[Movie/TV/Comic] Marvel Cinematic Universe: A place to talk all things Marvel

[Fencers]

Could you elaborate on the exhibitors, distributors and the offering part? Only if you don't mind to spend time to explain those to me.

Exhibitors, exos, are movie theaters and any outlet that pays to screen a film or event. Distributors, distros, are anyone that owns the right to sell a property; movie studios, license holders, etc. Offerings are any products to air or are sold, packaged.

Distributors sell their products to exhibitors. Exhibitors have limited space, time, and most important of all premium screens. By announcing ahead, other distros are aware of how to program (release product to exos).

For example, WBD wouldn't release Dune Part 2 on the same weekend as November 10th. It would burn Exos who only have so many PO/PS/PXs (Premium offerings/screens/experiences) to offer. So an Exo would have to choose, "Am I showing The Marvels or Dune part 2 on my 2 IMAX screens this weekend?"

Dune Part 2 releases the week before the Marvels for that very reason. Generally, there is a working agreement to not program counter another franchise. It's why films are released as they are.

The US opening box office is immensely important to the business.

[Fabinas]

Exhibitors, exos, are movie theaters and any outlet that pays to screen a film or event. Distributors, distros, are anyone that owns the right to sell a property; movie studios, license holders, etc. Offerings are any products to air or are sold, packaged.

Distributors sell their products to exhibitors. Exhibitors have limited space, time, and most important of all premium screens. By announcing ahead, other distros are aware of how to program (release product to exos).

For example, WBD wouldn't release Dune Part 2 on the same weekend as November 10th. It would burn Exos who only have so many PO/PS/PXs (Premium offerings/screens/experiences) to offer. So an Exo would have to choose, "Am I showing The Marvels or Dune part 2 on my 2 IMAX screens this weekend?"

Dune Part 2 releases the week before the Marvels for that very reason. Generally, there is a working agreement to not program counter another franchise. It's why films are released as they are.

Much appreciated. Thank you

[Evil Midnight Bomber]

Quantumania is going to be another of those "Critics hate it, fans love it" films.

To give a spoilerless review, the movie is essentially giving the audience everything they need to know on Cassie and Kang, they don't waste too much time explaining the Quantum Realm, it's just a visual delight (and a stunning one at that) The story is in the two aforementioned characters and Scott.

A lot of convenience will occur, but it's an MCU movie, convenience is par for the course now. This sets up the next phase brilliantly.

Two post credit scenes, both are must see.

Yeah, I watched it last night...and I thought it was good. A couple of exposition dumps...but they didn't feel too long or forced. And yeah, plenty of plot convenience...but that just goes with the territory. Some "If X had just done Y...all of this could have been avoided"... but if X had done Y...we wouldn't have a movie.

[Fencers]

Talk on the street is Disney released The Marvels poster to deflect from the low RT on Antman and drive engagement. The Marvels is trending and has more engagement than the panning of Quantummania.

This is probably gonna go 2w if lucky before PVOD. Similar to Multiverse of Maddness.

Probably looking at 90-120m to avoid losing week 2. They won't make week 3 at all, IMO.

Fascinating. Especially after that accountability speech Iger gave 2 weeks ago. With President's day?

A 120 on a 4day. Brutal. Shocking.

[Syegfryed]

Quantumania is going to be another of those "Critics hate it, fans love it" films.

People said the same thing for eternals and thor love and thunder, and they were awful

Not saying it is, but sure its not a good sign

Because there was essentially zero reason to think she was gone. We last saw her destroying the temple at the end of MoM, pulling it down around herself, and when the scene shifts to a view from a distance, there's a really damned obvious red flash of her magic as it finally comes down completely. Combined with the "nobody's actually dead unless you see a body" trope, there was never really any implication that Wanda was dead in the first place, let alone any direct evidence of it.

They clearly meant to be something that people were not sure about it, so, when the building fall in her head, that was the implication, but that rly didn't gave people any doubt, since we already knew what was going to happen. But im sure there was someone out there who though she was dead

[Northern Goblin]

People said the same thing for eternals and thor love and thunder, and they were awful

Not saying it is, but sure its not a good sign

Except fan response has been positive so far, whereas they dumped on Eternals and Love and Thunder.

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Talk on the street is Disney released The Marvels poster to deflect from the low RT on Antman and drive engagement. The Marvels is trending and has more engagement than the panning of Quantummania.

This is probably gonna go 2w if lucky before PVOD. Similar to Multiverse of Maddness.

Probably looking at 90-120m to avoid losing week 2. They won't make week 3 at all, IMO.

