#from the mcu but at least its closure!!!!

[laughhardrunfastbekindsblog]

To all the Bad Batch fans who are also MCU fans:

Do y'all remember when Endgame came out, Natasha Romanoff sacrificed her life just for a chance at everyone else returning, and the most she got in terms of grieving was a short scene of some of the other Avengers crying with Hulk throwing a bench, and a vague reference at the end? While Tony Stark got not only several extended goodbye sequences, but also a funeral/memorial. And fans brought up the discrepancy and their disappointment, because Tony DID deserve such a send off, but so did Nat.

This is how I, as a massive Tech fan, feel about the "closure" we got in the show regarding Tech's death and its impact on the other characters. Except it hurts even worse in Tech's case, because the only finality about his death came at the very end of the show and was basically "he's dead by default" since he hadn't come back, whereas with Nat we at least got reliable confirmation of her death so we could process it early on.

I love the Bad Batch. I appreciate the finale even more after a rewatch (and several paradigm shifts). And thankfully I (and the fandom) have an imagination so I can come up with my own cathartic moments to fill that gaping oversight for Tech. (Though the question remains: why do we as the fans have to do this, why didn't the show provide the closure and catharsis??)

I'm just saying: spare me the convenient time skips and "they were busy/they'd moved on already" excuses, Tech should have gotten at least as much attention from ALL his family members honoring his memory as Mayday got from Crosshair.

[faceofpoe]

Fic authors self rec! When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you've written, then pass on to at least five other writers! Spread the self-love ❤

Ahh, <3 hmm. Gosh. These are always so hard when trying to expand my assessment beyond whatever is eating my brain at present...

#1 most certainly goes to The Thing Itself (aka the Great Sipo/Mimban Project), my Andor fic baby. credit forever and always to @nessrealta for suggesting it after I teased hints of some Mimban backstory in a couple other fics. OCs are not my forte and this necessarily required... pretty much a cast of entirely OCs. And imagining Sipo from scratch. And I tugged on every.single.scrap of the show (and the middle name Jeron) I could fathom to map out the story and IT IS MY BELOVED I shamelessly rec it at any available opportunity. /modest

#2 I will cheat and say the whole Conway Cabal series (aka the universe that just won't die), which is a Hamilton modern AU that's... I like to imagine a nuanced exploration of abuse and consent and trauma.

#3 Let's go with Freight Car which was part of a set I did based on Bucky's trigger words while FATWS was airing. This particular one was my prying Steve & Bucky closure from the jaws of Endgame endeavor and I still reread it from time to time even if MCU has utterly lost me.

#4 I'mma say Atmospheric Interference (fics 1-4) for Bad Batch which was my inevitable cloneship project born of my obsession with the tragedy that is Tech dying on the mission to find Crosshair and the reconciliation they were denied. Took a while to form up scattered ideas into a bigger picture but I was quite proud of the bigger picture, in all of its twisty glory, when it did take shape.

And for #5 I'm actually feeling Stone and Sky, to return to Andor land. An audacious imagining of Kleya surviving past Rogue One and carrying on her duty to remember the fallen.

[rillils]

imagine post endgame bucky having to go alone, without someone to support him, to say sorry to all the people whos family he killed and he keeps saying that he didnt have a choice as his excuse

and he keeps thinking that its not a good enough excuse, that hes not good enough

no, you see, you see!! one of the things that made me uncomfortable about their treatment of Bucky, back when I was watching tf*ws, is precisely this

gonna slap this under a cut because BOY I have things to say

I WWILL NEVER STOP BEING MAD ABOUT THIS. I MEAN.

deciding that he has to apologize for all those deaths implies that he murdered those people willingly, while he was perfectly aware of his actions, of their consequences, and just did it anyways. so now, you know, he has to "atone for his sins", or make amends or whatever. so we're just going to send him off to those dead people's relatives to immolate himself because of course that's the only right thing to do. BUT idk, say what you will, this entire concept just sits wrong with me, I can't help it.

like first of all, we're acting as though killing all those people was a conscious choice on his part, as though he were completely 100% in control of himself and actively chose to murder a bunch of people, just because it suited him or something, when we know, WE FUCKING KNOW, WE HAVE BEEN LITERALLY SHOWN THIS, IT'S A RECURRING THEME IN AT LEAST 2 OF THE CAP MOVIES, that THIS. was NOT. the CASE. and fuck anyone who says any different tbh, mcu included

second, they might argue that by walking up to the victims' relatives and apologizing, Bucky's giving them closure or something, but. just. look at this from their point of view, right. as far as they're concerned, this is the guy who murdered their loved ones in cold blood, and he's just! walking free! getting away with murder(s), apparently without suffering any consequences whatsoever for all his crimes and all the grief he has caused. is that REALLY gonna give anyone closure? or is it just going to hurt them more/make them even angrier/unnecessarily reopen old wounds when there's nothing, really, that can heal or soothe them at this point, but rather just make them more painful than they already were????

so, it doesn't give them closure. and it sure as fuck doesn't give him closure, either.

they send him on this horrible, tragic, terrifying, sad errand, and all he gets out of it is torturing himself some more. seeing the pain and the hatred for him on all of these people's faces, the moment he says "yes, it was me, I pulled the trigger, I killed this person you loved". like, torture, yes, torture!! that's all this is!!! that's all it earns him!!! no peace of mind, no sense of closure, no hint of forgiveness! just more pain!!!!!!

just. I just hate this, you know, I just. I really, really hate this. I especially hate how, as you said, the way they insist on him having to personally apologize is just going to make him feel like his own hardships (aka being physically and emotionally tortured until he broke down and had his identity, agency and free will stripped away from him) were just "an excuse". as though a victim (because THAT'S what he is, THAT'S what he always was, a victim himself) needed an excuse for all his suffering. as if he brought it upon himself. as if he was "asking for it".

nah, all of this, it's just going to make his sense of guilt grow stronger and deeper over time, making him feel even more Unworthy (unworthy of love, unworthy of acceptance, unworthy of living a normal life after everything he's been put through, unworthy of friendship, unworthy of being seen as a whole person, as a human rather than a murderer) than he already felt before, making his own pain so overwhelmingly powerful that he might end up feeling like his entire existence is a mistake, and everybody would be better off if he just wasn't around anymore. and that's just so horrifying that I refuse to contemplate it.

[daisybell17]

Fourth if July — Loki [song fic] {PART 4}

(warning: death ‼️)

Now, where am I?

What Loki did not expect from that day was the dawning realisation of his…true nature. After leaving your grave, he quickly made his way back to Asgard for Thor’s coronation as King of Asgard. It was quite a marvellous day for his brother, and even if some pangs of jealousy lingered in Loki’s heart in his desire to be king, he managed to keep a straight face. In fact he was happier than he expected to be.

The coronation was beautiful. The throne room of Asgard was decorated in all different kinds of designs. It truly was a big day for Thor…which was then immediately ruined due to an unforeseen attack to the palace.

Thor had pinpointed who was responsible for the attack and Loki being the supportive brother he is decided to help Thor with his stupid idea of taking down the Joutun’s. Loki thought it was ridiculous but Thor always gets his way with him.

What he didn’t expect from this journey was for his skin to not freeze up, but instead showcase his true nature…”What in the gods..?” Loki stared at the splotch of blue skin that covered his arm from the touch of a Frost Giant guard. This makes no sense, this isn’t right.

They all returned to Asgard, escaping with minor injuries. Thor was immediately sent to Odin while Loki locked himself away in his chambers, left with his wandering mind and life altering realisations…who was he? Truly and honestly…who is he?

My fading supply

With no one to turn to, Loki had found himself back at your grave “My love…I’m sorry I haven’t visited in awhile…things have…been weird to say the least” He huffed out as his head fell in exhausted defeat.

He walked closer to your gravestone and sat down across. Loki was clearly frustrated, lost, alone…His willingness to keep going, to find purpose again, to find life was all put to a halt once you passed…

This whole Frost Giant revelation has only added onto the stress coursing through his soul. Why was he lied to? Why had no one told him a thing? Did you know? Is that even possible?

