had a very shiny nose …
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To Infinity and Beyond: The Marvel Cinematic Universe
had a very shiny nose …
My question is what's the point of setting up an alternate timeline that doesn't get explored?
Finally got around to watching the final season of What If, and it was fine but just mostly there.
Anime mechas vs Super Hulk didn't go anime enough. If you're going to do a thing either do it or don't.
Agatha All Along in Hollywood (guest starring some guy from Eternals I guess) had some funny moments but it was all on the strength of Hahn. In some other alternate realty (topical) her D+ series would have just been a series of episodes like this as the spell Wanda put on her at the end of WV gradually deteriorated, but they decided to do something boring and stupid instead, so it feels like they just shunted the old idea for the show into this episode.
Ruskie Hopper and Buckey's cross-America road trip was good fun and shows this concept is best when it doesn't get lost in the weeds of explaining every little change that might or could happen. Sure, that stuff is fun, but it's not the point.
RiriVision just sort of happened.
Howard and Darcy's trials and tribulations in parenthood was mostly great. Got a bit too bogged down with cameo after cameo, but then it just became ridiculous and wrapped back around to mostly great.
There was a Western episode I think?
The big two-part finale lost my interest pretty quick, but I'll give it props for one thing and one thing only. The brilliant bit of casting for Byrdie. It makes perfect sense, of course Howard The Duck + Darcy = Natasha Lyonne. But, then I have to dock the finale for the utter cowardice of not making the heroes turn into big-headed gremlins like Watcher And The Watchers when they got their powerup. Cowardice!
Anime mechas vs Super Hulk didn't go anime enough. If you're going to do a thing either do it or don't.
Agatha All Along in Hollywood (guest starring some guy from Eternals I guess) had some funny moments but it was all on the strength of Hahn. In some other alternate realty (topical) her D+ series would have just been a series of episodes like this as the spell Wanda put on her at the end of WV gradually deteriorated, but they decided to do something boring and stupid instead, so it feels like they just shunted the old idea for the show into this episode.
Ruskie Hopper and Buckey's cross-America road trip was good fun and shows this concept is best when it doesn't get lost in the weeds of explaining every little change that might or could happen. Sure, that stuff is fun, but it's not the point.
RiriVision just sort of happened.
Howard and Darcy's trials and tribulations in parenthood was mostly great. Got a bit too bogged down with cameo after cameo, but then it just became ridiculous and wrapped back around to mostly great.
There was a Western episode I think?
The big two-part finale lost my interest pretty quick, but I'll give it props for one thing and one thing only. The brilliant bit of casting for Byrdie. It makes perfect sense, of course Howard The Duck + Darcy = Natasha Lyonne. But, then I have to dock the finale for the utter cowardice of not making the heroes turn into big-headed gremlins like Watcher And The Watchers when they got their powerup. Cowardice!
Very bold of Marvel Studios in 2025 to depict an American President who is a weirdly-colored dangerous lunatic. Really challenges the imagination. If you've seen a trailer for Captain America: Wings of Liberty, you've basically seen the movie.
There is a mostly pointless post-credits scene.
It's a good thing Anthony Mackie has natural charisma for days, because the dry, functional script sure doesn't do him any favors.
"Don't be that guy."
"What guy is that?"
"The guy who has to do things the hard way."
"...Looks like I'm that guy."
"You want me? Come and get me!"
Jesus. The plot is very simple but the characters make sure to explain it back and forth to each other in every scene. Every piece of marketing material in existence for this movie puts Ross-as-Red-Hulk front and center, but then the movie itself treats it like it's some incredible reveal. By contrast, everyone who's ever read a comic book knew that Bucky was the Winter Soldier going into the second Captain America movie, but that film 1) made sure to have other big surprises in store to make up for it, and 2) dug into the emotional and personal stakes that fact had for Cap. Brave New World's got nothing to offer on either front.
There's lip service paid to the debate as to whether Sam should have taken the super soldier serum (why? do they happen to have some lying around?) but it's not clear what difference that would make when he can sling the shield around as effortlessly as Steve Rogers, and shrugs off broken bones from one scene to the next. There's really no situation here where being strong enough to lift a car would have benefited him: he can take out mooks with no problem, and Steve wouldn't have been able to physically best a Hulk either.
