I really shouldn't be so afraid to post this, but this one post has bothered me enough to the point where I just had to rant about it. I won't be surprised if this post results in a lot of followers dumping my ass. There's another controversial rant post I'm gonna make soon, so I guess this is a good enough warm-up.
It does take a lot of mental gymnastics to make "Rules for thee, not for me" sound justifiable.
Two wrongs don't make a right.
Also, I don't think that equity is working out very well right now with the race-bent Snow White.
Side-note: Snow White's fucking name comes from the in-story explanation: "skin as white as snow". But that's not something we should respect right!
Just imagine the number of hopeful girls who would've been honored to have been chosen for the role of Disney's first-ever princess and would have shown so much more respect for the role and the story than this. I'd hope the social brownie points were worth it, but most people are actually seeing this lady for what she truly is.
Hell, the bigger problem nowadays is how most Disney Princesses are being given the same feminist story beats, being strong independent women who don't need no man and are also total girl bosses. Sure, just gut out the story in the name of "progression". And slowly make the Disney Princesses a "progressive" hive mind.
Also, there's the whole Nani controversy that really shows how skewed the priorities are of everyone who advocates for blackwashing established white characters.
Nani being dark-skinned isn't crucial to the story, though. Her actress is still a native Hawaiian, which is objectively the more important representative aspect of casting in a movie set in Hawaii with Hawaiian culture being heavily featured.
Look, personally I'd advocate for casting people who actually look like the characters they're portraying if these live-action remakes must be a thing.
But clearly the Hollywood execs don't agree. So this casting doesn't bother me. If anything, I find it hilarious - especially after seeing everyone throw a hissy fit over this. It showcases their hypocrisy, as these are the same people who were all "CHANGING ARIEL'S SKIN COLOR DOESN'T MATTER YOU BIGOTS". On top of that, these people are actually wishing harm on this actress, solely over her skin color.
Let me guess, though. It isn't really racism if colored people oppress and threaten and harm white people, right? By this logic, it's just a matter of ~equity~ that fair-skinned folk are subjected to the same prejudice. For fuck's sake.
Nah, let's just normalize the concept that no one can relate to a character unless said character looks just like them. Let's encourage kids to embrace narcissism and refuse to find commonalities in characters that don't physically resemble them in any way.
Because apparently it doesn't matter that I can't see myself and my mother in Tiana, even though her driven, workaholic underdog story resonates with us. But because we're not black, we're not allowed to feel a kinship. It's inconceivable for a little girl to feel that she, for what she is on the inside, can relate to a Disney Princess that she shares no physical traits with.
Maybe I'm just crazy for believing we should focus more on who we are than what we are. Maybe I'm a monster for discouraging indulgence in narcissistic behavior. Am I a bigot for rolling my eyes every time I hear a cry for "MUH REPRESENTATION"?
I like to think I'm not. But society is so heavily fucked in so many ways these days. So much that I'm actually afraid to post this publicly.
But I shouldn't be afraid to speak my mind when I see bullshit being glorified. So I'm gonna give my piece, come what may.
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Just wanted to say your knowledge of movies in general and Thor lore in specific in amazing!
Realistically speaking, can we expect to see Fosterson together again? I still have hope in my heart that we will.
Thank you, Nonny ❤ Your words are very kind! I'm lucky enough to have had some amazing teachers who were able to help me understand story fundamentals... so it's a topic very near and dear to my heart.
And my friend I have a twofold answer. Speaking optimistically, and betting on Thor's success as a standalone franchise, and as an avengers franchise, I do think it's possible. Or in the very least, it's surely possible to at least see Thor again for a fifth (and preferably final) standalone installment.
He's a consistent money-maker. Even Love and Thunder made about as much as the other films in the THOR franchise, with each film grossing about 3.75 times the production budget of each film. (Fun fact: Thor (2011) and Thor: Love and Thunder both made ~3.0 times the production budget, versus Dark World that did 4.3 times better, and Ragnarok that did 4.7.) Critically, his worst film is L+T at 63%. This is actually worse than Dark World which sits ~67%, and between the two it's pretty clear that L+T is not a fan-favorite, but he DOES make money, and continues to be incredibly well-liked regardless.
Something that I'd wager Marvel's Phase 4+ needs. Thor has prestige, and people like him and his actor. He's consistently made profits for Marvel in ALL of his films, so Marvel would be pretty stupid not to double down for a fifth movie and the promise of "thor will return". (And as much as I loathe the film, L+T might have gotten some of the mcu normies to actually bother at least paying attention to Jane, whether it's for good reason or not.) So it's a bit of a no-brainer to bring back a character, and one of the last mcu couples, that is reliable. People like heroes and they like romance. Fosterson is both rolled into one.
Within this thought process, I do think that if Marvel knew what was good for it (...debatable... but again being optimistic) then they would reunite Thor with Jane and the rest of his family where he belongs. Give him that happy ending he so deserves as the final survivor of his original cast (discounting Sif), and of the Avengers' Big Three. No one in the whole of the Avengers franchise deserves a happy ending more than Thor does.
So with that in mind, for Thor's next appearance, either it's bring back Jane similarly to the end of the Mighty Thor comic arc, or have Thor end up in Valhalla where the whole rest of his cast is. Either way, Fosterston fans like you and me would ultimately get what we want (the two reunited). Then it's a matter of "but would it feel earned to the audience who's kept with Thor for the past decade"?