“My Love I…I can confidently tell you that life has started shining again…even if you aren’t with me…but I just found something out a couple weeks back and I don’t know to whom to speak about this matter…except you…”

His eyes started welling up with tears, not of sadness, but of anger, of confusion, of betrayal. “I really wish you were here right now…I really wish I could hear your voice again my love because in all honesty, I have no idea where to even begin with this issue and it’s making me hate myself even more…I am the monster my own father warned me about and it hurts…it hurts…”

He fiddled with his fingers and twirled his hair while lost in thought. He thought about you, his life, his place in the universe. Everything.

Loki stayed by your grave the whole day, crying and pleading for you to be with him, just this once? maybe? please? please?

——————————————————————————

(a/n): hello! yup its been awhile since i updated on this series but life has been busy (+ exam szn) and i wanted to put other fics out there but enjoy part 4!

——————————————————————————

(a/n): UPDATE — officially i’ve decided to end the series here. I think the story is slowly reeling into Loki’s story already portrayed in the MCU, but if you want some sort of closure to this. No. Loki does not actually reunite with you, your stories end here. The same way he can’t be with Mobius at the end of Loki season 2, he cannot be with you.

Thanks for all the support on the series!

TAGS: @ladychota @scoliobean

[courtneysmovieblog]

"Deadpool and Wolverine": Both a love letter and a middle finger to Fox/MCU

We all knew Hugh Jackman's retirement from Wolverine wouldn't last. Both he and Ryan Reynolds still needed to properly atone for the trainwreck that was X-Men: Origins. It took years and a buyout from Disney, but we finally got the teamup we've been all waiting for in Deadpool and Wolverine.

I kept away from spoilers for nearly a week. It nearly killed me, but it was worth it. Now I'm going to do the same and say as little about the plot as possible.

Within the first 10 minutes, it's obvious that Deadpool is more irreverent than ever. Nothing is sacred--and I mean nothing. No Disney paycheck is going to keep him from calling out the MCU on all its crap, and the mess the Fox movies left behind. For those still grieving over all the OC Marvel movies that were rebooted, abandoned, or simply a hot mess, you finally get some closure. Or at least some acknowledgement--Kevin Feige will never admit when he's wrong, but he is willing to mock some mistakes.

And, oh, it was so to see Jackman as the hard-drinking, hot-tempered badass that is Logan/Wolverine. Since him and Reynolds have been taking the piss out of each other throughout the whole promotional tour, you won't be shocked that some meta jokes take potshots at his other projects and personal life. And Jackman gives it right back, because Logan hasn't got any time for Wade's crap.

The fights are amazing. The soundtrack is perfection. Emma Corrin makes an fantastic Cassandra Nova. And the cameos elevate beyond mere fanservice.

Critics have dismissed the movie as relying heavily on nostalgia instead of actual character development. Well, gosh, Avengers Endgame did the exact same thing. Deadpool and Wolverine is at least honest about it -- and it still has more character development than that half-assed overrated finale.

I don't know if this will be the last we see of either Deadpool or Wolverine, but I sure hope not. Those two are just too much, both on-screen and off-screen.

9 out of 10

[spicler-man]

thanks for the tag!!!

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

75

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

214,434

3. What fandoms do you write for?

oh jeez. we'll stick to just what ive got posted bc otherwise this list will crash my computer. mcu, obviously, but there's also stranger things, gravity falls, danny phantom, miraculous ladybug, random kids movie called the little vampire that i got obsessed with, atla, my old mcyt fics, mia and me, phineas and ferb, my old sanders sides fics, stardew valley, exactly 1 undertale fic, and mha. i refuse to make pseuds or new profiles if you subscribe to me you WILL see all my works.

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

i think they're all irondad? nobody knows like a waterfall System Error: Reboot i’ll always come back mr. dad❤️🔧 yep. all irondad

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

i try to! but i have bad adhd and completely forget most of the time. trust me, i see it and i love it and then i forget to answer it

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

probably The Phantom Menace just because it's short and there's no closure. one of my earliest irondad works, if not my earliest

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

good question!! most of mine are pretty happy or at least hopeful, i'd say mr. dad❤️🔧 just because there's little to no angst throughout the entire thing

8. Do you get hate on fics?

yep! as previously mentioned, i have horrid adhd, so sometimes ill get stuck in a little echo chamber of my own brain, and ideas that make sense in my head, with all the surrounding details i've come up with, the full thing won't make it into the story so it makes little to no sense.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

i've never written a smut fic, i tried my hand at writing smut (with ocs) when i turned 18 just to see if i could. however i sincerely doubt it'll exit the specially made password-locked document i made for it

10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written?

i don't, not really, so i guess i'll have to say my pnf and irondad crossover, which is less crazy when you remember phineas and ferb already did that.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

nope! no one wants 'em

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

also no

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

i've been a supportive cheerleader on the sidelines for a couple of my friends fics, as well as an idea generator that they've been like "ooh thats good i want to use that" but never a co-writer

14. What’s your all time favourite ship?

i might have to go with my stupid little elf polycule from mia and me. its my all time favorite because if i don't love them, who else will?? and i can never get tired of content from them bc there is none.

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

oh god. ive never finished a multichapter. did you all know that about me?? i've never made it all the way through. the final chapter of silent spidey has been complete since november 2022. but i haven't made it there yet. and now i doubt i ever will.

16. What are your writing strengths?

dialogue. i like to think ive got a good handle on dialogue. also spelling and grammar are fun for me so none of those pesky little errors

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

my willingness to sacrifice important plot points for a joke i found marginally funny. looking at you, stranger things wips.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

depends!! i'm bilingual, so if it's a language i've got a handle on then yeah, why not? if i gotta translate it, i'll probably include the translation in there somewhere with an html code

19. First fandom you wrote for?

miraculous ladybug, back on wattpad. if you find my old unfinished fic on wattpad with no clues from me ill give you five bucks

20. Favourite fic you’ve written?

i really like to be a bit of warmth for you. it was fun to write and i can still reread it without cringing so i count that as a win!

no pressure tags: @creative-girl @multifandomforthemostpart @call-me-coley @ironfidus

(under the read more is the blank questions for everyone)

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

3. What fandoms do you write for?

oh jeez. mcu, obviously, but there's also

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

8. Do you get hate on fics?

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written?

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

14. What’s your all time favourite ship?

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

16. What are your writing strengths?

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

19. First fandom you wrote for?

20. Favourite fic you’ve written?

20 Questions for Fic Writers

thank's for the tag @waitingondaisies

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

- 180

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

- 1,701,826 (Holy Crap!)

3. What fandoms do you write for?

- All of my fics are MCU, predominantly Irondad but there are a few Spiceychell fics mixed in there too.

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

- A Parent Apparent (528,718 words, 7,349 kudos) A really freaking long slow burn Irondad co-parenting with May fic.

- So Many Things to Say (82,998 words, 3,914 kudos) A electivly mute, foster child Peter fic. This is the first part of an extended series.

- What I Really Need is You (18,520 words, 3,581 kudos) A fluffy 5+1 of Peter needing things from Tony.

- Distracted by a Dime (56,169 words, 2,476 kudos) A homeless Peter AU- Stony AU. This is the first part of a series.

- Suspended (3,607 words, 2,177 kudos) A One-shot about Pter getting suspended and Tony picking him up from school.

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

I try really hard to reply to every comment!

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

I don't really do angsty endings... So Maybe this one? Breathe, Kid (You're Not Alone) (4,086 words) Ned Dies and Peter feels responsible. Tony is there to help him pick up the pieces. The ending is hopeful and comforting- but there is no instant fix.

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Oh geez. You want me to pick one??? Uh... Let's go with this one because it has some sweet Christmassy vibes. Secret Sugarplum Spiderling (27,923 words) Peter is a ballet dancer and he doesn't want Tony to know- yet. Lots of super sweet fluff.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

Sometimes. Usually, it's someone who has decided that my fictional story filled with fictional characters who have fictional superpowers isn't 'realistic enough.'

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

I have written exactly ONE smut fic- but it has NEVER been posted. 😘

10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written?

One- by request. It was a mini-fic about Pokemon trainer Peter and Pokemon Professor Tony. Rotom Roundup (979 words)

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Nope. My art, despite emailing them several times, is still up on a 'coloring sheets' website though. Which mostly annoys me because what they nagged was a draft. I would have happily sent them the clean line art.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

No. I had someone offer once and gave full permission but I don't htink it ever happened.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Yes! I have co-written a few fics. And I have one in the works with @waitingondaisies

14. What’s your all time favourite ship?

Most of my fics are platonic relationships. But I often have background relationships in them; usually Stony or Pepperony. Some spideycelle and once, Ned/Peter.

