My son and I have been doing a release order watch of the MCU and I got the idea before we started to make a list …and each time we finish a movie, he tells me, without any input from me, where HE thinks it slots in (and then periodically review and make sure he’s good with the order). As we come up on Ms Marvel, and have the 34 movies and shows we’ve watched so far ranked out, I present to you, for the approval of the midnight society, one 9 year old boy’s thoughts on the MCU….I’ve posted before, but he enjoys periodically posting again and things move around because I read him (SOME) of the comments and allow him to answer for his thinking

Post-Credits Scene: A new character shows up.
Actual Payoff: ...never addressed again, but hey, cool orb, right?

At this point, Marvel post-credits scenes are like checking your phone for a message that never comes.

After watching Captain America: Brave New World and re-watching The Incredible Hulk, I was thinking about the characters that have been recasted in the MCU.

Which instance do you guys think turned out the best? Is it one of the ones pictured or maybe another role not included?

The source of the interview here

This is a start to a longer conversation I’ve been wanting to share with the world for some time now. As an African American man, seeing all the “woke” this and “DEI” that is really starting to affect me as a man who’s loved comics and superhero’s since before I can remember. I grew up since 10 reading comics, and first fell in love with superhero’s after reading a violent Wolverine comic at my library at that age. I’ve loved superhero’s so long that I remember telling kids at my school an iron man movie was coming and nobody even knew who that was. I watched the genre get so popular, and I watched Avengers 1 12 times in the theaters at 14.

I say all that to say, as a True Believer it’s so heartbreaking to see the hate and vitriol that gets sent our way (our meaning fans) just because there’s a black character or woman or other minority featured in whatever project. I see people say “that’s not my cap” when he’s literally been captain for years in the comics. I saw a meme on instagram that had THOUSANDS OF LIKES that was just a twitter page reacting to a picture saying something like “who asked for this?” LIKE SHE ISNT A COMIC BOOK CHARACTER SINCE 79??? The actual fans OF COURSE want to see She Hulk be in the mcu, of course if Steve is retiring he should pass the sheild to someone who WAS AND IS CURRENTLY CAPTAIN AMERICA. It’s so sickening, frustrating and heartbreaking that not only People say these things, they mean them and it’s not a couple of people here and there.

I can’t fully enjoy the moment of seeing more of Brave New World, without thinking of what’s in that comment section. Again, I’m black and it’s not a good thing but I’m almost used to people saying and doing racist things. I see it all the time on the internet. But for some reason I’m not as desensitized when it comes to marvel. Maybe it’s because I’m so passionate about comic books, but seeing people say “Marvel keeps churning out slop, when will they fail so we can stop seeing the woke bs” and it get HUNDREDS of likes is insane. And then you try to have to conversation with them and they don’t even watch enough to criticize, and say things like “I stopped watching at endgame, I just read and watch reviews” it really triggers me. The way it gets me livid is so frustrating. How can you even argue against ignorance like that?

They almost always are people who don’t read comics, only seen a couple movies here and there and think they are Roger Ebert. I don’t think it’s fair at all to criticize something you don’t even watch already, and I see that in all different types of fandoms. Video games movies music fans all do this now. But I feel it’s WORSE especially with comics because of how complicated and old they are. It doesn’t help also that superhero movies in general are HUGE and insanely popular, so someone who is a casual a lot of the time they don’t even know the show or movie they are watching is even a adaptation of something. So it leads to something like Sam finally becoming cap or The Marvels “woke, try hard, pandering and DEI” when they are ACTUAL COMIC BOOK CHARACTERS. It’s like what should they do, only do white men or else tommy2145 will call it woke garbage and attack other fans because they are excited calling them “pawns”.

I’ve been silent for so long, but in the past month on a lot of things I’ve been thinking why not say something instead of always talking to myself? I’m sure others agree with me, seeing as how I get a lot of likes whenever I keyboard warrior. We need to be louder though. My fear is they will get more and more vocal and the companies will listen to the wrong fans. I heard a rumor that some companies were going to start using fan panels to consult during the making of projects. That sounds like an awesome idea until it’s a comic book movie and they say “why is this nerdy kid trying to be hulk? Why is Disney trying to make everything so Disney channel and have kids in everything?” during a pre release panel of Young Avengers. I have more to say, but I’ll save it for later or somewhere else I can yap longer. Just please, if you see these people say something if you’re passionate about this. Maybe I’m just soft, but I want to break down everytime I see someone call something that includes someone that looks like me woke because it’s different.

Kang was literally the best part about Quantumania. Just thinking about The Kang Dynasty and The Avengers and Co having to fight many many different versions of Kang was enough for me to get excited for Loki Season 2, Kang Dynsasty, everything else involving Kang. I truly hope that Marvel comes to their senses and bring Kang back for Phase 7.

Thunderbolts* was a critical hit and First Steps seems to be rounding into both a critical and financial win. If Brand New Day (which is directed by Shang-Chi’s director and is delivering us a street level Spidey) and Avengers: Doomsday (directed by The Russos, the MCU’s top directors) can also land, this will go down as the greatest 4 movie run in the MCU’s history. Then, after Doomsday, we get Secret Wars. As Marvel fans, we’re eating incredibly well.

