MCU/Superhero Discussion Thread

[Forsher]

I am actually surprised it’s considered a superhero movie, but then I’ve not seen it

I've seen some clips, and I think trying to label it as one single genre is doing a disservice to its complete weirdness.

I would compare it most closely to this.

Unless you're talking about the Megamind style "supervillain with elaborate scheme is captured, jailed and then escapes rinse and repeat", superhero fiction isn't a genre. For example, no-one's going to call Sherlock Hound a superhero story even though it almost follows this structure to a T (Moriarty always escapes). But more importantly, no-one would say that the MCU doesn't have superheroes even though hardly any of the movies work like this (arguably, none do). Rather superhero fiction is a setting where superpowers exist... and any genre of story is capable of existing within that setting.

EEAAO is an absurd film, quite deliberately so, but the basic structure is the same as Ant Man. A character is introduced to a fantastic world by someone who hopes that they're capable of solving a problem that can only exist within that fantastic world. What specifically happens is very different but that's the basic core of the film as you start watching it. It's won the Best Picture Oscar probably because the character story doesn't require the fantastic elements... it's a subject which is seen as Serious Cinema, i.e. the family drama.

Compare also: Hook, Turning Red and Encanto.

[Cannot think of a name]

I am actually surprised it’s considered a superhero movie, but then I’ve not seen it

I've seen some clips, and I think trying to label it as one single genre is doing a disservice to its complete weirdness.

I'm not going to weigh in on the debate over whether or not it's a superhero movie, but it is an absolute delight. Easily one of my favorite movies of the year. For a movie based on such a sci fi conceit (that by doing something unexpected you can tap into the skills of an alternate universe version of yourself...over simplifying it a bit but not much) to get this much award attention is significant whether or not you consider it a super hero movie.

[Ameriganastan]

Gotham Knights starts tonight. I'm morbidly curious to see the show they cancelled the entire Arrowverse for.

[Cannot think of a name]

Gotham Knights starts tonight. I'm morbidly curious to see the show they cancelled the entire Arrowverse for.

I legit forgot that was even a thing.

Watching The Flash wind down it's kind of remarkable how out of date it looks now when ten years ago it looked so modern (which is how time works...)

[The Church of Satan]

I've seen some clips, and I think trying to label it as one single genre is doing a disservice to its complete weirdness.

I would compare it most closely to this.

Unless you're talking about the Megamind style "supervillain with elaborate scheme is captured, jailed and then escapes rinse and repeat", superhero fiction isn't a genre. For example, no-one's going to call Sherlock Hound a superhero story even though it almost follows this structure to a T (Moriarty always escapes). But more importantly, no-one would say that the MCU doesn't have superheroes even though hardly any of the movies work like this (arguably, none do). Rather superhero fiction is a setting where superpowers exist... and any genre of story is capable of existing within that setting.

EEAAO is an absurd film, quite deliberately so, but the basic structure is the same as Ant Man. A character is introduced to a fantastic world by someone who hopes that they're capable of solving a problem that can only exist within that fantastic world. What specifically happens is very different but that's the basic core of the film as you start watching it. It's won the Best Picture Oscar probably because the character story doesn't require the fantastic elements... it's a subject which is seen as Serious Cinema, i.e. the family drama.

Compare also: Hook, Turning Red and Encanto.

I would argue that given the name of the movie and what I've seen from the trailers, it's as many movie genres as they could make work. So no one genre can possibly fit it in its entirely.

[Cannot think of a name]

I would compare it most closely to this.

Unless you're talking about the Megamind style "supervillain with elaborate scheme is captured, jailed and then escapes rinse and repeat", superhero fiction isn't a genre. For example, no-one's going to call Sherlock Hound a superhero story even though it almost follows this structure to a T (Moriarty always escapes). But more importantly, no-one would say that the MCU doesn't have superheroes even though hardly any of the movies work like this (arguably, none do). Rather superhero fiction is a setting where superpowers exist... and any genre of story is capable of existing within that setting.

EEAAO is an absurd film, quite deliberately so, but the basic structure is the same as Ant Man. A character is introduced to a fantastic world by someone who hopes that they're capable of solving a problem that can only exist within that fantastic world. What specifically happens is very different but that's the basic core of the film as you start watching it. It's won the Best Picture Oscar probably because the character story doesn't require the fantastic elements... it's a subject which is seen as Serious Cinema, i.e. the family drama.

Compare also: Hook, Turning Red and Encanto.