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

I hope I eventually finish all of them! But there is one I found that I am not even sure where it was going. All I have written is 800 words of Kraven the Hunter confronting Peter.

16. What are your writing strengths?

I think I am pretty good at dialogue.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

I am still learning a lot about POV depth, visceral details, and deep introspection.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

I don't use it much, if at all. But it doesn't bother me.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Irondad

20. Favourite fic you’ve written?

Oh! It's a tie!! So Many Things to Say will always me towards the top of my favorites lit. But my newest fic, The Hoax, is starting to creep into 'favorite fic of all time' territory.

I am going to tag (If they are interested) @spicler-manie @cajun-fangirl @asyouleft @thwip--thwip @justme--emily and @kubabergen

[terriblygrimm]

I JUST WANT NOMAD STEVE AND WHITE WOLF BUCKY!!!! like come on!!!!!! they actually developed additional superhero identities!! it’s fuckin meant to be bitch!!!!!!!!!!

[freedvmrouge]

SPOILERS | guardians of the galaxy vol. 3 

i just watched it yesterday and finally have my laptop open to talk about it!

first and foremost, WHY CAN’T SOMEONE JUST FUCKING KILL THE RED SKULL THIS MF IS A GODDAMN PARASITE ACROSS THE FUCKING UNIVERSE WTF

it wasn’t even surprising, man. this is fucking par for the goddamn course for that nazi asshole. of fucking course he’d find a way to travel the universe and continue his horrendous experiments and crimes against every being in existence. absolutely no one aligned with batman’s no-kill rule can ever convince me that this monster is deserving of a second chance. steve fucking rogers—the guy who said with his whole chest that he didn’t want to kill anyone, he just didn’t like bullies no matter where they come from—was fully prepared to murder johann ‘red skull’ shmidt but the tesseract transported him across the universe instead. this asshole already had a second chance. so please. please tell me the red skull finally fucking died in that explosion. i need it for closure and peace of mind.

if someone tells me the high evolutionary ain’t actually the red skull, imma look hella stupid, but alas, that is the hand i’ve been dealt.

that being said, i think this ‘plot twist’ was actually super well-done. i read somewhere years ago that good plot twists are where the information is already given to the viewer and the end result actually makes sense. it didn’t just come out of absolutely nowhere. it’s smart and clever and fun. it rewards the viewer rather than insult them coughloveandthundercough

right, so. i will admit that with the mcu’s most recent films, i was not coming into this film with high expectations. when my brother asked me to go, i really hesitated. i’m not so completely wow-ed by this film, but i am appreciative of what it is. i am also very appreciative of the fact that this stands on its own and isn’t a trailer for the next thing coughquantumaniacough and sure, you need to remember that this gamora is not the old gamora bc that one’s dead and gone, but the film addresses that really well, i think.

peter was the most outwardly grieving character in this film. gamora isn’t dead, per se, but their relationship and memories of the last few years are dead. now peter has to accept and live with and move on with the fact that there’s going to be a gamora still out there who has nothing to do with him. this was wonderfully done. and i was so happy when they parted the way they did and gamora returned to her home. the home she made for herself and the home that welcomed her back with open arms. 

addition to the above about this alt-gamora— just loving how nebula’s still in contact gamora. i think in a different, very roundabout way, nebula finally got the sister she wanted. plus she has her own family with the guardians and now all the kids/society with drax. plus her extremely abusive father is dead and gone. sounds like wins to me. okitsmorecomplicatedthanthatiknowbutlisten the important part is that nebula has moved on. she’s happy with how her life is going. she’s got things to look forward to. she’s doing great.

i think they did a great job with rocket. the story revolved around him and his history, so you might say he was the main main character and sure. he wasn’t a dynamic character bc there wasn’t exactly much of his present tense time being part of the journey of the film to grow as a character. but he did get closure for himself. he wasn’t able to save his friends, lylla, floor, and teeths, but he managed to save a whole bunch of others like him. he even confronted his abuser (which, you are never obligated to do so, just fyi) and lived. and he will keep on living to his fullest with his new and old friends/family. i’m so happy for rocket.

last notes: i’m really happy with how everyone parted. i was fully expecting core members to die off and that’s it for their actors’ tenures in the mcu, at least with this character. it seems like marvel writers finally listened lol even if we never see drax/nebula again, we know they’re off helping build a society. or peter decided to stay with his grandfather and just live on earth. or gamora’s off with the ravagers. it makes sense for their characters and their individual journies. it’s great. it’s fantastic. (though i actually wish peter died bc wtf he was without oxygen and was ready to fucking explode or smth but suddenly adam bringing him back to knowwhere is enough to revive him. ok.)

[merrysithmas]

Obviously the Falcon show should've shown Bucky coming terms with the fact that he should write his OWN name in his book of victims.

It should have been made visually clear by the end of the series that he doesnt have to apologize for heinous crimes committed by Hydra hijacking his body and obliterating his bodily autonomy to incomprehensible levels, easentially using him like a criminal pump n dump. Every new assignment, new agonizing training, new puppetry, another violent rape of his body and mind.

Bucky is not at all even akin to say Tony Stark, who suffered immense guilt during the entire Infinity Saga regarding his former life as a weapons dealer. Tony's (valid) guilt resulted in a compulsive desire to protect the earth, ultimately ending in his voluntary death. Tony is time and again shown as a tortured hero despite his initial complacency in his morally bereft actions. Bucky gets no such luck- even though Bucky, in his former life, committed no such atrocities and in fact was likely one of the most heroic pre-superhero normals in the MCU.

Bucky was a well-liked, smart, athletic, happy boy who cast aside any manner of social expectation to throw in his lot, time, and energy, again and again, with chronically ill, disabled, social menace Steve Rogers. Bucky canonically nursed Steve's injuries, was his stalwart companion through all life's difficulties (his illnesses, his mother's death, Steve's psychological inferiority complex and mental anguish resulting from his social standing) and the Crash, and mostly importantly, Bucky did not want to go to war.

He was drafted (something that seemingly would have been key to bring up in Falcon re: his lifetime as an unwilling soldier). And, emotionally, Bucky ardently tried to dissuade Steve from joining the army, for fear he'd lose him. Despite not wanting to fight and being tortured, Bucky stayed in the military post-rescue from Azzano because he could not fathom leaving Steve. He planted his feet in a burning building shouting "No! not without you!" refusing to leave without Steve even after his rescue from months of torture. Til the end of the line, regardless of what happened to him.

For the next three entire films we see the frankly epic level of value Steve places on Bucky's devoted companionship. How desperately Steve valued Bucky's goodness and innocence (even above his own life, reputation, and safety).

Bucky doesn't have to cross out names he feels guilty about as if atoning for his own sins - and while the thought behind this narrative choice may have been to depict some semblance of retribution, this notion would have been much better expressed in another way. Such as: members of the public or others who were vicitmized in some horrible manner (domestic abuse, sexual abuse, scapegoats, other victims of Hydra etc) coming to Bucky instead to comfort him, welcoming him into a group designed to alieviate this solitary mental burden, or at least comiserate in some manner. Showing him he was not alone and who, exactly, he could be fighting for should he ever choose to fight again. The voiceless and disregarded, who only have Bucky who understands.

Also (though it seems to have engendered some faction of fandom vitriol), the removal of Bucky's arm during battle deserves consideration. This visual act was obviously narratively intended to show the unmatched prowess of the Dora Milaje and the justifiable premeditated cautiousness of Wakanda re: the generous rehabilitation of a dangerous mass weapon.

Though, it has the double-edged effect of showing how Bucky is still not an agent of his own bodily autonomy. His mental and physical freedom, his very ability to do his job and make his own choices therein, is still under the jurisdiction of someone else. His disability is his opposition's advantage (whether well-intentioned or not). Essentially, he is mistrusted. And it doesn't matter how much therapy he goes to, how much he atones for his "sins", his mind is still considered not to be fully and truly his. This is one of the most injurious of all things Bucky suffers - even those who rehabilitate him doubt the complete success of his healing. Therefore, his entire arc in the series is at best questionable simply with that alone.

His entire arc should clearly have been reframed to display his victimhood, and how the fact that he is mistrusted is also another burden and misfortune that he can work through and call others out for, instead of absorbing the guilt for that too.