Running down the rest of the cast: Harrison Ford does well as Ross, and probably puts in a more nuanced performance than William Hurt (RIP) would have. Isaiah Bradley's plight is affecting, even if the villain's only use for a mind-controlled former Captain America is to have him point a gun at someone. Joaquin is charming as the new Falcon, and I like his chemistry with Sam. It was nice to see Bucky and Betty Ross again. Sterns looks ridiculous even by comic book movie standards. Despite some pretty good hallway kicks I am not interested in seeing the further adventures of Agent Ruth Bets Are Off. And what a fucking waste of Giancarlo Esposito.
Sidewinder: I'll deal with the man who wasted my time, but you've got bigger problems. [a big guy enters the frame]
God.
"Don't be that guy."
"What guy is that?"
"The guy who has to do things the hard way."
"...Looks like I'm that guy."
"You want me? Come and get me!"
Jesus. The plot is very simple but the characters make sure to explain it back and forth to each other in every scene. Every piece of marketing material in existence for this movie puts Ross-as-Red-Hulk front and center, but then the movie itself treats it like it's some incredible reveal. By contrast, everyone who's ever read a comic book knew that Bucky was the Winter Soldier going into the second Captain America movie, but that film 1) made sure to have other big surprises in store to make up for it, and 2) dug into the emotional and personal stakes that fact had for Cap. Brave New World's got nothing to offer on either front.
There's lip service paid to the debate as to whether Sam should have taken the super soldier serum (why? do they happen to have some lying around?) but it's not clear what difference that would make when he can sling the shield around as effortlessly as Steve Rogers, and shrugs off broken bones from one scene to the next. There's really no situation here where being strong enough to lift a car would have benefited him: he can take out mooks with no problem, and Steve wouldn't have been able to physically best a Hulk either.
Running down the rest of the cast: Harrison Ford does well as Ross, and probably puts in a more nuanced performance than William Hurt (RIP) would have. Isaiah Bradley's plight is affecting, even if the villain's only use for a mind-controlled former Captain America is to have him point a gun at someone. Joaquin is charming as the new Falcon, and I like his chemistry with Sam. It was nice to see Bucky and Betty Ross again. Sterns looks ridiculous even by comic book movie standards. Despite some pretty good hallway kicks I am not interested in seeing the further adventures of Agent Ruth Bets Are Off. And what a fucking waste of Giancarlo Esposito.
Sidewinder: I'll deal with the man who wasted my time, but you've got bigger problems. [a big guy enters the frame]
God.
There is a mostly pointless post-credits scene.
Olli
(he/him)
You'll be fine if you haven't seen it. There is one major character who was introduced in F&WS, but his deal is explained well.
Daredevil is back. I watched the first episode.
It is very funny when they were overhauling it that they said it was important to bring Foggy and Karen back to make it feel like Daredevil, and then they killed Foggy off in the first fifteen minutes.
It is very funny when they were overhauling it that they said it was important to bring Foggy and Karen back to make it feel like Daredevil, and then they killed Foggy off in the first fifteen minutes.
I liked both episodes just fine, but I am pretty concerned that the show's politics is trying to bite off way more than it can chew. The Fisk-as-Trump analog is certainly trying to be a thing and the writing is putting in a lot of effort to show how the general populace is "divided" over his Mayor election. The open question is just... where is it gonna go with that?
Then on top of that, the major case is about a guy who accidentally killed an undercover cop. It was a nice touch for one of the Evil Cops to have a Punisher tattoo, at least. But there was one line of dialogue about how cops and vigilantes have the same "bad apples" problem and like... man I dunno about this.
Then on top of that, the major case is about a guy who accidentally killed an undercover cop. It was a nice touch for one of the Evil Cops to have a Punisher tattoo, at least. But there was one line of dialogue about how cops and vigilantes have the same "bad apples" problem and like... man I dunno about this.
Spoilers for The Man Who Dared Evil episodes 1 and 2:
Despite my reservations I'm positive on this overall! Looking forward to next week.
