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

Yeah, the casting has been great so far. Very interested to see if they can stick the landing with the Dr. Doom casting.

xpost And I'm sure the entire open-minded and inclusive fan community will be completely onboard with this casting decision.............

the/a Silver Surfer, which rules

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_dlYOD1_WU4

X-Men ‘97’s latest episode: HOLY SMOKES!!

I am very close to crowing this the best MCU product.

Nathan Rabin Takes On Madame Web: https://www.avclub.com/my-world-of-flops-madame-web-and-the-glorious-subversi-1851567284

We really need a thread for "Spider-Man universe but not Spider-Man and definitely not the good animated Spider-Man and also not MCU"

I had no idea Rabin was still at AV Club. I stopped going there a long time ago.

I watched Madame Web, and actually thought it was fairly good in certain ways (while also fun to laugh at, and say "wtf!", in others). It definitely kept me watching... and I have seen MCU films that I thought were legitimately "worse." Seems to me that the reaction to it was perhaps somewhat overblown, but I know it became a "meme."

(If anyone cares enough about the movie to watch a 49-minute(!) close-analysis video – but one that's entertaining and well-made – I recommend this: Why does Madame Web's dialogue sound so weird?. The guy builds up to long, speculative reconstruction of what the original storyline may have, been before rewrites; it's all conjecture, but fun and fairly convincing.)

still at AV Club. I stopped going there a long time ago.

G/O sold them a couple of months ago, a few long time ago regulars have been hired back

I am all about this nonsense.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ARulRbzM7Jw

Goddammit okay yes I am all in

Meantime: Deadpool & Wolverine. A little humor goes a loooooooooooong way. Slight if fun at its best.

I had no idea it was out

It's been so little talked about.

https://i.imgur.com/EYTBeyR.gif

sigh

I had the movie spoiled for me on a podcast (which I’m not mad about, wasn’t intending to see it) and thus had my initial disinterest validated.

Now, the next Captain America flick looks like a fun time at the movies…

Yeah, it's not good. One for the Family Guy/Robot Chicken crowd imo

Don't really mind RDJ as Doom but still find it pretty stupid they couldn't just recast Kang.

I don’t think people were really feeling the Kang build-up anyway

Kang (Immortus, whatever) is a cool character, but … if you’re going to do that in the MCU it seems like something you want a long, slow build to, like a background thing that’s small but gradually becomes huge. It also helps to have someone in the role who doesn’t have a terrible personal life.

Just went to see Deadpool and had a good time, but I imagine it’ll be a lot like Far From Home - not up for repeat viewings

re: the new Avengers movies, I would guess that they're going to throw the Hickman Fantastic Four and Secret Wars comics in a blender along with a bunch of other junk and end up botching the Fantastic Four in strange new ways

I'm going to be disappointed if they make RDJ *the* Dr. Doom and not *a* Dr. Doom, but he'd probably do a decent God Emperor Doom, given that arc ends with admitting his hubris

it seems like something you want a long, slow build to, like a background thing that’s small but gradually becomes huge

Well, that IS kinda what they did starting with Loki. But with a little more intent I figure.

Eh - Thanos pre-Infinity War was mayyybe 5 minutes in Guardians of the Galaxy and two post-credits scenes in the Avengers movies - if you build a good film around a villain it'll be fine (particularly if it's film one of two)

Looking good/ridiculous:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R9pXbNz6Vbw

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.