Falcon does a poor job of showing how this "Bucky can't be trusted" mindset is highly injurious to his status as a victim, while mostly asserting it is a byproduct of his (alleged) villainy. It does not separate "alleged villainy" and "propensity for villainous actions as result of the abuse his suffered for 70 years". Instead of clarification on this for the viewers and Bucky himself we are, among other things, posed with the question - is the Winter Soldier still in Bucky?

Right there, you know the show was not intended to show much closure for the character, but rather wring-out, refresh, and even retroactively assert his alleged villainy over his victimhood in anticipation of perhaps his own solo series (where the Soldat is reactivated). Yet, we are also oddly simutaneously expected to accept that Bucky is "healing" somehow, although we never witness anything truly happen him, internally, to suggest this.

Bucky plays an almost angry motherly role to Sam at the start of the series, initially chastising him for not accepting responsibility. Bucky sees himself as the protector of Steve's legacy, and is disappointed in Sam's (later he learns, complicated) reluctance to wield the shield.

In the end, Bucky is approving of Sam and proud of his rise to the Cpt America mantle in that same manner - bookended with approval from a distance where he almost, again, stands off to the side as a proud mother. He seems to see himself as a mentor in Sam's journey towards self-actualization. Why is he so happy Sam has become the hero he always was inside?

His newfound friendship and respect for Sam as his own hero, of course. However, it is also his love of Steve which is the next obvious answer, his deep pride in who Steve was and what he accomplished, but this is inferred and never said - thus taking away again, from an oppotunity for Bucky's emotional growth and healing. The writers didn't even know where Steve was (or if Bucky knows his whereabouts) but they could have indicated something to that effect.

Once Sam has embraced Cap, the series ends. However, despite the jubilant setting of the finale, Bucky is still narrartively unmoored. We are left with the image of him lighthearted and hopeful, but without much substance towards its sustainability and so there is not much satisfaction in it despite the sweetness of its visual impact. But its depth? We are unsure. This is because Sam's ultimate advice to him, that he "serve" others rather than enact vengeance, strips away another truth about Bucky's situation.

That Bucky's desire for retribution and vengeance against those that abused and tormented him is valid and a real victim response. Bucky's perspective is seen as "wrong" instead of a well-documented step stone on the path to solid mental survivorship. Bucky could eventually want to serve -- but serve who?

Again, obviously the answer is: other victims like himself. But the show won't call him a victim at all, and thus Sam's advice feels hollow (serve... the vague and faceless Greater Good?) and Bucky's emotional security at the end of the show feels as if it lacks substance and permanance for the audience.

The payoff for Bucky's healing is almost nonexistent because no one will ever say why he was hurt in the first place (a victim).

Could go on and on about how this is because of Disney's terror of Bucky's perceived compromised masculinity (victimhood, captured, mentally damaged in WWII and present day), visual femininity (hair, slapped by men for insubordination, physically touched and moved against his will, soft spokeness, powerlessness in the narrarive), queer subtext (Steve, his origin as Arnold Roth Steve's gay jewish best friend, perceived jealousy of Peggy, intense affection for Steve), his juxtaposition to Steve and role in Steve's narrative, and their desire to wipe his slate clean with a new Masc Bucky.

Hint: it doesn't work.

[iamanartichoke]

Ultimately, Loki and Sylvie were given an impossible choice and can we just talk about how the trade-off was either the universe/multiverse or their own sanity and Loki was willing to sacrifice his for the sake of preventing infinite Kangs from waging war on everyone else?

I mean. If they had taken his place, what kind of life is that? What kind of throne? Locked away in a decrepit old castle, neither living nor dying, not even existing, for the rest of time? Just guarding a timeline they don't believe in anyway bc its very existence means that no one has any free will, bc free will and a single fixed timeline are mutually exclusive?

If they hadn't taken his place, and both were on board with killing him, it's as he said - not only will the multiverse spawn into chaos, but all of the other Kang variants will be free to descend upon timelines and bring war and destruction. It also follows that if there are infinite Kangs, some more evil than others, then there are infinite other villains as well. Are there more Thanos variants that may show up? Along with villaints we haven't even met yet? Plus, the way that the timelines diverged shows them all crossing and colliding and creating this nonsensical tangle of overlapping realities, which is why (I'm assuming) Loki ends up in a TVA that has the wrong Mobius in it (and the chances of finding the right Mobius? Slim to none?).

And, of course, if they'd neither taken his place nor killed him and just left him there in his castle, maintaining the sacred timeline, they'd end up exactly back where they started at the beginning of the series. The TVA would continue to run, people and realities would continue to be erased, free will would continue to be out of anyone's reach.

I'm assuming that Loki realized all of this and that's what he wanted Sylvie to realize, too, when he pleaded with her to just think about this for a minute. Their choice was impossible, but there was only one option that resulted in the least chaos for everyone else, and that was the option Loki wanted to choose. Take Kang's place, thus preventing infinite Kangs, even if it meant sacrificing his own chance at living. I also believe that he would have taken that post himself and let Sylvie go and live a life as she pleased, free from the threat of the TVA, though it would mean he'd be alone in that castle, until the end of time.

It's like the Heimdall joke, about how it always being a nice day for treason, except for Loki it's like, "What a nice, sunny day, smell that fresh air, smells like time to sacrifice myself for the greater good in a way that no one will ever actually recognize or appreciate because despite what everyone else believes, deep down I care about other people more than I could ever care about myself, maybe a swim later would be nice too" like asdhjhdsa.

The only real solution here is to figure out a way to diverge the sacred timeline without allowing the multiverses to overlap. I'm sure if anyone could figure out how to accomplish such a thing, it would be Loki, especially all alone with nothing but time (heh) on his hands. Which would ultimately be the best of both worlds - the existence of free will within separate branches of reality (that can't be crossed or overlapped), plus the prevention of Kang variants (and other villains) wreaking havoc.

^^ I wonder if that's what the goal will be in the MCU as a whole, going forward, though. Figuring out how to separate multiple timelines is one thing; actually accomplishing it is another thing entirely, and would likely require the help of multiple people. Ideally, Loki will show up in Dr. Strange (and Sylvie too, bc they fucking got me in the end - not in a shippy way bc I still don't see it but their stories are connected now and I need closure after that heartbreak fml) and contribute to the solution but, well, ideal and realistic rarely - if ever - coexist where Marvel is concerned.

Anyway, tl;dr Loki is a cinnamon roll, fight me.

[mk-wizard]

Big Hero 6 The Series: It could have been better

Hello, friends. Today, I will be analyzing a TV series based on a movie that I fell in love with for its colourful themes, deep plot, compelling characters, great CGI and memorable messages. Before I get into it, I want to take a moment to say that I have quit doing videos. They are too big of a pain in the petunia to make and I write better than I speak, so I will stick to writing essays, reviews and more. Anyway, onto the analysis.

All I can say about Big Hero 6 the series is that it had a great concept, it presented some great ideas and tried hard to be a cartoon of the times, but it could have and should have been a lot better. The show’s downfall all centers around trying too hard to be kid friendly which makes the shame sting all the more because Big Hero 6 was already kid friendly even with its dark themes, sharp edges and intelligent writing. If anything, even the brightest kid friendly cartoons (Steven Universe, She-Ra, etc.) had those things and actually benefitted from them. By needlessly trying too hard, character development got scrapped, the edges were all smoothed out, storytelling was subpar, the humour was too silly and the executive meddling in the end produced a dismal final season. However, I don’t want this analysis to be one lengthy negative rant about how awful the series was because in its defense, awful is an unfair word. It did have potential and ideas which are worth carrying over to a reboot that I hope will be done someday in the future. Also, we should root for a reboot because Big Hero 6 would not be the first story that needs it before striking gold. Just look at how many times Spider-Man was rebooted in film before MCU found the version that worked. Anyway, I will list all the things in Big Hero 6 that could have been better in my opinion;

1- Go easy on the laughs and be more generous with the action. - I love adding comedy to my own writing because I think a good sense of humour makes everything better, but Big Hero 6 is not a stand up comedy routine. It is a superhero story where we expect action, suspense and life or death situations that are to be taken seriously first. The comedy should be for relief and with the right timing. Also, the chibi cutscenes and having characters act like fools aren’t funny. Ren and Stimpy are the exception not the standard and their way of making you laugh doesn’t fit an action series. In a show as big as Big Hero 6, real life physics and danger matters.