Obviously the big headline here is Foggy. There had been leaks/rumors of both him and Karen getting murked, but supposedly heavy fan backlash led to the writers going back to the drawing board on that. Guess not. Yeah, I know Daredevil is supposed to suffer, and that the new writers don't necessarily want to carry over everything from the Netflix series... but did we really have to do it this way? Matt's friendship with Foggy and Karen was the heart of this show, and it's all over and done with before the credits roll on the first episode. I'll get over it but I'm not happy about it.
I like the return of the brutal, messy, exhausting style of fights the series is known for. In the running battle between him and Bullseye you can see each of them in pain, slowing down, and having to take time to catch their breath before diving back in for more. Feels much more real.
I'll have to wait and see how the Fisk-as-Trump stuff plays out -- I have a feeling it's going to be frontloaded with obvious parallels (like the hats) but quickly diverge into fiction. Regardless, I think it's an appropriate (and perhaps unavoidable) comparison.
Being a Philly native, you should have heard the noise I made when Fisk said "King of Prussia." (It's a Philly suburb, and I used to go to the KOP Mall all the time. By the way, the first cheesesteak place Fisk mentions (Geno's) is also real, and is one of Philadelphia's two big famous cheesesteakeries. I think D'Angelo's is probably fictional but I couldn't say for sure.)
Fisk's assistant's name is BUCK CASHMAN??? Was Hideo Kojima a creative consultant on this
At one point Matt says Hector is facing "multiple consecutive life sentences." ...Is he? I don't do criminal law, but there was only one victim, and the charges are murder 1, murder 2 and manslaughter 1. Surely if Hector is convicted, it would be on only one of those and he would be sentenced accordingly. The death of the undercover cop can't have happened two ways simultaneously.
It is deeply silly that Fisk and Vanessa end up going to Matt's new girlfriend for couples' counseling.
I like the return of the brutal, messy, exhausting style of fights the series is known for. In the running battle between him and Bullseye you can see each of them in pain, slowing down, and having to take time to catch their breath before diving back in for more. Feels much more real.
I'll have to wait and see how the Fisk-as-Trump stuff plays out -- I have a feeling it's going to be frontloaded with obvious parallels (like the hats) but quickly diverge into fiction. Regardless, I think it's an appropriate (and perhaps unavoidable) comparison.
Being a Philly native, you should have heard the noise I made when Fisk said "King of Prussia." (It's a Philly suburb, and I used to go to the KOP Mall all the time. By the way, the first cheesesteak place Fisk mentions (Geno's) is also real, and is one of Philadelphia's two big famous cheesesteakeries. I think D'Angelo's is probably fictional but I couldn't say for sure.)
Fisk's assistant's name is BUCK CASHMAN??? Was Hideo Kojima a creative consultant on this
At one point Matt says Hector is facing "multiple consecutive life sentences." ...Is he? I don't do criminal law, but there was only one victim, and the charges are murder 1, murder 2 and manslaughter 1. Surely if Hector is convicted, it would be on only one of those and he would be sentenced accordingly. The death of the undercover cop can't have happened two ways simultaneously.
It is deeply silly that Fisk and Vanessa end up going to Matt's new girlfriend for couples' counseling.
Despite my reservations I'm positive on this overall! Looking forward to next week.
I only watched about half of the original run of Daredevil, and that was… like… a decade ago, and didn’t realize this was season *four* so…
Kind of a bit at sea here, might have to do a rewatch before I can get into this
Kind of a bit at sea here, might have to do a rewatch before I can get into this
jpfriction
(He, Him)
I’ll catch you up. The red guy is daredevil.
Johnny Unusual
(He/Him)
Got it.
jpfriction
(He, Him)
There’s my boy. The man without beer. That’s why he’s so grumpy. Get that guy a michelob!
The new Daredevil episode was... good! They keep teasing The Punisher and I hope his first appearance will be a good payoff. Is he just... gonna kill a bunch of cops that have his tattoo??
Matt Murdock is a bad lawyer
It's always amusing to me when creatives will forget core aspects of their characters in service of the plot they're designing. Like, when certain ace investigative journalists can't put two-and-two together, or certain nuclear physicists forget basic facts about science, or certain billionaires just forget how money works (ok that last one might be realistic).
