[Movies] MCU: Phase 3 And Beyond

[ScytheRexx]

Actually, watching it again, I can see that the flag at the start is almost an exact replica of the flag used by the Ten Rings in Iron Man, only with the Arabic text in each ring switched out for Chinese, and the swords crossing are a different style. It's likely they will explain that the Ten Rings has multiple "cells" all over the world of many nationalities but all of them answer to the Mandarin and his goals.

Holy shit I just noticed Abomination is fighting Wong. Didn't realize Wong was in this too. I never thought I would be excited about a Shang-Chi movie.

 

[ThatNickGuy]

I'm actually not a fan of the arm bands instead of finger rings. But then, I always liked the Mandarin's original gimmick that each ring had its own ability. I suppose there's no reason they couldn't still do that with the arm bands, but it doesn't seem likely, judging by the trailers.

 

[MindDetective]

It might be a little too close to the infinity stones for a casual audience.

 

[Tinwhistler]

I'm not familiar with the comics the movie's based on, but I like that they're armbands. When i think of "rings" and "kung fu" together in one thought, I think of this

so the trailers fit in with that for me.

 

[ScytheRexx]

Agreed. Not even just that, but it took multiple movies and multiple appearances by the Infinity Stone for people to understand the power of each one and how that power is different from the others with only six. Imagine a single movie trying to dump the info from that earlier image, just casually in a single movie. "Wait, which ring gives him the power to warp air again? Oh god there are ten of these things."

It's likely the Ten Rings will still have many of these powers, but they won't be based around a single ring per power, but instead just granted to whoever holds all Ten Rings. It's easier to swallow that in a single movie.

 

[ThatNickGuy]

It might be a little too close to the infinity stones for a casual audience.

Ah, that's true. I hadn't considered that.

 

[ScytheRexx]

I'm not familiar with the comics the movie's based on, but I like that they're armbands. When i think of "rings" and "kung fu" together in one thought, I think of this
View attachment 38170
so the trailers fit in with that for me.

Honestly the minute I saw them on the dudes wrists I got flashbacks to Kung Fu Hustle.

 

[AshburnerX]

Agreed. Not even just that, but it took multiple movies and multiple appearances by the Infinity Stone for people to understand the power of each one and how that power is different from the others with only six. Imagine a single movie trying to dump the info from that earlier image, just casually in a single movie. "Wait, which ring gives him the power to warp air again? Oh god there are ten of these things."

It's likely the Ten Rings will still have many of these powers, but they won't be based around a single ring per power, but instead just granted to whoever holds all Ten Rings. It's easier to swallow that in a single movie.

From the looks of the trailer, they are definetely "magical" at least: when they fight near the end, the end result is very close to some of the times that Dr. Strange used his "rope" weapon magic or when Mordo used his stick. That probably explains why Wong is involved: he and Dr. Strange probably want to take the rings from The Mandarin, what with them being powerful magical artifacts.

 

[PatrThom]

It makes way more sense considering they were made for dragons.

As opposed to what, being the power source for an alien spacecraft?

—Patrick

 

[bhamv3]

Weirdly, this trailer makes me less excited for the movie. I wanted to see what Marvel could do with a martial arts film, but now it looks like it's going to be a big magic/super-science spectacle like most other Marvel films.

I mean, I could be wrong, for all I know the main focus of the movie is still on martial arts, and this trailer just happened to have all the big lightshow moments. But still, the way I feel about this trailer is sort of like how I felt about the second Black Widow trailer; I wanted to see Marvel do a spy thriller, but nope, it's a big setpiece-fest again.

 

[ScytheRexx]

As opposed to what, being the power source for an alien spacecraft?

I know they were used as a power source for a spacecraft in the comics when the Mandarin found them, but I could have swore it was revealed in other comics that the dragons also used them as weapons just like the Mandarin did, even having bound the spirits of ancient warriors inside them. Could be my memory is hazy on that.

Either way, I really don't see them going with the whole "Dragons are actually alien shapeshifters and the Mandarin stole them from their spaceship engine."

While it's a fun idea, it does not have the mystical pizazz they seem to be going for with Shang-Chi, where a lot of the aesthetics seem to go closer to Doctor Strange. The trailer showed that the Ten Rings themselves were around through the ages, as the Mandarin implied they were passed down through his family and they even showed shots of what looked like the Ten Rings in Ancient China. My theory is that the dragons will instead be dimensional beings, and the Ten Rings were a weapon THEY wore on their fingers. At some point, Humans came into possession of the rings, either through diplomacy or conflict, but because they were designed for dragon fingers, they only fit around a humans arm. That will allow them to both imply the "Finger Rings" origin while giving them a little bit more flexibility as Iron Rings in classic Kung Fu.

Weirdly, this trailer makes me less excited for the movie. I wanted to see what Marvel could do with a martial arts film, but now it looks like it's going to be a big magic/super-science spectacle like most other Marvel films.

