MCU Megathread

[CaptHayfever]

We're halfway through the season on She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, we're 2.5 weeks from Werewolf By Night, & we're 7.5 weeks from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. In the meanwhile, the MCU crams even more into spring 2024 with part 61.85....


Thor: Love & Thunder:

--Oh, boy, another Taika Waititi comedic romp...opening with a horribly sunburned man burying his dead daughter with zero jokes whatsoever.
--Mysterious voices calling out your name in the desert? That never ends well.
--Rapu isn't thinking long-term. Where is he gonna GET new followers?
--No afterlife? But we've literally already seen an afterlife in Black Panther (out-of-character note: And we're about to see another one in Moon Knight).
--Nice hard rock intro.
--Nice hard rockman narration.
--I feel as though Korg's narration might not be 100% reliable.
--The witch ride is great.
--Gorr's rampage is already having negative consequences he didn't foresee (but the Necrosword probably did).
--Thor's been raiding Quill's wardrobe.
--Time cue: Groot hasn't grown much since Endgame.
--These things look like podracers.
--Jane's right about Interstellar; that movie is wonderful. And she's also right that proper education is worth messing up one page of her book.
--Jane's cancer might be in stage 4, but her grieving is in stage 1: denial.
--The Darcy & Selvig cameos are nice.
--Valkyrie is in a living hell.
--Glad to see Taika's not above mocking his own work.
--Look, a Daryl variant!
--The obnoxious goats are, sadly, something from the original Norse mythology.
--Look, a montage of dead gods onscreen. Just in case people claim we only saw one of Gorr's victims or something crazy like that.
--Clever play by Thor here to keep Sif from dying for no reason.
--Gorr becomes the latest villain to kick the Asgardians while they're down.
--Lens splatter!
--Thor's new helmet looks stupid, but that's intentional. Jane's nanotechy mask also looks stupid when it retracts, & that's not intentional.
--Time cue: Eight & a half years ago, & we can figure they broke up sometime between spring 2015 (Thor speaks in AoU about them as a present-tense relationship) & spring 2016 (Thor didn't know Civil War happened as of Ragnarok). So we're somewhere between late 2023 & late 2024.
--Gorr should be asking himself this question as he steals a bunch of kids.
--Stormbreaker suddenly being sentient is weird.
--Heimdall powers are super useful.
--The Shadow Realm? This looks like a job for a mind crush!
--Take me down to Omnipotence City.
--Of course you're still worthy, dude.
--Tessa Thompson does the head-shift thing better than anyone I've ever seen.
--The feast children speech is magnificent.
--We're putting the "bridge" back into "rainbow bridge".
--Thor even attempting to help the kids already begins to prove Gorr wrong.
--"Bao" looks more like Mochi.
--Thunderbolt being a physical object, instead of just him creating lightning, is weird; is that from the comics?
--"Where are we going to hold the orgy?" is 100% in-character for the mythological Zeus, hedonistic douchehole that he was.
--Korg's survival doesn't make sense. If only the mouth is alive, then why didn't the rest of his face crumble too?
--Didn't Korg have a mom in Ragnarok? I actually like this idea of Kronan reproduction; I just don't like conflicting backstories.
--Crashing into the shadow planet is great.
--The cinematography in the Shadow Realm here is really beautiful.
--The lightning off of Mjolnir & Thunderbolt & Thor himself is returning bits of color. Nice touch.
--If Asgard hadn't been blown up, Gorr would've gone there & killed Heimdall.
--Forcing his hand open doesn't make him think the summon command.
--Mjolnir tried to protect Jane the only way it could, but that way wasn't actually helpful.
--I adore the enchantment scene. We demonstrate that Thor has inherited the Odinforce, we demonstrate that Thor has grown wise enough to include a time limit on the power transfer, & a god willingly sharing power with the downtrodden further proves Gorr wrong.
--To me, "Why would I spend my last moments with you when I could spend them with her?" is the last nail in the coffin of Gorr's argument, but it still takes one more promise for *him* to finally admit it.
--Thor & Jane have more chemistry in this scene alone than in the entire 1st 2 Thor movies combined.
--The entire last act here is really solid throughout. Good focus on the drama in the final rescue/Eternity sequence specifically.
--Mid-credit scene: Oh, Zeus isn't dead?
--Credits: Wow, they really didn't give Gorr's daughter a name?
--Post-credit scene: What a poetic ending for Jane; I love this.

Executive summary: There's a lot of good here--Jane's cancer storyline is handled respectfully & engagingly, the climax is appropriately joke-free, a lot of the funny stuff is REALLY funny. There's just also a few things that simply don't work, primarily the subplot about Stormbreaker's "jealousy" & an overabundance of Korg banter. Could've used more Gorr, too, since Bale was bringing it.