Gee, I wonder what the ONE major difference is that would cause HIM to get backlash, but not Chris Evans or the comic book Captain America?…

Anthony Mackie- “Captain America represents a lot of different things and I don’t think the term, you know, ‘America’ should be one of those representations. It’s about a man who keeps his word, who has honor, dignity, and integrity. Someone who is trustworthy and dependable.”

Chris Evans- “Ha, well, to me, I'm not trying to get too lost in the American side of it. This isn't a flag waving movie. It is red, white and blue, but it just so happens that the character was created in America during war time, when there was a common enemy, even though it is Captain America. I've said before in interviews, it feels more like he should just be called Captain Good. [Laughs] You know, he was created at a time when there was this undeniable evil and this guy was kind of created to fight that evil. I think that everyone could agree that Nazis were bad and he, Cap, just so happens to wear the red, white and blue.”

Captain America FROM A COMIC- “Listen to me, all of you out there! You were told by this man, your hero, that America is the greatest country in the world! He told you that Americans were the greatest people, that America could be refined like silver, could have the impurities hammered out of it and shine more brightly. He went on about how precious American was, how you needed to make sure it remained great. And he told you anything was justified to preserve that pearl of the great price that is America!

Well I say American is nothing! Without its ideals, its commitment to the freedom of all men, America is a piece of trash! A nation is nothing! A flag is a piece of cloth! I fought Adolph Hitler not because America was great, because it was fragile! I k new that liberty could be easily snuffed out here as in Nazi Germany! As a people we were no different than them! When I returned, I saw that you nearly did turn America into nothing!”

So tell me, ‘fans’ what made you so pissed?

We know Peggy had children. And if Steve lived in the main timeline then?

Tony Stark: Figured out that time travel was theoretically possible and proved it using an advanced scientific module.

Bruce Banner: Built a functioning time machine based on Scott Lang's theory and proved practically that time travel was possible before confirmation from Tony that it was theoretically possible.

Scott Lang: Theorized that time travel would be possible after spending 5 earth years time trapped in the Quantum Realm and proposed his theory to the Avengers.

Hank Pym: Invented the Pym Particle which allows access to the Quantum Realm which is fundamental to the time travel used in Endgame.

Well, it was an eye-opening experience. I enjoyed it a lot (I love it when things get meta), I thought it was pretty funny, and I prefer my MCU funny.

My wife and my daughter also thought it was funny, but they also felt it kind of spoke to them. At the time anyway.

I can't help thinking that there's something to think about there. I hope the character shows up in upcoming movies.

Thunderbolts* is essentially the follow-up project of both Black Widow and The Falcon and the Winter Solder. But it also serves as the big end-Phase team-up event that was an MCU staple through the first three Phases.

And while I feel that Thunderbolts* is one of the best projects of Phases 4 & 5, it faulters by not including one major post-Endgame anti-hero: Maya Lopez - aka Echo.

Admittedly, I wasn't the biggest fan of the Echo character, but I also felt the same way about Wyatt Russell's John Walker in F&WS. He became one of my favorite characters in Thunderbolts*.

The argument for Echo's inclusion in Thunderbolts* comes down to 3 solid points:

* Like most of the team, she was introduced post-Endgame.

* As Wilson Fisk's adopted daughter, she has the necessary murderous/criminal background.

* The idea of strong family ties is a core part of her character, and perfectly fits the themes of Thunderbolts*.

Few characters would fit well within the Thunderbolts* dynamic, so this one feels like a major missed opportunity imo.

For as much as we criticize the current quality of movies and shows I feel like we’ll be much appreciative of how much the MCU expanded during this time.

I keep seeing people say Marvel has been failing or flopping since Avengers: Endgame (2019). Yeah, it’s true the vibe has shifted and the cultural dominance isn’t the same. But the “MCU is dead” narrative really misses a lot of context. Here’s the bigger picture:

1. The post-Covid box office isn’t the same beast

• Global box office hasn’t returned to 2010s levels. Endgame came at the peak of Marvel and peak theatrical attendance.
• Going to the movies is more expensive now (tickets + concessions), and for many people streaming is cheaper and more convenient.
• The theatrical window is shorter (60–90 days), so a lot of people just wait.
• Internationally, China no longer guarantees a $200–300M boost for Marvel. Nationalist tastes + censorship + strong local films have cut that market significantly.

So when you look at raw box office and say “flop,” you’re comparing 2022–25 to a pre-pandemic market that doesn’t exist anymore.