The first trailer was heavily Kung Fu based, but you have to realize not everyone is going to want to go see a Marvel Kung Fu movie. This trailer is supposed to be geared more toward the general audience who want to see a classic Marvel experience, thus why they focused way more on the effects and general action plus the cameos (Abomination, Wong, etc) instead of giving us any meat on the Kung Fu segments.

 

[Tress]

The first trailer was heavily Kung Fu based, but you have to realize not everyone is going to want to go see a Marvel Kung Fu movie. This trailer is supposed to be geared more toward the general audience who want to see a classic Marvel experience, thus why they focused way more on the effects and general action plus the cameos (Abomination, Wong, etc) instead of giving us any meat on the Kung Fu segments.

Anecdotal evidence to support this:

My eleven-year-old daughter loves all of the MCU. The first Shang-Chi trailer they released looked boring to her. She finished it and said she had no interest in watching the movie.

Last night I showed her this newest trailer. After she watched it she says she’s excited for the film now.

 

[chris]

Sounds like the demographic Disney is aiming for.

 

[PatrThom]

I know they were used as a power source for a spacecraft in the comics when the Mandarin found them

I thought it was crazy when I first read his origin, too. But “Because aliens, duh!” is such a textbook 60’s comic book explanation for so many of the things they did back then, and I get that we’re fast approaching ONE HUNDRED YEARS since many of these characters were first introduced. So yes, retconning alone may not be enough to keep them current, it may eventually require a complete reimagining to keep things fresh.

Sounds like the demographic Disney is aiming for.

This is kind of what I’m getting. After all, they’re not trying to build characters, they’re trying to build a profitable franchise.

—Patrick

 

[@Li3n]

But “Because aliens, duh!” is such a textbook 60’s comic book explanation for so many of the things they did back then

I'm more inclined to think it was aliens because IM was a "science" hero, so he got "science" villains.

From the looks of the trailer, they are definetely "magical" at least: when they fight near the end, the end result is very close to some of the times that Dr. Strange used his "rope" weapon magic or when Mordo used his stick. That probably explains why Wong is involved: he and Dr. Strange probably want to take the rings from The Mandarin, what with them being powerful magical artifacts.

Clarke's 3rd law...

.....

Anyhow, here's some more rings throughout the ages (of Marvel):

 

[evilmike]

I forget, which one of the rings is called "Trevor"?

 

[figmentPez]

Actually, watching it again, I can see that the flag at the start is almost an exact replica of the flag used by the Ten Rings in Iron Man, only with the Arabic text in each ring switched out for Chinese, and the swords crossing are a different style. It's likely they will explain that the Ten Rings has multiple "cells" all over the world of many nationalities but all of them answer to the Mandarin and his goals.

Or they could just go with: Killian copied the Ten Rings from an old legend, making his own, completely fake, version for his plan.

 

[Celt Z]

Or they could just go with: Killian copied the Ten Rings from an old legend, making his own, completely fake, version for his plan.

It's worked before.

 

[chris]

But the people who captured Tony in Iron Man were also from the Ten Rings, or not?

 

[AshburnerX]

But the people who captured Tony in Iron Man were also from the Ten Rings, or not?

Yes and no. Basically, there are two groups of Ten Rings...

1 - The fake Ten Rings, who were created by Killian to hide his Extremis project (Ironman 3) by using a fake Mandarin (really an actor named Trevor Slattery) to create terrorist videos to claim responsibility for the destruction any time one of the patients failed to regulate the dosage correctly. These are the guys who kidnapped Tony in Ironman 3.

2 - The real Ten Rings, which are a terrorist organization working as cells to destroy world peace for... some reason. One cell of these kidnapped Tony Stark, another helped Ivan Venko get into Moracco to try and kill Tony Stark during Ironman 2 (as well as some other things related to the Black Widow movie), another kidnapped Trevor Slattery from prison, and one of them tried to buy the Yellowjacket Technology from Pym Tech during Ant-Man. This is the one lead by the Mandarin.

 

[@Li3n]

It's worked before.

The funny thing is that Thanos ravaged what was left of Asgard anyway, but just for the stones.

I forget, which one of the rings is called "Trevor"?

The british one, of course.

 

[figmentPez]

Professor Hulk was trending on Twitter this morning because there are a lot of fans who vocally hate Prof because they think he's weaker than rage-monster Hulk. (And some others who are disappointed that Banner's character progression happened mostly off-screen, which is a fair criticism.) I strongly disagree with the idea that Prof is inherently weaker.

"But Hulk gets stronger the angrier he is, therefore rage Hulk is strongest Hulk."

Professor Hulk still gets angry. That's the character progression of Bruce Banner. He goes from being afraid of his emotions, because he thinks that uncontrolled rage is too strong, to realizing that he can control his anger, to being able to control his actions while angry, and ultimately progressing to realize that it's okay to be angry, it's okay to feel his emotions. Bruce Banner, pre-Prof, always had his anger in the background, and Hulk always had Banner in the background. Both were less than they could be because they were at cross-purposes.

