(Spoiler Warning!)
Welcome back to A Marvelous Newsletter, comic folks! I had a Comic Reading for the Week lined up but decided to discuss the MCU instead. Just a heads up, in the following newsletter, we’ll discuss Moon Knight issue 19, possibly 20, Thor issue 29, maybe 30, Fantastic Four issue 347, and Green Lantern Emerald issue 1, but for now, let’s talk about Phase 4 projects and my feelings about the upcoming Phase 5 and 6 slate!
Okay so first I’ll shortly talk about movies in release order since I already discussed the Disney+ shows in previous newsletters.
PHASE FOUR FILMS
Black Widow - A long overdue film about the first female Avenger. Did it meet my expectations? Yeah, sure. I wanted similar vibes to Captain America: The Winter Soldier, and I felt like I got that. It was nice getting more backstory about Natasha. It wasn’t as memorable as some would probably want it to be. One of the biggest letdowns was Taskmaster when I first watched the movie, but I came around to the idea since then. The character fit the story, and it was a nice arc for Taskmaster. Hopefully, the Taskmaster project continues with different people. The only new character who stood out by a long shot was Yelena, played by Florence Pugh. She embodied the character very quickly. My favorite scene from the film was the dinner scene because of Florence’s acting. Overall, a 3/5.
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings - One of my favorite films out of Phase Four. I was entertained through the whole runtime. A great antagonist, protagonist, and story. The fights were staggering, as well. All of that makes a great film that I like to rewatch. Tony Leung as Wenwu, also known as the Mandarin, was a brilliant casting choice. His motivation of being in love and willing to do anything to have his true love back was a great choice. I appreciated Shang-Chi's change from the comics to fit the modern world because the mags were a bit stereotypical. I was a fan from reading some of his stories, and the MCU made me love the character more. One of my favorite scenes from the film has to be Wenwu and Ying Li’s first encounter. The fight was beautifully done. I was stunned. The final fight might be something others disliked, but I enjoyed it a lot. Two dragons fighting? That’s raw. Overall, 4/5
Eternals - This film falls in a mixed bag among fans. You either dislike it or like it. As for me, I like it. Visually, it was stunning. I liked every Eternal for their purpose in the movie. The Celestials were awesome to see on the big screen. The scale of them was gorgeous. I felt Jack Kirby would’ve been happy. I thought the story was decent. Once you live in a place for the longest time that isn’t home, it becomes your home. You protect it no matter what. Since there are multiple characters to juggle around, it can be difficult for every person to shine. That means you can’t connect to each Eternal. I think that is where it suffered the most. Chloé Zhao is an amazing director. I believe she did her best with the film. One of my favorite scenes from the movie had to be when the Arishem, the Prime Celestial, showed Sersi the truth about their purpose. Thinking about this film makes me want to rewatch it. Overall, 3.5/5
Spider-Man: No Way Home - I’ve already discussed No Way Home here, so I won’t say much more about it than I already have. The film had me in tears by the end. It was a true love letter to the character of Spider-Man. Tom Holland shined with so many actors being involved. He is truly the friendly neighborhood hero. MJ and Ned were so great. I was beyond filled with joy watching three Spider-Men meet together for the first time in cinema history. My childhood, teen year, and young adulthood was all in one film. The villains were nice to have back, but Goblin was on another level. The damage he had done to Peter in a short amount of time was needed for the hero’s journey. It was glorious to watch. A sad ending, but lovely to see Peter become the man he is meant to be. I can’t pick one favorite scene because there were so many I loved. I can’t wait to see more of Tom’s Spider-Man. Overall, 5/5
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness - Here is another film that is divided in the Marvel community. On my first watch, I was conflicted. I wasn’t so sure how I felt about it. I mean, Doctor Strange and the Scarlet Witch in the hands of Sam Raimi was a perfect combo, but something felt off. I wasn’t one of those people that had high expectations because of the Multiverse. If this movie taught the fans anything, it was never trusting rumors. Maybe it was that it didn’t feel like a Doctor Strange movie. I’m not mad that Wanda was heavily involved because she is a great character. I wanted Doctor Strange to be like his comic counterpart, in terms of power level. He is one of the strongest characters in Marvel Comics and MCU, but he felt low in this. Meeting some of his variants was pretty cool. America Chavez was nice. I wasn’t so attached to her, though. The Scarlet Witch was astounding. A force to be reckoned with. I honestly wish there was a Doctor Strange v.s. Scarlet Witch battle. There was so much you could’ve done with that. The Illuminati scene surprised me. I was going bonkers. One of my favorite scenes from the film was Strange v. Sinister Strange. A musical fight was so damn creative. Overall, 3.5/5