Fascinating. Especially after that accountability speech Iger gave 2 weeks ago. With President's day?

A 120 on a 4day. Brutal. Shocking.

Made $17.5 mil on Thursday night previews.

For comparison Ant Man made 6.4 mil and the sequel 11.5.

[DingDongKing]

Just got back. The plot was okay. The dialogue was mostly horrific and felt like it was pulled out of the standard dummy’s guide to writing blockbuster films. The over-reliance on CG was irritating, especially when there’s scenes you can tell the actors were having to overcompensate for the lack of anything practical and real to ‘act alongside’ or ‘react to’. Jonathan Majors is a phenomenal actor, as is Michael Douglas. The rest of the cast was passable in their performances. I still don’t care enough about this Multiverse saga because it’s not given me anything (my opinion) to fall in love with. No characters I’m actively rooting for, no next episode I’m eagerly anticipating, and no stakes that make me give much of a shit. This isn’t an invitation to debate the movie with anyone else. It’s my opinion only. If you liked it, that’s absolutely fine. All the power to you. It didn’t get me going. As far as solo films go, the Captain America arc is still the strongest yet for me. Nothing has come close to the level of joy that Steve’s storyline gave me. This is a 5/10 for me.

[Fencers]

Made $17.5 mil on Thursday night previews.

For comparison Ant Man made 6.4 mil and the sequel 11.5.

I am aware. The projections are still 90-120m though.

[Biomega]

I still don’t care enough about this Multiverse saga because it’s not given me anything (my opinion) to fall in love with.

I've honestly felt kind of the same ever since they started with it, because it kind of... lacks real stakes. Not in the sense that there aren't any, but in the sense that we're not SEEING any. Both Civil War and Thanos could grow organically because they were part of the setup for the universe; now that it's established, any new overarching threats need to be outlined clearly, or there's a risk people just won't care. And what's worse, nothing so far has really been ITERATIVE - i.e. we've seen some multiverse shenanigans like No Way Home and Multiverse of Madness, but they were self-contained threats that were resolved within their own space. That makes the overarching plot anemic and contrived, because it feels like "just another multiverse thing" rather than something that build and builds to lead up to something big.

Haven't seen Ant-Man yet and maybe it's what'll make everything work for me, who knows. But so far at least the whole multiverse stuff has been more theoretical and abstract than an actual, concrete storyline to latch on to.

[exochaft]

I've honestly felt kind of the same ever since they started with it, because it kind of... lacks real stakes. Not in the sense that there aren't any, but in the sense that we're not SEEING any. Both Civil War and Thanos could grow organically because they were part of the setup for the universe; now that it's established, any new overarching threats need to be outlined clearly, or there's a risk people just won't care. And what's worse, nothing so far has really been ITERATIVE - i.e. we've seen some multiverse shenanigans like No Way Home and Multiverse of Madness, but they were self-contained threats that were resolved within their own space. That makes the overarching plot anemic and contrived, because it feels like "just another multiverse thing" rather than something that build and builds to lead up to something big.

Haven't seen Ant-Man yet and maybe it's what'll make everything work for me, who knows. But so far at least the whole multiverse stuff has been more theoretical and abstract than an actual, concrete storyline to latch on to.

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news... I can almost guarantee your sentiments won't change after watching the new Ant-Man movie. It takes all the worst aspects of Marvel D+ series and ultimately doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things. If you've seen the first season of Loki, you could skip this movie easily. The movie's basically a mediocre advertisement for D+ shows, that's it. While I know it wasn't originally supposed to be the kickstart movie for Phase 5, this is probably the worst way to do so.

[DingDongKing]

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news... I can almost guarantee your sentiments won't change after watching the new Ant-Man movie. It takes all the worst aspects of Marvel D+ series and ultimately doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things. If you've seen the first season of Loki, you could skip this movie easily. The movie's basically a mediocre advertisement for D+ shows, that's it. While I know it wasn't originally supposed to be the kickstart movie for Phase 5, this is probably the worst way to do so.

I’ve enjoyed the shows more or less. Ms.Marvel has a weak finale, but was good for me otherwise. Loki and Moon Knight were likely my favourites and Falcon/Winter Soldier my least favourite, purely because of how badly the show was rewritten due to COVID. But I’m generally more of a fan of the series than the films that have been released recently.