And remember, "I'm-a Luigi, number one!"

[CaptHayfever]

THIS IS NOT A DRILL. I REPEAT, THIS IS NOT A DRILL.
THIS IS THE ACTUAL ANNOUNCEMENT FOR DEADPOOL 3.
Deadpool 3 is scheduled for release September 6th, 2024.
Deadpool 3 will be rated R and set in the MCU.
Deadpool 3 will be directed by Shawn Levy & written by Paul Wernick & Rhett Reese.
Deadpool 3 will star Ryan Reynolds....

Spoiler.

....and Hugh Jackman.

And remember, "I'm-a Luigi, number one!"

[CaptHayfever]

The finale of She-Hulk: Attorney at Law is this coming Thursday.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever opens in 5 weeks.
The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special probably drops in December to close out both the year & Phase 4.
Just last night, though, we got another special that you should check out, part 66....


Werewolf By Night:

--Remembrances of the CBS special opening.
--Logo: Why aren't the subtitles getting these lyrics?
--Ok, let's get it out of the way now: Warewilf.
--Ah, the Bloodstone family has the Bloodstone. Of course.
--This cat in the white looks like a monster themself.
--Wait, why is red?
--"Not much for honoring ancestors" said the SCOT!?
--Hunting in a veil seems...unwise.
--26+37+43+57+100=263. I would've gone with "over 250".
--Once the crank appeared, I really expected the coffin to be a jack-in-the-box.
--Spoo-Key Party!
--Is that horn diagetic? It sounds too underwhelming to be dubbed in. Wait, it's the fire tuba, isn't it?
--A labyrinth? What is this, Minotaur-By-Night?
--Smart move, remove the noise that would muffle the sounds you're actually tracking.
--So she's had *Widow* training?
--What is it about Scotsmen & saying "death awaits you"?
--Maybe the real monster was the friends we maimed along the way.
--They're hunting Man-Thing!? That seems unwise from a protecting-the-fabric-of-the-multiverse standpoint. Glad this one guy seems to get that.
--This also gives us a vague timeline cue; Man-Thing had been in SHIELD custody at one point, so this has to be, at the very least, after 2014.
--For a Halloween special, I just had some major Passover vibes.
--"Jack", eh? I found the impostor.
--"Ted snarls" might be the greatest caption I've ever read.
--Whoever knows fear burns at the Man-Thing's touch!
--"Do you think they took this set from that one Sia song?" ~my wife
--My cat does this to me, so I know what he's doing to her. Clever.
--"My hands are clean." But not your face.
--...& not your hand anymore either.
--...or the camera lens.
--Flashbacks to the end of Rogue One.
--Matrix Ghost-looking dude got killed twice.
--I see what you did there with the Wizard of Oz song & the color shift.

Executive summary: Fun, exciting, beautifully shot. The characters, except for Jack & Elsa, are wafer-thin, but given the homage in effect, that's intentional.


And remember, "I'm-a Luigi, number one!"

[CaptHayfever]

Harrison Ford has been cast to replace the late William Hurt as Thunderbolt Ross in Captain America: New World Order & in Thunderbolts.
We're now just 2.5 weeks away from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
Here's the first trailer for Ant-Man & the Wasp: Quantumania.
And here's part 64.5....


She-Hulk: Attorney at Law:

#1 "A Normal Amount of Rage":
--Oh hai 4th wall break. D-Piddy is gonna be pleased...?
--"Stop whining about Hulk's arm." ~Kevin Feige
--Definitely NOT every distracted-driving commercial ever.
--Very quick origin story.
--Nice bathroom people are awkward, but comforting.
--Guys who won't accept "no" are awkward & discomforting.
--Ohh, Bing-Bong. :(
--The lullaby was a hypnotic trigger; how is that hard to explain?
--Why would you hold *in* your farts when you're trying to relax?
--"I don't like that her hair is completely different as a Hulk." ~my wife
--Bruce is being patronizing & struggling to accept the differences in personal experience, but Jen is being stubborn in rejecting the wisdom of lived experience.
--My understanding of the shockwave clap.
--And this person is...?
--Credits: Stan, describing Jen.

