For my final Marvel Movie blog, I decided to rank the top five MVP on the Avenger team. There is a long list of Avengers with various abilities, but these five characters stood out the most as the MVP.

Number five is the Black Widow. She may not have powers, but her body is a weapon. She has extensive experience running operations. Her knowledge of Earth’s heroes and villains makes her invaluable. Not to mention, Natasha Romanoff continued to lead the Avengers during Thanos’ snap when many gave up. She eventually gave her life to bring back everyone on Earth. 

Black Widow

Number four is Spiderman. He has great abilities and he loves to help. But, he lacks experience, which is why he is not higher on the list. Not only is he a high school student, but he is still just a friendly neighborhood superhero. Although, he seems to be increasing his responsibilities, especially with the loss of Iron Man. I have been trying to see the newest Spiderman film, but my plans keep on falling through.

Spiderman

Number three is the Scarlet Witch. Not only is she one of the few Avengers to be born with natural abilities, but she holds one of the most powerful names in the MCU. While we still do not know what will happen after her short miniseries, it is clear she will be getting an upgrade. After all the grief she has lived through, she still remains a hero.

Scarlet Witch

Number two is the Black Panther. He is a great leader for Wakanda and would do anything to protect his people. What truly sets him apart is his compassion and empathy for others. He is not afraid to rely on support from his people. He trusts Shuri’s inventions and uses her technology to do what needs to be done.

Black Panther

Number one is Iron Man. He is wicked smart, rich, and brave. He does what needs to be done without asking permission. He is an inventor who cares about bettering Earth. He was not just recruited because of his suit, but rather his ability to think outside the box and create solutions to problems no one has faced before. Ultimately, he gave his life to protect Earth – even if it meant he would never see his daughter again.

Iron Man

I selected these five because they all have Earth’s best interest at heart. Some Avengers like Thor and Captain Marvel are barely on Earth and care more about their own people. Two of these characters even gave their life for Earth. I also looked for leadership qualities. Iron Man, the Black Panther, and the Black Widow all held leadership roles and put their team before themselves. It doesn’t matter if some of the characters are dead, they are still valuable team members.

Here are some honorable mentions. Bruce Banner is highly intelligent, but the Hulk is only capable of smashing objects. Not to mention, the Hulk sometimes hurts his own team by losing control. Vision was another contender. However, he lacks strong passion and desire to protect Earth. He is too grounded and peaceful. I also considered Captain America. Yet, he lacks a special trait to set him apart. He is a great leader and good person. But he is replaceable.

Overall, these are the top five Avengers that I would like on my fantasy team. Let me know in the comments what your top Marvel MVP’s are.

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier Poster

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier highlights the timely relation between Thano’s snap and the real global pandemic. The show additionally dives into deeper topics.

I think the Winter Soldier and the Falcon’s friendship is underrated. At first glance, this comedic duo seems to have one thing in common: they are friends with Captain America. But, one of my favorite tropes is hate-to-love friendships/relationships. Although they fight like an old married couple the whole time, they always have each other’s back.

I truly appreciate this miniseries because it is so relatable to what we are going through with Covid. The series takes place after Thanos’ snap. The best part of the film is that the lens shows us the devastating effects on society. 

We see how the new “villains” rise up. There is a push back from people who finally adjusted to half the population disappearing. On the other hand, we see how the returning people struggle to adjust. Additionally, we witness the concept of human possession come into play. Returners no longer own their homes or have their jobs. Also, some borders have shifted, causing people’s citizenship to be questioned. 

This highlights how in real life, no one knows what to do with the pandemic. Do we work from home, how do students and employees quarantine, or even should we avoid other people? I find the parallelism between the Snap and COVID in the film to be a genius work of art.

The global pandemic was not the only main connection. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier brought up other problems within society, such as mental health and discrimination.