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I've honestly felt kind of the same ever since they started with it, because it kind of... lacks real stakes. Not in the sense that there aren't any, but in the sense that we're not SEEING any. Both Civil War and Thanos could grow organically because they were part of the setup for the universe; now that it's established, any new overarching threats need to be outlined clearly, or there's a risk people just won't care. And what's worse, nothing so far has really been ITERATIVE - i.e. we've seen some multiverse shenanigans like No Way Home and Multiverse of Madness, but they were self-contained threats that were resolved within their own space. That makes the overarching plot anemic and contrived, because it feels like "just another multiverse thing" rather than something that build and builds to lead up to something big.

Haven't seen Ant-Man yet and maybe it's what'll make everything work for me, who knows. But so far at least the whole multiverse stuff has been more theoretical and abstract than an actual, concrete storyline to latch on to.

No Way Home and Loki made the multiverse feel fun and engaging. Multiverse of Madness and Quantumania made it seem like a garbled mess with no coherent direction. Both films just lacked any sense of urgency or need to exist even for me. It’s like…why do I give a shit? Sure, Kang is the big bad but…why? Because he said so? Well shit. You’ve got me. These films have the same issue that I found in Iron Man 2 and Thor 2. The stories weren’t good enough to be solo films and not connected to the wider saga enough to be interludes. But that’s me. I’m sure someone else loves it.

[Syegfryed]

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news... I can almost guarantee your sentiments won't change after watching the new Ant-Man movie. It takes all the worst aspects of Marvel D+ series and ultimately doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things. If you've seen the first season of Loki, you could skip this movie easily. The movie's basically a mediocre advertisement for D+ shows, that's it. While I know it wasn't originally supposed to be the kickstart movie for Phase 5, this is probably the worst way to do so.

From what i heard, its exactly this, the movie is so low on the stakes that you don't need to watch it to understand the next moves from the MCU, you rly only need to watch loki season 1, not even 2, just one.

In my humble opinion, MCU movies are becoming too much bloated, they want to make every movie civil war/ending game with multiple protagonists, and to me, this formula isn't working if you are introducing new people. With civil war it worked, because we already knew most of then, while they did introduced black panther he was not the main point, but Captain america and Iron man.

I think Spider-man worked much better because it was just 3 peters fighting bad guys. Yeah, the multiverse problem at the end, big stakes, but that was second to what the movie focused on.

[Biomega]

No Way Home and Loki made the multiverse feel fun and engaging. Multiverse of Madness and Quantumania made it seem like a garbled mess with no coherent direction. Both films just lacked any sense of urgency or need to exist even for me.

To me, it's just the vague vastness of it all that really doesn't allow things to come together in a way that actually makes me care or anticipatory for where it's going.

It's like saying the next big arc is about the threat of "nature". What the hell is that supposed to mean. Yeah nature is there, it's big, it has lots of scary shit in it - but what's the scary shit HERE? If your goal is to make a film about killer animals taking revenge, say that. Don't just say "nature". And don't keep "nature" hanging over our heads for years with killer trees and killer fungi all of which got dealt with, and then somehow there may or may not be killer animals coming or WHO THE HELL KNOWS.

Just isn't a good way to build up to something is all, or at least it feels like that way to me.

[everydaygamer]

To me, it's just the vague vastness of it all that really doesn't allow things to come together in a way that actually makes me care or anticipatory for where it's going.

It's like saying the next big arc is about the threat of "nature". What the hell is that supposed to mean. Yeah nature is there, it's big, it has lots of scary shit in it - but what's the scary shit HERE? If your goal is to make a film about killer animals taking revenge, say that. Don't just say "nature". And don't keep "nature" hanging over our heads for years with killer trees and killer fungi all of which got dealt with, and then somehow there may or may not be killer animals coming or WHO THE HELL KNOWS.

Just isn't a good way to build up to something is all, or at least it feels like that way to me.

You could say the same thing about Thanos and the Infinity Stones.

The problem is people want Infinity War and End Game level stakes but they don't want to deal with any of the build up it takes to get to that point.

[Biomega]

You could say the same thing about Thanos and the Infinity Stones.

The problem is people want Infinity War and End Game level stakes but they don't want to deal with any of the build up it takes to get to that point.

I mean to a degree, but it's more excusable when you're setting things up for your universe. It's not that big a deal when everything is building - but once stuff is already built, you just can't do it the same way.

[everydaygamer]

I mean to a degree, but it's more excusable when you're setting things up for your universe. It's not that big a deal when everything is building - but once stuff is already built, you just can't do it the same way.

That's how storytelling works. If it was the same cast of characters I'd agree but we're dealing with a mostly new cast of characters so of course you have to start from the bottom and work your way back up.

[Endus]

I mean to a degree, but it's more excusable when you're setting things up for your universe. It's not that big a deal when everything is building - but once stuff is already built, you just can't do it the same way.