#2 "Superhuman Law":
--Recap: Whoa, the recaps have original narration footage!
--"Superpowered influencer" are among the most infuriating words I've ever heard.
--"Talk to it"!?
--Hopefully that's just 5 figures in student loans now.
--Wait, was she wearing that hoodie in hulk form?
--I have already forgotten her buddy's name.
--Awkward conversation is awkward.
--I am kinda tired of this Hawkeye question.
--Kind dad is kind.
--Ally McBeal above the bar.
--Difference between She-Hulk & Deadpool: Other characters can hear Deadpool.
--I can't imagine any *judge* approving this conflict waiver.
--I would NOT trust that laser gate.
--So Blonsky was transferred to Damage Control after SHIELD fell, got it.
--This "seven soulmates" thing is setting off big red flags.
--"I'm a completely different person now."
--That hurt, Emil.
--Mid-Credit Scene: It's that Best Buy commercial where the teenage daughter has to fix everyone's tech, but with a Hulk.

#3 "The People vs. Emil Blonsky":
--I don't think Bruce or Blonsky count as cameos, Jen; they've had way too much screentime.
--Oooh, they called it!
--Shadow "Dimension"? Suurrrre.
--Dennis, 9 times out of 10, our hearts just get dissolved.
--Oh, look, it's how clickbait sites generate articles.
--Props for the accurate fractions.
--Dang, I think Blonsky might *actually* be reformed.
--Pug got himself a slam dunk.
--Ms. Thee Stallion is not helping with Jen's cameo argument.
--WHiH would not have been this kind.
--These guys don't have have powers; they just have weapons.
--Solid Harvey Birdman vibes this episode.
--Credits: They really used a song that mentions the Joker?
--Mid-credit scene: Ok, that explains giving main-cast credit to a cameo.

#4 "Is This Not Real Magic?":
--Donny Blaze (I see what you did there) isn't even good at *stage* magic.
--Wong is still on this show?
--"Twitter armor"? You & I both wish, Jen.
--It's actually a really good headshot, Nikki.
--Did he just set his own phone on fire?
--Wong's case is weak, but his argument is correct. Donny here is endangering lives constantly, & that should be patently obvious (pun intended).
--Wong, The Sopranos has been off the air for 12 years my time, & you're 3 years in the future from me.
--That's still just a portal, Donny.
--And those are the aforementioned demons, Donny. I'll betcha they know "Jake", too.
--Genuinely sad for Jen here. Guy had to know she wouldn't stay like that ALL the time.
--Credits: I'm enjoying the artwork, but it's still 7 minutes of credits.
--Mid-credit scene: Vodka & milk sounds like some horribly ill-conceived attempt to mimic RumChata. Also, at least This Is Us only ended this year (my time).

#5 "Mean, Green, & Straight Poured Into These Jeans":
--Perfume ads were bad even *before* influencers were a thing.
--Lip-sync is off.
--Very solid point about walking home safely.
--Do Iron Man Threes explode if your body rejects them?
--That is a real toy Mjolnir.
--She didn't trademark the psuedonym because she didn't establish the name! This isn't difficult!
--Is Titania trying to get her own case dismissed?
--Not gonna lie, I was kinda hoping for Melvin Potter, but I guess we *are* on the wrong side of the country.
--There doesn't appear to be any media in the courtroom on this case, so it's not like this bit of embarrassment is gonna spread very wide.
--I loathe the use of "hater" as an excuse to dismiss legitimate criticism, & personally I blame Hilary Duff.
--Ah, I guess Melvin is still in jail. Or maybe Betsy finally has him on the straight & narrow?

#6 "Just Jen":
--Ugh, glitter.
--"How do you say no to being a bridesmaid?" You make selfish demands less than a week before the wedding that would screw over both another bridesmaid & at least one other guest, then bail when the bride refuses to play that game.
--Heh, it's Thursday.
--This is the best the She-Hulk CGI has looked all season; she looks genuinely integrated into the scene for once!
--Wait, this is the MCU Mr. Immortal? Bummer for Derek Theler.
--I know some disingenuous trolls like Titania. Met some on Reddit, met some on VGF, met some IRL.
--Bigamy's illegal, so Craig's case here should be that only the first spouse has an actual claim.
--Shirts like that wrinkle the instant you bend over.
--We had to pay like $1000 for an open bar, & barely anyone ended up drinking.
--Nikki's gonna make a great lawyer.
--Ok, so Titania actually has a complete subplot now, AND Jameela gets a decent fight scene, nice.
--I know some people like the Intelligencia too.
--Mallory's wrong, *never* let death threats go.

#7 "The Retreat":
--Ohr nor, the condensation! Cleor!
--Josh's food truck idea is literally just Wendy's.
--They are blocking the view of the car behind them.
--My phone is always muted in churches, theaters, & my job.
--Parole officer seems like an ok guy.
--El Aguila is too flashy to be a Zorro-type.
--They're saying the name of the car too much for it NOT to be product placement, but they also wrecked the car too much to BE product placement.
--There's only one daywalker, so I'm pretty sure Blonsky is right about Saracen not really being a vampire.
--I about busted a gut at "You never heard of...Spain?"
--I *remember* that guy; I just didn't *recognize* that guy. Laughed pretty hard at "Previously on That Guy" too.
--Saracen isn't a vampire, but he's onto something with the blood thing.
--I have old contacts I don't waste time on anymore, but I don't like deleting records, & Jen might need to track down Josh again for non-romantic reasons.
--So where did the 7 soulmates go?
--Dang it, I *really* wanted that fantheory to be wrong.