The new Captain America (at the start of the show) brings many issues to the surface. First, should Captain America be a figurehead to unite the American people, or should Captain America be a real fighter on the front lines? Second, John Walker (the new, temporary Captain America) suffers from PTSD. With being at the forefront of attacks and watching his best friend die, his uncontrollable violence takes over. This scares the American people as well as foreign individuals. On one side, it shows the devastating affects of PTSD that many great soldiers suffer. Although, I did not like that it portrayed someone with mental illness as dangerous and crazy. As a psychology major, I know how films can contribute to people’s misconceptions about mentally ill individuals.

The Temporary Captain America

This brings up the original problem of who should be the New Captain America? Sam Wilson (Falcon) said no one should take up the mantel and gave it to the U.S Government. But that did not last long before a celebrity took over. By the end, it is clear who best embodies Captain America. I will not spoil this part of the film in case you have not watched the miniseries.

Throughout the film we saw the Falcon deal with discrimination. FIrst, we see how the super serum was tested on black people, yet a white man was chosen as the face of America. To continue, Sam and Bucky get into a fight. A police officer intervied and thought that the Falcon (a black man) was attacking the WInter Soldier (a white man).

In the end, the Falcon and the Winter Soldier is a timley piece of film. To truly appraite the miniseries, you have to realize how much it reflects the real world.

Captain America: Civil War movie poster

This week I wanted to revisit an older Avenger movie – Captain America: Civil War. I never really understood what was happening or the division between Captain America and Iron Man. So I rewatched the film to analytically understand the politics behind the two sides.

The film takes place after Avengers: Age of Ultron. Many countries view the Avengers as vigilantes, causing destruction wherever they go. Although they are U.S based, they go anywhere and often leave a trail of rubble. The Avengers are offered the Sokovia Accords – a United Nations will oversee the Avengers and deploy them when they deem it necessary.

The one side is Captain America, who is against signing the document. Steve Roger fears political agendas influencing missions and giving up their right to choose. His side is made up of Sam Wilson (Falcon), Bucky (Winter Soldier), Clint Barton (Hawkeye), Wanda Maximoff (Scarlet Witch), Shannon Carter, and Scott Lang (Ant-Man). The Black Widow, Natasha Romanoff, plays both sides throughout the film, but she eventually sides with Captain America.

The other side follows Iron Man. He believes, left unchecked, that the Avengers will continue to do more harm than good. He deals with his guilty conscious throughout the movie. Additionally, he wants the weight of the world lifted off of his shoulders. With the United Nations in charge of affairs, Iron Man will be able to spend more time with his girl, Potts, and ease his conscious. Those who follow him include Rhodey, Vision, Spiderman, and at times the Black Widow.

Black Panther Gif

The Black Panther also joins the fight as Bucky is framed for murdering his father. Unfortunately, a common enemy makes things worse. Zemo, who is also in the Falcon and the Winter Soldier, wants to turn the Avengers against one another.

The most interesting feature of the film was all the little details that added fuel to the flame. There was already a division, but things made it worse. To start, Iron Man is drowning in guilt over all the people he hurt with Ultron. To make things worse, he and Pepper Potts are on a break.

On the other side, Captain America just lost Peggy Carter. There is only one person left from his time: Bucky. After Bucky is framed for bombing the Sokovia Accords meeting, Steve Rogers does everything to protect his last companion. This leads Iron Man to feel betrayed because Tony Stark thought he and Steve were close friends too. They can not all be friends since the Winter Soldier murdered Iron Man’s parents.

Honestly, the Black Panther is the only wise warrior in the film. He realizes how everyone is consumed with anger and vengeance and chooses to not avenge his father. The new king also upholds justice and beings Zemo in alive.

Falcon and the Winter Soldier Gif

Overall, I understood the politics much better the second time watching this film. Although, I really had to pay attention to every little detail. Fun fact – the Spiderman vs. Sam Wilson and Bucky scene in this movie inspired the Falcon and the Winter Soldier miniseries. Leave a comment on what you thought about Captain America: Civil War.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 Movie Poster

Everyone knows that sequels are not as good as the first movie – even for Marvel. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 definitely proves this.

