Marvel Shared Film Universe: MCU Theatrical & TV (discussion, crossovers, etc.)

[Darth Geek]

But I think Thor: Ragnarok is likely to do this as well.  Sadly, Disney isn't releasing that domestically in 3D at all (GotGv2 was only available in 3D in an exclusive Best Buy steelbook with the 4K version which sold out pretty much immediately).

That's wierd. Is the 3D fad starting to die down finally?

[LucasM]

For those who may have seen my post that DG quoted the tiny selection from (or not), I recently edited it to add a link with screen-shot comparisons between the regular and IMAX scenes in Guardians 1 (I also added the link to the 1st-page post with the full list).

[LucasM]

Even though I've watched it a dozen times, I haven't written much (if anything) on the film.  But here are the main problems I notice with the Doctor Strange film.

First and foremost:
There is no 8th cervical vertebra!  So Pangborn could NOT have had a "complete C7-C8 severing" of his spinal cord.  This irritates the shit out of me every time I see the film!  [There are seven cervical vertebrae, then the ribs start with the thoracic vertebrae, when they end the lumbar vertebrae take over.  It is really friggin' simple, and with all the medical jargon they went through, there is NO excuse for missing this!  As someone who has had multiple spinal injuries (and a C6-C7 fusion), this is particularly irritating to me.]

Second, and VERY minor (but still distracting for a couple seconds):
Right after the scene in the medical staff office, in which Strange says to put a "stent down the brachial artery into the radial", as he is wheeled into the OR on a stretcher, both hands have the massive fixators all over.  These were LONG gone by this time, and would not be needed any longer (as they are for holding bones together while they repair).  They are also clearly missing in the very next shot when both of his arms are being operated on at the same time for the stent placement.  [Obviously the 'wheeling into the OR with fixators on' shot was initially filmed for use earlier in the movie, but they likely felt it slowed the film where it was shot for, and they used it here 'since it was available'.  But continuity is a Marvel trademark - or at least providing acceptable retroactive explanations when they goof up.   But there are no 'acceptable explanations' for this or the previous 'C7-C8' error other than 'we fucked up'.]

Third, and this is only an aesthetic point, and only applies to the 3D version:
When Strange wakes briefly after his accident, while being wheeled into the ER/OR, his left eye is completely swollen shut.  He looks and sees both Christine Palmer and his hands.  It is a POV shot...  BUT FOR THE VIEWER, IT IS VISIBLE IN BOTH EYES, AND IN 3D!  The IDEAL for this shot - since it is a POV shot - would be that the left eye of the 3D image would be BLACK.  So the viewer would have the same 'swollen shut eye' effect as Steven himself had.  Like I said: an aesthetic point.

OK, other than that I really enjoyed the film.  It is tied with Spider-Man: Homecoming for my favorite MCU film.  But these three things bug me, in massively decreasing order as the list progresses.

[MartyS (Gromit)]

 I've watched Doctor Strange a few times and never noticed the bad vertebra numbering.

That would be a cool idea for them to have tried with the 3D, I wonder how it would look doing that.
I stopped getting the Marvel films in 3D because the 3D was disappointing, none of them are shot with 3D cameras, they are post processed into 3D and it shows.

[Darth Geek]

The vertebra numbering seems like an odd mistake since they clearly would have had a medical adviser for the movie.

The idea of effecting the 3D in that one shot is interesting, but I think it would have just confused the average moviegoer and looked like a mistake.

[LucasM]

Yeah, you can't have things like 'fixators' and 'radial and brachial arteries' and 'blood in the pericardial sac' and so much more (as well as all the attendant visuals) and not have a medical advisor on the film.  Personally, for "C7-C8", I think their license to practice film medicine should be revoked!

And with the 3D right-eye only POV shot, yeah, I realized when I proposed it that nearly 100% of viewers (possibly most everyone but me ) would think that there was something wrong with either the presentation or the 3D disc for home video.  It was just a personal aesthetic preference I figured I'd share.  If one wants their 3D truly immersive, then it should be consistently so, is all I was expressing (sort-of the visual equivalent of motion-controlled chairs in theme rides).


MartyS, the 3D has improved with Marvel.  I think they are paying more attention to it (= "money for it").  Doctor Strange I felt had some of the best converted 3D I've seen, almost rivaling the conversion of Pacific Rim.  The thing that bugs me with these films, is that they don't just automatically have all of the CGI effects rendered in 3D in the first place.  (The cost difference between having the CGI houses render a second eye's worth of film and the 3D-conversion house creating it from nothing may be substantial, however.  I don't know about that.  I would think with more complex shots, it would be cheaper for the CGI house to do it.)  It would seem that would give a FAR more genuine 3D effect to the whole film, because it would, effectively, be 'shooting with a 3D camera' for that part to begin with.  Then all they'd have to do is convert the 2D stuff that fit into that environment.  In the CGI-filled MCU, that would be 90% of many of the more difficult shots to begin with (e.g. Ancient One's initial fight with Kaecilius before Strange's introduction, Strange's initial trip through alternate realities, Kaecilius demonstrating his new Dark Dimension power in the church, the New York chase, Strange's entire meeting and interaction with Dormammu).

