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Complete Guide to Shang-Chi

From his controversial beginnings to his work with the Avengers, Shang-Chi has a long, complicated history.

After Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige announced the new movie “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” at San Diego Comic-Con, many fans had the same reaction:

“Who the heck is Shang-Chi?”

If this was you, then you need to read this guide to learn everything there is to know about this master of Kung-Fu before we get to see Simu Liu bring the character to the big screen.

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Complete guide to Shang-Chi

Who is Shang-Chi?

He’s a ripoff?

Shang-Chi first appeared in 1973. He is known as the master of Kung-Fu. In 1972, there was a wildly popular show called “Kung-Fu.” Kids loved it. It starred a martial arts student who learns the way of the fist from his sensei. The famous “if you can snatch the pebble from my hand…” line as well as calling your pupil “grasshopper” originated from this show.

Marvel wanted to adapt the show into a comic series but was denied by the show’s network. So, Marvel made a similar comic series to capitalize on the growing Kung-Fu fad. Basically, Shang-Chi is a ripoff of a popular ’70s TV show.

His dad is a complicated man

According to his origin, Shang-Chi is the son of Fu Manchu. However, this was changed in later comics.

For those who don’t know, Fu Manchu was a character played by Christopher Lee in the 1960s. He is an evildoer who veers headfirst into Asian stereotypes… and he was played by a white guy. Needless to say, Fu Manchu was a very racist depiction.

However, Fu Manchu was very popular when he was around, so Marvel got the rights to make Fu Manchu comics. Later on, Marvel lost the rights to Fu Manchu, which left them with a predicament with Shang-Chi. In 2010 in an issue of “Secret Avengers” it is discovered that Fu Manchu was merely an alias, and Shang-Chi’s father’s true name is Zheng Zu.

Marvel would probably rather not make a Shang-Chi movie altogether than make one with the PR nightmare that is Fu Manchu, so losing the rights to him was a blessing in disguise.

Later on, Zheng Zu faced even more development. He soon became the ruler of the Ten Rings, taking on the mantle of the Mandarin. As the new Mandarin, he led the Ten Rings to try to overthrow K’un L’un (more on that later), but was ultimately stopped by Shang-Chi.

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Powers and abilities

Although Shang-Chi mainly relies on hand-to-hand combat, he does at times use a sword, a staff, and nunchucks. However, he’s got nothing on Michaelangelo.

Later on, Marvel realized that if you don’t have superpowers, you can’t really stand out in a world of superheroes. As a result, Shang-Chi obtained the ability to create copies of himself.

What is his story?

Shang-Chi is the son of Fu Manchu (Zheng Zu) and a white American woman who his father genetically selected.

Not much of a love story.

Fu Manchu trained Shang-Chi in the ways of martial arts and being an assassin. While on a mission for his father, Shang-Chi learned that Fu Manchu was actually evil. He then swore to his father that he’d devote his life to taking him down.

Basically, most Shang-Chi comics are about him thwarting his father’s various plans.

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Affiliations

Despite his controversial beginnings, Shang-Chi was a pretty big hit for Marvel. He appeared in several more special editions and even fought alongside other martial artists like Iron Fist and even became an honorary Avenger.

In fact, he once joined forces with the Avengers alongside Captain America to thwart the Mandarin and save the world.

Quite often, Shang-Chi is a secondary character in most stories and another character like Iron Fist or Captain America has the lead role.

Isn’t he basically just Iron Fist?

Although they have a few differences in their powers, Shang-Chi and Iron Fist have a lot in common. First off, both of them have a shared bond with the mystical land of K’un L’un.

K’un L’un is a hidden world filled with monks who train night and day in martial arts. Their champion is the Iron Fist who is a living weapon filled with all the power of K’un L’un.

Although they are both martial artists, they have different fighting styles. Iron Fist heavily relies on his abilities as the living weapon to make his fists glow with fiery energy for more devastating attacks.

Although Shang-Chi has the ability to copy himself, he seldom uses it. He prefers to fight hand-to-hand rather than on other methods. As a result, even Iron Fist has admitted that Shang-Chi is the greatest martial artist in the world.

Despite their similar fighting styles, Iron Fist and Shang-Chi have very different personalities. Iron Fist’s abilities as the living weapon make him overly confident and cocky with his abilities. Also, Iron Fist finds pleasure in thwarting his enemies while Shang-Chi views his battles as a necessary evil.

Who are the Ten Rings?

The Ten Rings is a criminal organization run by the Mandarin. It gets its name from the 10 rings worn by the Mandarin that grant him powers. These powers include:

Rearranging matter
Shooting beams
Creating vortexes
A beam that disintegrates things
A light that casts everything into darkness
A light that makes magnetic fields
Shooting flames
Shooting lighting
Mind control
Shooting ice

Man, where were these things when the Avengers needed them against Thanos?

Basically, the Mandarin is one of the toughest guys around, and he is hellbent on world domination. As a result, the Ten Rings follow him for a piece of the action.

The Ten Rings have already made their presence known in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. They were the terrorists who captured Tony Stark in “Iron Man.” They also assisted Whiplash in “Iron Man 2.” Finally, in “Ant-Man,” a member of the Ten Rings was at Pym Laboratories.

The Ten Rings were also featured in “Iron Man 3.” If you remember, Ben Kingsley played an actor who was playing the Mandarin. However, in a special Marvel made afterward, fans learned that the real Mandarin was actually out there.

What will the movie be about?

Marvel hasn’t revealed much about “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings,” so this is just a theory. It will be directed by Destin Daniel Cretton. Tony Leung will play the Mandarin.

We know for a fact that the movie will feature both the Ten Rings and the Mandarin. In Marvel’s “Secret Wars” Zheng Zu (Shang-Chi’s father) is the Mandarin and the leader of the Ten Rings. Our theory is that the movie will follow this route as Shang-Chi fights against his father to dismantle the Ten Rings from the inside out.

Wrapping up

Do you think “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” is going to be a decent movie, or do you think it will be a swing and a miss? Let us know in the comments below! Also, make sure you share this guide with your friends so they can learn about Shang-Chi as well!

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Guide to Marvel Phase 4: Everything you need to know

From Blade to female Thor, Marvel revealed so much at Comic-Con!

To say the MCU dropped a bomb at their Comic-Con panel this year would be an understatement. They dropped a nuke on the stage and then dropped a few smaller bombs while they were at it.

At the Comic-Con panel, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige along with an abundance of actors, actresses, and filmmakers gave us details on five Disney+ shows, five Phase 4 movies, and a few other projects.

There is a LOT to talk about. Once you’re done reading this article, let’s take the discussion to the comments section below to keep the conversation and the speculation going!

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Guide to Marvel Phase 4

It is important to point out that although this is Marvel’s current complete line-up for Phase 4, Feige says things can change:

For example, as Phase 2 was ending in 2015, Marvel Studios acquired the rights to put Spider-Man in their films. Obviously, this changed up the future of Phase 3 quite significantly with Spider-Man appearing in five movies including two of his own.

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The Falcon and the Winter Soldier

“The Falcon and the Winter Soldier” will feature Anthony Mackie and Sebastian Stan reprising their roles. It is coming out in fall of 2020, and deals with the two character’s lives after the events of “Avengers: Endgame.”