I love Kurt Russel as Peter Quill’s father. His father, Ego, also serves as an explanation for Yondu kidnapping Peter and why Peter could hold the infinity stone without dying. However, there are many questions that remain.

First, if Ego is kind of like a god then why did it take so long for him to find Peter.  Second, why did he pretend to care about Peter before he took his power? Third, could Peter have other god-like siblings? Fourth, how come Peter could not use his powers before? And so many more questions. These plot holes leave the audience with more questions than answers.

Although I do not like Peter’s father, I do love Nebula’s character development. Gamora, Nebula, and Ronan had a weird sibling dynamic in the first movie. So, to see progress and sisterly love felt natural and real. While Nebula was a villain in this movie, she was not one-dimensional. She was mad that Gamora never let her win because this meant Thanos would tear her apart and put her back together. Nebula shares a common backstory with Rocket as they both have been torn apart and put back together numerous times.

Outside of Nebula’s character development, the overall plot of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 lacks a climax. The humor also dies down in contrast to the first movie. As a super fan of the first film, I was severely disappointed. I should not have been surprised since most movie sequels do not compare to the first film. 

However, Marvel centered the Marvel Cinematic Universe around these sequels. Iron Man has three movies and Thor is about to launch its fourth. Moreover, Marvel heavily links its movies together, making it vital to watch them all. If this logic holds true, will Marvel movies continually get worse?

All Three Iron Man Movie Posters

Guardians of the Galaxy 2 raises the big question – how will Marvel survive if they only produce sequels? Since we have already established that the sequels are always worse and Marvel is notorious for making movie series, how will the MCU survive?

One way Marvel can overcome this is through making new movies. Instead of sequels, Marvel can create new characters and storylines within the MCU. Marvel may also survive if they continue making mini-series. Series have seasons that are designed to build on each other. In fact, the series usually get better each subsequent season. Prequels and sequel series are also common.

Marvel has done a great job of intertwining the MCU movies and emerging its audience in the storylines. However, if Marvel’s success is contingent on its sequels, they may be in hot waters. If they continue to make movies like Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, the MCU may be at its end. There needs to be a shift. Leave a comment suggesting how you think Marvel can overcome this dilemma?

The first three Thor movies in order from left to right.

As some of you may know, Loki is my favorite Marvel character. While I did a character analysis on Loki last semester, I wanted to dedicate one of my posts as a thank you to Thor: Ragnarok for saving the Thor movies.

Thor: Ragnarok was the first Thor movie I saw. I was actually supposed to watch the Justice League, but it turns out we read the wrong viewing time at the movie theater. Instead of waiting an hour, we watched Thor: Ragnarok. After falling in love with Loki, I watched the first two Thor movies. Anyone who has seen all three will tell you that the first two are bad – really bad.

To switch things up, Marvel hired Taika Waititi to direct the third Thor movie. The first big change was the added humor. While the film is far from a comedy, the few comedic moments really drastically change the seriousness of the film. The second big change was the added color. The first two films were dark and dreary. Not only was it hard to see what was happening, but it was also depressing. The latest movie has bright colors everywhere. Additionally, the special effects were upgraded. For example, Loki’s magic is much more believable.

Thor: Ragnarok colorful scenery

The most important aspect that evolved was the characters’ development. Thor became less two-dimensional and more of a leader. He was no longer self-centered and worried for his people’s safety. Moreover, it really shows that Thor was never meant to rule. He is a hero, not a figurehead. Loki, on the other hand, got to show his true colors. Instead of his battle for a throne, Loki got to live in peace on Asgard (pretending to be Odin Allfather) and on Sakaar. We saw tremendous character development. It’s one of the reasons many people were furious that Loki died in the opening scene of the next movie, Avengers: Infinity War. It was devastating that just as Loki was redeemed, he died.