#8 "Ribbit & Rip It":
--What goes up must come down; your name is *Leap*frog, not *Fly*frog.
--He's NOT representing himself?...oh no....
--Aha, the Accords are repealed! Thank goodness. Also, Matt has a bit of conflict here himself.
--How would he even know she's a beautiful woman? It's kinda spooky actually.
--Matt accidentally tipped his hand here by admitting Luke, a man who only tailors for supers, made him clothes, but Jen's already drunk.
--I promise Toddles here did NOT study abroad in Wakanda.
--There's a lot of CG here that doesn't need to be.
--O HAI THEME MUSIC
--Gold is a bad color for stealth.
--My first mental image when the "Lilypad" was revealed.
--Poison dart frogs don't actually shoot darts.
--That's WAY too many cuts for a hallway fight. Loki did a oner through a whole town, & you guys couldn't pull one off for a single room?
--Dat walk of shame tho.
--Dat Wolverine pose tho.
--Mallory's jab at the host is lovely.
--Clearly these idiots standing around filming this never saw Carrie.
--So, these guys like the Hulk, but their plan to take down She-Hulk is to make people see her like they do the Hulk?

#9 "Whose Show Is This?":
--You magnificent sons of guns, you actually did it!
--Not a good look for Holliway to fire Jen for the same reason he hired her.
--GREAT look for Papa Morris.
--That video looks Orphan-Black-ish.
--Dennis is an EASY defamation suit. Do NOT lie about people. *acuongthycpoausgtho*
--There'll be no Stranger Than Fictioning here!
--I read a fantheory that Nikki would be revealed to have been in the Intelligencia all along. I appreciate how epicly wrong that fantheory was.
--And now, "Deep Thoughts" by Emil Handy
--It was that douche Todd all along!
--There's a dude here who looks like Ryan Murphy (not the famous one, the cool YouTube one).
--I got worried about Emil, but it looks like he just had no clue who these clients were.
--Oh, thank goodness, Todd's an idiot & confessed to everything in front of two people with an open phone line.
--There's a lot of annoying contrivances in this scene, but the only *confusing* part is how Bruce got here.
--Jen's Big Idea (1966, colorized)
--"This is very creepy, the way you're talking about him, it's not healthy." *acuongthycpoausgtho*
--Feige probably laughed his butt off when Gao pitched "What if we made you GLaDOS?"
--I like Jen's changes, but I also would've liked to see them play out after she went back, instead of skipping over the climax.
--Supermax was the prison Jessica Jones tried to get sent to.
--When & how did this happen, Bruce? (I mean, the when is obvious. But HOW?)
--Credits: You just spoiled the mid-credit scene, guys.
--Mid-credit scene: Wongers is overstepping.

Executive summary: There are some glaring visual design issues (the GLK&H set must've been a nightmare for the VFX team to integrate She-Hulk into), & some of the jokes don't land, but mostly this is a funny & intelligent good time with a powerhouse performance by Tatiana Maslany & a powerful message about how certain people engage with media.


And remember, "I'm-a Luigi, number one!"

[CaptHayfever]

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is out, & it is amazing!

Also, here's a trailer for The GotG Holiday Special, out November 25th, which will drastically shrink the Bacon numbers of everyone in the MCU.

Also also, here's a trailer for Ant-Man & Wasp: Quantumania, which will drastically shrink the cast...literally....because it's an Ant-Man movie.....

In other news:
--Armor Wars has been switched from a series to a movie.
--Aubrey Plaza has joined the cast of Agatha: Coven of Chaos.
--Blade has been delayed to 6 Sept 2024 due to the departure of its director.
--Deadpool 3 has been delayed to 8 Nov 2024 due to Blade taking its previous release date.
--Fantastic Four has been delayed to 14 Feb 2025 due to Deadpool taking its previous release date.
--Avengers: Secret Wars has been delayed to 1 May 2026 due to I don't know why.
--A new series titled Vision Quest has been greenlit, starring Paul Bettany, most likely as the reprogrammed version of his character from the ends of WandaVision.

And remember, "I'm-a Luigi, number one!"

[CaptHayfever]

Next known release date is Quantumania in February. Until then, we get to take a little breather, because Phase 4 just concluded this past weekend with part 65.5....