Prof Hulk has the potential to be angrier than rage-monster Hulk ever was. With the right thing to be angry about, Bruce will be fully down with being pissed off. Professor Hulk, righteously pissed off, will be stronger than any tantrum that a mindless rage beast could generate. A fully intelligent Hulk who is not only intensely angry with no inhibitions about being angry, but also still clear of mind and purpose, would be a power unlike any in the MCU.

 

[Sparhawk]

Professor Hulk was trending on Twitter this morning because there are a lot of fans who vocally hate Prof because they think he's weaker than rage-monster Hulk. (And some others who are disappointed that Banner's character progression happened mostly off-screen, which is a fair criticism.) I strongly disagree with the idea that Prof is inherently weaker.

"But Hulk gets stronger the angrier he is, therefore rage Hulk is strongest Hulk."

Professor Hulk still gets angry. That's the character progression of Bruce Banner. He goes from being afraid of his emotions, because he thinks that uncontrolled rage is too strong, to realizing that he can control his anger, to being able to control his actions while angry, and ultimately progressing to realize that it's okay to be angry, it's okay to feel his emotions. Bruce Banner, pre-Prof, always had his anger in the background, and Hulk always had Banner in the background. Both were less than they could be because they were at cross-purposes.

Prof Hulk has the potential to be angrier than rage-monster Hulk ever was. With the right thing to be angry about, Bruce will be fully down with being pissed off. Professor Hulk, righteously pissed off, will be stronger than any tantrum that a mindless rage beast could generate. A fully intelligent Hulk who is not only intensely angry with no inhibitions about being angry, but also still clear of mind and purpose, would be a power unlike any in the MCU.

I’m a big Hulk fan, and I know that Prof is stronger than the Savage. Savage Hulk is okay for general destruction, literally the basic “Hulk smash” mindset. But, the first time the Savage comes up against someone (Thanos) that used actual strategy against him he’s thoroughly defeated and even scared to come back against him. In that same situation the Prof would have been able to analyze the strategy and seen how to at least do something to counter it. Even in the comics the Prof was able to still become progressively stronger even while utilizing his genius to be even more destructive against anything he was angry at.

 

[Tress]

Proof that a savage body with intelligence and anger is more dangerous/powerful than Savage Hulk by himself:

 

[ScytheRexx]

1 - The fake Ten Rings, who were created by Killian to hide his Extremis project (Ironman 3) by using a fake Mandarin (really an actor named Trevor Slattery) to create terrorist videos to claim responsibility for the destruction any time one of the patients failed to regulate the dosage correctly. These are the guys who kidnapped Tony in Ironman 3.

Just to be clear, the terrorist group in Iron Man 3 never went by the Ten Rings. Killian did use "The Mandarin" as a smokescreen for AIM, but as part of the mystery they never tied a terrorist group to him. It was only just ever "The Mandarin" and his mysterious shadow troops that seem to mysteriously enter places and blow everyone up.

The last time the Ten Rings appeared, at least since they were in Iron Man, was the first Ant Man movie, when a representative for the Ten Rings was at the Yellowjacket sales meeting during the climax.

 

[Frank]

They added a new character to the stinger of Wandavision.

On the topic of Hulk, if Marvel and Disney weren't huge cowards they would make a true horror movie Immortal Hulk, the actual best Marvel comic of the last few years.

 

[MindDetective]

They added a new character to the stinger of Wandavision.

On the topic of Hulk, if Marvel and Disney weren't huge cowards they would make a true horror movie Immortal Hulk, the actual best Marvel comic of the last few years.

They still don't own the rights to the Hulk, which I think is owned by Paramount.

 

[mikerc]

They still don't own the rights to the Hulk, which I think is owned by Paramount.

Universal - and they only have the distribution rights. Although it's difficult to imagine that She-Hulk isn't included in those rights so either Disney got them back recently or it's only movie rights Universal have, not TV rights so there's nothing stopping them doing an Immortal Hulk series.

Except for the aforementioned cowardice @Frank brought up.

 

[MindDetective]

Universal - and they only have the distribution rights. Although it's difficult to imagine that She-Hulk isn't included in those rights so either Disney got them back recently or it's only movie rights Universal have, not TV rights so there's nothing stopping them doing an Immortal Hulk series.

Except for the aforementioned cowardice @Frank brought up.

I think their Hulk rights ARE very limited, which is why they can include the character in ensembles.

 

[Tress]

As I recall, Universal has the rights to distribute any Hulk movies. However, they don’t have rights to movies that the Hulk is in as a supporting character. And it does not cover TV distribution, so Disney can do She-Hulk without having to share.

But take all that with a grain of salt. I’m no expert.

 

[figmentPez]

 

[figmentPez]

Marvel Studios' What If?

 

[drifter]

Now I'm hoping a What The--?! adaptation happens.

 

[ScytheRexx]

This will officially be the last time Chadwick plays T'Challa, as he recorded all the lines before his death.

 

[evilmike]