Of course, I love the increase in female representation. I love that Valkyrie is a warrior and drinks too much. This role could have easily been fulfilled by a man, but they made it a woman who was not two-dimensional or a love interest. I also appreciated that the villain was a woman, and Hela is Thor and Loki’s older sister.

Hela

In contrast, there were parts of the film that were not believable. I found it really unbelievable that no one from Asgard remembered Hela. Another part I find difficult to believe is that Thor has the Nine Realms to represent his world. On the other hand, Guardians of the Galaxy and other Marvel Movies have many planets and universes. In later Marvel movies, their solar systems contradicted Thor’s world system. This may be even more evident as there seem to be some hints that Thor will be joining the Guardians of the Galaxy. Yet, the movie, Thor: Love and Thunder, is coming out soon!

Even though Thor: Ragnarok is the third movie in the Thor franchise, it saved the first two films. I hope that Thor: Love and Thunder can continue this legacy. Leave a comment on which Thor scene is your favorite.

Hawkeye Poster

I loved the Hawkeye mini-series. The show stars Hawkeye, also known as Clint Barton, and his new apprentice, Kate Bishop. He was never one of my favorite avengers probably due to lack of advertising and branding just like Kate Bishop said in the series. I did not like her over-confidence or dangerous stunts. However, her character grew on me. I came to admire her humor and the way she is able to communicate with others – heroes, villains, and common people.

Kate continues to set the stage for the future of Avengers, potentially taking over Hawkeye’s role. It seems that Phase Four of the Marvel Cinematic Universe is slowly introducing the next generation of Avengers while having veteran characters act as mentors. I like this as it allows new Marvel fans to watch Phase Four without having to watch all of the previous movies. Although, the crossover of characters still turns away many viewers who don’t have time to keep up with all the shows.

Yelena

I was glad Disney included the Black Widow’s sister, Yelena, in a cameo. This helped give closure over the Black Widow’s death. Additionally, the cameo upheld Clint Barton’s grief over the death of his best friend. Furthermore, this part of the movie was necessary because of the fact that Natasha, the Black Widow, never mentioned her sister or family before. I was especially happy since a lot of times when characters are written off or die like the Black Widow, they are never spoken of again, which is unrealistic. Plus, Yelena is a fan favorite. It is additionally nice to see another female heroine swoop in to save the day.

I do not want to have major spoilers, but I do want to touch on key aspects of the miniseries. Now, about the plot. I did not foresee who the villain would be. I have never heard of Kingpin, but apparently, he is a big name in the MCU. I am thankful the MCU gave us more information about Ronin, Clint’s temporary vengeance vigilante. Ronin is his persona from when his whole family vanished with Thano’s snap.

The best part about Hawyeke was in the message: you do not need superpowers to be a hero. Hawkeye, Kate, and Yelena did not have powers. Neither did the first responders (LARPers) or Kingpins criminals, Kazi and Echo. (BTW Echo is getting her own original spin-off on Disney plus!). It was amazing to see people with incredible talent protect New York for once instead of super-powered heroes.

Echo

Personally, the message was not even the best part for me. I loved the representation. Hawkeye is hard of hearing, after being around many loud explosions. I loved the character named Echo, too. She is the villain who is of Native American heritage and deaf. She also has a prosthetic leg. She used sign language throughout the series. Looking back at the beginning of Marvel movies, it is clear that nearly all characters are white men. But now, there is an increase in representing many minority groups. Good for You Marvel!

Overall, Hawkeye is my second favorite mini-series, second to Loki. While the show was not as popular as the other series, I found it had more depth concerning the real world outside of the MCU.

Thanos

We all know who Thanos is. He is the mega villain in Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. He first appears in Guardians of the Galaxy. He wants all the infinity stones to whip out half the population. Thanos thinks this will save the universe, so the other planets do not end up like his destroyed planet: Titan. In the comics, he is an Eternal-Deviant Warlord like his brother, Starfox. Additionally, he is the adoptive father of Ronan, Gamora, and Nebula. 