As it stands: Thor is in an odd position where his options are limited, but still technically open as a character. Narratively his story simply will not be finished until he's been put to rest one way or another... Ultimately he needs to find peace, and I think anyone in the MCU fanbase can at least agree that MCU!Thor won't be able to for as long as all of his castmates are dead or otherwise written out of the picture. (Thanks to the decision to write Thor out of Asgard by revoking his birthright he can't even at least have THAT as a reason to keep going.) Even Hemsworth feels as much, whether he'll say it so explicitly or not. ("Thor lost his mind that last one. He’s got to figure it out now.")
Really a reunion should be in a 5th installment, but if they wanted to play it cheap they could maybe wrap up Thor's story in a B Plot or a cameo in whatever they have lined up for Avengers: Secret Wars. Were it up to me I would argue ostensibly that it's a "pick one" situation at this point in time. (and given they might attempt to shoehorn TVA!Loki into meeting MCU!Thor at some point to call that a day, the most profitable answer seems pretty cut and dry.)
Realistically speaking within that...? I think that all depends on Marvel/Disney's budget, and ...honestly, probably Chris Hemsworth on the whole.
There are many shifting variables in Hollywood right now. Lots of budget cuts, cancelled tv shows and films, job losses, etc. While I think the big names and upper league of the industry are going to come out relatively unscathed, I do think that Disney/Marvel may need to slow its productions down, and greatly decrease the quality and quantity in order to survive. That, and, again, the fact of the matter is that the quality of Marvel's Phase 4+ has been pretty hot garbage.
Which then leads me back to the point that:
Thor is a decent money maker. He's still got material to work with if they wanted to wrap him/Chris' iteration of him up as they did with Tony Stark and Steve Rogers. And this is keeping in mind that Chris Evans, despite Steve's story definitely being wrapped, is willing to come back for cameos in future appearances out of respect and love for his character.
....That said, you'll notice that I mention "respect and love for his character" when mentioning Chris Evans. Frankly, Chris Hemsworth is a bit more of a wild card. I've mentioned it (here), but it seems as though Hemsworth has largely fallen out of love with Thor. Now, when I say that I don't mean that he hates Thor. Thor is a very special character to him. Something he has stated multiple times in interviews — especially since becoming Thor really helped launch his career forward.
... The GOOD news is Chris has commented on coming back for future Thor films.
“Yeah, I think [Marvel] always [teases the characters return in films]. Look, I’m completely open to it, [...] I’ve always loved the experience. I’ve been very thankful I’ve been able to do something different each time.”
The ... BAD news is he's also commented on being largely contented with the character as is (albeit wanting to move on from Taika's take) and otherwise finding him "boring", and that there is not a lot he'd want to do with Thor now that they've spanned the course of ... mostly everything.
“You look at Thor 1 and 2, they were quite similar. Ragnarok and Love and Thunder are similar. I think it’s about reinventing it. I’ve had such a unique opportunity with Infinity War and Endgame to do very drastic things with the character. I enjoy that, I like keeping people on their toes. It keeps me on my toes. It keeps me invested. I’ve said this before but when it becomes too familiar, I think there’s a risk in getting lazy then because I know what I’m doing. So I don’t know."
He, like Evans and Downey Jr. I'm sure, wants a happy ending for his character — and I would argue that absolutely includes Jane, but the course of Disney/Marvel's Phase 4 is uncertain, because they seem to have no plan. Or at least not one beyond "insert cool cameo here"
...And Chris' faith in the character that kickstarted a large portion of his career has seemed to have utterly tanked in recent years especially. (Particularly since it's been rather hot and cold for him. If a film does well and is written wonderfully, then there isn't enough Loki in it so the MCU fanbase decides to go nutty. If it's written poorly with an ill-cast director, it does well. But then when they double down on that ill-casted director people get fed up with it because the Russo Bros. did it better in Infinity War and rightfully so. Though Chris seems to favor the IW depiction too so even he isn't immune.)
So it's hard to say whether or not Chris will actually take up another contract, fulfill any that he's (allegedly) previously made or make so much as a cameo appearance to fulfill that "Thor Will Return" we were promised at the end of L+T.
"I have no idea. I've said it before, it all depends on the type of story. It has to be something unique. What I don't want is to do the same with the character until the end, until there is a feeling of exhaustion in the audience. But if there is excitement for it, I am always willing to return. If there is a new story, it has to be something very special. I'm sure there's something exciting to tell, so we'll have to wait and see. You have to wait to find it."
"Again, I don’t know if I’m even invited back. But if I was, I think it would have to be a drastically different version in tone, everything, just for my own sanity… (laughs) … Thor lost his mind that last one. He’s got to figure it out now."
I'm afraid that sounds rather dour... but unless we actually get confirmation of a Thor 5, or Thor appearance in the inevitable Avengers movies down the line, it's really just... hard to say. As ever this is all simply hypothetical conjecture based on sheer observation. Though of course, I don't work for Marvel. And even if I did, NDAs exist, so it's not as if I could confirm or deny anything anyways. We simply have to wait and see.
PERSONALLY if I were to take a crack at it, I'd at least give Thor a 5th movie, completely wrap him up in a way that is respectful to his character while also ... attempting to acknowledge and semi-respect what Marvel has already done thus far ... and then leave the rest up to cameo and side character appearances, like what they're doing with Evans and Steve Rogers.
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