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

[The Lurker]

[BathTub]

I'm sure half the film will be 'why we didn't help with Thanos'. Shang-chi looks much more interesting right now.

[LucasM]

Well, I've started my 12th time through each MCU film (actually more views for Iron Man, Doctor Strange, and Infinity War, but close enough).  This time through, I decided I wanted to listen to ALL the director commentaries.

First thing?  A bit stunned to find there is no director commentary for the original Iron Man!  Seriously, what the heck?  Watched the film again 'normally' and still love it every bit as much as when I first saw it in a theater shortly after it came out.

Watched The Incredible Hulk this afternoon.  In the commentary there are some interesting tidbits, and a couple laughs, but nothing really stood out enough to write down to share.

Then, though they don't mention it (because it was recorded in 2008, long predating the connection), I noticed something that had been nagging at me for a while now.  It had been nagging at me because the person looked familiar, but I couldn't place from where.

When Banner bribes his way into the computer lab, first he bribes Lou Ferrigno with a pizza to get into the building, then he bribes "computer nerd" [I believe that was his designation in the credits] to get access to the computers themselves.

That "computer nerd" is - ten years later - the awkward teacher that takes Peter Parker and classmates to Europe in Spider-Man: Far From Home!  When seeing Incredible Hulk previously, his face kept nagging at me (because I'd only seen him briefly in Spider-Man: Homecoming, so recognized him but couldn't quite make the connection).  But I watched Spider-Man: Far From Home just two nights ago, so when I saw his decade-younger face today in the Hulk film, it clicked.

Now whether he is supposed to be the same character in both is unclear (the computer nerd actually looks more socially adept than the teacher ), but they are both Martin Starr.

[Edward J Grug III]

I knew that, because the actor is Martin Starr from Freaks and Geeks and Party Down.

Interestingly, but non-canonically - the Novelization names that computer nerd... Amadeus Cho.

[LucasM]

That was an interesting marathon!

Just finished all of the films thus far released in the MCU.  The entire first four phases in six days.  Most days I averaged four films a day (one in the afternoon, three in the evening/night).  Listening to the audio commentary for each.  I now have a small school-like notebook with the notes I took for each (if any), to check back in on for reminders of what I found interesting in the commentaries without spending about 48 hours watching/listening to them all again.

Learned a lot, got insights into a number of more subtle things the directors or writers intended with particular scenes or themes, as well as some filmic homages they did.  I suspect the next time I watch the films sans commentaries, the experience will be a little richer, even if I'm not consciously remembering what was said, because it will subconsciously be informing my viewing.

Of all the films, there are three that didn't have commentaries:
Iron Man [1]
Spider-Man: Homecoming
Spider-Man: Far From Home

I presume with the Spider-Mans that Sony didn't see a commentary as a priority, since they also appeared to have more depth to the documentaries on the film making than much of the MCU, and possibly felt that was enough.

Of the film commentaries, though it may differ from person to person, these are my impressions:

1. Those for
Captain America: The Winter Soldier,
CA: Civil War,
Avengers: Infinity War,
and Avengers: Endgame
were BY FAR the most interesting, involving and informative.  The fact that the commentaries for each of these included both the Russos and Touchy-McFeely ...er, Marcus & McFeely likely has something to do with that, as there were more people to interact and present info while they recorded them.  Althought it could also be that the interest was amplified because - with four people present - they each upped their game for what they shared because they could remind each other of things building on what the others said.  [Just like riffing done with the writers all in the same room is FAR funnier usually, than if the writers are separate while writing film riffs, as they can play off each-other's comments.]

2. The commentary for Black Panther was likely second to those, although just barely.  For me it had the most interesting and involving details.  That may be because while I am knowledgeable about many issues facing African-Americans, I am less conversant in the details of the culture, so missed out on a lot.  e.g. When Nakia, T'Challa, and Okoye are at the casino, the colors of their outfits (green, black, and red) were deliberately chosen because those are the colors of the pan-African flag... a connection I just missed while watching.

3. Doctor Strange - I took a lot of notes on this also.  Not sure if it is because he is one of my three favorite comic characters (Spider-man and Adam Warlock being the other two) and this is possibly my favorite MCU film, or not.  But there was a lot of interest to me in it.

4. The commentary for Captain Marvel was nice, but did occasionally fall into the problem with most of the commentaries at times: just basically describing what was on-screen, or making connections that I felt were obvious in what was going on.

5. Whedon's Avengers [1], and Avengers: Age of Ultron, as well as James Gunn's two Guardians commentaries were the most fun to listen to.

And finally... Taika Waititi's Thor: Ragnarok commentary was the most tortuous to get through.  I have no idea how much of it is because I REALLY don't like his sense of humor or not.  But it was uncomfortable to listen to much of the time, and I thought briefly of actually turning it off a couple times during the film it was that unpleasant for me to listen to.  (People who love his work likely would have a different experience, but for instance, I couldn't force myself to watch 'What We Do In the Shadows' past the start of the opening credits about 10 minutes into that film.)


