Here's a video I made on how I would reduce Thor Ragnarok hope you like it. I will make a part 2 that will be posted in a few days. This video includes footage from Thor Ragnarok (2017) and includes an image of Hogun from Thor (2011).
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With the recent announcement that Iron fist season 3 has been canceled. I thought it would be a good time to talk about this mixed bag of a show. What it did right what it didn’t do that well and my theories on why it’s being canceled. But first, a little background information Iron fist was first released on Netflix on March 17, 2017, and was instantly hated originally only scoring a 3% on rotten tomatoes, though in the time since that number has raised to 19%. With many people claiming it was the worst thing Marvel put out until the Inhumans premiered on ABC (and let me tell you folks that was way worse). However, despite the original negative feedback Netflix still created a season 2, launched September 7, 2018, which was way better than the first then season and currently sitting at a 54% on rotten tomatoes. Iron fist is probably the most interesting show out of the Netflix corner. The Netflix shows, for the most part, are known as darker gritter and more realistic side of the MCU, and then here without warning comes a naive character with literal magical powers from an ancient city from another dimension. At first look, this sound really intriguing, and chance discover the more fantastical elements of the MCU and may give a different tone for Netflix. Too bad that the creators of this show did not know how to do that. First off let's start with the main character Danny Rand AKA the Immortal Iron Fist. Danny is a white billionaire, whose parents died in a plane crash over the Himalayas. He’s was taken in by some monks living in the mystical city of K’un-Lun (located somewhere in another dimension) where he learned how to fight and eventually became the holder of the Iron fist, and the protector of his adoptive home. Which he abandoned to go back to (where else) New York City. This is the main problem with his character his main motivation is primarily out of selfishness. Which is a strong contrast to Danny's overall giving and caring nature that the showrunners try to paint Danny as. The other main problem is that Danny is not a relatable character and they try so hard to make him seem “relatable” even though no one even the other people in his own universe believes this. Now the showrunners weren’t entirely wrong in doing this. with the superhero genre, in particular, the main protagonist needs to be relatable in some way, so the audience can to relate to what’s going on especially when you're dealing with superpowered individuals. Marvel usually does a good job with this usually giving their characters some crippling relatable flaw or general likeability/ aberration that makes an audience want to root for them. The showrunners attempt this by making Danny naive and know basically nothing of his real power similar in the way Spiderman is betrayed in Spiderman Homecoming. But here’s why this doesn't work. For one Danny isn’t a teenager he’s in his early 20’s which makes him seem more stupid rather than naive especially to the general audience. While I don’t so much have a problem with his naivety I find that his lack of knowledge of the fist bathing. Know it’s inferred in the show that he hadn’t has this power for that long which is why he’s so bad at using it, again similar to Spiderman, but this doesn't work for Iron fist as well as it does for other heroes because Danny didn’t accidentally inherit this power or it was thrust upon him by some mysterious force. He had trained for this since he was around ten. Furthermore in season 2 we learn that Davos (the main antagonist in the second season and Danny’s adopted brother) was the air of the dragon and was strictly trained by his parents to inherit the fist for his entire life, and Danny was there training with him so you would think that he would know more about the fist he had trained at least ten years for! The main problem with the first season, in general, was that it was trying to do too much. The passing was terrible for the first half of the season was just about Dany trying to gain rights to his parents' company, and proving that he’s Danny Ran. It’s boring. And he hardly ever uses the fist or take in any good fight scenes. No really in the entire first season Dany really only got in one good fight scene. The second half of the season picked up a little introducing the Hand and (spoilers) the revelation that Danny's love interest Colin West was actually a member of the Hand( K’un-Lun sworn enemy). Speaking about Colin West she’s the best part of Iron Fist. Her character is actually really deep. As explained earlier she’s a member of the Hand but her reason and devotion and eventual fall out with the hand is well done and is actually cared throughout the first two seasons and The Defenders series. Then there’s her relationship with Danny which surprisingly works really well she literally makes him better as a character and calls Danny out on his shit constantly without seeming over barring