Falcon has a new weight on his shoulders as he is now expected to take up the mantle of Captain America after Steve Rogers went back in time for that long-awaited dance.

Along with Stan and Mackie, Daniel Brühl will be returning to reprise his role as Baron Zemo. Zemo was the main villain in “Captain America: Civil War.” His family was killed during the events of “Avengers: Age of Ultron,” and since he didn’t fully get his revenge in “Civil War,” he may want to continue to dismantle the Avengers in “Falcon and the Winter Soldier.”

Loki

During “Avengers: Endgame” the Loki of 2012 made a quick getaway by stealing the Space Stone. “Loki” for Disney+ will follow the God of Mischief as he makes his way through the universe.

Wait, didn’t Loki die?

Yes, he did die in “Avengers: Infinity War.” However, the show will be following an alternate timeline Loki. This Loki hasn’t gone through the character development Loki experienced in “Thor 2: The Dark World” and “Thor: Ragnarok,” so he is in need of redemption. Apparently, this Loki will be traveling throughout the universe with the Space Stone getting into loads of adventures along the way.

Hopefully, since he has an Infinity Stone, his path may cross with Thanos and we’ll get to see Josh Brolin’s return!

“Loki” will be released on Disney+ in Spring of 2021.

WandaVision

Both Scarlett Witch and Vision will return for new adventures in “WandaVision.”

Wait, isn’t Vision dead?

Yes, Thanos ripped the Mind Stone from Vision’s forehead.

However, as we have seen, the MCU is not afraid to bring people back from the dead. Just ask, Agent Coulson, Loki, and everyone that died in the Snap. We expect that Black Panther’s sister Shuri might be able to use her tech to bring him back, or Scarlet Witch will just magic him back from the dead.

Feige promised that characters will return in the show, including Monica Rambeau. Her character was in “Captain Marvel,” which took place in the ’90s. Now, she is a grown woman, and she’s ready to get into the action in “WandaVision.”

Events in the show are expected to lead into “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.” Also, Elizabeth Olsen will be playing Scarlet Witch in “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,” but more on that later.

“WandaVision” will be released on Disney+ in Spring of 2021.

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What If

In the summer of 2021, Disney+ will feature the first animated endeavor in the MCU.

“What If” tackles alternative scenarios in the MCU. More specifically, it tackles “what if” situations. These are scenarios where things didn’t go the way they went in the MCU. They are named after the comics that bear the same name.

Most of the MCU alumni from the movies will return to voice their characters, but there is no official list of who will return. However, we do know that the following will be included:

Michael B. Jordan as Killmonger
Sebastian Stan as Winter Soldier
Josh Brolin as Thanos
Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner/Hulk
Tom Hiddleston as Loki
Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury
Chris Hemsworth as Thor
Hayley Atwell as Peggy Carter
Chadwick Boseman as Black Panther
Karen Gillan as Nebula
Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye
Paul Rudd as Ant-Man
Michael Douglas as Hank Pym
Neal McDonough as Dum Dum Dugan
Dominic Cooper as Howard Stark
Sean Gunn as Kraglin
Natalie Portman as Jane Foster
Taika Waititi as Korg
Toby Jones as Arnim Zola
Djimon Hounsou as Korath
Jeff Goldblum as Grandmaster
Michael Rooker as Yondu

Since they weren’t listed, we doubt Chris Evans will return as Captain America or Robert Downey Jr. will return as Iron Man for the first season. However, if they show does well, they might come back for a second season.

The show will also bring on Jeffrey Wright who will play the Watcher. The Watcher is a being in the Marvel universe who observes history unfold, but does not get involved. You might remember seeing several Watchers in “Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 2.”

Hawkeye

In the fall of 2021, Clint Barton will begin training Kate Bishop to become the newest bow-and-arrow-wielding master in “Hawkeye.”

Jeremy Renner and Kevin Feige remained pretty tight-lipped about this project. This is probably because it’s more than two years away and a lot can change.

However, we do know that the series will dive into Barton’s time as Ronin. Between “Avengers: Infinity War,” and “Avengers: Endgame,” Barton began ridding the world of evildoers who survived Thanos’ snap. He did this under the guise of “Ronin.” It could be that the sins of Barton’s past may come back to haunt him.

The movies

Black Widow

It might seem a bit odd, but the MCU will kick off Phase 4 with a prequel.

Set during the events of Agent Romanoff’s famous Budapest mission, “Black Widow” will dive into the agent’s origins, her previous relationships, and the red in her ledger.

Fans at Comic-Con got to see a small teaser which Disney is adamantly trying to make sure stays off YouTube, but we did hear about what it showed:

Along with lots of awesome Black Widow stunts, the trailer showed Widow’s sister character Yelena as her relationship with Romanoff develops.

Finally, the trailer ended with a brief glimpse at another villain in the movie, which many fans speculate is Taskmaster. Taskmaster is a mercenary as well as a sort of supervillain coach. Basically, he is sometimes hired to help train people on how to be villains.

He’s basically Robbie Rotten meets The Punisher:

Oscar-winner Rachel Weisz will be playing Melina Vostokoff aka Iron Maiden. Iron Maiden is one of the classic villains in the Black Widow comics. Finally, David Harbour is joining the cast as Red Guardian, a Soviet superhero. Funny enough, Red Guardian’s real name is Alexei, which is the name of the Russian that Harbour’s character joins forces with in “Stranger Things.”

The Eternals

If your Marvel knowledge is only confined to their most popular characters, then you;ve probably never heard about the Eternals.

Basically, they are ACTUALLY Earth’s mightiest heroes. The Eternals are immortal cosmic beings (basically, they’re aliens) that have godlike powers and abilities. Millions of years ago, Celestials (that’s the same species as Star-Lord’s dad) looked at early humanity and created two additional races. They created a disgusting, monstrous race called the Deviants. They also created the advanced Eternals.

We do not know much about the plot for the movie, but we do know several members of the film’s cast. This includes Salma Hayek who plays the leader of the Eternals, Ajak, and Angelina Jolie who will star as Thena.

One thing to point out is that Thanos himself was a member of the Eternals in the comics. It will be interesting to see if the MCU will dive into that plot point once the film comes out in November of 2020.

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

Much like the Eternals, you’ve probably never heard about Shang-Chi.

Without question, he’s probably the least-known Marvel superhero to get a standalone MCU movie.

He’s a martial arts master who can also duplicate himself.

As you probably know, in “Iron Man 3” Ben Kingsley played a fake version of the villain the Mandarin. However, as you might not know, Marvel created a short called “All Hail the King,” where we learned that there is a real Mandarin who is not happy about what has happened to his name.

Thankfully, we are going to get to see the Mandarin in all of his glory as he graces the screen in “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.”

The Ten Rings is a terrorist organization who has been involved in the MCU since the start. They kidnapped Tony Stark, assisted Whiplash, and they even infiltrated Pym Laboratories!

Look at the neck tattoo on the guy with the beard. Does that emblem look familiar?

We don’t know who will be the next big bad guy in the MCU, but the Ten Rings and the Mandarin would be a phenomenal choice. The Mandarin’s mystic arts could create a new web of problems for the Avengers resulting in some great movies. Whether it’s a hit or a flop, we will find out in February of 2021.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

I wonder if in those 14 million futures Doctor Strange saw, he saw his character going down this route.

“Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” will be Marvel’s first dive into the world of horror.