We need to have a debate – was Thanos right? Could his actions of killing half the population be justified? Did the Avengers make a huge mistake bringing back everyone who was snapped away?

Titan

Thanos justified his actions by claiming that limited resources and overpopulation would lead to extinction. He did this to erase suffering. However, there could be a hidden agenda at play. Maybe Thanos wanted to unite everyone under his rule. Thanos could have been lying to himself to justify his grab for power. In my psychology class, we learned that everyone desired to see themselves in a favorable light. Thanos is no exception.

Is Thanos right about population growth and running out of resources? It is definitely possible. However, eliminating half the population would not solve this. After all, Thanos only postponed the inevitable. Yet, I think Thanos was wrong. With the technology and intelligence in the MCU, they could find solutions for limited resources and expand their populations to other planets. By the way, couldn’t Thanos snap infinite resources? Like, he could have solved the problem himself instead of killing half of all life and retiring. 

Can you ever justify mass genocide? Probably not. Those killed did not do anything to deserve that. Also, it would be better to have the superior people survive, like survival of the fittest. He could have killed people over a certain age or people who were not contributing to society. It seems like he wanted chaos over ruling the universe.

The Falcon being denied a loan due to post-snap problems

While Thanos is on trial, we need to address reversing the snap. As we are watching in Phase Four of the MCU, there are huge problems caused by bringing everyone back. It would have been fine if they went to the past and snapped everyone back seconds after they disappeared. However, just as the survivors adjusted to their new lives, chaos erupted.

Although we always support saving people, should the focus be on rebuilding the planet? Instead of the best minds trapped in an endless loop of undoing the snap, they could have focused on helping people adjust to a new era. Moreover, why is Earth the only one doing anything? There are so many other planets and civilizations that have amazing technology and can help. Earth should have been working with aliens to enter a better era post-snap.

Overall, Thanos is the villain. But if he were on trial for his crimes, could his actions be defended? Let me know in the comments if you defend Thanos. Additionally, do you think the Avengers made a mistake undoing the snap?

WandaVison Poster 

WandaVision was the first shift away from Marvel Movies to miniseries for better or for worse. There are only a handful of episodes (six for WandaVision), but the episodes are not very long like Netflix’s originals. It is almost like Disney said a movie is too short but a series is too long and created this hybrid. Personally, I like the mini-series, but I wish it was longer. I do like how Disney is creating independent films that are linked rather than completely dependent on one another. However, this might not last for long. Watching the Doctor Strange: Multiverse of Madness trailer, Wanda has a cameo that mentions Westview. Intertwining movies and series might create a tangled web of confusion for viewers who do not watch these miniseries. This may result in losing viewers.

At first, the sitcom approach to WandaVision confused everyone. By the end it all made sense. Yet, Disney had to reassure everyone that the other mini-series would not be a comedy. Although I love Wanda and Vision, I fell like they should have started with a different miniseries, so audiences would have a better understanding of how bizarre WandaVision truly was.

When Agatha called Wanda the Scarlett Witch, I did not realize how big of a deal that was. I thought she was always the Scarlett Witch, but this was the first time the MCU announced her title. I also loved how we learned more about her past as well as how her brother, Pietro, and her powers came to be. Since they both survived the experiments from Avengers: Age of Ultron, I wonder if Pietro had powers before Hydra. I am also curious how many other witches live thought out the MCU without knowing they have powers.

I loved her twin sons, Billy and Tommy. In the comic books, Billy’s superhero name is Wiccan and Tommy is called Speed. Although these two characters may just be Wanda’s magical creation, they could very well be real. They stemmed from her powers, afterall Vision – her husband – is dead. It seems that the Marvel Cinematic Universe is preparing to create a new generation of heroes as the original cast ages and/or do not wish to reprise their roles. If Wanda’s twins do join the Young Avengers (like in the comic books), Billy may be one of the first LGBTQ+ heroes, if Marvel keeps his sexual orientation the same as the comic books.