The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special:

--Santa!
--Wow, somebody had to actually decipher the lyrics to this song for the captions.
--They're going full Star Wars Holiday Special with this flashback animation.
--The Collector is alive!?
--How did Cosmo gain sapience?
--That is a name.
--That is a song. Quill's reactions throughout are delightful.
--Timeline cue: Groot has grown drastically; no way it's only been 6 or 7 months since Love & Thunder. Let's go with Christmas 2025.
--That is quite a revelation that certainly wasn't given away by a recap clip show the other day, nope.
--I appreciate Mantis becoming more assertive.
--Fun fact: Kevin Bacon has been married to Kyra Sedgwick since 1988.
--This is a pretty clever way to connect the story to an Earth holiday without actually sending Peter himself home.
--Is this that song Jimmy Fallon & Horatio Sanz always sang on SNL?
--Yeah, I wouldn't know what to think about a spaceship showing up in the Marvel world anymore either.
--Merry Christmas, Flula Borg!
--Um, yeah, tens of thousands of people. Sure.
--Since when can she do that!? Influencing emotions is one thing, but this is full-blown mind control.
--Does Disney own Santa Claus Conquers The Martians now? I can't think of any other reason somebody would watch that flick without the MST filter over it.
--Priorities, Drax.
--Quill doesn't remember his whole childhood right from Earth, or all the details of the movies he loved, but he *did* remember that they *were* movies, & he DEFINITELY doesn't want anyone else abducted like he was.
--Kraglin makes an oddly appropriate source to calm Bacon down.
--How did she get that arm!?
--That's really more of a cat thing, Cosmo.
--Of course Peter's happy to learn he still has family!
--Of course Yondu softened up.
--Credits: The coloring is a nice touch.
--Post-credit scene: How The Groot Ruined Christmas

Executive summary: A bit visually wonky, but charming. Pom Klementieff handles her expanded role really well. And congrats to everyone in the MCU for getting their Bacon numbers shunken drastically!


And remember, "I'm-a Luigi, number one!"

[CaptHayfever]

The newest version of my timeline infographic is now ready, updated with all the 2022 releases!

And remember, "I'm-a Luigi, number one!"

[CaptHayfever]

We've got a new movie out in just 2 weeks from now, but in the meantime, the previous one has hit streaming.
Part 64.25....


Black Panther: Wakanda Forever:

--BLEEP cancer.
--Shuri is not normally the kind of person to (a) pray, or (b) speak as if she was asking Santa for presents, but her emotional distress in the situation justifies it.
--This looks *just* like the shot of the Stark mural in FFH.
--One of my theatre professors in college claimed she thought it *always* looked fake when people bawled at funerals. She said it while showing us a news clip of a woman crying after her child's death. I was at my uncle's funeral & saw my grandmother bawling like that, & if my professor tried to say *that* was fake, I'm sure my father & his 2 surviving brothers would've had something to say to her. And I'll bet Shuri would help them.
--Logo.
--Timeline cue: "One year later". Bare minimum, it's the end of 2024. Let's keep looking for more.
--Caption: "Secretary of State"? Was Ross fired for sucking?
--Yes, French lady, you can make WMDs out of vibranium. You can also make WMDs out of steel.
--There's a successor to the throne, but none to the herb. Killmonger's crap has consequences.
--Whoa, Ayo got a line in a movie?
--"geeettttttt dunked on!!" ~Ramonda, kinda
--This lady kinda sounds like Natasha.
--This power is completely broken, & it reminds me of The Happening, so that's 2 points against this scene. (Note to future filmmakers: *Never* remind me of The Happening. That movie's core concept inherently sucked, & it should never be used again.)
--She's a horrible shot; all of those bullets hit his tiny shoulder armor. (And they're clearly not bulletproof, since she's able to shoot some of the others later.)
--So long, King Bowser!
--Ramonda, an AI *already* tried to kill us all. You didn't hear about Ultron? Besides, Griot is just Trevor-Noah-Jarvis.
--Leeloo-lookin' department store mannequin is distracting in this otherwise-poignant scene.
--Using overrationality to shut down your loved ones' attempts to process their grief is just mean.
--My wife made me stop the movie here to compare the score to the siren song from H2O: Just Add Water. But she didn't do that with the ACTUAL siren song earlier.
--Namor would be more justified in his anger with T'Challa if anybody KNEW HE EXISTED.
--I believe you have a massive army. I don't believe you have "more soldiers than this country has blades of grass". You'd fill the whole ocean.
--Timeline cue: It looks like spring, & classes are in session at MIT, so now it's gotta be spring 2025.
--I have no idea what "Fenty 440" means.
--Dorm room scene: A+. I appreciate that they changed Riri's origin story to not suck.
--But *why* is the FBI after Riri, & *how* do they know Okoye & Shuri are here?
--And how is Riri communicating with ANYBODY right now?
--This is getting obnoxious. Now they all have Wolverine healing? Okoye is *genuinely* better than them, but it just doesn't matter. It's infuriating.
--For your consideration in the category of Best Supporting Actress: Angela Bassett.
--Crap, Val runs the CIA now?
--Timeline cue: Nakia has been absent from Wakanda for 6 years.
--See, Shuri, the Panther is not an outdated relic.
--The Mayan onscreen titles are a clever switch from the Xhosa titles.
--Not gonna lie, dude, the flippancy with which you murder people lends a lot of credence to that "child without love" thing.
--You know those tunnels with the current in Labyrinth Zone?
--Can't help but notice nobody in Talokan seems able to speak underwater besides Namor.
--Dude, every young person talks about "burning the world" at some point.
--Ross, you're hooking that thing up to your work phone?
--Cabo Verde is in the Atlantic, but on the nearly opposite side of Africa from Wakanda.
--No, you don't get to take personal offense at not being trusted by people who don't know what you did with the princess you abducted.
--And nobody *is* thinking of approaching Talokan, you paranoid maniac; Wakanda has no interest in imperialism, & literally nobody else knows you're there!
--Timeline cue: The 6 years Nakia has been gone began *after* the Snap.
--"I will respond to two of my guards being killed by slaughtering dozens or potentially hundreds of civilians." ~a guy who does not think rationally
--M'Baku is lucky he had armor on.
--"She did this!" ~every domestic abuse apologist
--Is "daughter of Lumumba" part of her actual name?
--Ross broke at least one law, definitely, but not treason specifically, as he did not levy war against the US or give aid & comfort to an enemy thereof. He also can't be convicted of treason, guilty or not, unless he confesses, because there aren't 2 witnesses.
--This sanctuary plan will actually work; there aren't swimmable rivers to Jabariland.
--Killmonger couldn't reach the full ancestral plane either.
--Every single thing Shuri says about you is correct, Erik. Just because you're right about her too, that doesn't change that.
--M'Baku learns from his mistakes. Be like M'Baku.
--You're telling me they got this big ugly boat all the way around the opposite side of the continent without Talokan noticing? Also, you're telling me they thought this tall, skinny boat with no guardrails around the tiny crowded platform on top was a good design? (The vertical fighting on the side hull is pretty cool, though.)
--Unpopular opinion: I like the Ironheart mk 2 suit.
--My wife, re: the Midnight Angels waiting so long to deploy.
--Ripping this jerk's wings off is REALLY satisfying.
--Why in the MPAA Ratings Board is this spear so clean?
--It's easy to forget that T'Challa had to learn this lesson about vengeance too, because it was so long ago.
--All Hail the King...M'Baku.
--Namora's name fits like a glove too.
--It's about time Ross got some pro quo for his quid.
--Strong lead into the credits.
--Mid-credits scene: This child is adorable. (And timeline cue: The 6 years Nakia has been gone began *before* he was born.)

Executive summary: I'd be lying if I said there weren't problems with this movie; heck, I detailed several of them above. That said, I enjoyed this deeply. The performances were moving, the character arcs strong, the action thrilling, & the politics intelligent. They also did exactly what I predicted, by separating the throne from the Herb. I just think they needed to think through the Talokanil's abilities better, & maybe have somebody call out Namor for his paranoia.


And remember, "I'm-a Luigi, number one!"

[CaptHayfever]

Good morning! Quantumania opens this weekend!

In other news from a recent Entertainment Weekly interview with Kevin Feige:
--MCU Spidey 4 has a story drafted & the screenplay is in progress.
--New World Order, Thunderbolts, & Blade will all roll camera over the next several weeks.
--The pace of the D+ shows is expected to slow down to give each one more breathing room. How *exactly* the release schedule will change is TBA.

And remember, "I'm-a Luigi, number one!"

[I REALLY HATE POKEMON!]

There's a new Blade huh? I liked the original, I hope they keep it as dark but I doubt it.

[CaptHayfever]

In the news:
-The Marvels has had its release date pushed back to November to improve pacing between films in light of the delays on Blade.
-Due to scheduling conflicts for Ayelet Zurer, the role of Vanessa Fisk in Born Again has been recast with Sandrine Holt.
-Post-production VP Victoria Alonso has left Marvel Studios after 17 years.
-GotG vol. 3 opens in 6 weeks.

We've also had a bunch of new supplementary videos out these past couple years, so since we're in a lull at the moment of storyline content, here's a rundown of those documentaries & recaps....


