Spider-Man: Far From Home (Spoilers)

[Patrick]

I'll say that with the MCU, Marvel really made me interested in Spider-Man again. Inside the Spiderverse contributed, too, as I started reading the Spider-Man Noir comics and am really enjoying them.

But back to Far From Home, it was great. I can't believe Peter was so easy to give Mysterio Tony Stark's glasses. But excited to see Doctor Strange explore the actual multiverse.

Patrick

[sensei8]

This movie, Spiderman, is a must see for me; so many great movies out this summer; I loved the spoilers because it makes me want to see it more and more, than before!!

I'm still sad about Tony Stark, though!!

Thanks, Patrick!!

[bushido_man96]

They've really got a great slate of things coming, and the future looks bright for Marvel. I just wish they'd fix the Hulk.

[sensei8]

They've really got a great slate of things coming, and the future looks bright for Marvel. I just wish they'd fix the Hulk.

Is the Hulk broken??

[mazzybear]

I really enjoyed it too. I was concerned after Avengers that the Marvel films would fall away, but going by FFH I think there will be a lot to look forward to.

I just wish DC would get their act together. Robert Patinson as the next Batman??? Just don't see it myself.

Mo.

[bushido_man96]

They've really got a great slate of things coming, and the future looks bright for Marvel. I just wish they'd fix the Hulk.

Is the Hulk broken??

He's been constantly nerfed since the first Avengers movie. Remember the beginning of the Battle for New York? He opened up by crushing one of those monstrous flying beasts by decking it in the face. We haven't seen anything like that display of power since. Age of Ultron? I liked the increase in the storyline of Banner trying to deal with the existence of the Hulk, and the Hulkbuster scene was good, too, and I understand they have to end it with him getting knocked out or something to stop the slaughter, but they didn't even really give him any redemption at the end. The Hulk gets no interaction with Ultron until he's already broken. At least in Avengers he got to trounce Loki. Hulk vs. Thor in Ragnorok? I think that goes a different way, and didn't like how they ended that fight. The face-off with Fenrir was good, but that fight totally cuts out any interaction he could have had with Hela. I know it was a Thor movie, but come on. Seeing him attack Sutur was cool, although brief. Then, we get into the rest of the Hulk's "arc" through the Infinity War movies. He gets trounced by Thanos, then is non-existent until Endgame, where we get Professor Hulk, who doesn't do ANYTHING Hulk-like, except hold up a building that fell in. AT THE LEAST they could have given us a battle with Cull Obsidian (Black Dwarf) to peal back the fight that happened in Infinity War where Hulk wouldn't come out and Banner had to defeat him using his wiles. And was it too hard to ask for a round of redemption fighting Thanos? Apparently so. Instead, they fry half his body (apparently they nerfed his healing factor, too...) and instead turn the character into the biggest, greenest, goofiest PHD in the world.

I could go on, but I won't.

Yeah I will.

I thought that Universal's reboot of the Hulk was enjoyable. Love the movie. I may be alone, but it was a good movie, with a good storyline. It also displayed Hulk's signature Gamma Crush and the power slap in the fight with Abomination. We haven't see the Hulk perform these moves since then, and I don't know why. If I had to guess, it has something to do with Universal studios having the rights to them, but I'm not sure. I know that's why there isn't another Hulk stand-alone movie, because of Universal. I'm assuming that's also why we don't get to see any more of the Abomination or Betty Ross, yet somehow Thunderbolt Ross has crept into Marvel Studios. Don't forget that The Leader is running around out there somewhere, too.

Then there's the whole Edward Norton fall-out to Mark Ruffalo. I enjoy Ruffalo's portrayal of Banner, so that's not an issue for me, and he's not the only character to be recast in the MCU (Rhodie and Red Skull).

Back to Endgame: they did a whole scene with the Hulk just before the restaurant scene that they cut out, where Prof Hulk saves a bunch of people from the top of a burning skyscraper (the scene even had Reginald Valjohnson in it as a tribute to Die Hard), and that scene got cut. And I guess the scene that angers me the most is when he goes to get the Time Stone from The Ancient One. Prof Hulk decides to try to fight first instead of talk, and gets Astral formed, then Banner spends the time to attempt to reason with her, while "Hulk body" takes a nap. Other than The Snap, no Hulk-like things happen in the movie. He snaps everyone back, which is huge, but it just doesn't seem like justice for the character, either one of them. And if he never completely heals, then I'll just probably be mad forever and may even just give up on Marvel altogether.

But while I have kids, I'm sure I'll be taking them to these movies, so I'll just have to be angry about it, I guess. Marvel has plenty of time to make things right with the Hulk. He can be just as big a part of the cosmic universe as any of the characters, and more so than most. But I don't think Marvel Studios has even scratched the surface on his power level.

So, yeah, I think the Hulk is broken.

Rant to be continued after the next movie....

[Patrick]

I did not know you were this involved, Brian. Haha. I like it! This is interesting.

You know a lot more about Hulk than I do, but I have heard about how if he was as powerful in the movies as he was in the comics, it might present issues for the story (or something along those lines).

I find it funny (and, of course, it's part of the action) how quickly someone who seems SO powerful can then be beaten. Ebony Maw is a good example for me. When he showed up in Infinity War, it was like... holy mackerel, how do you stop that guy? He's got Doctor Strange wrapped up in some vines in like two seconds.

Oh, shoot a hole in the side of the space ship and he gets sucked out, he's dead. Infinity War and Endgame had SO MUCH GOING ON, so you do have to sort of move quickly I assume, and I loved them both, but I just found it funny.

[bushido_man96]

Oh, yeah, Patrick, me and the boys don't miss a Marvel movie.

You make a good point about the Hulk maybe getting too powerful, and I get that, but they could still do a good representation of his abilities without relegating him to being second-rate.

I truly hope that Ruffalo signs on for some more movies, and with the more powerful enemies that are coming into the MCU, they start to allow the Hulk to open up to more of what he is capable of.

You were right about Maw, he did kind of get his end quickly. But, did you notice in Endgame that it seemed like most of the Black Order survived until Tony's snap?

[Patrick]

Now that you mention it, they did. I don't think I noticed much at the time. That whole final battle was just so intense.

I've been trying to educate myself a bit on the comics vs. the movies (have started reading Thanos story from semi-start) and watched a bunch of random YouTubers and learning more about that powerful future you referenced. Looking forward to that.

I watched a video today talking about how the Secret Wars event from a few years ago could serve as the big crossover movie this time. But I really know so little about the bigger more magical and cosmic powers in the comics.

[bushido_man96]

I'm looking forward to the Black Widow movie coming out. All I've seen has pointed towards Taskmaster being the main villain, which should be fun.