babysitting. iirc that was her main job in the comics.

DJP although I enjoyed the last episode I had similar qualms, I expected it to be more clearly illustrated that her providing Death fresh bodies was prolonging Nicholas's life, esp since the one day they didn't kill witches is the day he died, but it didn't seem to be the case, she was just power hungry I guess but now without a child to be a conscience I guess she didn't mind ratcheting up the volume in which she killed them

dang. i didn’t even make that connection!

going back to Ep 7, being a recovering theatre dork, have always loved LuPone, have seen her numerous times on Broadway in the last 20 years, but my issues is when she gets TV roles, they're often caricature-y performances on screwball sitcoms, playing up Italian stereotypes and with her basically leaning into her being herself, so I was so glad to see them give her one of the series' more complicated characters, with hefty dramatic moments, and giving her such a great send-off episode.

otm

That feels like a slightly odd take, Neanderthal - particularly if you think she was killing every day while Nicholas is alive? She seems to drop down to once a decade or two after that. That we see, anyway.

She doesn't have to be killing every day of course - maybe it's weekly, and she's always leaving it to the last minute like homework. Or maybe it's random, and it's just that was the wrong day for him to have qualms.

I was a little freaked out about how much Nicholas, in his first non-baby appearance, looked like Katherine Hahn. Then I relaxed into being freaked out about how much he looks like David Foster Wallace.

I was racking my head about where I'd seen the twist before - I suppose a bit of The Usual Suspects, but I think more Labyrinth?

Yes, love LuPone - I thought I'd said but I can't see it: I wonder if the actress playing Jen reflexively apologised after accusing her of being flat after the first Ballad :)

i really loved the way they weaved the Witches Road song itself into the backstory, the way it changed so completely for me during the end credits was so impressive

Yeah, that was great. Really looking forward to watching this again in a while!

it'll be interesting to rewatch it through the lens of Agatha's and Rio's history. "he's not your child, you know"

i didn't understand at first Rio's motivation in regards to Billy but i guess it's because he essentially cheated death / stole a body from her?

yeah she said Billy "disrupted the sacred balance" when he became William Kaplan

thought that finale felt a bit rushed but agree that the show as a whole will be fun to rewatch - there were a ton of hints sprinkled throughout the earlier episodes that only make sense or is funnier when you've seen the whole thing (e.g. Rio saying she hates ghosts, and then Agatha becoming a ghost)