2- Make the villains menacing and gritty. - I admit that after having a movie villain like Yokai who was the stuff of nightmares, it is going to be a challenging act to follow, but it was obvious that the writers were trying especially with some villains who could have easily gone into some dark relatable territory. For example, Mr. Sparkles (the gentleman in the photo above) embodies social media and Internet personalities. Right off the bat, you have a long list of things which embody the dark side of that like scams, fraud, using social media to dox or harass, driving people to suicide, online predators, the Internet personalities being very depressed people in real life, and much more horrifying things. When you stop and look at it, Mr. Sparkles even looks like the Joker which hints how dark and scary he could have been if the stops were removed. The same goes for enemies like Hardlight who embodies online gaming, Liv with cloning, Obake an amoral and insane scientist, and Trina and Noodle Burger Boy (more on him later) being evil robots. Globby especially should have been painted and written in much darker colours rather being played off for laughs because he has many parallels with Clay Face. The only two villains who I can say were supposed to be campy, charming and comical were Baron Von Steamer and Supersonic Sue because they were a satire of the Adam West style villains.

The rest of them needed to be dark and threatening including Mr. Sparkles. In fact, I would love a rebooted version of Mr. Sparkles who gives me the heebie-jeebies. Going back to Noodle Burger Boy, I must confess that I was actually excited when I heard that he was going to be the main villain of the final season because I thought he was going to fulfill his master’s final wish and as a reminder, Noodle Burger Boy was based on a super robot for military purposes.

It would have been fantastic if Noodle Burger Boy was upgraded into a full military war machine with a new threatening look. For that, I think all of the villains deserve to be rebooted and have their full potential unlocked for better or for worse.

3- A show about geniuses merits genius level art quality. - I am usually forgiving towards art styles, but in the case of Big Hero 6, the oversimplified style with minimal details and lack of textures did not suit the show. The characters blend in with the background which makes them look flat and the special effects were extremely dulled down. I also know for a fact that Disney can do a lot better than this because I saw how superbly Tangled the Series was drawn.

You can see and almost feel the difference in quality, the number of layers and level of detail between the two styles. I think there was no excuse Big Hero 6 was not done in the same style and at the same level if not better as Tangled.

3- Don’t dumb down or flanderize amazing characters. - I absolutely detest it when characters are flanderized because it makes them one dimensional and grating. For example, Go Go is tough as nails and extremely calm, but she is not cold or hesitant towards helping her friends. She doesn’t require very special episodes for us to know that. If anything, the movie version of Go Go reminded me a lot of Garnet in how she deconstructed the broody character. She isn’t cold or emotionless. Just calm and mature. Another good example was how Honey Lemon was rewritten to be overly positive to the point of toxicity, naïve and oblivious with a juvenile obsession with stickers. Then you have poor Fred who was rewritten to be an incompetent fool. The spark that makes Big Hero 6 shine is that they are a team of geniuses meaning they are all intelligent. Even Fred is genius in his own way just not a scientific one. He has a vivid imagination, he is resourceful and can get himself out of tight spots. Please, don’t turn characters into dummies especially if their intelligence is a part of them. It doesn’t make them better or funnier. It ruins them.

4- Tadashi needs closure and honour. - I am all for Hiro making peace with the loss of his brother, but Tadashi is to the Big Hero 6 team what Uncle Ben was to Spider-Man. His loss was the catalyst if not the reason. He should never be forgotten. Moreover, there was never any true closure to him especially with the possibility that he may still be alive up in the air. After all, like Callaghan, his body was never found and it turned out that Callaghan was still alive.

With that said, who is to say that Tadashi was not secretly still alive and just hiding or being hidden? This is something that Disney really needed to clear up if not for the fans, then at least as a service to such an important character. Never just forget about them.

5- The format can only be episodic with a deep plots, continuity and character development. - Random episodes with a mere monster of the day is an outdated format which doesn’t fit Big Hero 6′s modern and bright setting. In seasons 1 and 2, when the episodes were plot heavy with character development, the series shined brightest. It also helped move the story along, but with the final season, plot was removed, closure was abandoned or poorly written if any was given, and characters were disallowed from growing. A good example at how plot and character development could have made this series and its characters better was the relationship between Hiro and Megan. Would it have truly survived or would they have broken up?

Would Richardson Mole have eventually lost interest in his obsession with besting and bullying Fred or would his obsession consume him compelling him to become a super villain? I do see quite a few similarities between Mole and Reverse Flash.

Then you have Karmi who is in my opinion, the biggest wild card of the bunch. She was intentionally introduced as an arrogant, prickly and unlikable yet complex character who rivaled Hiro bitterly.

Yet had a huge crush on his alter ego and as time went on, started to grow up and even form a friendship with Hiro. What would have happened further down the road with her? Would she have become a super hero herself? Or maybe even another love interest for Hiro kind of like how Black Cat is for Spider-Man?

Is Obake really gone?

What does the future hold Diana (Liv’s clone), Liv herself or the Sycorax the genetics company?

Is Alistair Krei going to become an ally to Big Hero 6 or an antagonist? There is also the issue at how little we know about the other Big Hero 6 characters other than Fred, Hiro and Baymax. What are Honey Lemon, Wasabi and Go Go’s backstories? These questions matter and while not every mystery can be solved, leaving none of them solved is lazy writing.

6- Executives, kindly stay out of the writing and any other part of the creative process. - I’m sorry, execs, but there is no nice way to say it. History itself proves that every time executives got involved in the creative process of any media, it got worse not better. Leave the writing to the creative team and the execs should only handle the legal stuff. Please. We understand that TV is a business, but writing itself is not. It is an art which you just don’t have a talent for. Let the creative people do their thing with the freedom necessary and you do your thing, deal? Deal.

7- Focus on Hiro and Baymax. - The are the main characters so keep them at the heart of the series no matter what happens around them. That is all I can say.

And that sums up all the things that could have made Big Hero 6 the series better, but this is all just my opinion. What is yours?

PS: I am well aware that the Big Hero 6 series is being retconned because a new series called Baymax is in the works as well as the long awaited sequel to the first movie. I am looking forward to both with an open mind. PPS: I also am aware that some people liked this show the way it was including the art style and I am cool with that. An analysis for art that includes cartoons is never right or wrong. It is solely based on opinion. I may have thought this series could have been better, but there are people who make arguments that it could have been worse.

[twh-news]

How Loki's big finale reveal failed Marvel fans | Digital Spy

Loki finale spoilers follow.

Marvel used to have a major villain problem. Throughout Phases One and Two, Earth's Mightiest Heroes fought cookie-cutter bad guys who just wanted to get rich or take over the world. Loki and Bucky were the only exceptions to this because of their personal connections to Thor and Cap.

Phase Three began to build on this idea with fan favourites like Ragnarok's Hela and Black Panther’s Erik Killmonger. Both of them committed terrible acts, sure, but their plights were also understandable to some degree, and even relatable.

With the advent of Marvel TV on Disney+, Phase Four has developed this approach even further by putting anti-heroes front and centre in each of their own shows. Even Wanda, a full-fledged Avenger, is forced to reckon with her own morality in light of what she did to Westview. And that's been integral to the success of these shows, which each unpack what it means to be a hero in ways that no other Marvel project has ever attempted on screen.

But by centring the so-called "antagonists" like this, a different kind of villain problem has risen, like a seemingly dead baddie who thrusts one hand up from the grave just as the credits start to roll.

Since Loki's very first episode, there's been endless speculation on who the Big Bad might be. The mysterious Loki variant who showed up to kill TVA soldiers was perhaps the most likely candidate at first, but things took a surprising twist with that Lady Loki reveal (although given that betrayal at the end, Sylvie certainly did make a good case for her being the show's true Big Bad).

And then of course, other villainous candidates soon raised their heads. Everyone from Ravonna and the Time Keeepers to Alioth and President Loki all played a "bad" role to some degree. Loki's willingness to tackle the greyer areas of morality has been a strength of this show. But throughout the first five episodes, there was always this idea that someone else, someone "bigger" was waiting in the wings, controlling the TVA from a distance.