The point is you can't build up to Infinity War/Endgame, and then sustain that level of engagement. The 20-ish films that fed into that two-film conclusion all brought in various plot threads and characters, so that most of them could be resolved in epic fashion. Which is great; that's something crazy and unique in film. But now those threads are resolved. You've got a few new loose threads, in this case mostly legacy trauma from the Blip and such and the aftershocks from there, which is mostly what we've been dealing with in Phase 4; cleanup from Infinity War/Endgame. Those threads don't lead to the same stakes. They can't. It's not even really desirable; tension in an ongoing property isn't scaling infinitely upward; you need peaks and valleys. Phase 4 is a valley. Intentionally, IMO. That isn't a criticism. We tipped over the whole Jenga tower. We've gotta build a new tower back up before we can put everything at risk of falling over again.

At the end of Phase 1, we had barely a hint of Thanos. We'd seen some Infinity Gems but only big comics fans were really putting things together; it wasn't that far off from Kang's introduction here in terms of paucity. Looking back, we see the whole buildup, but at the time, the first Avengers seemed an impossible feat to pull off and felt like the "big finale". And it's just the conclusion of Act 1.

I wouldn't even say Phase 4 is even really an Act 1; it's more an intermission. Introduce some new characters, settle the aftermath of the last major three-act arc, set the stage for the next. With new characters, they've got a lot more options to play with moving forward, more group films where everything started out really separated until the first Avengers film.

Not every film or show needs universe-shattering stakes. It's one of the things Hawkeye did really well. It's also where the best parts of Falcon and the Winter Soldier were; just the building camaraderie between the two of them, hanging out, dealing with losing Steve. Ms. Marvel probably would have been even better if they'd kept the stakes a little lower, and it was just Kamala vs her Djinn relatives, no risk to the greater world other than by collateral damage as they pursue her and all they wanted was to go home, not bring their realm to Earth. I also really liked Black Widow for the same reason; it's mostly personal and that makes the whole thing a lot more grounded than blasting off into some new CGI ejaculation of technicolor nonsense, whether that's the spaces between Multiverses or the Quantum Realm or just cosmic MCU in general. We can have that stuff too, but grounding everything in some more human-scale stories is also great.

[MrLachyG]

Because there was essentially zero reason to think she was gone. We last saw her destroying the temple at the end of MoM, pulling it down around herself, and when the scene shifts to a view from a distance, there's a really damned obvious red flash of her magic as it finally comes down completely. Combined with the "nobody's actually dead unless you see a body" trope, there was never really any implication that Wanda was dead in the first place, let alone any direct evidence of it.

I mean even if the MCU version of her is dead, we know there are plenty of others out there. Hell, we saw one tear the Illuminati to pieces in Dr Strange 2

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This is gonna kill. Its trending and the engagement is very good.

I am very much looking forward to this. Am cranky that it's been delayed, fucking fuckers!

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This is gonna flop. MRS. Marvel was one if the least watched shows , majority of the general audience has no idea who she us, let alone the rest.
This is going to be s bigger flop than the Eternals

first film made a billion dollars at the box office. this probably won't do as well but it will still pull some big numbers. and I'm not going to get into the reasons why Ms Marvel's numbers were lower than others because that has been discussed over and over to the point of ad infinitum

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This has my attention, but no expectations. I have no idea what the movie will truly be about, and that actually interests me more.

if you've watched Ms Marvel it does give you a hint at the end

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Exhibitors, exos, are movie theaters and any outlet that pays to screen a film or event. Distributors, distros, are anyone that owns the right to sell a property; movie studios, license holders, etc. Offerings are any products to air or are sold, packaged.

Distributors sell their products to exhibitors. Exhibitors have limited space, time, and most important of all premium screens. By announcing ahead, other distros are aware of how to program (release product to exos).

For example, WBD wouldn't release Dune Part 2 on the same weekend as November 10th. It would burn Exos who only have so many PO/PS/PXs (Premium offerings/screens/experiences) to offer. So an Exo would have to choose, "Am I showing The Marvels or Dune part 2 on my 2 IMAX screens this weekend?"

Dune Part 2 releases the week before the Marvels for that very reason. Generally, there is a working agreement to not program counter another franchise. It's why films are released as they are.

The US opening box office is immensely important to the business.

that's why I love being in Australia. we actually get movies before the USA because ours release on Wednesday.