I would argue that given the name of the movie and what I've seen from the trailers, it's as many movie genres as they could make work. So no one genre can possibly fit it in its entirely.

It's a bit like if you took every A24 movie ever released and put them in a blender. As much as it is a sci fi movie and an action movie, it also spends a lot of time being a movie about parents and children over multiple generations, immigrants living in two worlds but not really in either of them, love, forgiveness. It's a whole heaping helping of a movie. For a movie that eventually hinges on googlie eyes, sausage fingers, and pet rocks it oddly never dumbs itself down and the only way for that sentence to make sense is to see it.

Not that you have to see it or if you don't like it you're wrong. Personally though, obv, I really loved it.

[Forsher]

I would compare it most closely to this.

Unless you're talking about the Megamind style "supervillain with elaborate scheme is captured, jailed and then escapes rinse and repeat", superhero fiction isn't a genre. For example, no-one's going to call Sherlock Hound a superhero story even though it almost follows this structure to a T (Moriarty always escapes). But more importantly, no-one would say that the MCU doesn't have superheroes even though hardly any of the movies work like this (arguably, none do). Rather superhero fiction is a setting where superpowers exist... and any genre of story is capable of existing within that setting.

EEAAO is an absurd film, quite deliberately so, but the basic structure is the same as Ant Man. A character is introduced to a fantastic world by someone who hopes that they're capable of solving a problem that can only exist within that fantastic world. What specifically happens is very different but that's the basic core of the film as you start watching it. It's won the Best Picture Oscar probably because the character story doesn't require the fantastic elements... it's a subject which is seen as Serious Cinema, i.e. the family drama.

Compare also: Hook, Turning Red and Encanto.

I would argue that given the name of the movie and what I've seen from the trailers, it's as many movie genres as they could make work. So no one genre can possibly fit it in its entirely.

It's a science fiction action dramedy.

But what genre of EEAO is or isn't has nothing to do with what I'm talking about. You can tell by the way I say "superhero fiction isn't a genre".

[The Church of Satan]

I would argue that given the name of the movie and what I've seen from the trailers, it's as many movie genres as they could make work. So no one genre can possibly fit it in its entirely.

It's a science fiction action dramedy.

But what genre of EEAO is or isn't has nothing to do with what I'm talking about. You can tell by the way I say "superhero fiction isn't a genre".

One could reasonably argue that it is at least in part a superhero movie. The main character gains a superpower and has to save all of creation from being destroyed. But it's definitely so much more than that.

[Christian Confederation]

Gotham Knights starts tonight. I'm morbidly curious to see the show they cancelled the entire Arrowverse for.

Not really, Arrowverse was dead when Gotham Knights was announced. All Gotham Knights did was put a cap in Flash's back as it crawled away.

[Cannot think of a name]

Gotham Knights starts tonight. I'm morbidly curious to see the show they cancelled the entire Arrowverse for.

Not really, Arrowverse was dead when Gotham Knights was announced. All Gotham Knights did was put a cap in Flash's back as it crawled away.

Superman and Lois also came back with a new Jonathan Kent for some reason.

[Christian Confederation]

Not really, Arrowverse was dead when Gotham Knights was announced. All Gotham Knights did was put a cap in Flash's back as it crawled away.

Superman and Lois also came back with a new Jonathan Kent for some reason.

Didn't the old actor have to quit for medical reasons?

[Cannot think of a name]

Superman and Lois also came back with a new Jonathan Kent for some reason.

Didn't the old actor have to quit for medical reasons?

I have no idea. There was one vague line in the wikipedia article which is where my curiosity ran out. I still haven't gotten around to Gotham Knights yet. I feel like I have Gotham burnout which considering how much Marvel I mainline just doesn't seem deserved.

But then also I keep forgetting I have Shazam tickets for tonight and don't actually remember all the superhero movies coming out this year. Though in that case that card keeps shuffling.

EDIT: Kraven the Hunter is supposedly coming out late this year. Between The Flash and Kraven and the other dead in the water DC movies, the theme this year seems to be 'are they still doing that?'

[Christian Confederation]

Didn't the old actor have to quit for medical reasons?

I have no idea. There was one vague line in the wikipedia article which is where my curiosity ran out. I still haven't gotten around to Gotham Knights yet. I feel like I have Gotham burnout which considering how much Marvel I mainline just doesn't seem deserved.

But then also I keep forgetting I have Shazam tickets for tonight and don't actually remember all the superhero movies coming out this year. Though in that case that card keeps shuffling.

