Marvel Cinematic Universe

[Maf]

But the problem is not medium specific, death having a revolving door and lack of finality to characters is a problem in comics as well talked about all the time.  
 

Which is why it’s funny to me that big time Hollywood writers/producers have fallen in to the same traps and solutions. Time travel and multiverse. You think they would be above it, you think they wouldn’t kill characters unless they were really sure they were finished

 

But apparently no (at least RDJ is willing to come back, not actually confirmed he’s returning. But now that doors opened publicly I think it’s a matter of time)
 

The ultimate problem is money, right. It’s not really the medium. Money is why they’re not allowed to end. But unlike something like Star Wars for example where they can make another Jedi. How do they tell more Iron Man stories without Iron Man. 
 

The end of Endgame is amazing because of that sense of finality and it would be great if they can stick to it. And for that character in particular it was done so well. But for how this whole thing works, movies or comics, seems to be once again a short sighted move  

[OCH]

X-Men '97 - Episode 5: Remember It

 

Holy shit!🤯

To say ALOT happens in this episode is to put it mildly! Spoiler free, I can't actually say anymore. Suffice to say this is the best episode so far and the cliffhanger alone, wow. 10/10

[Maf]

Wow X-Men ‘97

 

What a fucking perfect amount of everything. This show is fucking crazy. 

[Maf]

It’s very faint so blink and you miss it, but before things “kick-off” in ep 5 of X-Men Uatu is there to witness

 

 

I saw that when watching it which just added to how bad this was going to be.

 

What an excellent, tasteful, meaningful Easter egg to put in the show, though

 

This shit is 10/10 good. I can’t believe the X-Men cartoon came back and did the things it’s doing.

 

I fucking live and breathe this show right now it’s just awesome. 

[one-armed dwarf]

I watched the 5 episodes of X-Men 97 that have been released, tho at the time of posting it looks like there is a sixth but I guess the 5 that are out sort of form a unit by themselves anyway.

 

It's not really what I expected this to be, in that it's a continuation to a kid's cartoon that's much more about the relationships of the mutants than I would assume the 90s one could ever really get into, cause I think that one was for little kids.

 

It's very stylish yet also effortlessly retro. The animation is a bit strange, looks like Archer sometimes, but it's fine cause every big combat sequence has some sort of unique way of expressing what the different traits of the mutants are. Which, you know, it's actually kinda important cause I don't know who the fuck half of them are, like time travel man. That's the thing with it also, it doesn't drop you into the deep end but it does sort of expect you to keep up cause it's running forward from the position it was in nearly 30 years ago. 

 

The storytelling is very crowded though, but in a kinda lopsided way. Some bits feel as slow as they should, and with appropriate buildup to specific big moments. Other stuff feels like they just rammed it in there and pushed the fast forward button. You just have to roll your eyes at some of it cause it feels like a cliffnotes adaptation of some older mythologies these characters have so it won't really leave its mark. It feels a bit like it's under some sort of budget pressure,  there's one ongoing thing with Storm which feels slotted in so inelegantly to everything else but also some pretty big things with Jean Grey which feel like they could have their own entire season. But there's also a lot of IMO cool creative things it does within those tight confines. It is what it is. There's one episode where they veer into some horror stuff, another where it's some 90s video game inspired shenanigans. They make it work somehow

 

Magneto is great but I've always liked this character in every iteration I've seen him him, especially that Nazi hunting shit he was doing in First Class. Great scene. Episode 2 and 5 of this also have great scenes with him demonstrating his power, but also giving him some story developments which take him in surprising directions. He doesn't just fuck things up, he also fucks. Even if you're not caught up the cultural osmosis will stop it from being impenetrable, you don't need to know what that cloud guy thing is in the post above. 

 

I do wish though they were able to take their time a bit with the pacing here, and that they replaced Wolverine's voice actor cause he sounds fucking ridiculous. Ray Chase plays Cyclops, aka Noctis. I've seen some people call him robotic but I think he's fine. 