[Pak-Man]

When I hear "Complete" and "C7 - C8" I think action figure collecting. On some scales an action figure in C7-8 condition would be worn but still functional but I don't think it's quite clever enough to be a joke.

[LucasM]

When I hear "Complete" and "C7 - C8" I think action figure collecting. On some scales an action figure in C7-8 condition would be worn but still functional but I don't think it's quite clever enough to be a joke.

I don't get into action figures.  But from what you said, here's a start...  possibly you can alter and refine it.
"Shit, man... I completely cracked the neck of my Pangborn action figure... damn thing's a C7-C8 for sure!"

[LucasM]

Since this is more 'technical stuff' rather than 'content stuff', this belongs more in the 'Phase 3 Lineup' thread, I posted it there first, and I'll likely delete it from here shortly, but felt there might be a chance people might miss it there, but follow this thread.  So here's some important news. 


Avengers: Infinity War release date moved up a week!  Release day now April 27!

'Avengers: Infinity War' Release Date Moves Up One Week to April

Marvel Studios and Disney' biggest superhero mashup yet is hitting North American theaters earlier than expected.

Avengers: Infinity War will now unfurl April 27, a week before its earlier launch date of May 4. In other words, the summer box office will kick off earlier than expected (the first weekend in May is historically considered the official start of the summer season).

The move means that the comic book blockbuster, directed by Anthony and Joe Russo, will open day-and-date around the globe, reducing the possibility of spoilers marring the experience for North American audiences. Marvel president Kevin Feige has said the film will have big ramifications for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, so much so that the title for 2019's Avengers 4 has not yet been revealed, as the name itself would be a spoiler.

Aaaand... there's more:

Release Dates Revealed for Six New Untitled Marvel Films

Disney has moved up the release of one of its 2020 Marvel releases to July 31, 2020 (previously August 7, 2020). After that, six slots have been carved out on May 7, 2021, July 30, 2021, Nov. 5, 2021, Feb. 18, 2022, May 6, 2022, and July 29, 2022.

All this new info has been added to/updated in my Crossover Index and my End Credit Index.

[LucasM]

OK... took 'til I was working on updating the two lists on the first page that I noticed something:

For 2022, the three films all cluster in the first part of the year.  So far, Marvel has only done this with Avengers 3 + 4 (presumably from their interactions with both the films immediately before and after them).

However, there is another thought I had: what if this is the first indicator that Marvel is gearing up for integrating the 21st Century Fox assets (both production and characters)?  Feige et al could be simply 'holding back' an additional film date for November 2022 that would be made using the 20th C F studios &/or with (please, oh PLEASE!!) the FF.

[Cyrusso]

If they do a Fantastic Four movie... please for the love of God don't make it another damn origin movie. We've already tried this three ways: The Corman way, the high budget way, and the dark-high budget way, and none of them produced a good movie. In fact I would dare say they were all awful and I have no desire to ever watch them again. The CLOSEST, the CLOSEST they got to making a good FF movie was that Rise of the Silver Surfer movie, and even that was still fairly bad... but still the best FF movie... sad to say.

[Edward J Grug III]

I am pretty sure they'll do it right. They managed to make Spider-Man interesting again.

[Cyrusso]

I hope so for the sake of the characters. Maybe it would be best to test the waters and have them appear in a future Avengers movie or something THEN make a Fantastic Four movie, kind of like what they did with Black Panther.

[LucasM]

Okay... only two days from 'Jessica Jones' season 2.   Looking forward to it, but it is supposed to be 'darker' in emotional tone (as well as more noire visually).  I hope it does not approach being as emotionally dark as the soul-sucking pit that was 'The Punisher'.

In more Marvel/Netflix news, Luke Cage season 2's release date was just announced (and updated in my crossover/release list).  It is:
Luke Cage season 2 . . . . June 22, 2018

From this, the Netflix shows are serving as 'palate cleansers' between the three cinema releases for this year, even with the three theatrical films bunched so close together.  (We also get the New Warriors tossed in there as a happy bonus. )

[Edward J Grug III]

Loved the first season of The Punisher, even though it was quite dark, although I'm a little concerned about the story they are rumored to be adapting for the next season.

I hope JJ s2 can live up to the first!