SUPPLEMENTARY VIDEOS 2

Marvel Studios Legends - You know those fanmade recap compilations on YouTube? This is those, but with MUCH better editing. These are genuinely useful for quickly refreshing yourself on a character's story, but a few of the installments are redundant.

Assembled - These behind-the-scenes specials vary wildly in how interesting they are, but in general the ones about the shows are more interesting than the ones about the movies. That said, a couple of the movie ones (especially Multiverse of Madness) are great. I wish they indexed these like a series, though, so they'd be easier to find.

A Fan's Guide to Ms. Marvel - If you're familiar with Kamala Khan in the comics, you won't learn anything new from this featurette, but Iman Vellani is such a charmer that I enjoyed it anyway.

Director By Night - A specialized documentary about Michael Giacchino's life & origins in filmmaking as he embarked on his directorial debut, Werewolf By Night. Giacchino's brother gives a loving & playful touch to the proceedings.

Voices Rising - A cool insight into the process for composing & recording the extremely intricate & multifaceted score to Wakanda Forever.

MPower - The interviews are really strong, and I love the animations that go with them, but a couple episode titles are misleading ("Scarlet Witch" is really "Scarlet Witch *and* Monica Rambeau"; "Gamora" is really "Women of GotG"). The Scarlet Witch episode also retreads a lot of ground from the Assembled special on WandaVision. I wouldn't mind a 2nd batch of these to cover even more characters.


And remember, "I'm-a Luigi, number one!"

[CaptHayfever]

News updates:
Guardians of the Galaxy vol. 3 opens THIS COMING FRIDAY!
Ant-Man & the Wasp: Quantumania will be on streaming/disc in just a few weeks (at which point I'll do its blog entry).
Secret Invasion premieres on D+ on June 21st; here's the latest trailer.

And remember, "I'm-a Luigi, number one!"

[I REALLY HATE POKEMON!]

Feels like forever since GotG2, I'll have to rewatch those before seeing the 3rd one. Good to see it's here.

[CaptHayfever]

More release news:
--Loki season 2 will premiere on October 6th & run for 6 weekly episodes (with the finale on the same day The Marvels opens).
--Echo will do a FULL-SEASON release on November 29th.
Anyway, time for part 64.3....


Ant-Man & the Wasp: Quantumania:

--That does not look like water.
--It's some version of He Who Exposits!
--"waah but superheroes never actually help society" Cue Hope van Dyne.
--Scott's reading voice reminds me of Ron Burgundy's. Also, timeline cue: We saw info on Scott's book tour in Wakanda Forever, so this should be pretty close to that.
--Cassie looks different; it's kinda Freaky.
--I, too, am happy to meet a raccoon who can talk.
--Myrmecology, Hank.
--Daw, she calls him "Grandpa" now!
--I appreciate that they're not angry with Janet for yanking out the power cord, because that's an easy fix; they're just confused.
--Worth noting, using Pym particles on yourself without protection will kill you, but the thing shrinking them here isn't Pym particles.
--There's always a bigger paramecium.
--"We'll talk later." But why not talk NOW, Janet?
--Weren't Scott & Cassie captured together? How did they arrive at different times?
--Cassie looks like some kind of possessed person on Supernatural with that goo running down her face.
--You just watch yourself; he has the death sentence on 12 systems.
--7 is correct. Would've been 8 if they'd asked Cassie.
--Ah, so it's the one called "The Conqueror" this time.
--Hank's sincere scientific awe is actually pretty heartwarming.
--Janet opening the door (2006, digitized)
--Ah, Hank's earpiece still works. That's gonna Chekhov on us later.
--That guy looks like an old Gatorade commercial.
--Bill Murray is in this movie.
--Just explaining what's on Cassie's mind instead of letting Scott figure it out is Chidi-ing.
--Honestly, this frank & honest discussion of middle-aged/elder sexuality is kinda refreshing.
--"You led them straight to us!" Buddy, YOU brought them here.
--That's weird, the aspect ratio just changed.
--Are You There, God? It's Me, MODOK.
--The flashback filter they've been putting on archive footage since Far From Home looks really ugly.
--I didn't need to see Darren's shrunken butt.
--Being wrong is not the same thing as lying, Janet.
--"I'll kill everyone but you" isn't the incentive Kang thinks it is.
--This is important: This is a badly-weakened Kang. He does not have his full power. He does not have his full technology.
--The entire probability storm sequence is really visually cool & emotionally tense. Maybe a few of the other Scotts' lines could be tweaked; that's my only note.
--Ants. *hamboning begins*
--You don't need to have watched Loki to understand Kang; he recaps all the important information here.
--A conqueror is a monster, Kang.
--What happened to the giant guard? He just isn't there anymore.
--ANTS. *hamboning intensifies*
--Of course he read your book, Scott, he had to make sure you didn't blab too much.
--Cassie's investigative skills need work; she's no Detective Pikachu.
--You can't conquer Eternity; Gorr beat you to it.
--Scott's rant needs work, but his rampage is glorious.
--Torture does not make for good interrogation. Telepathy, however, does.
--"I didn't know he could do that." I don't think he did, either.
--The only part of Darren's exchange with Cassie that doesn't work is his request of "tell me what to be." There needed to be more to connect to that point. Everything after that works fine, though.
--Omega Beams are such a stupid power.
--The designs of everything in the quantum realm look really good, & it's rendered well, but the integration of the actors into the backgrounds is off. Since I know they used the Volume for this movie instead of chromakey, it was probably an issue of set lighting rather than the actual CGI.
--Kang, 2025: "You? You talk to ants!" ANT-MAN, 2015: "Do you have any idea how many ants there are?"
--And one more to grow on: "If ants had nuclear weapons, they would probably end the world in a week." ~Holldobler & Wilson
--Darren's dying, so let's just go ahead & indulge his fantasies for a second.
--Kang's suit is fried. He's just an ordinary human man now...albeit a really jacked one who can clobber Scott Lang within an inch of his life.
--Yeah, no free coffee for Ant-Man.
--Scott, don't take the villain who you already know lied to you at face value when he makes threats.
--Yup, Cassie's family sure is Blended now...wait that's an Emma Fuhrmann movie, never mind.
--Yeah, Dale doesn't remember how to make cakes.
--Mid-credit scene: Ok, so maybe the villain wasn't *totally* lying. (Good thing a few of them don't look like Jonathan Majors, just in case.)
--Credits: In memory of David Jones? He died in 2012.
--Post-credit scene: This is taken from Loki S2; you can skip it for now & see it again later.