No, it will not be rated R. According to Feige, the movie will be rated PG-13.

Although we don’t know much about the movie, we do know that the events of “WandaVision” will lead into the movie. Also, Scarlet Witch herself will be a main character in the film. Whether or not Vision will make an appearance is yet to be known, however, if we get more awesome scenes like Strange’s fight with Thanos, we will be happy campers.

Thor: Love and Thunder

Finally, bringing Phase 4 to a close will be “Thor: Love and Thunder” in November of 2021.

Chris Hemsworth will be returning as the God of Thunder, and Tessa Thompson will be returning as Valkyrie. Speaking of whom, Marvel confirmed that Valkyrie will be the MCU’s first openly LGBTQ superhero!

The movie will take place after the events of “Avengers: Endgame” with Thor soul-searching for the next stage of his life. However, the next stage of his life might just be the end because a new Thor is set to make her debut.

That’s right, the female version of Thor will be featured in “Thor: Love and Thunder!” Even better, Natalie Portman will be reprising her role as Jane Foster who will wield the hammer and become the new Thor.

In the comics, Thor loses his powers and the ability to wield his hammer. However, a successor is deemed worthy as a new female character becomes the new Thor.

Clearly, Natalie Portman is worthy to wield the hammer. However, are you?

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Other projects

Blade

At the end of the panel, Mahershala Ali surprised everyone by coming on stage. At the request of Feige, he donned a baseball cap with “Blade” written across it.

Wait, haven’t there already been a few Blade movies?

Between the late ’90s and the mid-2000s, Wesley Snipes starred in three Blade movies. Although they do have a few fans, they never really attained a huge audience, and they especially never made MCU money. However, the R rating in each film meant that we got lots of gore and lots of adult language.

WARNING: Video is NSFW

Blade is part-human and part-vampire, but he isn’t a fan of that second half of his DNA. He hunts down and kills vampires across the world.

Yes, vampires exist in the Marvel universe.

He uses a wide array of weapons including guns, anti-vampire gear, knives, and explosives. However, he is best known for fighting off vampires with a samurai sword.

The movie will not be a part of Phase 4, so don’t expect to see anything about it until 2022.

Pretty much none of us anticipated a new Blade movie, but now all anyone can think is how could we NOT want a new Blade movie. If the MCU FINALLY gives us a movie with an R rating, we will be overjoyed. (Remember R-rated “Deadpool” wasn’t a part of the official MCU until Disney acquired Fox earlier this year.)

Think about it. How can you give us a gory, vampire slasher that’s not rated R?

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Untitled Fantastic Four movie

Although it was only for a second, we did hear from Feige that Marvel Studios is working on a Fantastic Four movie.

Wait, haven’t we had, like, a million Fantastic Four movies?

We have had three Fantastic Four movies and none of them has been very good. The movie “Fantastic Four” in 2015 with Miles Teller and Michael B. Jordan is arguably one of the worst superhero movies ever made:

Hopefully, Disney and Marvel can do the Fantastic Four justice. It will all start with a great cast, so hopefully, Reed Richards, Susan Storm, Johnny Storm, and Ben Grimm will finally get their due.

*cough *cough Cast John Krasinski as Reed Richards *cough *cough.

A Fantastic Four movie might mean that Doctor Doom is coming to the MCU. If he does, then we might just the next big villain to take the reins from Thanos.

Stuff we know is coming:

Although none of these got trailers, we did hear word that we will be getting the following sequels:

Captain Marvel 2
Black Panther 2
Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 3
A bunch more Spider-Man movies

The mutants and the X-Men are coming

Don’t worry, the X-Men were mentioned by Feige at Comic-Con.

The X-Men/mutants will be in the MCU in the future. We might not know where they will fit in, but we hope to hear more about them soon!

Wrapping up

Wow, that was a LOT to cover.

From the Disney+ shows, to the array of new movies, we have so much to look forward to in the next two years. Right now, we are betting that “Thor: Love and Thunder” will be the best movie of the lot. However, we will be happy to be proven wrong!

Top 10 MCU fight scenes

Buckle up for the best battles in MCU history.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has been knocking it out of the park the past 10+ years, and with “Avengers: Endgame” returning to theaters alongside the premier of “Spider-Man: Far From Home,” Phase 3 is coming to a close. From heartfelt conversations to joke scenes to empowering, character-defining moments, at the end of the day these films are still inspired by Jack Kirby and Stan Lee and the multiverse they helped create. Considering these are blockbuster movies based on comic books, popcorn-munching fight scenes are around practically every corner.

Some of these fight scenes are for the visual spectacle, others are big turning points for characters, and others are climactic showdowns that took several movies to build up to. Fight scenes are a big part of the MCU, but which ones were the most memorable? We took a walk down memory lane and composed a list of what we think are the top 10 combat scenes in the MCU:

10. Dr. Strange versus Dormammu

In one corner we have Dormammu, an otherworldy entity who can enslave and destroy entire dimensions. In the other corner: Stephen Strange, a relatively inexperienced (but very determined) Sorcerer Supreme who’s barely gotten used to the title. You can’t get a much better underdog story than that.

What puts this finale of “Doctor Strange” on our list is that it’s not even really a fight scene; it’s a battle of wills, and Dr. Strange emerges victorious. By creating a time loop with the Time Stone, he’s essentially able to annoy Dormammu into letting Earth go free. “Pain is an old friend,” he says to the titanic otherworldly being, and in that moment we know it’s not the Sorcerer Supreme who beat be baddie – it was the surgeon with broken hands.

Doctor Strange

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9. Hulk versus Thanos

When the Hulk gets involved it’s game over for whoever he’s up against. Just look what happened to poor Loki in “Avengers.” That’s why jaws dropped when Thanos was able to knock the big green guy to the floor in under a minute. It’s the first time we’ve seen the Hulk lose a fight, and it happens right out of the gate, in the first few minutes of “Avengers: Infinity War.”

What makes this loss hit even harder is “Infinity War” takes place literal minutes after “Thor: Ragnarok,” a movie where Hulk is the grand champion of Sakaar, beats up Thor, and goes toe-to-toe with both Surtur and Hela. To have Thanos take out the Avengers’ biggest gun right from the start is a gut-punching shock, and it makes our list for being one of the most powerful narrative fight scenes in the series.

Avengers: Infinity War

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8. Iron Man versus Thor

“Avengers” was one of the best (and historically important) films in the MCU, and it’s because we finally get to see our heroes come together to become the team Nick Fury hinted at as early as “Iron Man.” The team is hardly ready to work together at first encounter, however, and the first time it comes to blows is when its two most hotheaded members meet up in a forest after Thor swoops down to capture Loki.

It’s the classic instance of magic versus technology, and we learn that Thor’s lightning actually helps power Tony’s suit – a trick that would come in handy later on. When Captain America comes down to stop the fight, Thor swings down on his shield, proving that the metal of the three matches their mettle, and all are capable combatants in their own right. An unspoken respect is shared between the three from that point moving forward, but it’s this initial clash that paved the way.

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The Avengers

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7. Winter Soldier versus everybody

Zemo has taken control of Bucky’s mind, and the poor guy’s going full rampage – or at least as full rampage as you can get with minimal access to weapons. The titular civil war hasn’t happened yet, but this scene is fuel for the fire that “Captain America: Civil War” is all about.