The penultimate episode leaned heavily into this idea with a final shot that practically begged fans to speculate about who could be hiding away in that castle beyond time. And then the finale arrived with the big reveal of He Who Remains, "a ruler" and "a conqueror" who also refers to himself as a "jerk" of sorts.

If you're not a fan of weighty exposition, you might consider him to be a jerk as well. Jonathan Majors does everything he can to sell these scenes, but when you break it all down, the vast majority of this final episode was dedicated to explaining an entirely new character whose arrival made little or no sense to casual fans watching back home.

On the flip side of that, He Who Remains was always the number one suspect for comic book readers who know their history. Kang, as this character is called in the source material, has been hinted at throughout the series, and Marvel even announced Jonathan's casting in the role months before Loki even started.

For some, Kang was the obvious choice for this reveal, which makes it a bit less exciting because it's so predictable. And then for others, it was the complete opposite problem. If you don't read the source material, then Kang's arrival came completely out of nowhere because his character wasn't even mentioned prior to the finale. Without comic book knowledge of Kang's identity, this just doesn't work as a satisfying end.

And even if you do know exactly who Majors is playing, what is there to actually gain from a random character showing up like this last minute? Loki has no emotional attachment to Kang beyond his manipulation of the TVA, and as a result of this, there's no closure. Thematically, another Loki variant would have made for a far more satisfying villain, one who forces "our" Loki to confront himself and his notions of what it means to be good.

Logistically, Kang's debut here isn't ideal either given that it required hefty amounts of exposition which slowed the finale to a crawl. While it was refreshing to see Loki avoid the usual CGI spectacle that often plagues the end of these stories, Marvel's incessant need to focus on set-up dragged things down in a different way here, forcing Kang in at the expense of the story that's currently being told.

It's thrilling to think about how this new multiverse will impact the MCU moving forward. The possibilities are literally endless, and we tried our best to outline some of the biggest ramifications to this big reveal right here. But what about the here and now? What about Loki's arc in this season and what about the viewers who couldn't care less about the wider MCU?

The ways in which this franchise connects everything together (much like the comics it's based on) is easily one of Marvel's biggest strengths, to the point where rival studios have desperately tried to replicate this format. But when vital plot points are introduced purely as a nod and a wink to fans who constantly look forward to what lies ahead, then this connectivity also becomes one of the studio's biggest weaknesses.

For decades, comic book giants like Marvel and DC have rebooted themselves and wiped the slate clean over and over again because they eventually become too inaccessible, weighed down by the sheer volume of backstory that newbies are forced to wade through. Marvel Studios has managed to circumvent this problem for the most part due to its widespread popularity, but sooner or later, people who don't have time to watch every single movie and show will start to resent stories like this that don't end to at least some degree.

Clearly, what was once a villain problem has become symptomatic of a much larger issue. But the essence is still the same. Characterisation is still being overlooked just to move the story along in whatever way Marvel sees fit.

And if this fixation on setting up the next project continues to take precedence over character and story, then shows like Loki run the risk of existing solely to continue one ongoing saga, like a snake eating itself in an endless loop.

Of course, fan expectation does play a role in this too, but when Kang said "We're all villains here," it's hard not to think that he might be referring to something far bigger and even more powerful than himself.

[hirakdesherrani]

Steve Rogers has always been one of my favorite characters in the MCU. Which is why his character arc in Endgame has bothered me to no end. I hated, hated the ending they gave for Steve’s character, for a variety of reasons I’ll not go into again.

But the recent episode of TFATWS made it worse. Bucky was so alone that he tied his self-worth and identity to the shield (of course fans had already guessed it and expected a closure for this track) but nonetheless, it felt hundred times worse coming from his mouth. He revealed that he knew Steve was gonna go back in time to live with Peggy (as they both discussed giving the shield to Sam). 

Which means that Steve consciously chose to leave Bucky behind, in a world he doesn’t know well, in a time he doesn’t understand (made worse by the Blip) and without any identity, because Bucky cannot go back to being pre-Winter Soldier Sergeant Barnes. 

And not to forget, Steve did not think through the repercussions of a Black Captain America. Sure, he wanted Sam to be his successor, which is an absolutely correct choice. But did he really not know that kind of America he was living in? 

Steve dumped Bucky and dumped the shield and its legacy on Sam, just to go back in time to get it with Peggy. 

Even putting it down in words is so repulsive. This is not like our Steve at all. Not what the fans love him for, have loved him for so many years. Completely uncharacteristic of a man whose greatest quality has been self-sacrifice. 

I understand that the makers wanted to finish the character arcs of the OG Avengers. But the Russo brothers (I hate to say this, I really like them) came with the worst possible conclusion for Steve’s character.

In my opinion, the climax in Endgame should’ve been Steve holding the Infinity Stones and ending Thanos, instead of Tony. This would have been the fitting conclusion to his arc considering both in CA:FA and CA:WS, he was willing to die to save the world. With his dying breadth, he could have passed on the broken pieces of the shield to Sam to continue the legacy of Captain America. Tony would’ve gone back in time to put back the infinity stones in the actual timelines, and come back with the unbroken shield for Sam honoring Steve’s last wish. The conflict in TFAWS would’ve remained the same, esp. for Sam. But at least, Steve wouldn’t have betrayed Bucky nor been thoughtless about the challenges he left behind for Sam. Also, Tony would’ve retained his happy ending (why would Russo brothers half-orphan Morgan, poor girl!). 

They really screwed up Steve’s arc, undoing his man-out-of-time character development, and making one of the most selfless characters of MCU end up as a man obsessed with his ex.

Like Sam said today, literally f*** what (Endgame) Steve thought. 

[thecinematicalgorithm]

Spiderman: No Way Home Breakdown Review Part II (Major SPOILERS!!!)

If you have not read the first part of my Spiderman review you can read it here:  https://thecinematicalgorithm.tumblr.com/post/674060922113966080/spiderman-no-way-home-breakdown-review-part-1

Thank you in advance to any who take the time to read my thoughts, and remember always feel free to respectfully share your own. With that said, let’s move on to the second part of my review and remember spoilers spoilers spoilers!

One of the biggest reasons I wanted to see this film so badly was the chance to maybe see the faces of Tobey Maguire’s and Andrew Garfield’s Peter Parkers. Tobey Maguire is the Spiderman I grew up with and watched in theaters when I was a child. He was the reason I first fell in love with the web-crawler. Then in my early 20′s I watched as Andrew Garfield gave his spin on the character and despite the disappointment so many had for his version I loved it and I was entirely disappointed that Sony did not go on to complete his storyline. So when rumors abound stated that Tobey and Andrew would indeed be appearing in No Way Home you can bet your ass that I and the rest of my family pre-ordered tickets. And as you all know we Spiderman fanatics were far from disappointed.

Before I get on with expounding on why Andrew and Tobey’s appearances were not only so welcome but vital to the success of this movie, I want to point out that if they had not appeared, aside from inevitable fan disappointment, this movie would still not have been half-bad. The plot, the acting from Tom and side characters, the lessons learned and the sacrifice he makes at the end stands on its own, but having Tobey and Andrew’s Peters appear and help Tom to take that step into adulthood elevated the story-line so that it was damn near perfect, and it opened up a floodgate of opportunities for the character.

Having our favorite Spidermen interacting and working together on screen is a comic book fan dream come true. If you had told me that this would happen when they first introduced Tom’s Spiderman in the MCU I never would have believed it. But now having seen No Way Home I feel I should have known when given the chance Marvel would always give fans what they want. The Avengers films have already proven that. Funny too because after Endgame I had been feeling kind of flat with a lot of the projects they’ve released. They’re not bad but I guess I felt that I was becoming bored with Marvel films and I’m exhilarated to know that Marvel still has the ability to blow my mind with their storytelling.

And that is what Marvel has done by not only successfully bringing Tobey and Andrew back, but giving them absolute relevance and influence to the plot without overshadowing Tom. As I’ve said Tom’s role stands on its own. It has substance that rounded out the Home trilogy as a beautiful arc of self-identify, coming-of-age and a superhero origin story. By including Tobey and Andrew in that crucial moment of shouldering adulthood and all its consequences however, we were able to bring much needed closures to all three Peters. Now before everyone attacks me over being misinformed or behind the times, I’m not indicating that this is the last we will see either actor as I am aware they have been confirmed, or at the least highly rumored, to be returning at some point in their own projects. However, this film acted as a closure to each of the story lines they had all been part of while simultaneously being a beginning for each of them.