Thor: Love and Thunder - Yeah, this wasn’t it. After the success of Ragnorak, this is what they came up with. I was madly excited to see more of Thor, the introduction of Mighty Thor, and Gorr the God Butcher. But it was more of a subpar comedy fest. I am a sucker for rom-coms, so that’s why I rate it as high as I do, even if it is below average. When adapting a great story in the comics, you have to pick the best parts, and this didn’t feel like it did. I mean, how do you have a God Butcher but never truly show his butchering? He didn’t feel like a threat most of the time. It was all words, no action. Thank goodness Bale did the best he could do with the script he was given. Thor was okay, but he acted like a childish adult when he isn’t like that at all. Mighty Thor was pretty awesome. I loved the cancer storyline. I didn’t think she was going to die, so hopefully, she comes back somehow. I loved the broken Mjolnir too! Oh, the first appearance of Eternity was great. I didn’t think it would be in that form, though. Of course, there are some scenes or shots that were appreciated. One of my favorite scenes was the black-and-white fight between Gorr, Thor, Mighty Thor, and Valkyrie. Overall, 2.5/5
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever - Another film that had me balling in tears. Ryan Coogler and co had a difficult task ahead of themselves. I applauded him, and everyone involved because you felt the care they had for the franchise after the devastating loss of Chadwick Boseman. Since there was no T’Challa, Shuri had to step, and she certainly did. Letitia was able to lead. I was sad that we weren’t going to see Namor and T’Challa interact with each other because they are a classic duo as enemies and friends. But Shuri and Namor weren’t so bad. I enjoyed their chemistry together. Namor was a remarkable antagonist. A menacing one, as well. I think the representation made me feel something more than others felt. I had no idea how delighted I was seeing a Latino as Namor. Talokan and its people were glorious. I loved the acting, characters, story, action, music, costume, and production design. Honestly, everything was so good. Shuri’s journey was very similar to Peter’s, so I loved it so much. One of my favorite scenes was the flooding of Wakanda. It had the perfect score, Namor going wild, and the death of the Queen. So amazing. The ending was perfectly done. They made it a way where they didn’t have to recast T’Challa, but pass it on to his son. The King lives on! Overall, 4/5
PHASE FOUR TV SERIES
Since I talked about these already in previous newsletters, I’ll put them in a ranking order and tell you my favorite episode.
Loki - Episode Four titled The Nexus Event. Overall, 4.5/5
WandaVision - Episode Eight titled Previously On. Overall, 4.5/5
Ms. Marvel - Episode Six titled No Normal. Overall, 4/5
Moon Knight - Episode Five titled Asylum. Overall, 4/5
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier - Episode Four titled The Whole World is Watching. Overall, 3.5/5
Hawkeye - Episode Six titled So This is Christmas? Overall, 3.5/5
She-Hulk: Attorney at Law - Episode Eight title Ribbit and Rip it. Overall, 3.5/5
What if…? - Episode titled What If... Doctor Strange Lost His Heart Instead of His Hands? Overall 3/5
Werewolf by Night - This was the first special presentation in the MCU, directed by Michael Giacchino. He surprised me. Well, I shouldn’t have been so surprised since he is a musical genius, in my eyes. I had no expectations going into this. By the end, I was so pleased. I got attached to the main characters with so little time needed. I was excited to see Man-Thing debut in the MCU; I was not let down. Can’t wait for more. The creative choices took me back to classic horror films. I loved that they had a practical suit for Werewolf. It looked so good! The kills were excellent. The score was thrilling as well. I just loved the heck out of this one. I’m hoping Werewolf by Night and Moon Knight meet each other soon. Not just because they are a pair in the comics but because I want to see my Latino people shine in more projects! Overall, 4.5/5
GOTG Holiday Special - A fun holiday time with the Guardian family as we wait for the release of Volume Three. This was filled with lots of laughs, care, and love. What more could you want during the holiday season? Overall, 4/5
PHASE FIVE FILMS
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania - The latest victim of being a divisive film in the MCU falls to Quantumania. It’s not even critics and fans. It’s fans against fans. Another you dislike it or like it. I am one that appreciated it. What can I say? It’s a fun time and enjoyable! After the previous two films, I wasn't sure what people expected from an Ant-Man film. I’m not saying it’s a flawless film because it definitely isn’t. Some of the dialogue was a head-scratcher, the editing was iffy, and unnecessary storyline. Some characters were forgettable with nice small moments, so it wasn’t too bad. This took place in the Quantum Realm. It was pretty rad exploring it. The creative environment, characters, and ideas were awesome. It was a perfect place to introduce Kang the Conqueror! I loved him. He carried the film. The costume was *chef’s kiss*! Majors’ performance excited me for his future takes on Kang variants because of the many possibilities. It’s an interesting route of being exiled from the Council of Kangs. M.O.D.O.K was a favorite. His silly ass was needed. Glad I saw Janet shine. Scott was cool, as usual. Hope was okay. Cassie was fun, but her writing was terrible for the most part. Hank was silent, then a loud MVP. The post-credit scenes were insane. The Council of Kangs meeting because the Conqueror was thrilling. I loved seeing Rama-Tut and Immortus since I’m pretty familiar with them! Then the Loki season 2 teaser with Victor Timely was cool. I’m overly excited to see Kang the Conqueror run a rampage in the Multiverse Saga. Overall, 3.5/5
GOTG Vol 3 - The last ride with the Guardians' family. James Gunn has done a nice job so far with the GOTG, so I’m excited to see where he ends this franchise. The trailers make it look like it will be a sad one. I don’t know if I am ready for that. I am expecting deaths. Honestly, my biggest attraction to this film is Adam Warlock. You all know how big of a fan I am of Warlock, right? I am thrilled to see him debut in the MCU.