This scene is a rare instance in which none of our heroes are geared up for a fight; Black Widow even tells Tony “I hope you brought a suit,” and Tony quips back that “it’s a nice three-piece.” The battle breaks out without warning, and that means we get to see them armed with little but their training and wits (and superhuman enhancements for a few of them). Everyone tries to take a crack at the Winter Soldier, and he keeps them at bay, culminating in Cap bringing down a helicopter with his bulging biceps. What’s not to love?

Captain America: Civil War

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6. Nebula versus Gamora

Nebula and Gamora have been at each other’s throats since childhood. We saw them going at it in “Guardians of the Galaxy,” but it’s nothing like this fight in “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.” Gamora is sitting contemplatively in a field when Nebula streaks out of the sky in a ship, murder in her eyes. It turns into a knock-down, drag-’em-out fight in an eerie cavern beneath the ground, and there’s no holds barred from either of them. Nebula finally gets the upper hand … and can’t bring herself to kill Gamora.

Then she says the line that changes their relationship from that point forward: “You were the one who wanted to win, and I just wanted a sister!” It’s a pivotal moment in their relationship, and starts her on her journey into the Nebula we see in “Avengers: Endgame.”

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5. Killmonger versus T’Challa

By the second waterfall fight in “Black Panther” the audience already knows the ritualistic significance of the combat. T’Challa’s earlier battle here with M’Baku serves as a comparison to what is perhaps his darkest moment: T’Challa cannot beat Killmonger in this fight, and as a result, his mentor Zuri is killed in front of him.

Zuri’s death breaks T’Challa’s discipline, and for the first time we see a crack in his usual calm, cool demeanor. Killmonger puts that crack under the spotlight. “Is this your king?” he taunts. T’Challa’s spirit is broken, and his body follows shortly after. This fight makes our top 5 because (aside from the awesome choreography and backdrop) this is the real turning point in “Black Panther,” and really sets up the later conflict between Killmonger and T’Challa.

Black Panther

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4. The Airport Battle

If there was a single MCU fight that was all about the spectacle, it was this one from “Captain America: Civil War.” The fight at the airport was made for the fans, and it’s chock full of quips (including the first time we see the new Spider-Man fight!) and consists of a bunch of our favorite characters duking it out with each other because of … the Sokovia Accords? Or maybe it’s got something to do with the Winter Soldier? Eh, who cares, this is epic.

On one side you’ve got Cap, Falcon, Ant-Man, Hawkeye, Scarlet Witch, and Bucky.

On the other side is Iron Man, Black Panther, Black Widow, Spider-Man, War Machine, and Vision.

The fight gets progressively more ridiculous as it goes, reaching its zenith when Ant-Man gets huge and starts wreaking havoc. It’s all fun and games until Vision misfires and forever cripples Rhodey with a misfired blast from the Mind Stone. It’s this moment that juxtaposes the silly fun, and puts the civil war into perspective, properly raising the stakes.

3. Winter Soldier versus Captain America

“Captain America: Winter Soldier” was a game changer in many ways: Cap’s trying to make ends meet in modern day, HYDRA has infiltrated SHIELD, Nick Fury is compromised, and suddenly no one knows who to trust. To make matters worse, the mysterious Winter Soldier is somehow mixed up in all this, and Steve and Natasha end up facing off with him in the streets.

In what’s arguably the best-choreographed fight of the entire MCU, the Winter Soldier puts two Avengers on the ropes, even daring to fight in CQC with Captain America, a step into the ring that few can handle. The scene ends with the Winter Soldier unmasked. Steve manages to croak out his friend’s name, to which he responds, “Who the hell is Bucky?” There are powerful forces at work here, Cap. Powerful forces indeed. Between the excellent combat, fluid camera direction, and the huge significance this has on the plot, this one makes our top three.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier

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2. Everybody versus Thanos

“Infinity War” started with Thanos killing a ship full of Asgardians, curb-stomping the Hulk, killing Loki (which we’re still not okay with), and overpowering Thor. It’s not until Iron Man, Spider-Man, Dr. Strange, and the Guardians of the Galaxy reach Thanos’ homeworld of Titan that they also get to try their hand against the big purple guy. Thanos at this point has four Infinity Stones, and the fight sequence is a series of coordinated attacks trying to wrest the Gauntlet away from him.

Besides just being visually spectacular, this scene cleverly uses all the Avengers’ talents in tandem, and we get to see just how powerful Thanos really is; in the end, even that isn’t enough. Strange sacrifices the Time Stone to save Tony’s life … because it’s the only way they’ll make it to the endgame.

1. Avengers Assemble

Ever since “Infinity War,” our heroes have been dying for some payback with the Mad Titan. At the climax of the “Endgame,” Thor, Iron Man, and Captain America step outside to see Thanos (currently without the Gauntlet or any Infinity Stones) awaiting their approach. It’s been a long five years for the Avengers, and now’s their chance for redemption.

Thanos is still a formidable foe, even without the Infinity Stones, and even their combined strength still isn’t enough. The Avengers give it their all: Iron Man gets his second crack at the big guy, Thor works right alongside him and dual-wields hammers, and Captain America steals the show by lifting Mjolnir in what is probably the best moment in the film.

We could stop right there, but it only gets better from that point. In a moment of unmatched heroism, Captain America stands alone against the alien hordes of Thanos … or so it seems. Portals open up, and our favorite heroes get to come join the fight: Black Panther, Okoye, and Shuri; Falcon, Dr. Strange, and Wong; Spider-Man, Valkyrie, Wasp, Pepper, and the Guardians of the Galaxy; and eventually Captain Marvel as the ace up the sleeve. It’s the lineup everyone was waiting for, and the battle to end all battles.

Which Avengers: Endgame hero are you?

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Agree with our list? Let us know your favorite MCU fight scene, and we’ll see you in theaters July 2 for “Spider-Man: Far from Home.”

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Marvel’s Avengers game paints a world without Captain America

Marvel’s Avengers brings Earth’s mightiest heroes together to face a new threat!

If you were looking for a reason to buy a PlayStation 4, this might be it!

Square Enix has released the first trailer for Marvel’s Avengers where you save the day as Earth’s mightiest heroes.

The game is set to come out on May 15, 2020 for both the PS4 and Xbox One. However, you can play the beta version now on PS4. The game will also be available for Google Stadia, which is set to come out in November of this year.

Google Stadia game service launches this year – here’s what you need to know

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Did… Did Cap just die?

Come on Marvel, we are still getting over Iron Man‘s death in the MCU.

The game starts during a celebration of the Avengers. While unveiling a new high-tech headquarters, an explosion causes the Avengers to take action. While fighting off bad guys and tanks, Captain America jumps aboard a helicarrier to dispatch baddies. However, a massive explosion not only causes massive civilian casualties but the death of Cap himself.

After his death, the remaining Avengers are blamed for the tragedy. As a result, the Avengers disband. However, five years go by and the remaining Avengers spring back into action to face a new threat.

Is Cap going to stay dead? Well, we don’t think so. Cap has died in the comics before and has come back. Also, it appears as though you do play as Cap at the beginning of the game, so we don’t think the game developers would create unique fighting mechanics for Cap, just to not have him in the game later.

Which Avengers: Endgame hero are you?

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Sorry Hawkeye, maybe later

In the game, you appear to play as Iron Man, Hulk, Thor, Black Widow, and Captain America. There are no signs of other Avengers like Hawkeye, Doctor Strange, or Spider-Man.