[Maf]

I think Cyclops VA is excellent. That character is very straight and serious so the fact he’s played quite plainly fits for me.

 

Some of these episodes do feel like they’re on 2x speed, and they are burning through really big material in no particular order or carefulness. But it’s not really a problem for me because I feel like they making a great show, so can’t knock them for their choices. 
 

I like what you said about the show is newcomer friendly but also is ready to dive straight in to the characters and stories with no fucking about. I really like that

 

The thing I posted above, that’s why I said it’s an Easter egg. It has no bearing on the plot or story and the show spend all of 1 second on it, but adds to the significance if you know Marvel and stuff. Which is the right way to do things like that. 
 

I absolutely love the show. I don’t really know where they’re going with it because of how they’re packing storylines in to this series so fast. But it’s really working for me, I love it

 

The bit in ep5 when Rouge and Gambit come flying in to save the day and the main theme kicks in behind them. Whoa. The chills I got. Magnificent.

 

I love X-Men ‘97 

[mfnick]

I’ve watched 5 episodes of X Men 97 now too. Im enjoying it but not blowing my load to it like Maf and loads of others are. It’s fun but not amazing IMO. I really don’t like the animation either. Instead of it appealing to my nostalgia, I just think it looks shit.

[one-armed dwarf]

I mean my load is also unblown, but I mostly just appreciate it's doing things with this property that aren't endless franchise building blocks over and over. It's so tedious. So here they're doing their own thing in their own way and it works well on that level. 

 

You would hope between all the flops last year and the success of this that Disney might learn some useful lessons.

 

(I apologise for writing the sentence 'my load is unblown')

[mfnick]

4 minutes ago, one-armed dwarf said:

mostly just appreciate it's doing things with this property that aren't endless franchise building blocks over and over.

Oh yea completely agree with this. Don’t get me wrong I’m very much enjoying it. This is by far the most I’ve liked a Marvel thing since probably Spider Man No Way Home or Wandavision. 
 

Just finding it a bit odd how mental a lot of people seem to be going over it. 

[one-armed dwarf]

So like, here's the thing I'll give it credit for, it navigates its world and lore-building in a way that makes it feel really dense and full of history. Which I mean it is, it's adapting the comics after all. But it does it pretty deftly and swiftly in a way that doesn't overwhelm you. Also even though it's rushed (again I think it's a budget thing) it somehow still sort of feels like it marches to its own beat in a way that you don't get at all from how formulaic the MCU films have been. There's like an element of creative freedom here which is refreshing from how stagnant the other Disney stuff is

 

I agree that the level of hype I've seen is hard to understand, I watched a podcast (CastleSuperBeast) and Woolie on it called it the best 30 minutes of TV he saw (ep 5). I think he should watch Barry. But like it's good to have things which do a good job with this stuff, cause they've really salted the earth pretty bad in the past couple years with lots of shitty films/series. Good to have something which is the opposite of that.

 

Also the best super hero stuff to me is the stuff which focuses on its villains imo, and gives them an inner life which grounds their villainy in more understandable terms. I stan Magneto

[OCH]

X-Men '97 - Episode 6: Lifedeath Pt.2

 

So, obviously after the events of the last episode. A bit of a breather was needed. Now, in spite of the title. Storm gets short changed again. This isn't a full episode dedicated to the plight of Forge and herself. Instead it's basically the same as episode 4: a dual episode. Both stories are good. The other story is one of those times wherein it's obvious that the original voice actor has changed. It's not weaker VO ala Bishop and Jubilee. Merely noticeable. An interesting design shift for Storm coming out of it too. 7/10

 

@one-armed dwarfInteresting take on Wolverine's VO. Cal Dodd is one of the returning original cast members. In technically six seasons of X-Men, the longest serving one too. While not as jarring as the first Wolverine voice ala Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends and Pryde of the X-Men. If it wasn't the one you grew up with, you might not care for it.

 

I was watching another video discussing the voices of X-Men TAS. Noting that most of the X-Men (aside from maybe Storm) were never the definitive Kevin Conroy or Mark Hamill of their respective characters.  

