Marvel Cinematic/TV Universe Phase Whatever

[The Doctor]

Marvel stuff has stopped feeling like an event (Star Wars has a similar problem). Also: Endgame felt like a really satisfying conclusion to the whole thing. Wrapped it in such a good bow that even I (a die-hard Marvel comics fan) have wondered at times why the movies kept coming out straight away. A pause would have been better (but it's a business...so no).

Many of the post Endgame films have also, frankly, been crap. The quality control has dropped.

However, while Deadpool and Wolverine wasn't my cup of tea I wouldn't say it was crap. Just not my thing. Having just one movie this year did also help, I feel.

-Ralph

[Rich]

I don't think they started planning for after Endgame until too close to Endgame
Not appearing to plan makes perfect sense in terms of storytelling and marketing. But it probably did hold up handing out contracts etc. They then threw a bunch of stuff in the air, tried to link it together in a way that became reductive, got held up by the pandemic, the writer's strike, actor legal problems and the general nightmare that has been the last half decade.

I bet they wish they had taken a break now but the dollar signs in their eyes in 2016-18 did for them. As Ralph says, Star Wars is the same but a few years ahead so it's not like they weren't warned.

[Grand Moff Muffin]

Tonight I am watching the Deadpool & Wolverine Blu-ray with the feature-length audio commentary by Ryan Reynolds and Shawn Levy.

Martin

[Pinwig]

That's quite ambitious for a Monday.

[The Doctor]

Mondays were made for ambition.

-Ralph

[Grand Moff Muffin]

Just worked my way through
Loki season 2.

Inhumans I've also now seen at long last,
From 2017 - the distant past.

Martin

[Fortmax2020]

*gestures dramatically with hand*
So that you can understand.
Inhumans generates pain.
There is only that to gain.

[Rich]

Watching Loki Season 2 myself at the moment after rewatching Season 1. Season 1 was really very good, even on a second viewing.

I was already feeling that Season 2 was off to a slower and more ungainly start when I watched episode 3 yesterday and was staggered to see the quality fall through the floor. It was horribly bad. Looked it up and it was a first time director. It's got to be bad when that is so abundantly clear to a casual viewer.

The main writer has also changed, which also seems to be showing, unfortunately.

That's 2 episodes with Jonathan Majors in that I have seen so far and both performances have been boring/ irritating. Perhaps the latter one is partly the fault of the first time director but, putting all that has happened to Majors subsequently to one side, I'm at a loss to understand why Marvel thought he was an actor who could carry the franchise.

[Bogatan]

Weirdly I prefer season 2, I seem to be the only one though.

I cant remember the individual episodes at this point, but there were some bits early on that were a bit of a chore. I put it down to moving away from the multiverse setup at the end of season one towards a more of a time travel plot.

Agreed on Majors, but I think at least some of that is down to the writing, across the MCU, not just Loki. Sometimes hes been very good, sometimes dull and or irratating.

[Bogatan]

Agatha All Along was top notch.

Wasnt totally sure about it when it started, but it had layers on layers and a great ending.

Potentially set a lot up for the future without that ever being the focus.

After Acolytes and Secret invasion it was nice watching something that was good. Maybe being a bit harsh on Acolytes, it was a mess but had its moments.

[Grand Moff Muffin]

Knowing that it had stopped at episode eight
Made watching Inhumans easier not to hate
Than if I'd been watching it at the time,
With the prospect of more coming down the line.

I disliked Eternals considerably more.
It lacked redeeming features, such as Lockjaw.

Martin