However, this does provide an opportunity for lots of DLC.

With the huge cast of Marvel characters, we would love to see all of these characters join the fray to help save the world.

What’s gameplay and what’s a cut-scene?

The trailer does not specify what is actual gameplay and what is a cutscene. Scenes of the Avengers talking together or doing very cinematic scenes are probably cutscenes, but most of the combat looks like genuine gameplay. However, we will have to wait for the next trailer to know for sure.

A stellar voice cast

In order to make a great Avengers game, you need a great cast of actors and actresses. Luckily, Square Enix has given us an absolutely stunning array of voice actors.

In a tweet, the voice cast was revealed:

Iron Man: Nolan North
Bruce Banner: Troy Baker
Black Widow: Laura Bailey
Thor: Travis Willingham
Captain America: Jeff Schine

We are thrilled to announce the cast of Marvel’s Avengers! @PlayAvengers @nolan_north: Iron Man@TroyBakerVA: Bruce Banner@LauraBaileyVO: Black Widow@JeffSchine: Captain America@WillingBlam: Thor#PlayAvengers #EmbraceYourPowers

— Marvel Games (@MarvelGames) June 11, 2019

You probably know Nolan North best for voicing Nathan Drake in the Uncharted series. Troy Baker has quite the resume himself including the voice of Joel from The Last of Us and Booker Dewitt from Bioshock Infinite. Laura Bailey has provided the voice for Black Widow in several animated Avengers shows. She also voiced Mary Jane Watson in Insomniac’s Spider-Man game. Travis Willingham has been providing the voice for Thor in animated series for years. Jeff Schine has provided voices for Kingdom Hearts III, Red Dead Redemption 2, and Just Cause 4.

Avengers assemble!

If this is half the game Marvel’s Spider-Man was, then we are in for a treat. We are already excited for Ultimate Alliance 3, but this might just be even better!

10 best superhero casting choices

From classic Superman films to the groundbreaking MCU, these performances paved the way for the franchise!

The choice of who you cast in your superhero flick can have huge consequences, both positive and negative.

When Disney cast Brie Larson for “Captain Marvel,” fans who disliked the actress review-bombed the movie on Rotten Tomatoes until it had an artificially low percentage. This was a factor that led to Rotten Tomatoes changing its review system entirely.

Clearly, casting decisions can have a huge impact. That said, which choices were the best? Which actors transcended the screen, and truly became their characters?

Let’s find out!

10 best movie superhero casting choices

10. Ian McKellen as Magneto

As far as comic book villains go, you’d be hard pressed to find a better-written villain than Magneto.

The Nazis put him in a concentration camp after killing his family for being Jewish. After this, Magneto realizes that he must fight back against those who challenge his very existence. Lo and behold, Magneto is a mutant, and there are also people who want him dead because of that.

Ian McKellen captures both his tragedy and motivations perfectly. Also, when showing off his abilities, he does so with such a quiet power. You just have this feeling that he could wipe out an entire building with a flick of his wrist.

McKellen’s final scene as Magneto happens toward the end of “X-Men: Days of Future Past.” In the scene, the last hope for the mutant race is about to be extinguished. Before recent events, Magneto fought against the X-Men as he believed that a future war was coming. Professor X didn’t deny this, but he believed in pursuing peace.

It turns out, both of them were right. However, Magneto realizes that it was his fault that mutants couldn’t come together to find peace with humans.

McKellan makes the character both powerful and tragic. That’s all we could have asked for our favorite master of magnetism.

9. Michael B. Jordan as Killmonger

When it comes to the MCU, villains typically aren’t considered the strong point of the films. Sure, actors like Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Hemsworth can really carry the film as the main hero, but their villains just pale in comparison. Can you even give the names of the villains in all three Iron Man movies?

Michael B. Jordan’s performance as Killmonger in “Black Panther” was what really broke the mold for a lot of fans. He commands the screen in all of his scenes.

Black Panther

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Let’s look at the scene where he reveals to the king’s counsel that he is Wakandan, and he is challenging the throne:

He approaches the situation calmly at first by allowing himself to be taken in as a prisoner. He lets T’Challa make the first move to help dictate how the situation will unfold. However, once he is asked who he is, he reveals that he is Wakandan, by speaking it in isiXhosa, an actual language spoken in Africa.

Once everyone believes him, all the balls are in his court. T’Challa has to accept his challenge in order to abide by traditions. He also compromised T’Challa’s leadership by stating that T’Challa’s father, King T’Chaka, killed Killmonger’s father.

To be fair, one of the things that makes Jordan’s performance so poignant is the phenomenal writing. This line perfect:

Jordan commanded the screen as Killmonger so well, that we actually kinda wish he would’ve ended up on Wakanda’s throne.

10 remarkable facts about Black Panther

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8. Josh Brolin as Thanos

Wow, three villains in a row!

Josh Brolin did not have an easy task ahead of him when he agreed to play the mad Titan Thanos. He had to somehow capture all the hype leading up to a character we had been waiting to see for more than five years.

He not only nailed it, but “movie Thanos” was better than “comic book Thanos.”

Yeah, yeah, yeah. that was a pretty bold statement, but let’s take a look at the comics. There, Thanos wanted to gather the Infinity Stones so that he could woo the female embodiment of death.

Seriously, we’re not kidding.

Sure, Thanos’s motivations in “Avengers: Infinity War” are not pure, but they are stronger than what we were given in the comics.

Brolin was menacing, well-written, and well-performed. There were so many movies leading up to his arrival, and yet Brolin was able to make the wait worthwhile. And he’s a completely digital creation!

Hopefully, Marvel will showcase a great new villain in the MCU now that he’s gone. If not, fans will be at the theaters shouting, “Bring us Thanos!”

5 Marvel villains who could follow Thanos

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7. Michael Keaton as Batman

In major Hollywood Batman films, we’ve had Adam West, Christian Bale, Val Kilmer, George Clooney, Ben Affleck, and, of course, Michael Keaton don the cape and cowl. With so many different Batman (Batmans? Batmen?) to choose from, what makes Keaton come out as the best?

The answer is simple, Keaton was able to be a good Bruce Wayne AND a good Batman.

Sure, other actors who have played the bat have done well. Christian Bale was a menacing Batman, but he was a forgettable Bruce Wayne. Also, don’t even get us started on his voice:

Adam West is the OG Batman for a lot of people, but he lacked the dark and ominous feel the character is known for having.

Ben Affleck was one of the only interesting parts of “Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice” and “Justice League.” However, flat dialogue and meandering storylines gave the bat nothing to work with.

Keaton’s performances in “Batman” and “Batman Returns” were coupled with great writing from Tim Burton. Pair Keaton’s performance with other great villains like Joker and Penguin, and you have something special.

10 things you didn’t know about Batman Begins

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6. Patrick Stewart as Professor X

Patrick Stewart had a difficult task ahead of him when he chose to play Professor Charles Xavier. He had to take the character from humble beginnings as a teacher and leader of the X-Men, to a freedom fighter trying to save the mutant race, to a frail old man seeking redemption.

Despite the varying quality of the X-Men movies, Patrick Stewart was consistently one of the best parts. Each word out of his mouth is filled with hints of both his experience and his pain.

