Phase 3 was peak Marvel for me, though I also enjoyed a couple movies from phases 2 and 4. Phase 1 and most of 2 are absolutely terrible when it comes to female characters, just using them as plot devices or sex appeal. The newer movies/shows are not as well written as phase 3, and their attempts at feminism fall short. I enjoyed WandaVision and Loki, but I’m not sure how much of that was just me continuing to ride the post-Endgame hype.
Completely agree about the lack of female characters, and the ham-fisted attempts to make up for it. But I did like Ms. Marvel and Moon Knight more than I expected to, and my headcanon for Captain Falcon is that he’s suffering from an omega level inferiority complex. That’s why Anthony Mackie is the worst part of his own show. Overall, the shows have been more plus than minus.
It’s the movies that have really drained my interest. I haven’t even gotten around to watching Quantumania, Wakanda Forever, or GotG3. And I was a huge MCU fan.
Guardians 3 has a lot of heart and stands shoulder-to-shoulder with some of Marvel’s best. Just watch it as the end of a trilogy of Guardians movies and don’t worry about the greater plot of the MCU.
Moon Knight started strong but fizzled out for me. I think you nailed my issue with Captain Falcon lol, I liked all the surrounding plot with his family but that was about it. She Hulk actively disgusted me.
I liked Ms. Marvel at the beginning, that first episode was actually really good, but every episode felt like it had a different vibe from the previous one. I’ve never seen a show suffer so much from having different directors for different episodes. But my main issue with Ms. Marvel was the ending.
spoiler
The villain abandoned her entire life’s goal after hearing like 2 passionate sentences from Ms. Marvel. Just not good writing.
The villain then sacrificed herself, making her the 6th woman practically in a row to either sacrifice herself or be sacrificed. Gamora, Black Widow, Scarlet Witch, the Mighty Thor, one from one of the movies you haven’t seen so I won’t spoil it in case you do watch it, and this villain. The MCU sacrifices women like it’s their job, it is disproportional to how many female characters exist vs male characters. There were a handful of male character sacrifices, but only a couple of them stayed dead.
I actually did really like GotG3. It was refreshingly dark and depressing for the MCU lol, and was very heartfelt and emotional.
I thought She Hulk was fun, and very true to the comics. Yeah, the CG sucked, falling deep into the uncanny valley. But they captured the spirit of the character and the stories. I was worried they would make it just a generic Xena clone, or worse, an imitation Ally McBeal.
As for sacrifices, I’d say there are just as many men who sacrifice or are sacrificed to serve the plot. And two of the sacrifices you mention did come back, albeit as multiverse alternate versions (Gamora and Scarlet Witch). Heroic or villainous sacrifice is a superhero trope. Heroes are willing to die to achieve their goals, and villains are willing to kill to achieve their goals. That’s how you know who’s who.
Phase 3 was peak Marvel for me, though I also enjoyed a couple movies from phases 2 and 4. Phase 1 and most of 2 are absolutely terrible when it comes to female characters, just using them as plot devices or sex appeal. The newer movies/shows are not as well written as phase 3, and their attempts at feminism fall short. I enjoyed WandaVision and Loki, but I’m not sure how much of that was just me continuing to ride the post-Endgame hype.
Completely agree about the lack of female characters, and the ham-fisted attempts to make up for it. But I did like Ms. Marvel and Moon Knight more than I expected to, and my headcanon for Captain Falcon is that he’s suffering from an omega level inferiority complex. That’s why Anthony Mackie is the worst part of his own show. Overall, the shows have been more plus than minus.
It’s the movies that have really drained my interest. I haven’t even gotten around to watching Quantumania, Wakanda Forever, or GotG3. And I was a huge MCU fan.
Guardians 3 has a lot of heart and stands shoulder-to-shoulder with some of Marvel’s best. Just watch it as the end of a trilogy of Guardians movies and don’t worry about the greater plot of the MCU.
Moon Knight started strong but fizzled out for me. I think you nailed my issue with Captain Falcon lol, I liked all the surrounding plot with his family but that was about it. She Hulk actively disgusted me.
I liked Ms. Marvel at the beginning, that first episode was actually really good, but every episode felt like it had a different vibe from the previous one. I’ve never seen a show suffer so much from having different directors for different episodes. But my main issue with Ms. Marvel was the ending.
spoiler
I actually did really like GotG3. It was refreshingly dark and depressing for the MCU lol, and was very heartfelt and emotional.
I thought She Hulk was fun, and very true to the comics. Yeah, the CG sucked, falling deep into the uncanny valley. But they captured the spirit of the character and the stories. I was worried they would make it just a generic Xena clone, or worse, an imitation Ally McBeal.
As for sacrifices, I’d say there are just as many men who sacrifice or are sacrificed to serve the plot. And two of the sacrifices you mention did come back, albeit as multiverse alternate versions (Gamora and Scarlet Witch). Heroic or villainous sacrifice is a superhero trope. Heroes are willing to die to achieve their goals, and villains are willing to kill to achieve their goals. That’s how you know who’s who.
I’m looking forward to GotG3.