[Maf]

I don’t know why I like it so much, I just do. Like said before I’m not even a super fan of the original. I watched it and liked it, but not as much as this new one. 
 

I just think everything about it is on point. I did think the art was ugly at the start, but I’ve just got used to it and the action scenes are actually amazing. 
 

Everything about ep5 was just popping and this shot 

 

Spoiler

 

That’s the best superhero moment I’ve seen in a long time. I was so excited 

 

[Maf]

Spoilers for Captain America 4 probably

 

Spoiler

https://www.ign.com/articles/captain-america-brave-new-world-mcdonalds-toys-thunderbolt-ross
 

 

Red Hulk is in the movie. Does that mean they’re turning Harrison Ford in to Red Hulk? Seems like a terrible idea. 

 

 

 

[OCH]

5 hours ago, Maf said:

Spoiler

Seems like a terrible idea. 

 

Spoiler

Rulk always was, to be fair.

 

[Maf]

Spoiler

I have no idea who the green Falcon is supposed to be. Vulture? lol. Unlikely

 

But if it ends up being an enemy and the MCU is going back to “hero fights evil version of themselves” then that’ll be really lame.
 

I get after all the box office stumbles they’ll want to get back to ‘the formula’ but I really don’t think they need to go back to this specific trope 

 

[OCH]

Spoiler

The villain is supposed to be The Leader (Hulk villain). So the green flier might just be the "new" Falcon?

 

[Maf]

Thought X-Men '97 ep6 was the weakest so far, but still loved kinda loved it. 

 

I think the failings were just crucial story details I didn't understand. Like how is Xavier in space and what exactly did the Adversary want? (Coincidentally enough, I've been reading more classic X-Books lately because of the show, and just this week I started one called Fall of the Mutants which starts with this exact story line about de-powered Storm, Forge and the Adversary, so maybe the comic will fill in the blanks)

 

But being lost on these why's and what for's let the episode down a little

However, I really loved how hard they went on

 

Spoiler

X-Men lore, showing the Kree and Ronan, the Imperial Guard and being like yo, Gladiator is just purple Superman lol. And then that Prof X can beat anybody because he's so powerful. I loved Prof X's speech and schooling the Shiar as well. So cool.

 

The fact they put Vulcan in the episode as well. I wonder if that was just a fun easter egg and not really relevant. Otherwise Prof X would have been like, err, how's it going, Gabe? Sorry about the Krakoa thing. 

 

Storm regaining her powers was also awesome. Again lost on why, I guess she was pushed and overcame her self hate which was enough to get her powers back, but once she did, wow what a moment. Seeing that her powers can be seen from space like that was epic. Omega level mutant confirmed 

 

I hope the end of this show ends with Storm, Magneto, Prof X and the Jean/Phoenix just unleashing hell on something. 

 

Weakest ep so far, still really liked it. 

[OCH]

Fall of The Mutants will/should include the original Lifedeath story. Which should give you some (cut) context. Similarly yes, The Adversary was nerfed pretty badly. Without spoilers it takes a lot to defeat him. 

 

Spoiler

I think Gabe was just an easter egg. A visual with no VO. Considering Havok was only in one episode (he and Cyclops did not know/recognise each other) and Gabe is far too convoluted to add to the mix. 

 

Spoiler

As for the why with Storm. Forge's machine (episode 4) worked. But she created a mental barrier because she believed when she was told her powers were permanently lost. Overcoming that enabled her to access her powers again.

 

[one-armed dwarf]

Mad boring episode, I'm going to save up the last 4 and watch them together. Aint here for a drip feed about bird people in space

 

I thought this was an interesting article. It has spoilers for episode 5, quotes from one of the creators (guy who left before the show got released, for reasons)

 

Spoiler

 

https://deadline.com/2024/04/x-men-97-creator-beau-demayo-breaks-silence-exit-episode-5-1235884232/

 

 

[OCH]

That said, "Milky Way ghetto" did make me laugh.