In “Logan,” Xavier is battling dementia and is in recovery after he caused the death of nearly every one of the X-Men. After discovering a child with mutant powers that needs his help, Xavier begins a journey toward redemption.

The story gives a tragic, yet fitting conclusion to Xavier’s journey. That journey would have felt far less fulfilling if not for the work of Patrick Stewart.

5. Christopher Reeve as Superman

Superman is not an easy character to play.

Most superheroes have to overcome overwhelming odds and break their limits in order to save the day, but not Superman. Superman has no limits and instead needs to figure out how to be a god living amongst men.

For this reason, it is often hard for fans to relate to the Man of Steel. However, Christopher Reeve absolutely nailed the character.

Reeve’s Superman is both strengthened and incapacitated by his human upbringing. His Kryptonian biology might make him the strongest being in the universe, but his humanity is what makes him use his powers for good.

In “Superman II,” Supes decides to give up his powers in order to pursue a life with Lois Lane. Despite the fact that others dream of having abilities like his, Supes makes the selfish decision to abandon what can keep the world safe in order to be “normal.”

True, he does end up restoring his powers so he can duke it out with General Zod (complete with him throwing a random cellophane S).

What made Reeve a great Superman was his ability to get us to identify with an unidentifiable character. Superman constantly walked the line between what is good for others and what is good for him.

Sure, none of us can move faster than a speeding bullet, or be more powerful than a locomotive. However, throwing aside what makes us unique for the chance to be normal is something we can all understand. For that, we have Reeve to thank.

4. Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man

First, let’s do introductions:

Robert Downey Jr. was a very risky pick to play Tony Stark. His battle with addiction made him far from a slam dunk choice, and failure meant that the MCU simply wouldn’t happen.

Luckily, Robert Downey Jr. blew expectations out of the water. If you’ve ever read an Avengers or Iron Man comic book, you probably have a decent grasp of what kind of person Tony Stark is. He’s both cocky and arrogant, but he does have a very blunt view of justice (for better or worse).

Basically, if Stark believes something is right, it’s very difficult to prove him wrong.

That scene took place right after Stark created Ultron. Even after creating what is essentially an AI-powered weapon of mass destruction, he still defends his motives and the need to create it.

This scene made people hate Stark. Nobody could believe that he would still defend his actions after creating such an evil force. Here’s the thing though: that’s exactly who Iron Man is.

Even when faced with the reality of his actions, Stark rejects that reality for his own. Guess what else? He was right!

The world did need more protection, and it did need a suit of armor. Thanos made sure of that. Although the Avengers did defeat Thanos, Stark was right in assuming the team would not be enough.

You can poke holes in MCU movies and in the Iron Man movies until the cows come home. However, at the end of the day, RDJ was right, he IS Iron Man.

3. Heath Ledger as Joker

Nope, Heath Ledger didn’t get our #1 spot.

Sure Jack Nicholson gave us a pretty unbelievable Joker. However, Heath Ledger blew Nicholson out of the water with just one chilling scene from “The Dark Knight“:

Despite what many people think, Joker is actually a very versatile character. Sure, at his core he’s a criminal who dresses up as a clown, but he can be portrayed in many different ways.

Nicholson’s approach was to make Joker act more like a gangster. Cesar Romero made Joker focus more on the clown antics and gags. Jared Leto… did whatever this was:

However, nobody even came close to match Ledger’s madness and sense of anarchy. Throughout the movie, Ledger is two steps ahead of the mob, the police, Batman, and even the audience. There is simply no reasoning behind his actions other than the fact he wants to cause chaos.

He blows up a hospital and almost gets himself killed just for a chance to make Harvey Dent turn on Gotham.

Look, we can talk about Ledger’s Oscar-winning performance all day, and show you clips from the movie, and it still might not convince you. For a last-ditch effort, we’ll try a magic trick:

10 fascinating facts about The Dark Knight

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2. Hugh Jackman as Wolverine

Hugh Jackman played Wolverine in nine different X-Men movies. However, he only needed to be in one to cement himself as Wolverine for all eternity.

From the start, Jackman gave us exactly what we wanted Wolverine to be. He was tough but only had the best intentions. He was strong but also weakened by his unstable mentality. He was tragic but always triumphant.

He was Logan.

Sure, Jackman was able to be an incredible action star when portraying Wolverine, but he was also able to bring some real drama to the character.

Down the road, we are probably going to get a new incarnation for most of the characters we have already named. Heck, we already know about the next Batman.

Robert Pattinson is the next Batman… we’re being serious

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However, there is nobody else who can become Wolverine like Hugh Jackman.

At this point, you are probably wondering, “Who could possibly have the #1 spot?”

Sure, we named off some incredible talent up until now. However, the next entry was someone so good that not only does he represent one of the best parts of the movie(s), but his character has never been recast since.

1. J.K. Simmons as J. Jonah Jameson

Since Tobey Maguire first put on the Spidey suit in 2002, we have had three different live-action Spider-Man, two different Gwen Stacy, three different MJ‘s, two different Harry and Norman Osborns, three different Aunt May, and two different Uncle Ben.

However, we have only had one man and one man only play J. Jonah Jameson, and for good reason.

J.K. Simmons feels like he was ripped right from the pages of the comic books. He’s hammy, he’s over-the-top, but he’s a true comic book character.

Walk over to a comic book store, and find the shelf with all the Spider-Man comics. Throw a rock at the shelf, and read whatever issue it hit. No matter what, you will see that J.K. Simmons’s portrayal was 100% spot on to the comics.

He commands the screen in every scene he’s in. He’s a miserable jerk, but you can’t help but smile every time he opens his mouth. They could have taken out an entire action sequence from one of the movies and replaced it with more J. Jonah Jameson and nobody would have complained.

You can disagree with us all you want. However, before you go throwing this list out the window, answer this one question, “Who else could have played him better?”

Honorable mention

Yes, it hurt us not to include Ron Perlman’s performance as Hellboy.

Perlman captured the character perfectly, giving us the perfect comic book adaptation. Unfortunately, there were just 10 choices that were better.

We still love you, Ron.

Wrapping up

Whether or not you agree with our list entirely, you can’t help but admit that these were all some stellar performances.

At the end of the day, there have been so many other great performances in superhero movies. Emma Stone was the first actress who truly was able to give Gwen Stacy the justice she deserved. Gene Hackman was the only good movie villain Superman has ever had. Chris Hemsworth gave the god of thunder the charisma and character he desperately needed.

We’re in an age where comic book movies are being taken seriously, and aren’t just popcorn thrillers for the summer. These performances are what got them to this level.

Let us know in the comments below who you think should have made the list!

Why the Marvel Cinematic Universe works (and others don’t)

Why did the Avengers succeed while the Justice League flopped? Find out now!

The enormous success of the Marvel Cinematic Universe cannot be overstated. In just a few weeks, “Avengers: Endgame” has passed “Titanic” as the second highest grossing movie of all time, and is rapidly approaching “Avatar’s” number 1 spot. In fact, MCU movies make up half the spots of the top 10 highest box office grosses ever.

This brings us to the billion dollar question, “How did Marvel overtake mega-franchises like Harry Potter and Star Wars with characters that were once barely a blip in pop culture? Also, why have all the other cinematic universes failed to match its success?