Billy and Tommy

On the topic of family, let’s talk about Wanda’s brother. I love the X-Men. My favorite character is Quicksilver (AKA Peter Maximoff – Wanda’s brother). This character is not the same Quicksilver version from The Avengers franchise. In WandaVision, the actor that plays the X-Men Quicksilver lives in Westview where Wanda has her mental breakdown. Seeing that cameo got my hopes up. Although the X-Men Quicksilver played her dead twin brother (Avenger Quicksilver), there was no special connection. I have not been this devastated since Loki died in Avengers: Infinity War. The directors said this was just to keep audiences on the tip of their seats. However, it could also be a hint to the potential multiverse – the Avengers Universe has a different Quicksilver.

Quicksilver

I additionally loved seeing my other favorite characters. I love Jimmy Woo, Darcy Lewis, and Monica Rambeau. We have not seen Darcy since the second Thor movie, and Monica was a child in Captain Marvel. It appears that not only is there a shift to miniseries, but there is also an increase in side characters making guest appearances. I am super happy to see these characters, yet if you do not know who they are, then you probably do not care about the screen time they got.

WandaVision is the beginning of a new streaming method for Marvel. The MCU has done series on other streaming platforms such as Netflix before Disney Plus was created. Marvel Televison introduced these series from 2010 to 2019. Disney shut down its production most likely to begin their own series starting in 2018. The Disney Plus series have a larger budget and intertwine with the movies, making them different than the Marvel TV series. Afterall, all Phase Four series will be released on Disney+. Let me know in the comments if you think these series will ultimately help or hurt Marvel.

Movie Poster

Let’s discuss one of the best films in 2021: Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. SPOILERS! The plot was original and strong. It was about a family dealing with grief and death. The fight scenes were EPIC! I also loved the unique take on the car chase scene. The film leaves me wanting to learn more about pocket dimensions especially with speculation over the multiverse. I am curious how those two concepts will play out. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings could be a stand-alone Marvel film as it has few ties to the Avenger Universe. 

I am so glad to see Marvel include Asian representation with this film. There have been Asian characters like Wong from Dr. Strange, Agent May from Marvel’s Agents of Shield (TV series), and Jimmy Woo (Ant-Man and WandaVision). However, Marvel has never had a film starring an Asian hero let alone have the entire plotline intertwined with Asian culture.

I am also super proud of the female representation within the film. I loved Awkwafina’s character, Katy. A lot of Marvel films have a comical male sidekick who is in awe of the superheroes. But Shang-Chi has a female best friend. I love how she is just her goofy self the whole time. In fact, when she learns how to use a bow and arrow, Katy is not a professional overnight. I love that realism. Katy represents real women, not perfect women. It is additionally great to see an amazing friendship form between Katy and Xialing – two women who are nearly complete opposites.

Katy Gif

Although I totally want Katy and Shawn to get together, I am glad they kept their relationship a friendship for several reasons. First, if they have known each other for so long, then they would already be together. Second, neither one of them shows interest in the other (only outside friends and family want them to date). Lastly and most importantly, they should remain friends because more female characters need to be represented outside of a romantic role in movies. Writers should not add a female character simply to act as a love interest. Also, their relationship shows that two people of the opposite gender can just be friends, a completely real concept.

Katy was not the only female representation, I loved Shawn’s sister, Xialing. I admire how she built a fight ring by herself and runs a secret organization. She is different from other girls. However, this is not a toxic stereotype in this film because she does not bring down the other female characters. Xialing realizes the patriarchal structure is the reason she is different from other girls. Only men were allowed to train and fight, so Xialing had to practice on her own without anyone knowing. I love how this comes full circle. At the end of the movie, she rules her dad’s secret operation with major changes including training women. 