and letting him grow on his own. Which he does well in the second season. Actually, everything improved in season two, in fact, I think it was one of the best seasons of the Netflix shows. The plot was consistent not dragged out or rushed. They had two central antagonists that were consistent in their characterization they introduced a really interesting new almost anti-hero Waren/ Hannah (it makes sense if you watch the show). I was thoroughly entertained throughout the entire show, especially the ending in which (major spoilers) Colin receives the new iron fist and is possibly a descendant of the first female iron fist in K’un-Lun. Danny after losing the fist can somehow use it again and… well, let’s just say things were getting really interesting and left us on a cliffhanger, and from what I heard most people were actually excited for a season three. So why did it get canceled? Well according to Netflix there’s no official reason. Though there are rumors speculation and possible evidence to suggest that it was canceled due to lack of viewership. It also should be mentioned that apparently Marvel and Netflix are having problems with creating the shows, for whatever reason. But this is all just speculation and no official reports from ether companies have come out. However what is known is that Disney (marvels parent company) is starting their own streaming service in 2019, which will include all of marvels studios content, with possible new content exclusively for the streaming services. Furthermore, we also know that Disney will be pulling all there material from Netflix. Now according to Disney and Netflix, the Netflix original shows are safe and will remain on Netflix streaming serves past 2019. Netflix will also have the ability to create new content in the future, with Marvel. This is where get a little fishy, while the exact contracts aren’t available from what I can tell, I don’t think Marvel can right up stop Netflix from creating new seasons of there already established properties, but they can certainly make things harder, and it’s possible that with Iron Fist’s viewer rates and critical reception combined with Marvel possibly creating production problems that Netflix decided it wasn’t worth it. Which is a shame because personally, I was really looking forward to a season 3. With a running total of 20 films, and 20 seasons of television the Marvel Cinematic Universe might seem a little overwhelming, and you might be hesitant to dive right into the MCU, but you don’t have to watch everything to know what’s going on, so here is my guide on how to maneuver your way through the MCU. Before I begin with my list I should mention that to see the main MCU (aka the movies) you don’t need to watch any of the TV shows or extra stuff such as the one shots, tie in comics, and the web series WHIH Newsfront. Still 20 movies is a lot of movies to watch so the question remains do you need to see all of them? The answer is no, you don’t have to. However if you want to understand all the reference and character to the fullest; I would just watch all of them. Anyways here’s a list of what films you should see in the MCU. Note: the order I list here is in order the films are released not when they appear on the timeline if you want to watch all of them this is the order I would suggest watching them in. 1. Iron Man~2008 Possibly the best film to start of watching the MCU is the movie that started it all. You need absolutely no prior knowledge whatsoever to understand this film to the fullest. 2. Incredible Hulk~2008 This film is the only Hulk film that’s part of the MCU cannon, and personally I would skip this one entierely. This movie is hardly referenced in the rest of the MCU, and they replaced the actor for the Hulk. In fact you might actually be more confused if you watched this movie then if you skip it. But if your dead set on watching this you don’t need to watch Iron man in order to watch this. 3. Iron Man 2~2010 Iron Man 2 might not be the best film, but it is necessary to the rest of the MCU as it’s the first film to introduce Black Widow a staple in the MCU and the first film to really introduce Nick Fury who plays a key part in The Avengers. The only film you need to see in order to know what’s going on is the first Iron man movie. 4. Thor~2011 The first film to introduce Thor, Asgard, and the all amazing Loki. Thor is not a movie you should miss. You don’t need to watch any movies before this one however I would suggest at least watching the first Iron Man movie so you are at least introduced to Colson who plays a large role in this movie. 5. Captain America: The First Avenger~2011 This is a key lynch pin in the MCU and needs to be watched. Since most of this film takes place in the 40’s you don’t need to watch any other film to fully enjoy this one. 6. The Avengers~2012 What I would consider the most important movie in the MCU The Avengers is a movie you can not skip. Before watching this movie I would at least watch Captain America: The First Avenger, and would highly suggest watching Thor. You should also probably watch Iron Man 1 and 2, though you could skip them if you wanted. I would suggest at least watching Iron Man. 7. Iron Man 3~2013 This movie is actually more confusing to watch rather than not to watch, so it wouldn’t be a bad idea to skip it. However if you do want to watch this movie you need to see the first 2 Iron Man movies and The Avengers(6). 