Tobey Maguire’s Peter Parker from the original Spiderman trilogy is definitively the most rounded and mature of the Spidermen. If, as a fan I had to choose for one of the three to not appear in any more Spiderman movies, I would have to go with Tobey. I absolutely look forward to seeing him again, but after this film his Peter’s story feels the most complete. However, from what I’ve heard we will most likely being seeing him in further projects.  I read in an interview that Tobey and Andrew were meant to be less like older mentors to Tom and more like mirrors, or glimpses of what he could be. It is highly significant that it was Tobey that stopped Tom from killing the goblin, and nearly sacrificed himself to do so, rather than Andrew. Tobey has already traveled the road of forgiveness and mercy. He has experienced darkness and overcame it and as he told Doc Ock, he has been trying to do better. For Tom to stare into the eyes of a Peter Parker who has learned this lesson, we see Tom glimpsing a future in which he has moved beyond his pain, beyond his hate, and is at peace with the world despite its darkness, and has indeed become a better version of himself.

Andrew’s Peter however acted as a mirror into what Tom could become if he chose a darker path. While Andrew is by no means an evil Spiderman he entirely conveyed a Peter who was broken, lost, lonely and as he claimed, bitter. If Tobey represented the Peter that has overcome loss and hatred then Andrew represents the Peter who has allowed himself to be weighed down with his grief and rage. Andrew gave a subtle but powerful performance as a Spiderman who is not at peace with the world or himself but rather haunted by Gwen’s death and simply trying to go through the motions of living. Having these other versions of Peter included into the MCU allowed for Tom’s Spiderman to make the right choice and then to make an incredibly difficult sacrifice and ultimately transform a boy into a man. It also allowed us to see Tobey round out his character’s maturity and transform into a wise, mature Spiderman who is ready to lead another generation, and it allowed Andrew to redeem his Spiderman and open a door into a re-discovery of purpose.

If each Spiderman were to get his own film going forward this is what I would love to see from each. From Tobey I would love to see a Spiderman 4 film in which he discovers Miles Morales and becomes a mentor and partner in which he ultimately passes the torch of Spiderman and then retires to live out his days with MJ and possibly some spider babies. From Andrew I’d like to see him return to his Amazing Spiderman franchise and portray a Peter who has new life breathed into him and sets out to continue to redeem himself from Gwen’s loss and subsequent bitterness. From Tom the possibilities are endless.

Aside from the incredible plot lines and story arcs achieved in this film, all three actors have proven themselves to have an incredible knowledge of their character, a strong grasp on the mannerisms we’ve come to expect from each Peter, and praise-worthy acting abilities to be able to pull it all together with seemingly effortless ease. The actors had wonderful chemistry and gave subtle yet powerful performances without overshadowing one another and I sincerely hope we will see all three together on the screen again.

Thank you again for reading and here’s to hoping from more Spiderman news soon!

[threewaysdivided]

If I think about the MCU too hard I get upset

I ended up falling away from the MCU just slightly after the first wave for completely unrelated reasons between finishing my degree, starting work and having too many hobbies I just sort of stopped watching much TV or going to the movies and I never really picked it back up, and based on most of the things I've heard about the change in focus and - by many accounts - quality decline in the storytelling, I think it may have accidentally been the best "choice" I made.

That said, as someone who similarly can't think too hard about the YJ revival without getting upset, I completely sympathise. It's heart-breaking to watch a story or franchise that you trusted with your emotional investment because it seemed like it was being made by people who had a story to tell and cared about telling it fall to the zombiefication of executive profiteering.

To watch storylines and plot points that used to be impactful be turned into formulas, shallowly repeated over and over until they lose their ability to mean anything. To watch characters and character relationships be reduced to hollow husks of their former selves, existing mostly to remind you that once upon a time you liked these people. To see theme and meaning at best fade and at worse be twisted into cynical inversions of what they used to be because the people in charge have realised that the superficial appearance of depth or thoughtfulness or maturity or topicality or diversity or progressivism sells just as well for cheaper than actually being any of those things in a world where media has an ever-shortening lifespan, most of the money comes from the initial wave of sales, and marketing comes from breathy tweets and uncritical "reviews" by media companies who are themselves time-pressed and playing the same game. To know that, even if some members of the creative teams genuinely still care about storytelling and respecting the fans and aren't just cashing a lazy paycheque, the production environment might not allow them to show it (DC Comics allegedly gave the Suicide Squad writers only six weeks to fully script the movie, and compare the years of preproduction behind the early MCU to now, where the actors are not only given so little information that they can't make meaningful acting choices, they sometimes don't even know what movies they're filming the scenes for.)

It hurts, to come to a show or series or movie or author in good faith, trusting based on the quality of the work that they genuinely have a story for you, only to find out that they don't care; that they don't respect their audience and were just wasting your time for as long as was necessary to get your money.

I can make peace with a series that falls apart because of creative decisions or production limitations or questionable execution, or even just goes in a direction that I personally don't vibe with, if there's a sense of creative intent and passion behind it.  If at least one person with the power to do so was fighting for the narrative.  But knowing that someone had every tool available to create a good (or at least competent) story and didn't because they knew the money would spend the same regardless of whether or not they put in the effort... it's hard not to get frustrated and angry and upset by that. The lack of resolution, of accountability, of closure, both in-text and out of it is hard to process. I think I’d almost prefer malice to apathy: at least malice means someone cared enough to try and be hurtful.

(In fact, this is one of the reasons why my writing speed for YJ:DW has significantly slowed down since the revival released - as much as I care about the story of my fanfic and know I have something to say with it, its hard to not feel like there are some fans of DP who might decide to get into YJ canon through my story; who I am setting up to go through the same experience of disappointment and betrayal just so some hack showrunners and executives can keep the lights on.)

But you know what?

Ultimately?

It doesn't matter.

I have the first season of Young Justice and a good handful of the early MCU movies on DVD, and I can watch them as many times as I like without Disney or DC getting a single cent of additional profit or bit of consumer metrics from me. I can wait for proper fan reviews and read wiki pages to make sure future output from big corporations is worth giving my money to. I'll be putting an authors note at the end of YJ:DW's next chapter, explaining that I only consider the first season worth watching. I have the Young Justice: Outsiders tag blacklisted and I unfollow blogs that post about it a lot so that I don't have to be reminded of a work that upsets me. I can filter tags on AO3 or go back to the older FFN archive to find fics from other people who care about the same parts of the show I do. I think about the hope and potential in this segment from Super Eyepatch Wolf's Sonic The Hedgehog video when considering the future of art from big corporate industry entities:

"The reason all this is so important is that, for all the missteps Sega have made with Sonic over the years, it's their willingness to embrace their own fan culture that's arguably resurrected Sonic as a mainstream pop culture juggernaut; the Sonic the Hedgehog movie going on to make a hundred million dollars at the box office, surpassing even Nintendo's Detechive Pikachu. I think fandoms reflect the very best and very worst of what a piece of media is, and Sonic is now a character that exists in a thousand different forms over countless different media. And yeah, sometimes they can be strange and disturbing, but these are the people who love Sonic... and are now drawing his comics, programming his games and designing his movies. Bringing life back to the once-fallen character."

We have the right - and in many ways the responsibility - to curate our fandom experience as best suits us; including what we choose to keep from canon and what we choose to leave behind. And sure, there will be a breed of people who insist that you have to like, enjoy and accept every piece of textual and extra-textual information about a series in order to be a "real fan" but that's only one way to do it and you absolutely do not have to care about getting their approval. Really, once a work is released to the public the Author is Dead and it becomes a big literary sandbox. It's our city now. (I mean, heck, just look at the DP fandom with it's blatant disregard for the line between canon and fanon and the way so many people openly shun the lead creator and worst written episodes.)

You're allowed to just stick to the parts that resonated with you; to the products of a time when - whether through passion, hard work or just plain luck - a group of people managed to capture lightning in a bottle.

There will always be creators who are passionate about making art, and there will always be good, sincere, meaningful art to find. Even if it means going a little ways off the beaten track.

Keep what brings you joy. Put aside the rest. Block, blacklist and filter as needed.

And if needed, take a break.  The good parts will still be there to come back to once you’re in a better headspace.

Don't ever let the apathy of a big corporation take a thing you love away from you.

