Insight will be on for at least the next 24 hours.

Marvel did a lot of mediocre releases in this phase. There were a few bright points but they were mostly sequels. Spidey, GotG3, Deadpool and Wolverine. Until recently, one could argue that Shang-Shi was the best stand-alone origin movie we've had in a very long time. Some might throw Fantastic 4 and Thunderbolts into that mix now, but for a while there was only Shang-Chi.

The fight sequences were some of the best in the entire MCU. The lore and story were told in a very exciting way. There was a villain you could sympathize with on a certain level. There was humour but not too much or too goofy. Just the right splash of other MCU characters involved (maybe the best being Trevor frickin Slattery). Maybe the best final boss fatality in the MCU when Shang-Chi uses the 10 rings on the giant soul sucker. One of the best post-credit scenes we've seen recently, setting up some interesting aspects of the 10 rings. Simu is a perfect casting. It had it all.

So what the hell happened to this property? To me, it's not the abundance of mediocrity that was the biggest dropped ball in this saga. It's the fact they had an amazing foundation for a new hero, and they just went nowhere with it.

I think I figured out the identity of The Handler. Notice her surroundings, how pristine and clean... perfectly sharpened identical pencils, all the same length; identical pens... I believe we're looking at an AI Construct, similar to Vision's Mind Palace. And given the only AI we haven't seen yet (besides John Hammond) is Jocasta, that's who I'm betting The Handler is.

It's clear Paladin is using some form of, if not the original E.D.I.T.H. glasses. And given E.D.I.T.H. now resides in Vision, I'm wagering Paladin got ahold of both the glasses and Jocasta's memory stick. The way he says "Oh you're awake" just seemed weird, unless she's an AI.

They've mentioned the Butcherbird killer twice in the show. Once in the newspaper in Episode 1 and once again in Episode 2 when Ultron is watching the news and says he loves true crime.

The other big headline in the paper, about the stolen adamantium, immediately came to play in Episode 2 with Paladin using some of that Adamantium against Vision. So they're definitely setting this Butcherbird killer up for something more right? Who could it be? Human Torch? Jocasta?

Via : DrDoomarchive

I've always preferred to stick to the MCU rather than branch out into Marvel's other franchises, mainly because I enjoy following one continuous storyline without having to keep track of multiple universes and continuities

With Avengers: Doomsday bringing the X-Men into the picture, I'm wondering whether I'll be able to enjoy and understand the film without having watched any of their previous movies

For those more familiar with the MCU, do you think Marvel will make Doomsday accessible to audiences who haven't seen the X-Men films, providing enough context to understand the characters and what's happening? Or is this one of those occasions where watching the older films will be pretty much essential to get the full experience?

9 years later, it was great to see Mando finally finish what was set up in Homecoming. The suit looks great (sans mandatory MCU face exposure), he's competent in battle, and as someone who hasn't played Far Cry 3, I can see why people would be drawn to him.

But I can't help but draw parallels to Crossbones: both their roles turned out to be shorter than expected; villains of the week, if you will. Thankfully, at least Scorpion survives, opening the door for future encounters with him.

On the other hand, I love how YFNSM's Scorpion was pretty much that Spidey's first real Big Bad. He was set up over the course of several episodes, and when they do finally meet, Gargan thrashed Spider-Man to near death. And even then, Peter had nightmares of that beatdown in the following days!

Nice to know he's coming back in Season 2 with an upgraded suit.

I know we haven't seen Doomsday and Secret Wars yet, but I'm just wondering generally what people would like to see from these characters. More solo films? appearances in other people's films? showing up in the TV shows?

Currently both Avatar: Seven Havens and Marvel's VisionQuest have a balanced release cycle of 2 or 3 episodes a week for 4 or 5 weeks, with VisionQuest having the last two episode over two weeks. Both Star War's Andor Season Two and NetFlix's Arcane did three episodes a week that told story arcs that felt pretty much like a full movie each week.

There's a lot of benefits to this pattern. There wasn't pressure to binge the entire season before looking up discussion. Online discussion and YouTube commentary videos had time to breath and dissect each episode. Hype is far easier to keep over a month or so than one episode a week over three months. Also, you're less likely to have only a dud or slow episode just killing the vibe even if it works well as part of the whole season.

The main complaint I hear against this are those that demand to binge the entire season. Never mind that they can literally do that in about five or six weeks (well, longer for shows that do single episode releases). Their immediate gratification trumps what can be a collection of solid online discussion built up episode by episode that just does not happen when entire seasons get dropped. It is a reasonable complaint to just release it all at once if it's a short four to six episode season, but would it be so bad if it took two to three weeks to see the entire season?

Anyway, I get the thrill of getting a full graphic novel and reading it all at once. That doesn't mean the slower release of monthly comics that built up the chapters of that novel was unacceptable. I just like the balance of it being a bit faster, even if it's not all at once. More so as I'm the type if I'm watching a series sometime after release to read discussions about each episode as I finish them. I feel I get far more out of the series than if I just binged everything without much of a break.

I feel like its Thanos or Tony

Honestly, I don’t think any other MCU trilogy comes close to Guardians of the Galaxy. And it’s not just because the movies are funny or have great soundtracks. I think it’s because they actually feel like three parts of one complete story, with a beginning, a middle, and a genuinely satisfying ending.
The first movie introduces a bunch of weird, broken people who have basically nothing in common, but end up becoming a family. The second one builds on that and explores their relationships, especially Peter’s issues with his father and Rocket’s fear of being abandoned. And then Vol. 3 brings everything together in a way that feels like a natural conclusion to these characters’ journeys.
Rocket’s story in the third movie is honestly one of the best things Marvel has ever done. I never expected a talking raccoon to have one of the most heartbreaking backstories in the entire MCU, but here we are. His relationship with Lylla, Teefs and Floor genuinely hurts to watch, and it gives his character so much more depth when you look back at the previous movies.
But what I love most about this trilogy is that it understands its characters. These aren’t perfect heroes who always know what to do. They’re insecure, annoying, emotionally damaged idiots who make mistakes and hurt each other sometimes. But they care about each other, and that’s what makes their relationships feel real.
The humor is great, the soundtracks are iconic, the visuals are amazing, and the movies have some genuinely emotional moments. But none of that would matter as much if you didn’t care about the characters themselves.
And I think James Gunn deserves a lot of credit for making all three movies feel so consistent while still giving each one its own identity. The first is a fun space adventure, the second gets more personal, and the third is a much darker and more emotional story. They feel different, but they still belong together.
Also, the fact that the trilogy actually sticks the landing is a huge deal. Vol. 3 gives these characters a proper ending without making everything feel artificially perfect.

I've personally always liked him as a villain and thought he was underappreciated, but there is a discussion to be had about him being the very first villain of the MCU. What are your thoughts on his character?

So much to like. Every moment with Ultron was fantastic. James Spader really steals his scenes. The interactions between him and Paul Bettany…chefs kiss. The writing was good, the way it was shot was too. I’m digging the world Vision has made in his head and the way all the AI’s interact. Can’t wait to see where this goes from here and if we’ll get any cameos later on. What are you t thoughts so far?

Who do you think the client is that hired the Paladin and is able to hack into his communications as well as the security cameras so they’re able to watch what’s going on?

Do you think their hacking involves being tech savvy or magic?

Keeping with the theme of the show, do you think it could be another AI?