The Marvels - I don’t know much about the movie, but I am looking forward to it. I mean, I like Captain Marvel, Monica, and Ms. Marvel. You put those characters in the same movie in the cosmic world. I’m pretty hyped about it.
Captain America: New World Order - I’m curious to see how what they do with this film since it isn’t the introduction of Sam as Captain America. I hope they chose not to retell the same story as the Disney+ series. Either way, it will be cool to see the new Cap on the big screen because he deserves it!
Thunderbolts - Yep, I don’t know much about the Thunderbolts from the comics, so I don’t know where to stand with the film. I’ll do my research, though! The lineup isn’t as crazy as some would have liked either. Mostly super soldiers. I don’t want it to be like the MCU’s Suicide Squad either. I did hear Sentry will be making an appearance, and if that is true, then it will be intriguing!
Blade - The old Blade films were important for Marvel in the film industry, and the first one is a classic for sure. Bringing the character back in the MCU with Mahershala Ali as the vampire killer is enough to make a man excited!
PHASE 5 TV SERIES
Secret Invasion - One of the biggest crossovers in comic book history! I’m surprised it wasn’t made for the big screen. I’m looking forward to watching Nick Fury and Maria Hill together again. Plus trying to guess who is who for real sounds fun, doesn’t it?
Loki Season 2 - Season One was extraordinary to me, so I can’t wait for Loki and co to go on a journey to find Kang. We got a tease at the end of Quantumania with Loki and Mobius finding Victor Timely, one of Kang’s disguises, so the excitement has started!
What if…? Season 2 - Wasn’t the biggest fan of the first season, but I am a big fan of the What Ifs in the comics. I’ll be tuning in for sure.
Iron heart - Her introduction in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever was nice. I’m curious to see where they take her character.
Echo - Echo was an interesting character in Hawkeye. Most people are probably waiting for more Kingpin and Daredevil. But I want to be excited about the main character. Hopefully, they do her justice!
Agatha: Coven of Chaos - I mean, I don’t know what to say. Agatha was cool in WandaVison, but I had no idea she would get a spinoff. I’ve seen the cast and having Aubrey Plaza is good enough for me. Who knows maybe it will be a great time!
Daredevil: Born Again - It’s Daredevil baby! Charlie Cox as Daredevil! It has 18 episodes as well! I don’t want to get too excited, though. The Netflix show is goated, so I don’t know if this will live up to it. I hope for a solid storyline with great production all around.
PHASE SIX FILMS
FANTASTIC FOUR - Beyond excited. We finally see Marvel’s first family in the MCU. I’m a fan of the older films, even if they aren’t too close to the comics. Not the 2015 one. I want these characters to be done right. People have said that a Fantastic Four film can’t be done right, but I disagree. You get people who are passionate about this family, and you’ll get an excellent film. They are important in Marvel Comics, and I hope they serve a big purpose in the MCU moving forward.
AVENGERS KANG DYNASTY - I’m wondering if this will be the end of Kang the Conqueror’s destiny. If Marvel does it right, they’ll have Kang pop up in almost every event in Phase Five and Six to show how dangerous he can be. He could scare every hero in this cinematic universe by doing that. By the end of this film, Kang could potentially switch sides. From here, he will be on the heroes’ side to face an even bigger threat to the Multiverse.
AVENGERS SECRET WARS - Like I said in the previous subtitle, Kang the Conqueror will be on the heroes’ side for this. A bigger threat to the Multiverse could be the Beyonder or Doctor Doom. The reason I say this is because in the 1984 series event of Secret Wars, the Beyonder was the big bad, and in 2015, it was Doom. The Beyonder is basically a God in the Marvel Universe, so it could take a good amount of heroes to put up a fight with him. Secret Wars from 2015 dealt with the Multiverse, but it focused more on the relationship between Reed and Doctor Doom. I don’t know if Doom will be the big Bad because he hasn’t been introduced properly, and it may be too late by then. This will be the biggest event in the MCU. So I am expecting so much from this. The hype is real!
And that’s it, folks, it’s been a fun ride so far! I hope to grow more excited as the Multiverse Saga continues!
Hello there! I’m happy you took the time out of your day to read my post. Remember, if you have any questions or want to have a discussion, leave a comment! The following newsletter will be a Comic Reading for the Week. Stay tuned! Happy days and take care!