[undertheinfluencerd]

https://ift.tt/3l39LwX #

Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy redefined the superhero genre and the summer blockbuster. The three films provided audiences with a sense of escapism unlike anything they had seen before, thanks to its heart-pounding action scenes and collection of beloved characters.

RELATED: Spider-Man Villains Ranked Least-Most Likely To Win The Hunger Games

Peter Parker, his friends, and his foes all got many chances to show off their abilities on the big screen. Indeed, the trilogy’s characters star in some of cinema’s most unforgettable moments. From upside-down kisses in the rain to heartfelt monologues about the responsibilities of a hero, Sam Raimi’s trilogy has plenty of scenes that rank as some of the most memorable in cinematic history.

10 Eddie Becomes Venom

To say that Topher Grace’s depiction of Venom is unpopular would be an understatement. In fact, most fans agree he was one of the things Spider-Man 3 got wrong. That doesn’t mean his character didn’t have some thrilling moments on-screen, though.

Eddie’s most memorable scene in the movie is his transformation into Venom. As Peter gets rid of the symbiote while in a belltower, the alien falls and lands on Eddie, quickly overtaking him. A killer soundtrack and fittingly gloomy atmosphere accompany the transformation. And even if Eddie ended up being an underwhelming villain, his conversion into Venom is definitely memorable.

9 Flint’s Confession

Every fan knows that Spider-Man 3 has way too many villains. None have enough room to shine or prove themselves as worthy heirs to Goblin and Ock’s legacies, but they still get some redeeming moments. In Sandman’s case, it’s his final monologue to Peter, where he confesses his guilt about the part he played in Uncle Ben’s death.

Enhanced by Thomas Haden Church’s performance, the scene succeeds in providing some much-needed closure for Peter. Sandman is less a villain and more a tragic figure of circumstance, and his confession to Peter confirms it.

8 Goblin’s First Flight

Willem Dafoe redefined what it means to be a comic book villain. His take on the Green Goblin is the perfect mix of over-the-top and seriousness, adding a sense of gravitas that overcomes the more cartoonish aspects of the role.

The character has plenty of memorable moments in the first Spider-Man movie. However, his initial confrontation against Spider-Man during the World Unity Fair will go down in cinematic history as one of the best action scenes of all time. It is fast-paced and thrilling, wasting not a single moment of its four-minute length. The Goblin gives an impressive display of his powers, proving that he will always be Spider-Man’s best villain.

7 Otto Octavius’s Sacrifice

Sam Raimi’s first two Spider-Man films succeeded because of how much they fleshed out the villains. They weren’t just CGI creations trying to take over the world, but three-dimensional characters with ambitions and limitations of their own. Spider-Man 2‘s Otto Octavius is one of the genre’s most compelling villains, one who succeeds in winning the audience’s sympathy while remaining a fearsome threat.

RELATED: 10 Things Only Comic Book Fans Know About Doctor Octopus

During Ock’s final moments, he sees the error of his ways and decides to go down with his creation. Proclaiming he will “not die a monster,” Octavius sacrifices for the greater good. Thanks to Alfred Molina’s committed performance, the moment is one of the trilogy’s most memorable, cementing Octavius as one of the genre’s most complex characters.

6 J. Jonah Jameson Saves Peter Parker

J.K. Simmons as J. Jonah Jameson is the very definition of spot-on casting. The actor took an already well-known character and translated him into the screen seamlessly and faithfully. Throughout his tenure in the trilogy, he gets plenty of comical moments, but his most memorable is his protection of Peter Parker.

When the Green Goblin blasts into the Bugle’s offices, he threatens Jameson and asks for the name of the photographer who takes Spider-Man’s pictures. Jameson refuses to tell on Peter, telling the Goblin the reporter sends his stuff through the mail. The scene shows a new and unexpected side to JJ, a glance at the empathy he works so hard to hide.

5 Uncle Ben’s Lesson

Uncle Ben’s death is one of the defining moments in Peter Parker’s storyline. It’s the first of many (many) tragedies to happen to the character, inspiring him to become a hero in the first place. Sam Raimi provides enough room for Uncle Ben’s character to develop before arriving at the inevitable conclusion.

Cliff Robertson’s heartfelt monologue summarises the essence of Spider-Man. “With great power comes great responsibility” has become one of the most enduring phrases in pop culture, adding a more profound layer to Raimi’s trilogy. And while Uncle Ben has little screentime, his presence remains throughout the entire trilogy, thanks in large part to his now-immortal words.

4 Aunt May’s Advice

Rosemary Harris remains the most compelling and memorable cinematic Aunt May. She imbued the role with plenty of warmth and empathy, avoiding the one-dimensional approach of subsequent movies. Harris’ Aunt May wasn’t just another peripheral character; on the contrary, she was Peter’s anchor, a constant source of inspiration for both the boy and the hero.

Her role as Peter’s guide is blatantly clear during her monologue in Spider-Man 2. While she packs her things to move out from her house, she talks to Peter about the nature and importance of heroism. Her speech is the gentle push Peter needed to understand the true role of his superhero counterpart. It’s a sweet but unforgettable moment that confirms Aunt May’s importance in the friendly neighborhood Spidey’s life.

3 Goblin’s Last Flight

Throughout the Raimi trilogy, Harry Osborn suffers almost as many ups and downs as Peter himself. The loss of his father leaves him devastated and desperate to find someone to blame, leading to his descent into the Green Goblin persona. Alas, Harry was never his father, and he proves it at the last moment.

RELATED: 10 Most Powerful Variants Of Green Goblin In Marvel Comics

Sporting the Goblin costume, Harry goes to help Peter fight Venom and the Sandman. The two confirm their friendship, and Harry bravely dies fighting the enemies. Harry’s sacrifice continues the recurring theme in the trilogy that every victory comes with a steep price. It’s also a perfect send-off for the character and a way to restore the Osborn legacy.

2 Mary Jane’s Upside-Down Kiss

For all its strengths, the Raimi trilogy has one undeniable flaw, and that’s its treatment of Mary Jane Watson, Peter Parker’s main love interest in the comics and most movies. The character barely received any development beyond her damsel in distress role. Still, Mary Jane is a crucial figure in superhero movies; she defined the “superhero girlfriend” role for better and worse.

Out of all her moments in the trilogy, Mary Jane’s most memorable is her upside-down kiss in the rain with Spider-Man. It’s not only one of the most iconic scenes in modern cinema, but a perfect summary of MJ and Peter’s relationship. The setup may seem a tad outdated under a 2021 eye, but Kirsten Dunst and Tobey Maguire’s chemistry is so electric that fans can let go of the more dubious elements of the scene and enjoy the romantic aspect.

1 Spider-Man Stops A Train

Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man remains as beloved now as he was back then. His take on Peter Parker gained new life thanks to the internet; indeed, Maguire’s Spidey is the king of memes, from Bully Maguire to the now-iconic “I missed the part where that’s my problem.”

However, this Spider-Man remains a blueprint for cinematic superheroes, thanks to his many heroic moments on screen. None is more memorable or inspiring than his efforts to stop a speeding train in Spider-Man 2. The scene works not only as an action setpiece but as a demonstration of Peter’s strongest power: his perseverance. Peter will never stop trying, even if all the odds are against him. Spider-Man is so relatable because he makes multiple mistakes and spends his time trying to fix them. But the point is, he will always try, and the train scene is the perfect representation of Spider-Man’s essence.

NEXT: 10 Unpopular Opinions About The Sam Raimi Spider-Man Movies (According To Reddit)

#marvel #avengers #marvelcomics #spiderman #mcu #ironman #comics #captainamerica #thor #avengersendgame #marvelstudios #xmen #dc #marveluniverse #art #cosplay #tomholland #hulk #disney #comicbooks #dccomics #peterparker #tonystark #blackwidow #marvellegends #endgame #deadpool #marvelcinematicuniverse #loki #bhfyp

The post Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man Trilogy: Each Main Character’s Most Iconic Scene appeared first on undertheinfluencerd.net.

#entertainment, screenrant #tumblr #aesthetic #like #love #tumblrgirl #follow #instagram #photography #instagood #likeforlikes #s #likes #art #cute #o #girl #followforfollowback #a #tumblrboy #grunge #fashion #photooftheday #tiktok #l #photo #sad #k #frases #f #bhfyp