Executive summary: Not nearly as bad as people say. The dialogue needed another pass, & the lighting was off (though that could've been fixed in post if the VFX crews weren't so overworked). Luis's absence is notable. Some outstanding performances. Not my favorite by any means, but fun. Judy Greer is underused.


And remember, "I'm-a Luigi, number one!"

[CaptHayfever]

Known release calendar through the rest of 2023:
21 June - Secret Invasion premiere (runs for 6 weeks, ending 26 Jul) - that is just 3 weeks away!
6 Oct - Loki S2 premiere (runs for 6 weeks, ending 10 Nov)
10 Nov - The Marvels opens
29 Nov - Echo premiere (full-season drop)

Other news:
--Amy Pascal & Tom Holland confirm that the 4th MCU Spider-Man film is in active development, but currently paused due to the WGA strike.
--Agatha: Coven of Chaos has completed filming.
--Deadpool 3 has begun filming; however, WGA member Ryan Reynolds is contractually prohibited from improvising on set during the strike. (Both SAG & DGA are expected to begin solidarity strikes soon, though, which would completely shut down *all* filming, so I think Reynolds & Levy are just going to burn some time shooting non-improv scenes until that happens).

And remember, "I'm-a Luigi, number one!"

[CaptHayfever]

Reminder: Secret Invasion premieres next week! (Tomorrow there will be some new "Legends" clips to help people recap beforehand.)

The rest of the 2023 schedule is still in place, but some future releases have changed, most likely due to delays from the WGA strike:
--Deadpool 3 will open 3 May 2024 (that's actually sooner, rather than later).
--Captain America: Brave New World has been retitled that, & it will open on 26 July 2024.
--Thunderbolts will open 20 Dec 2024.
--Blade will open on 14 Feb 2025 (Happy Valentine's Day...?).
--Fantastic Four will open 2 May 2025.
--Avengers: The Kang Dynasty will open 1 May 2026.
--Avengers: Secret Wars will open 7 May 2027.

And remember, "I'm-a Luigi, number one!"

[I REALLY HATE POKEMON!]

Nothing says romance quite like brutal bloody vampire fights.

[Booyakasha]

Which terrifying nosferatu do you think Blade will be fighting in this movie?

My money's on Bunnicula, personally.

[CaptHayfever]

We're halfway through Secret Invasion & things are getting juicy!

Meanwhile, here's a production still from Deadpool 3:


And remember, "I'm-a Luigi, number one!"

[Booyakasha]

^Is that Deadpool hangin out with Wolvie?

...I can see it. Deadpool's the strangest bedfellow. I can see him being weird pals with Wolvie, and Dazzler, and the Punisher, and Groo the Wanderer.

Do you think there's a team-up between Deadpool and Sam and Max out there somewhere? It seems apt.