EDIT: Kraven the Hunter is supposedly coming out late this year. Between The Flash and Kraven and the other dead in the water DC movies, the theme this year seems to be 'are they still doing that?'

Honestly the past couple of years have been more packed to make up for 2020 basically having no releases.

[Forsher]

I have no idea. There was one vague line in the wikipedia article which is where my curiosity ran out. I still haven't gotten around to Gotham Knights yet. I feel like I have Gotham burnout which considering how much Marvel I mainline just doesn't seem deserved.

But then also I keep forgetting I have Shazam tickets for tonight and don't actually remember all the superhero movies coming out this year. Though in that case that card keeps shuffling.

EDIT: Kraven the Hunter is supposedly coming out late this year. Between The Flash and Kraven and the other dead in the water DC movies, the theme this year seems to be 'are they still doing that?'

Honestly the past couple of years have been more packed to make up for 2020 basically having no releases.

If this is made with the MCU in mind, I remind the thread 2017, 2018 and probably 2019 all had more MCU properties than any year subsequently and also the TV shows were two to three times as long as the Disney+ shows.

[Cannot think of a name]

I've rarely had this much room in the fancy theater on opening night of a movie as I did with Shazam! Fury of the Gods.

[Christian Confederation]

I've rarely had this much room in the fancy theater on opening night of a movie as I did with Shazam! Fury of the Gods.

They did kind of just dump it, it probably won't even break even.

[Cannot think of a name]

I've rarely had this much room in the fancy theater on opening night of a movie as I did with Shazam! Fury of the Gods.

They did kind of just dump it, it probably won't even break even.

I feel like if you liked the first one you'd probably like this one. I felt it was uneven but I felt the same about the first one.

But there's a lot of set up that we now know is going nowhere, so I wonder if between that and the relatively low level of hype everyone just hit 'pass' on this. Or Black Adam really made people go 'nah.'

I'm just guessing, I haven't really heard anyone talk about this movie one way or the other.

I mean, I've watched worse DC movies. Recently.

[Lord Dominator]

I mean, I've watched worse DC movies. Recently.

That is a pretty low bar in general

[Cannot think of a name]

I mean, I've watched worse DC movies. Recently.

That is a pretty low bar in general

Could be worse, could be a Sony live action Spiderverse movie.

[Christian Confederation]

That is a pretty low bar in general

Could be worse, could be a Sony live action Spiderverse movie.

Honestly wouldn't be surprised if they tried to do a live Action Spiderverse.

[Cannot think of a name]

Could be worse, could be a Sony live action Spiderverse movie.

Honestly wouldn't be surprised if they tried to do a live Action Spiderverse.

That's what Venom/Kraven/Morbius are supposed to be. I imagine they've floated the idea of doing their own Miles Morales Spider-man.

Miles and Peter teaming up were a big part of the 2015 Secret Wars, Miles gave Molecule Man a two week old pocket burger...

[Christian Confederation]

Honestly wouldn't be surprised if they tried to do a live Action Spiderverse.

That's what Venom/Kraven/Morbius are supposed to be. I imagine they've floated the idea of doing their own Miles Morales Spider-man.

Miles and Peter teaming up were a big part of the 2015 Secret Wars, Miles gave Molecule Man a two week old pocket burger...

"Two week old pocket Burger" honestly wasn't expecting to read that today.

[Cannot think of a name]

That's what Venom/Kraven/Morbius are supposed to be. I imagine they've floated the idea of doing their own Miles Morales Spider-man.

Miles and Peter teaming up were a big part of the 2015 Secret Wars, Miles gave Molecule Man a two week old pocket burger...

"Two week old pocket Burger" honestly wasn't expecting to read that today.

My bad, three week old pocket hamburger.

And yeah, it's a lot to take in.

[Christian Confederation]

"Two week old pocket Burger" honestly wasn't expecting to read that today.

My bad, three week old pocket hamburger.

And yeah, it's a lot to take in.

It's like when a friend of mine asked if the Dinosaurs in Jurassic Park eat people, it's unexpected but funny.

[Ameriganastan]

Guardians 3 better give me my Beta Ray Bill appearance already. Come on! How long do I have to wait!?

If they can find a way to shove Darren Cross as M.O.D.O.K. into one of these movies, it can't be that hard to find an excuse for an alien who looks like a talking horse...who hopefully is voiced by Steve Blum again like he was in the cartoon.