8. Thor: The Dark World~2013 Though critical the worst film in the MCU to date it is important to the overall story of the MCU, so I would watch it. You actually only need to see the first Thor movie in order to understand this one, though I would also highly suggest watching The Avengers(6). 9. Captain America: The Winter Soldier~2014 Known as one of the best films in the MCU The Winter Soldier is not only enjoyable but shook up the entire MCU forever. In order to watch this movie you need to see Captain America: The First Avenger and The Avengers(6) 10. Guardians of the Galaxy~2014 Guardians of the Galaxy is a fun lovable movie that almost everyone enjoys. You actually don’t need to watch any marvel movies to understand this one it truly stands out on its own. 11. Avengers: Age of Ultron~2015 The follow up to the all too successful The Avengers, Avengers: Age of Alton is a good movie that intrudes my personal favorite character Scarlet Witch along with her brother Quicksilver. Before seeing this movie you should definitely watch The Avengers(6). Plus I would highly suggest watching Captain America: The Winter Soldier. 12. Ant-Man~2015 Probably the most underrated film in the MCU Ant-Man is a fun little adventure, and I would suggest checking it out. You don’t actually need to see any other films in order to see this one though it wouldn’t hurt to watch Avengers: Age of Ultron(11). 13. Captain America: Civil War~2016 Sometimes called Avengers 2.0, Captain America Civil War is one of the best movies in the MCU that brings together almost all of the Avengers and the first introduction to two of my favorite characters Spider-Man and Black Panther. To see this movie you need to see Captain America: First Avenger, Captain America: Winter Soldier, The Avengers(6), and Avengers: Age of Ultron. I would also highly suggest watching Ant-Man, but it’s not completely necessary. 14. Doctor Strange~2016 Though not the best movie Doctor Strange still plays an important part in the overall story of the MCU. This movie actually completely stands on its own though it wouldn’t hurt to watch Thor and Thor: The Dark World. 15. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2~2017 Guardian of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is a movie you don’t want to skip. In order to watch this movie the only movie you need to see is Guardians of the Galaxy. 16. Spider-Man: Homecoming~2017 The only MCU Spiderman movie Spiderman Homecoming is a refreshing low stakes movie that actually does a good job betraying Spiderman as a teenager. In order to watch this movie you should watch Captain America: Civil War(13) and all movies associated with it. 17. Thor: Ragnarok~2017 Thor: Ragnarok is still a really funny movie that almost everyone enjoys, and is probably one of the most important films in the MCU as a whole. In order to watch this you should see Thor, The Avengers(6), Thor: The Dark World, and Avengers: Age of Ultron(11). 18. Black Panther~2018 If you haven’t already heard about this movie where have you been for the last 8 months? No, but in all seriousness if you haven’t seen this movie you should it’s truly one of marvel's best. Black Panther is interesting in it was specifically designed for newcomers (I’ll give you one guess why) so while you don’t have to watch any of the other movies I would highly suggest seeing Captain America: Civil War(13) first since it’s the first introduction to Black Panther, and the movie picks up right after those events. 19. Avengers: Infinity War~2018 Ok so let’s get real for a minuet, this is the main reason I made this list so that people could be prepared to watched this epic of a movie that is definitely Marvels best. In order to watch this film you need to see The Avengers(6), Avengers: Age of Ultron(11), Captain America: Civil War (13), Thor: Ragnarok, and Guardians of the Galaxy. I would also highly suggest you watch Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.2, and Black Panther, and all the movies associated with The Avengers and Avengers: Age of Ultron and Captain America: Civil War. It would also be a good idea to watch Doctor Strange and Spider-Man: Homecoming, but the base of those characters is covered in Thor: Ragnarok and Civil War respectively, so if need or want be you could skip them. 20. Ant-Man and the Wasp~2018 The latest film in the MCU (as of October of 2018), Ant-Man and the Wasp is good movie that might play an essential aspect in the untitled Avengers 4 film coming out next year. In order to watch this film you need to see Ant-Man, and Captain America: Civil War (13) and it wouldn’t be a bad idea to see Avengers: Infinity War as well though it’s not necessary. |
AuthorMy name is Emily Kerman. I'm a senior in high school, and an aspiring author. I have been in love with the MCU (marvel cinematic universe) since 2015 when I first saw Captain America First Avenger (yes I know I joined the game late and watched it out of order). Archives |