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My Thoughts On The Thor: Ragnarok Trailer
Well, it’s finally out, folks. And if you haven’t seen it yet, here it is, the Thor: Ragnarok trailer.
…So, first off, I need to be completely honest with everyone reading this right now… … …I laughed my ass off at the scene where Thor is confronted by Hulk. That was the best possible reaction Thor could’ve given in that scene. I almost fell right out of my chair. Also, considering that we already knew Hulk was going to be in this movie, ending the trailer on the fight between them was a good move, since we’ve really only ever seen the two fight once before in the first Avengers movie, and this time, Thor’s going in without Mjolnir, so it’s a completely level playing field. And while his appearances in the trailer were brief, it’s great to see Tom Hiddleston back as Loki. Not sure if any of what he did in the last Thor movie is going to play into his role here (for reasons I’ll explain later), but he was an element that NEEDED to be present. One of the biggest issues with the MCU has been its lack of good villains, so having Loki back is a huge asset.
Now then, let’s talk about what I didn’t like. And that’s not to say that anything in this trailer was actually particularly BAD, either. No, my problem is with the tone. See, I want you to think about some of the things you just saw in this trailer: Mjolnir was destroyed, Asgard was overrun and possibly destroyed as well, and Thor and Hulk have been captured and forced into gladiatorial combat, all while God knows what kind of havoc all of these events are going to cause. Hell, just look at the title: RAGNAROK, the word meant to describe an apocalyptic event in which the world basically dies and is reborn again at the cost of much that came before. It’s a really bleak situation. And yet…the tone of this trailer doesn’t seem all that bleak, does it? And I know what you’re thinking: “But Jyger, you complain about how dark and dire the DC movie trailers are, so why would you want this one to be like that?” Well, first off, I’m not saying we should do DC’s muted colours, darker palette, and overall lack of joy. No, what I’m saying is, this should feel more like Thor is dealing with his greatest challenge and is at the end of his rope. The bit where he yells “YES!” at seeing Hulk is fine, and in fact would act as a great moment of levity for the trailer, but otherwise, a lot of the trailer’s tone should’ve been different. And just throwing this out there: Jeff Goldblum as a major villain does not inspire terror… … …Well, at least not in the way he was supposed to. lol
But more importantly than that, what bothers me most of all about this trailer is that this should feel less like Guardians of the Galaxy and more like a fucking THOR movie. Now, if you’re confused by that statement, lemme clarify something: I LIKE Guardians of the Galaxy. I love those characters. I love the GotG trailers. However, Thor should no more feel like GotG than GotG should feel like Thor. They are their own separate entities within the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and should have their own unique feels to them as a means of bringing in their own fanbases. And what REALLY bothers me is that, from what I’ve heard, this movie is meant to act as a soft reboot for Thor (not erasing everything that came before, but just changing the overall direction from here on out) within the MCU. And if this trailer is to be believed, then that new direction change is to basically be Guardians of the Galaxy, which is a mistake for the very reasons I just explained. And maybe I’m alone in this attitude, maybe it’s just a me issue, but that’s my opinion. Like I said, I don’t think the trailer taken on its own is bad, but that it should’ve been different. And maybe it’s just this one trailer that’ll feel like this, and it was just done to get a bunch of attention. We’ll see in the months to come.
Anyway, lemme know what you all thought about the trailer, if you agree with my assessment or not, and we’ll see what happens from now until November. Ja né!
Marvelous May – Quake vs Jane Foster
Welcome back to Marvelous May as an Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. takes on a Goddess of Thunder. It’s Daisy Johnson, AKA Quake, vs Jane Foster, AKA The Mighty Thor!
Quake
Admittedly, I didn’t actually know much about Quake going into this, but that’s good, because that means I’m learning along with everyone else. Daisy Louise Johnson was originally thought to be a Mutant. However, that’s not the case at all. Instead, her powers come from her father, Calvin Zabo’s, mutated DNA, and the Inhuman genes passed down from her mother. Regardless, Daisy has the ability to manipulate seismic energy. She can send out vibration waves similar to those found in earthquakes. Thanks to her training under Nick Fury (for the record, the one who doesn’t look like Samuel Jackson), she’s able to use precise accuracy with her vibrations to literally cause targets to shake themselves apart. She even once imploded Wolverine’s heart. Naturally, being Wolverine, he got better, but the point stands that she’s not to be taken lightly. Her Inhuman metabolism also grants her enhanced speed, reflexes, endurance, and strength, supposedly surpassing that of even Captain America himself. And all of that is on top of her standard training as an agent of the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division. She’s also served as a member of the Avengers for a time, as well as the Secret Warriors, and at one point even held the position of Director of S.H.I.E.L.D., being the one who recruited Nick Fury Jr. and Phil Coulson. And speaking of Coulson, in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Daisy serves as a member of his team on the television series Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., albeit with a slightly different back-story, and first appearing under the name Skye. Regardless of which version, though, Quake is not someone you want to find yourself on the bad side of.
