Marvel Cinematic Universe, Phase Three and BEYOOOOONND

[Iuz the Evil]

Just recycling props. Although I mean killing everyone and wishing them back has happened in the Avengers several times in the past with Korvac or the Cosmic Cube. Happened in the Secret Wars too I think

And the Infinity Gauntlet did just that, along with half of all life in the universe in the comics

[Hermit]

Natalie Portman has done somethings I like,

but I get the 'phoning it in' vibe for her Marvel work mostly

[Christopher R Taylor]

I agree, she really doesn't seem to care about the role or the movies.  I've read she does not like the Jane Foster character at all.

[Old Man]

I wonder why she'd have taken the role then.  It's not like she needed the money.

[zslane]

Needing the money is irrelevant when you're offered millions. Every million counts.

[DasBroot]

I think she might like the character more if they'd kept her closer to the comics or even one of the animated versions instead of generic female 'lead' #13-B.  Especially with the current things they're doing with her in the comics.

[Doc Shadow]

I think I read somewhere that she accepted the role because she wanted to work with Ken Branagh.

[Bazza]

I think I read somewhere that she accepted the role because she wanted to work with Ken Branagh.

I vaguely remember something like that as well.

[Bazza]

Joss Whedon's Astonishing, Spine-Tingling, Soul-Crushing Marvel Adventure!

https://www.buzzfeed.com/adambvary/joss-whedon-spine-tingling-soul-crushing-marvel-adventure

[Matt the Bruins]

I agree, she really doesn't seem to care about the role or the movies.  I've read she does not like the Jane Foster character at all.

Well, there's one thing she and I can agree on.

[Christopher R Taylor]

Yeah I thought both her and the dimwitted girl's roles were pretty expendable and pointless.  Not great writing from an otherwise usually great job by the Marvel team.

[Matt the Bruins]

For me Dennings' character/performance was less pointless and more actively horrible and detracting from the movies. Jane was merely blah.

[Pattern Ghost]

I liked her in the first movie. There was just enough of it. They way overdid it in the second.

[zslane]

Dennings was annoying, but not Jar Jar annoying. Just saying.

[Christopher R Taylor]

Yeah she was tolerable, just not part of the movie, like someone from Friends had been transposed into the film, CGI'd in with bad lighting and lines that made no sense.

[Pattern Ghost]

That's pretty much how I felt about Jane Foster's whole crew, really.

[Bazza]

Mantis Co-Creator ‘Not Happy’ With Character’s Portrayal in Guardians 2

http://www.cbr.com/mantis-steve-englehart-guardians-of-the-galaxy-2/

 

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2 Turned Mantis Into the Butt of a Joke

http://www.cbr.com/guardians-galaxy-vol-2-mantis-joke/

[Hugh Neilson]

One advantage Marvel has over DC is that most of their characters are relative unknowns in mainstream culture. They can effectively be reinvented for the movies. Make Superman a genetic experiment, rather than the last son of a dead planet, and watch the screaming begin. Make Starlord's Dad Ego the Living Planet instead of J-Son of Spartax and who makes a fuss?

 

A lot of the MCU characters feel more like "inspired by the comic character" than transitioning that character to another medium. That's helped along by Marvel already having variants on many characters (Ultimate Universe versus mainstream Marvel is a big one). Hawkeye isn't a wisecracker in the MCU - that role is filled by RDJ's Iron Man. The Vision is a very different character, we lost much of the Scarlet Witch's history and Hank Pym's backstory is radically altered.

 

But it is interesting that the stereotypical Mandarin had to go, while Mantis is replaced with a stereotype geisha.

[Christopher R Taylor]

I wasn't fond of the remake of Vision's origin but the character ended up pretty much the same.  Their reenvisioning of scarlet witch wasn't very interesting but I do like that Pym isn't a wife beating unstable jerk.  It made for an interesting comic but I like Pym better this way.

[Twilight]

One advantage Marvel has over DC is that most of their characters are relative unknowns in mainstream culture. They can effectively be reinvented for the movies. Make Superman a genetic experiment, rather than the last son of a dead planet, and watch the screaming begin. Make Starlord's Dad Ego the Living Planet instead of J-Son of Spartax and who makes a fuss?

 

A lot of the MCU characters feel more like "inspired by the comic character" than transitioning that character to another medium. That's helped along by Marvel already having variants on many characters (Ultimate Universe versus mainstream Marvel is a big one). Hawkeye isn't a wisecracker in the MCU - that role is filled by RDJ's Iron Man. The Vision is a very different character, we lost much of the Scarlet Witch's history and Hank Pym's backstory is radically altered.

 

But it is interesting that the stereotypical Mandarin had to go, while Mantis is replaced with a stereotype geisha.

I wasn't aware the geisha stereotype included psychic powers.  At any rate given that Mantis' previous roles included blatant fanservice, knowing martial arts simply because she happens to be Asian and  having to get knocked up for the good of the universe (or however that Celestial Madonna storyline worked out, I know it involved her needing to have a baby though) I'm thinking this version of the character is superior.  She certainly has a better costume then the original.

[dmjalund]

and  having to get knocked up for the good of the universe

It's tilll possible she could be having Ego's baby

[Twilight]

It's tilll possible she could be having Ego's baby

I suppose, though she clearly wasn't pregnant when we saw her.  Also I think she'd have mentioned if Ego was doing her, given that keeping secrets did not seem to be her forte.  At any rate I still think movie Mantis is better then comic Mantis, for the reasons I've already stated.

[Bazza]

Mantis like is German-Vietnamese and received her martial arts training via the Priests of Pama a Kree group..

[Pattern Ghost]

Mantis like is German-Vietnamese and received her martial arts training via the Priests of Pama. Moondragon also received her martial arts training from the Priests of Pama.

 

So, instead of Mantis being a stereotypical Asian war bride in the comics, her mother is. Not much different than what the article is accusing the movie of, just off by a generation and the movie only implies the connection if you squint your eyes and look at it sideways.

 

As for the martial arts: She's still of Asian descent and still knows martial arts, regardless of who trained her. Comics version is actually half Asian by the story. Movie Mantis doesn't know martial arts and is an alien, so movie version wins there.

 

Really, the comic version of the character is rife with bad stereotypes and fan service. It's not like the original is some form of high art that's being besmirched by the movie version.

[Hugh Neilson]

This is the advantage of the MCU, to me - they can re-envision the characters and only the fanboys know. The movies have worked in large part because they did not enslave themselves to 50+ years of backstory.

 

However, the movie Mantis was a shrinking violet submissive, KOd so she could be rescued by the dumb jock - also a stereotype, but since it's a male stereotype with no ethnic connotations, it's not one anyone complains about.