I took a half day off of work (and didn't tell my wife 
) to watch Captain America: Brave New World in the theater. Enjoyed it more than I thought. No spoilers, but in the wake of a few ratings/attendance flops, you might imagine there's a pressure to do some sort of rebooting or "isolation" of the MCU movies. But they're sticking to their guns. This one has meaningful and interesting connections to other MCU series and movies.
I didn't love Falcon and Winter Soldier, but the way that this film respects that series so much, somehow has the effect of elevating the movie and making the series retroactively better.
) to watch Captain America: Brave New World in the theater. Enjoyed it more than I thought. No spoilers, but in the wake of a few ratings/attendance flops, you might imagine there's a pressure to do some sort of rebooting or "isolation" of the MCU movies. But they're sticking to their guns. This one has meaningful and interesting connections to other MCU series and movies. I didn't love Falcon and Winter Soldier, but the way that this film respects that series so much, somehow has the effect of elevating the movie and making the series retroactively better.
Caught up on Born Again, and I'm liking it so far. Don't fully love the initial setup, killing Foggy right off the bat felt unnecessary but it's what they did. I know some folks are trying to big brain a scenario where Foggy isn't dead because that sort of thing has happened to him in the comics before, and maybe, but I'm not sure it fits the tone.
But I do have a pet theory that Vanessa is the one who put Bullseye up to it behind Fisk's back and that's going to be what sends Matt back behind the mask.
Also, I'm pleasantly surprised they actually seem to be doing the whole 'cops idolizing the Punisher' thing. This could absolutely end up being handled horribly, but I'm honestly surprised they're trying it at all, didn't think Disney would have the guts.
But I do have a pet theory that Vanessa is the one who put Bullseye up to it behind Fisk's back and that's going to be what sends Matt back behind the mask.
Also, I'm pleasantly surprised they actually seem to be doing the whole 'cops idolizing the Punisher' thing. This could absolutely end up being handled horribly, but I'm honestly surprised they're trying it at all, didn't think Disney would have the guts.
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For the last four hours Marvel has been livestreaming a big empty room where, every ~15 minutes, the camera pans to a new chair with an actor's name on it, announcing their casting for Avengers: Doomsday. It's perhaps the most irritating way they could have done this, but here's the link if you're having a slow day at work or something. Most of the names are "yeah, of course he's in it" but there have been a few surprises.
EDIT: And we're done. Five and a half mother fuckening hours for this. At least it gave me something to think about during the workday.
- Chris Hemsworth
- Vanessa Kirby
- Anthony Mackie
- Sebastian Stan
- Letitia Wright
- Paul Rudd
- Wyatt Russell
- Tenoch Huerta Mejia
- Ebon Moss-Bachrach
- Simu Liu
- Florence Pugh
- Kelsey Grammer
- Lewis Pullman
- Danny Ramirez
- Joseph Quinn
- David Harbour
- Winston Duke
- Hannah John-Kamen
- Tom Hiddleston
- Patrick Stewart
- Ian McKellen
- Alan Cumming
- Rebecca Romijn
- James Marsden
- Channing Tatum
- Pedro Pascal
- Robert Downey Jr.
EDIT: And we're done. Five and a half mother fuckening hours for this. At least it gave me something to think about during the workday.
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Johnny Unusual
(He/Him)
Obviously Patrick Stewart will be playing Paste Pot Pete
Paste Pot Pat
I only saw a video showing all the names after the fact. It felt pretentious and annoying but it was over in like a minute. I had no idea they did this stunt until reading about it right now. That does sound very irritating but tbh it’s also a case of if you watched it/followed it live you might be terminally online.
Just to be clear, I did not sit and watch five and a half hours of a camera silently staring at the backs of chairs. I had it open in a tab while I worked, and every now and then I'd click back over and see if a new name had come up. If anything, I think that makes me terminally normal!
Now if you'll excuse me, I need to get back to lighting candles in my Moon Knight Cameo shrine
Spoiling a post from earlier that isn't actually spoiled in its original context, but regarding the latest episode of Born Again
Called it!