Jane Foster
Doctor Jane Foster was originally conceived to be…well, Thor’s primary love interest. Let’s call a spade a spade here. However, recent events have made it clear that, at some point, the powers that be had a very different plan for her. Since the early days when she was an ally and assistant to Doctor Donald Blake, Thor Odinson’s other persona (long story), Jane has since become a doctor herself, gotten married to another man, and had a child…Then, when she found out Thor was back after being dead (again, lost story), she got divorced, lost custody of her child, and recently found out she had cancer. Yeah, her life has had some ups and downs, to say the least. However, one of the more radical changes to her life came when Thor lost the ability to wield his hammer, Mjölnir. At some point, she found herself on the moon, where the hammer was last left, and was somehow able to pick it up, transforming herself into a warrior with all of Thor’s abilities, and even altering her mannerisms…for some reason. Having witnessed Thor’s abilities over the years, Jane was quickly able to wield Mjölnir with the same level of skill as her predecessor. She’s strong enough to easily lift 100 tons, can create and control lighting and storms, is capable of speaking to and understanding all races, and can fly by hurling Mjölnir, grabbing hold of its strap, and willing it to go wherever she pleases. She’s also nigh-invulnerable, able to shrug off just about anything that comes her way, with very few exceptions. Eventually, she even earned Thor’s blessing in wielding the hammer, as well as the right to call herself Thor, though she does so in secret to everyone but a few select individuals. However, all of this comes with a very dire price: While transformed into Thor, she’s immune to all Earth-born illnesses and diseases, but she can only remain so for so long, after which, she reverts to her normal state, where her cancer seems to have been aggravated due to the transformation. In short, being Thor is killing her. But she has sworn to continue upholding her duties as the new Goddess of Thunder and defender of Midgard. As she herself put it, “The world needs a Thor”.
Be sure to vote before May 9th, when the winner of this battle takes on the winner of the next match-up, Squirrel Girl vs Spider Woman! Until then, be sure to check back in to vote on that match, and click the links below to learn more about the combatants here. Ja né!
How To Avenge A Guy In 10 Days
… … …I don’t really have anything to say, I just thought this was too funny to not share. XD
Confirmation: Spider-Man Now A Part Of The Marvel Cinematic Universe + My Thoughts On The Matter
So, every now and then, when I can’t quite go to sleep, I do a quick, routine check of social media, just to make absolute certain I’m not missing anything. Y’know, put my mind at ease. Well, last night was one of those nights. And what did I find? THIS:
“Sony Pictures Entertainment and Marvel Studios announced today that Sony is bringing Marvel into the amazing world of Spider-Man. Under the deal, the new Spider-Man will first appear in a Marvel film from Marvel’s Cinematic Universe (MCU). Sony Pictures will thereafter release the next installment of its $4 billion Spider-Man franchise, on July 28, 2017, in a film that will be co-produced by Kevin Feige and his expert team at Marvel and Amy Pascal, who oversaw the franchise launch for the studio 13 years ago. Together, they will collaborate on a new creative direction for the web slinger. Sony Pictures will continue to finance, distribute, own and have final creative control of the Spider-Man films. Marvel and Sony Pictures are also exploring opportunities to integrate characters from the MCU into future Spider-Man films. The new relationship follows a decade of speculation among fans about whether Spider-Man – who has always been an integral and important part of the larger Marvel Universe in the comic books – could become part of the Marvel Universe on the big screen. Spider-Man has more than 50 years of history in Marvel’s world, and with this deal, fans will be able to experience Spider-Man taking his rightful place among other Super Heroes in the MCU.”
…YEAH. So, Spidey’s apparently coming home to Marvel and will be playing a role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Now, obviously, with a decision as big as this, there’s going to be more than a few questions. Namely, can this partnership stand the test of time? Can both companies keep their egos in check to make this as great as they can? Who will be playing Spider-Man? Will Spider-Man even be Peter Parker, or will it be one of his replacements, like Miguel O’Hara or Miles Morales? What does this mean for the other Marvel movies? Well, right now, it’s looking like Thor: Ragnarok, Black Panther, Captain Marvel, and Inhumans will all be pushed back a little, with Inhumans actually marking the end of Phase 3, but all things considered, that’s not so bad in the long run.
As for the lead role…well, here’s my personal reaction to the suggestion that Andrew Garfield won’t be Spider-Man anymore:
Seriously, unless they find a truly superb replacement, or want to go a different route than Peter Parker, I’d stick with Garfield. He knows what he’s doing, he knows the character, and while I get that this is a reboot, we don’t need to change EVERYTHING all over again for the second time in this movie franchise. Speaking of, I would avoid having the new movie be yet another origin movie. We KNOW the character’s origins. We’ve seen movies that tell the origin twice now. We don’t need three in fifteen years. And finally, and this is admittedly a long shot, but if Marvel Studios could re-cast J.K. Simmons as J. Jonah Jameson, that’d be GREAT.
Yeah, I know, long shot. Anyway, leave your thoughts and feelings on this matter below, and we’ll see how things develop from now until 2017. Ja né!