Xialing

Finally, let’s talk about that post-credit scene. I am a huge fan of cameos in movies. Albeit, the Captain Marvel and Hulk cameo appeared forced. I found it hilarious how Shawn and Katy are inducted into the Avenger team simply because Wong picked up on a signal from the rings. Speaking of the rings, what do you think the Ten Rings are made of? And where are the rings sending their signal? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

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Eternals was an overall good addition to the MCU. Moving forward, I want to focus on analysis above reviewing Marvel films. However, I have a lot to unpack in this piece of junk (because I don’t swear).

There are potential spoilers in my rant about the worst scene in the MCU history – and I truly mean that it was the WORSE part ever.

There is one major part we must discuss: THAT scene. You know the one I’m talking about. The one where you take your little kids to the movie theater to watch the family movie – Eternals, and two half-naked characters are doing it on screen showing basically everything. Why marvel? What the heck Disney? The MCU has always been kid friendly. This scene did not help move along the plot, yet it scarred the minds of little kids forever.

I did not care about these kind of scenes in the Marvel movie Deadpool. That film advertised themselves to adult audiences and made it clear there would be adult scenes. However, Eternals gave no hint this FAMILY movie would incorporate an adult scene. Branding this film for families like most MCU Avenger movies was a massive mistake.

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One of the worst decisions from Disney is keeping this scene in the Disney Plus version. This means that while parents think they can get Disney Plus for their kids to watch family shows, kids can stumble upon this movie and see what I was not expecting. I will personally switch blog topics if this is the theme of future MCU movies. 

That scene was inappropriate and off brand for Disney. I feel the need to start a petition over this and potentially sue Disney for betraying customer loyalty and trust. It would be different if the audience is watching a movie rated TV-MA. But this took everyone by surprise – including little kids who did not know what was happening.

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Moving on from THAT, I want to talk about my favorite characters. I ship Makkari and Druig together – a ship in fanfiction is when you want two characters to get together (for all the noobs out there). Since this movie has some weird and unpronounceable names, Makkari is the deaf speedster and Druig is the mind controller. They had a special connection that did not disappear after a long time apart. It was truly special unlike the stockum syndrome Siri and Superman had. I don’t care that I don’t know their names. My favorite character is a tie between Gilgamesh and Phastos. I wish Sprite would have been the character who died. Although, I guess she kind of will in 80 years lol.

The best part about the Eternals movie is the cast diversity. The group of Eternals contained numerous racial backgrounds and even a character with a disability. In the film, Thena has a condition called Mahd Wy’ry, which is similar to Dementia. Additionally, Phastos had a husband. Disney movies usually subtly hint at same couple romances, but Eternals was more direct. This is a step in the right direction. Given how huge the group was, I wonder which characters will be in the Avengers cross-over movies?

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The special effects were perfect, as usual in Marvel movies. Which brings me to the second worst part of this film. The villain is Arishem. I understand they use different technology. I love when MCU movies do this. Yet with all that (even in creating the Eternals) the big bad guy is a red robot that looks worse than the robot from Lost in Space. The Celestials are robots – very poorly made robots. Who is letting them make these decisions in Disney HQ? I really admired the director Chloé Zhao’s take on the Eternals, but red space robots and half nude scenes? What is going on here?

Can we take a minute to acknowledge the end credit scenes. First, we meet Thano’s BROTHER, Starfox, played by Harry Styles (thank you Disney). He wants to help the Eternals fight the big bad Arishem. But can they trust him?

There is also a minor hint at the Black Knight. The Black Knight is a MCU comic book character. He was Sersi’s boyfriend in the film (not the jerk ex-boyfriend). He will likely be making a bigger appearance in future films. It is also important to note that Sersi led the Avengers in the comics. Her love for humans makes her a perfect candidate to lead the Avengers, if the MCU continues this pattern of drawing characters from their comic books.

In conclusion, Eternals made some drastic choices that may change the direction of future Marvel films. Can we expect more graphic scenes moving forward?