Why the Marvel’s Cinematic Universe works (and others don’t)

Building a universe (in a cave with a box of scraps)

In the 1990s, Marvel, like most comic book companies, was facing financial ruin. After filing for bankruptcy, Marvel attempted to save itself by selling off the film rights to its most popular characters.

Movie studios jumped at the chance to gain the rights to cultural powerhouses like Spider-Man and the X-Men (whose film rights were sold to Sony and Fox, respectively). Other Marvel characters, while beloved for decades by dedicated comic audiences, failed to break into the mainstream pop culture sphere. Characters like Thor and Iron Man are objectively cool, but they didn’t have the same draw as characters like Spidey or Wolverine.

After the breakout successes of Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man franchise and Fox’s X-Men series, Marvel decided to take out a loan of $500 million to create Marvel Studios. The idea behind Marvel Studios was that Marvel could use some of the lesser-known characters from its comic history to create a shared cinematic universe.

If the venture failed, the studio could simply liquidate itself and sell the film rights to its remaining characters to interested studios. Still owning the rights to the majority of the Avengers characters (most notably Captain America and Hulk), Marvel Studios attempted a bold strategy. They decided to make individual films of various characters before smashing them together in a massive blockbuster.

Which Avengers: Endgame hero are you?

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It was a bold and untried strategy at the time. Sure, studios had dabbled in crossing over their characters to modest success, (such as “Alien vs. Predator” or “Freddy vs. Jason”) but no studio had ever attempted to create a massive crossover universe out of an established property on this scale.

The only thing that was even close was the Universal Classic Monsters. From the ’20s through 1960, Universal created films with several monsters like Frankenstein’s Monster, Dracula, and the Wolf Man. From time to time, characters and their respective actors would cross over into other films. It was arguably a framework for the MCU, but it was a loose framework.

Marvel was the perfect property for this experiment, as the company had been crossing over its characters in the comics for decades.

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Marvel Studios began with “Iron Man,” who was supposedly chosen to receive his own film due to his massive toy potential. The movie’s large budget, B-list main character, and at-the-time leperous main star Robert Downey Jr raised eyebrows among industry experts, who predicted a flop. In fact, Kevin Feige said Downey’s casting was the toughest fight he had with Disney. The 2008 movie was, as we all know, a massive success. It ended up singlehandedly recouping Marvel’s $500 million loan, convincing Marvel to move on with their experiment. The film made about $585 million, according to IMDb.

Iron Man

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Iron Man’s approach to a cinematic universe was subtle. The film stood on its own, peppered with references to a larger universe (S.H.I.E.L.D, Nick Fury, the Avengers Initiative, etc) for hardcore Marvel fans to salivate over. The continued success of character films like “Captain America: The First Avenger” and “Thor” maintained Marvel’s momentum until the release of the groundbreaking first Avengers film in 2012.

In building up to “The Avengers,” Marvel focused on telling self-contained stories with compelling characters first, and on connecting these characters in a shared universe second. By making these formerly unknown characters worthy in the eyes of the public, they drummed up interest for their eventual crossover. It’s this sense of patience that allowed for Marvel to craft its cinematic universe into something that was worth keeping up with. Their system of “phases” made sure that every crossover paid off in a big way.

By building up audience confidence in their brand, Marvel was able to successfully dive deeper into their character library. Eventually, they pulled out then-unknown characters like Black Panther, Ant-Man, Doctor Strange, and the Guardians of the Galaxy. While the rival DCEU hoped that the enduring legacies of Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman would lead to massive box office success, Marvel built character legacies from the ground up.

Every MCU movie ranked from worst to best

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With more than 20 movies in its universe, it can be hard to avoid audience fatigue. However, Marvel successfully navigated this by switching up genres and directors within its films. The films can range from spy-thriller (“Captain America: Winter Soldier”), heist-comedy (“Ant-Man”), cosmic misfit comedy (“Guardians of the Galaxy”), to Afrofuturist epic (“Black Panther”). Marvel’s signature style of loose dialogue and lighthearted, self-aware tone allowed them to create a consistent brand amongst its wide variety of characters without becoming repetitive.

Marvel Studios president and MCU brainchild Kevin Feige has stated that each movie is made for its own individual story first.

New MCU secrets shared by Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige

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While the grand crossover outlines are there, directors and writers are given plenty of freedom to craft their own stories. This, along with Marvel’s patience in getting audiences invested in its characters, is the main reason the MCU has seen the success that it has. It builds naturally to crossover events instead of shoving a crossover movie in your face that tells you, not shows you, that these characters are important.

Why are other cinematic universes struggling?

The runaway success of 2012’s “The Avengers” caught the attention of studio heads from across the world. The potential profits of a cinematic universe were massive, and every studio with recognizable characters immediately scrambled to follow Marvel’s lead. The most notable of these was, of course, DC.

With the release of 2013’s “Man of Steel,” DC had seemingly followed the formula set by “Iron Man:” create a standalone story with only cursory references to a larger universe. Unfortunately for DC, “Man of Steel” received only lukewarm reviews, with critics and audiences lamenting its dreary tone and color palette.

Sensing danger, DC decided to immediately move forward with its cinematic universe, or rather DC Extended Universe. DC continued with director Zack Snyder, whose bleak and pseudo-deep subversions of superhero narratives were clearly not resonating with audiences. The next film was “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice,” a film that was somehow overlong, stuffy, and unearned.

The movie immediately thrust new versions of Batman and Wonder Woman onto the big screen, failing to slowly build up the hype of a major crossover event.

By the time “Justice League” rolled around, DC showed that it still hadn’t learned how to properly build up a cinematic universe. It introduced more characters to the big screen without buildup (Aquaman, Flash, and Cyborg,) rapidly attempting to play catch-up with Marvel to no avail. It would have been ludicrous to think only 10 years ago that a movie starring a talking raccoon and a tree would become a cultural phenomenon while the Justice League’s long-awaited big-screen debut would get a lukewarm reception.

By not trusting audiences and slowly building up their characters, DC made their crossover movies feel like any old superhero movie instead of a massive crossover event. This, combined with DC announcing dozens of movies that have barely made it past development hell, shattered audience faith in DC to make a coherent cinematic universe.

What’s different about Shazam!?

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DC has started to regain goodwill with their solo movies like “Wonder Woman,” “Aquaman,” and “Shazam!” They are clearly moving away from lofty, pseudo-intelligent Snyder epics and more towards contained, tightly made stories. This has granted them significantly more critical and financial success, so it’s likely DC will focus on solo films for the near future.

Robert Pattinson is the next Batman… we’re being serious

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Other cinematic universes have come and gone in the MCU’s lifetime. The X-Men franchise served as a sort of predecessor to the MCU, but its wildly inconsistent quality and haphazard continuity prevented it from fully achieving its potential.

Universal recently attempted combining their classic horror monsters into a modern cinematic universe known as the Dark Universe. Spearheaded with “The Mummy,” an action-packed Tom Cruise vehicle, the Dark Universe failed to take off before it really even started. Instead of creating a self-contained story that took place in a bigger world, “The Mummy” aggressively beat audiences over the head with setup for sequels and crossovers.

I mean come on, people; remember when they released a trailer for the movie without music?

This unsubtle, inauthentic buildup pushed audiences away, and the myriad of announced Dark Universe films are currently nowhere to be seen.

