Asian Representation in ‘Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings’
Marvel Studios’ Shang-Chi and the Legend of Ten Rings tries to recontextualize its stereotypical origins into a highly-entertaining film. Does it succeed?
marvel cinematic universe
Marvel’s ‘WandaVision’ Echos Our Lasting Pandemic Grief
Addressing pandemic-induced topics such as loss, grief, and mental illness, Marvel’s ‘WandaVision’ serves as a metaphor for life in the time of COVID.
‘The Immortal Hulk’ Finds Bruce Banner Coping with Internal and External Horrors
Marvel Comics writer Al Ewing dives into Bruce Banner’s disturbed mind and finds Devil Hulk.
‘Captain Marvel’ Sends a Powerful Message to Audiences and Filmmakers
The first female-centric film in the MCU, Captain Marvel, bakes the female experience into every aspect, making a potentially familiar story fresh and exciting.
Sub-Atomic Particles and Brilliant Heist Sequences: ‘Ant-Man’ Masters the Tiny Universe
There are strong emotional stakes and likeable characters in Peyton Reed's Ant-Man, but they are all rooted in a, well, less than epic scale. This makes Ant-Man refreshing, an MCU palate cleanser.
‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ Blew the Door to Comic Book Films Wide Open
With Guardians of the Galaxy, set to the soundtrack of an Awesome Mix Vol. 1 cassette tape, Marvel Studios adapted a little-known comic book property -- with a raccoon superhero -- into a hugely successful film and launched the next wave of comic book films.
‘Thor: The Dark World’ Comes Close to Being a Viable Story
In Thor: The Dark World there's a dangerous villain, a universe-ending threat, and a star-crossed romance -- but none of it makes sense.
‘Thor’ Blasted the Comic Book Superhero Genre Away from Earth
Kenneth Branagh's Thor (2011) took the largely Earth-based, sci-fi genre into the realm of supernatural space fantasy, leading the way for a wider array of comic book superhero films.
How Jon Favreau’s ‘Iron Man 2’ Peaks — Then Crashes
Tony spends the first half of the film worrying about his legacy but also trying to have fun with the time he has left. It's rather like MCU's superhero film challenges of the time.
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