One unrelated thing... while watching I looked for (once I thought of it) to see if Disney/Marvel had the foresight or courtesy to include chapter stops for the mid-credit and end-credit scenes.  They did, but for only FOUR films!  Those are:
Thor - end scene (only credit scene in the film)
Guardians of the Galaxy [1] - both mid and end scenes
and
Captain America: Civil War - bizarrely one for the mid-credit scene but NOT for the end-credit one
Spider-Man: Far From Home - also bizarrely one for the mid-credit scene but NOT for the end-credit one

There are two I missed looking for them in, where they may or may not have them (though likely not):
Iron Man
Iron Man 2

[BathTub]

I think I've heard before that Taika's commentary was uninteresting, doesn't he have people come and go? Or maybe that's another one.

[LucasM]

I think I've heard before that Taika's commentary was uninteresting, doesn't he have people come and go? Or maybe that's another one.

Nope.  You're right.  His two-year-old daughter came in a few times (the more forceful one, she wanted him to turn off Ragnarok and put on Moana - and honestly, so did I ).  But honestly?  Those interruptions by her were possibly the most tolerable parts of the commentary!  [It did trigger him to share that the just-past-toddler Hulk was, indeed, based on his 4-year-old, and that the conversation with Thor on the bed ("I'm so angry all the time") came from a conversation he had with his kid.  But it also showed me even more directly than the film had how little he respected and understood the character of the Hulk.]

EDIT: I forgot until later that he also receives two phone calls during the commentary.  One he lets go to voice mail after he checks who it is, the second he answers briefly.  Had it been Hemsworth or Feige, it would be one thing, but to not hold off on answering or responding to something clearly not urgent for maybe 45-60 minutes because you are actually in the middle of doing work?  Intensely unprofessional.

[LucasM]

Just watched the first episode of Loki.  Damn but that was fun!  And yet, also as serious and deep as either WandaVision, or Falcon and the Winter Soldier, or the MCU films, just - thankfully - WAY different to keep the variety and to keep things from becoming predictable.

I continue to be massively impressed at the level of creativity that is present in all the Feige-overseen MCU content.  To me, it appears to be many levels of creativity beyond what tends to end up in most of the comics (at least through when I last was reading any of them).

Yes, I know that the core of the MCU originates in the comics.  But in the comics, the depth of the material is usually far more diluted than what ends up in the filmed stories and characters.

Loki ties into so much of the MCU and to see...
[spoiler for Loki episode 1]
Loki discover what would have happened to him had he remained in the officially sanctioned timeline/reality, and to have such deep and genuine responses to it all.  Just magnificent!

There is one thing I have a MAJOR problem with with the TVA.  For ANY living being, how in their wildest imaginings would they know what they are 'supposed' to do or have done for the 'official' timeline?  If they do not know that alternatives even EXIST, how can they be "guilty" of an offense against a reality they have absolutely no context for?!!

Extraordinary MCU material - yet again. 

[LucasM]

Just curious:

In the nine realms, are cocaine addicts generally found in Sniffle-heim?

[ScottotD]

I loved the almost Hitchhiker's Guide-ish quirk and space bureaucracy of episode 1 of Loki

Was hugely underwhelmed by ep 2

Back to the banter and Hitchhiker's feel in ep 3 and just blown away by the scope of it, I think the dialogue isn't as sharp as it thinks it is though


Also, I adoooooooooooooooooooore the fact F&TWS introduced an African American Captain America and Loki confirmed he's bi.  Entertainment that also upsets toxic fans/bigots is my  favourite sub-genre 

[The Lurker]

[goflyblind]

i'm hoping some of the other rumours are true.

[BathTub]

Given that the trailer practically teases every existing cinematic villain except for The Rhino I'd say odds are pretty good they are.

[ScottotD]

Finally finished WandaVision, those first few eps were a slog for me.  It wasn't as weird as I was hoping and just didn't click, the overall message about loss and the last couple were really good but overall my least favourite of the 3.

Haven't started What If? yet, I'm a little disappointed all the animation is the same and has a cut scene/rotoscope-y look.  It's be fun if every story had a different style

Re-watched Thor: Ragnarok and Black Panther with a friend who'd only seen a few MCU movies, I'm a little worried I've set her expectations too high now for the rest of the movies.

[RoninFox]

Finally finished WandaVision, those first few eps were a slog for me.  It wasn't as weird as I was hoping and just didn't click, the overall message about loss and the last couple were really good but overall my least favourite of the 3.

Haven't started What If? yet, I'm a little disappointed all the animation is the same and has a cut scene/rotoscope-y look.  It's be fun if every story had a different style

Re-watched Thor: Ragnarok and Black Panther with a friend who'd only seen a few MCU movies, I'm a little worried I've set her expectations too high now for the rest of the movies.

Yeah, I'd be especially worried about showing her the first couple Thor movies after that start. I kind of appreciate the first one more now than I did at first, but it's miles behind Ragnarok.