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People said the same thing for eternals and thor love and thunder, and they were awful

Not saying it is, but sure its not a good sign

Eternals should've been a tv show, not a movie. Thor Love and Thunder definitely was not as good as Ragnarok, but those are pretty big shoes to fill. Thor 4 would've been better had Mighty Thor not fucking died in the movie and if Gorr had made it to the City of the Gods and gone on a rampage

[Immitis]

The point is you can't build up to Infinity War/Endgame, and then sustain that level of engagement. The 20-ish films that fed into that two-film conclusion all brought in various plot threads and characters, so that most of them could be resolved in epic fashion. Which is great; that's something crazy and unique in film. But now those threads are resolved. You've got a few new loose threads, in this case mostly legacy trauma from the Blip and such and the aftershocks from there, which is mostly what we've been dealing with in Phase 4; cleanup from Infinity War/Endgame. Those threads don't lead to the same stakes. They can't. It's not even really desirable; tension in an ongoing property isn't scaling infinitely upward; you need peaks and valleys. Phase 4 is a valley. Intentionally, IMO. That isn't a criticism. We tipped over the whole Jenga tower. We've gotta build a new tower back up before we can put everything at risk of falling over again.

At the end of Phase 1, we had barely a hint of Thanos. We'd seen some Infinity Gems but only big comics fans were really putting things together; it wasn't that far off from Kang's introduction here in terms of paucity. Looking back, we see the whole buildup, but at the time, the first Avengers seemed an impossible feat to pull off and felt like the "big finale". And it's just the conclusion of Act 1.

I wouldn't even say Phase 4 is even really an Act 1; it's more an intermission. Introduce some new characters, settle the aftermath of the last major three-act arc, set the stage for the next. With new characters, they've got a lot more options to play with moving forward, more group films where everything started out really separated until the first Avengers film.

Not every film or show needs universe-shattering stakes. It's one of the things Hawkeye did really well. It's also where the best parts of Falcon and the Winter Soldier were; just the building camaraderie between the two of them, hanging out, dealing with losing Steve. Ms. Marvel probably would have been even better if they'd kept the stakes a little lower, and it was just Kamala vs her Djinn relatives, no risk to the greater world other than by collateral damage as they pursue her and all they wanted was to go home, not bring their realm to Earth. I also really liked Black Widow for the same reason; it's mostly personal and that makes the whole thing a lot more grounded than blasting off into some new CGI ejaculation of technicolor nonsense, whether that's the spaces between Multiverses or the Quantum Realm or just cosmic MCU in general. We can have that stuff too, but grounding everything in some more human-scale stories is also great.

i had this argument with a friend of mine who has hated the mcu since endgame. he was telling me it doesnt seem like they have a plan and none of it feels connected anymore and he kept saying the infinity stone and thanos arc was so strong and i was like dude. thanos didnt even show up until guardians and he was like NO HE SHOWED UP IN AVENGERS and i was like yeah he smiled at the end but the only thing connecting phase 1 were things like rdj or nick fury showing up at the end (almost like a certain sorcerer supreme) and a few infinity stones that WE DIDNT EVEN KNOW WERE ALL INFINITY STONES YET, like the tesseract, we didnt know it was an infinity stone until later, or the stone that was inside jane.

i feel like people just forget phase 1 tbh and how similar it is to phase 4. kang has already had more dialog and screentime than thanos did at his point in his arc.

what they need to nail is dr doom.

almost all the recent kang stuff in comics is kang vs doom, kang vs doom. and weve got all this bruhaha about doom showing up soon and rumors doom might be the first villain to get his own movie.

i think either doom is going to be the secret thanos of the multiverse saga or this one is gonna end with kang vs doom and then doom is the next next thanos

[Biomega]

The point is you can't build up to Infinity War/Endgame, and then sustain that level of engagement.

Sure, that's part of the issue, but it's a bit of a different issue. Then again - it's their job to come up with something better than Infinity War/Endgame. Whether or not they can is a different story.

Not every film or show needs universe-shattering stakes.

This is a common argument I hear, but imo it's more of a deflection. It's (at least implicitly) equating the quality of the experience with the gravity of the stakes involved - and I don't think it's that easy. At all. You can have great, epic stories without "universe-shattering" stakes. In fact, I find it very important to NOT slip into the death spiral of power-inflating one-upmanship by having every new set of stakes beat the previous ones. That gets out of hand real fast.

Now, it's understandable WHY people would make that equivocation, and it's by no means easy to follow an act like Infinity War/Endgame. But it's not like you need the bigger massive big boom-boom that beats the previous massive big boom-boom in order to be a better movie. Look at, say, Star Wars, and how many people would argue that Empire Strikes back is better than A New Hope despite it not really having stakes near as big as the Death Star.

And that's just not happening here. At least for me.