A particularly bold move is crossing over a bunch of properties that have nothing to do with each other (besides them all being owned by the same company). Hasbro is attempting to do this with its various properties such as GI Joe and Rom the Spaceknight. Hanna-Barbera is currently working on something similar with Scooby-Doo, Captain Caveman, and Wacky Races. It’s hard not to be cynical about mashups like these, as they seem to be brainchildren of studio executives throwing every remotely popular property they have into a blender. They are unfortunately completely skipping over the carefully laid groundwork of the MCU.

Wrapping up

All in all, the safest way to create a cinematic universe is simply to copy the foundation of the MCU. Create a bunch of compelling individual characters and then cross them over once audiences actually care. Do not simply throw a bunch of recognizable characters together, hoping it’ll have the same impact.

Planning must be careful and slow, and the studio must balance out their grand plans with the desires of individual filmmakers to craft independently satisfying films. If you can strike this balance successfully, you end up with the MCU. If you fail, you’ll simply land on top of the pile of other cinematic universe attempts.

5 Marvel stories the MCU should use after ‘Avengers: Endgame’

With Endgame in our rearview mirror, it’s time to look ahead at other possible Marvel projects to come.

SPOILERS BELOW!

Now that we got that out of the way…

The aftermath of “Avengers: Endgame” left many fans in tears, both of joy and of sadness. The film presented a satisfying and climactic end to a 22-movie saga that changed the landscape of blockbuster films forever. We don’t know where the MCU is going to go after Endgame, but we do have some theories:

Where does the MCU go after Endgame?

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For many fans, it’s difficult to imagine Marvel ever surpassing Endgame. While this may end up being true, there have been dozens of huge crossover events throughout Marvel’s decades of comic books. One major advantage the MCU has moving forward is Disney’s purchase of FOX. This gives the MCU access to lucrative Marvel characters like the X-Men, the Fantastic Four, and Deadpool. Here are five massive Marvel stories that could end up becoming major successes in the MCU:

5 Marvel stories the MCU should use after “Avengers: Endgame”

5. Secret Invasion

In the comics, the shapeshifting alien Skrulls have been a pain in the side of many superhero teams. This includes the Fantastic Four and the Avengers. The storyline “Secret Invasion” has several key figures in the Marvel Universe being kidnapped and secretly replaced with Skrulls. It leads up to a full-on invasion of Earth.

Earth’s heroes quickly find themselves unable to trust one another, worried that they may be talking to a Skrull. The Skrulls even took the form of several beloved dead Marvel heroes to sew confusion and emotional vulnerability among the Avengers. This is something that could be exploited in a movie adaptation to bring back some fan-favorite characters temporarily.

The invasion force has them combining the powers of several heroes into single beings called Super Skrulls. In this story, the Skrulls use their psychological and scientific prowess to bring the Avengers to their knees.

The Skrulls finally made their MCU appearance in “Captain Marvel,” being portrayed as sympathetic refugees hoping to escape the imperialistic, warlike Kree. While their portrayal in “Captain Marvel” worked in the movie and was a welcome surprise, there are several ways the MCU can turn the Skrulls into a vicious invasion force.

Since “Captain Marvel” took place in the ’90s, they could show a rebuilt Skrull Empire that has since shunned their peaceful ways. Alternatively, they could show a powerful Skrull terrorist force that goes rogue from the Skrulls we already saw. Either way, “Secret Invasion” would be a massive, body-snatching cinematic experience.

4. Annihilation

“Annihilation” was a comic storyline that had many of Marvel’s cosmic heroes like the Silver Surfer, (what would become) the Guardians of the Galaxy, and Nova defending the universe against the unstoppable Annihilation Wave. The Annihilation Wave was a force of millions of insect-like ships led by Annihlus. It was so powerful it managed to subdue both Thanos and Galactus. The storyline is often cited as one of Marvel’s best events ever.

Films like “Guardians of the Galaxy,” “Thor: Ragnarok,” and “Captain Marvel” have expanded on the MCU’s cosmic side for years. They show a delightfully weird and colorful cast of characters and locations. After introducing some of FOX’s Marvel characters like the Silver Surfer, an MCU adaptation of “Annihilation” would be the grand climax the MCU cosmos deserves.

3. Avengers vs X-Men

In many ways, FOX’s X-Men movie franchise can be seen as a precursor to the MCU. While it had its ups and downs, you can’t say that it wasn’t ambitious. Now that Disney owns FOX, the beloved cast of mutants can finally join the MCU. And what better way to introduce them to the Avengers than to have them fight?

The “Avengers vs X-Men” comic event is confusing, overstuffed, and underwhelming. However, this doesn’t mean that the basic concept wouldn’t translate well to the MCU. Pairing up Marvel’s most famous mutants like Wolverine, Storm, Cyclops, and Gambit against the Avengers would be many comic fans’ dream come true.

Since Marvel has had continued success in bringing together huge casts of characters, they should have no problem with this. It’s unfortunate we wouldn’t see iconic Avengers like Iron Man or Captain America suit up to fight the mutants. However, it would nonetheless be a treat for audiences to have two of Marvel’s greatest teams duke it out.

2. House of M

The Scarlet Witch of the comics is a very different beast than the one in the MCU. After experiences devastating losses, she uses her reality-warping powers to change the world. She creates one where everyone she cares about gets their heart’s desire.

In this new world, mutants dominate the world and humans are second class citizens. She rules alongside her adoptive father Magneto and her brother Quicksilver. They try to put an end to the constant human uprisings led by revolutionaries like Luke Cage. Some characters don’t want this world to end. Spider-Man, for example, is a beloved hero in this world who is happily married to the now alive Gwen Stacy.

In the MCU, Wanda has faced incredible loss after the events of “Avengers: Age of Ultron,” “Captian America: Civil War,” and “Avengers: Infinity War.” After Thanos brutally resurrects and then murders Vision after she was forced to kill him, Wanda was quickly snapped away by the mad titan.

When she comes back in the climactic battle of “Avengers: Endgame,” she shows a brand new ferocity in her fight against Thanos. She is nearly able to kill him singlehandedly by ripping him apart. This newly revived Wanda is clearly a broken person, which could easily lead her to do some questionable things. This may include rewriting reality. Scarlett Witch is set to appear in a new show for Disney+ called “WandaVision.” If the show follows “House of M,” we will not be disappointed.

1. Secret Wars

Note: This will be about Jonathan Hickman’s 2015 Secret Wars event and not the 1984 original miniseries.

The 2015 crossover event “Secret Wars” changed Marvel Comics forever. It brought an end and new beginning to the shared comic universe that had been running since the early 1960s. As the culmination of Jonathan Hickman‘s amazing Fantastic Four and Avengers runs, “Secret Wars” is arguably the greatest event Marvel has ever produced.

The series has Doctor Doom stealing the power of the omnipotent Beyonders, allowing him to bend reality to his will. Doom uses his new power to create Battleworld, a patchwork of various Marvel universes and timelines, all under his control. Different heroes and villains from across the Marvel Multiverse must band together and fight a hopeless battle against a god.

The Secret Wars storyline brought a rare sense of finality to comic books. While the Marvel Universe continued after “Secret Wars,” it would be one hell of a way to close out the MCU for good.

In conclusion

It’s still hard to believe that the Thanos saga has been concluded. We are happy with the conclusion, we just also want more. What stories would you like to see the MCU adapt moving forward? Let us know in the comments below!