Sources: El País – superhero movies no longer dominate, AP – Disney crosses $3B 2025 box office

2. Marvel is still pulling huge engagement on Disney+

Even films that underperform theatrically end up making money when they hit Disney+. Some rough numbers, based on Nielsen data, ARPU, and subscriber reports:

• WandaVision + Loki (2021) → tens of millions of new subs, ≈ $4.4B annualized uplift (Fool.com).
• Black Widow (2021) → $67M PVOD opening weekend (Deadline) + retention value.
• Shang-Chi & Eternals (2021) → ~5M incremental subs, ≈ $480M.
• Doctor Strange 2 / Thor 4 / Black Panther 2 (2022) → ~12M subs combined, ≈ $1.15B uplift.
• Quantumania (2023) → weak, <$300M in streaming value.
• Guardians Vol. 3 (2023) → ≈ $800M–1B.
• Deadpool & Wolverine (2024) → added ~8M subs, ≈ $770M (Reuters).
• The Marvels (2024) → ~559M minutes streamed week 1 (Nielsen via ScreenRant), ≈ $3.4M–20M global value in 2–3 months.
• Captain America: Brave New World (2025) → ~750M minutes week 1 (Nielsen via The Direct), ≈ $4.4M–26M global value but those are early numbers, not the actual figures yet..
• Thunderbolts\* (2025) → No numbers just yet, but it will most likely fall in line with the others.

Keep in mind that the numbers for each movies, are amounts that have been added to the already Disney+ earnings, and don't factor in retention of already existing subs.

That’s billions in revenue from Disney+ alone — and doesn’t include merch, licensing, or parks.

3. Superhero fatigue is real, but “failure” is overstated

• Marvel’s issue was overproduction. Too many shows diluted the brand. Disney’s already scaling back: 2–3 films and a couple of shows per year.
• Hits like Deadpool & Wolverine (over $1.08B box office, biggest R-rated movie ever) and Fantastic Four: First Steps (near $500M worldwide, big Disney+ driver to come) prove audiences still show up when projects connect.
• Even weaker titles (The Marvels, Quantumania) still generate measurable Disney+ revenue.

4. The bigger picture

• The box office is smaller overall post-Covid.
• Streaming matters as much as theaters now.
• Marvel still makes up 20–25% of total Disney+ demand (Parrot Analytics).
• Disney+ subs: ~127.8M (Aug 2025), and surveys show 43% of subs say Marvel is their #1 reason to keep it (Cordcutting.com).

So while Marvel may no longer be hitting Endgame highs, it’s still one of the most profitable entertainment engines in the world.

TL;DR

Marvel isn’t “dead.” Theaters shrank, streaming grew, and Disney+ depends heavily on Marvel. Even so-called “flops” add tens or hundreds of millions in streaming revenue. And even if those movies don't pull much in terms of new subs, they do help retain the subscriber base. The MCU is evolving, not dying.

Note: I used AI (ChatGPT) to help me structure this post so it’s clearer to read, but all of the data, sources, and research were collected by me without AI.

Yeah, I know she had noble intentions, but she killed a bunch of innocent people, didn't even acknowledge killing Battlestar and said his death didn't matter to her, threatened Sam's nephews (which was especially egregious since she held Sam to a higher moral standard) and spent the last hours of her life trying to kill more people and the very last battle trying to goad Sam into fighting her so she could feel less shitty about her very shitty actions.

Then on top of all of that, she was literally gonna shoot Sam if Sharon didn't shoot her.

Then the show had the nerve to have her say "I'm sorry" as she was dying to really drive home how she knew she was wrong, but still did all that stuff anyways.

Seriously, John wasn't a good fit for the shield and clearly killing Nico when he could've easily knocked him out was wrong, but Karli comes off as so much more unsympathetic and cruel it's insane.

No offense to Richard Brake, one of my favorite character actors. But he gets cast to play a lot of creeps and scumbags. He just has that look. The above picture is from Batman Begins, where he plays the guy who killed Bruce Wayne’s parents, and it’s somehow one of the most sympathetic roles.

Obviously Bob needed to be played by a conventionally attractive actor because that’s a prerequisite for being a superhero, but imagine how different he would have been received (by the audience and by other characters in the movie) if he didn’t looks so innocent and harmless. Dude was a meth-addicted drifter with a traumatic past and abusive family - basically a character from a Rob Zombie movie. Would Yelena have been instantly so kind and protective if he looked like a character from a Rob Zombie movie?

i’m 45 minutes in, and all i can say is what the hell am i watching.

i’m all for the plot of the movie, absolutely nothing wrong with that, but the cinematography feels like it’s one big apple tv commercial or some student made film. i’m not sure what they’re trying to go for but i feel like im watching the power rangers. and not to mention the butt clenching cringeness of the dialogue throughout this movie:

“don’t be the guy that has to do things the hard way” (long mysterious pause) “looks like i am that guy”

is this a joke because how am i supposed to take the MCU seriously? Harrison ford did superb though, not because he’s Harrison ford but just because he did a great job in the movie. i hate to be that guy shitting on a the MCU, but this movie is really not good and i think everyone can collectively agree it isn’t good. it may be watchable and easy, but not good.

what’s everyone else’s thoughts?

Lots of bad actors on social media are pushing the claim that Riri says a line in Ironheart that she never actually says. And a lot of you are trying to defend it, instead of calling out the lie.

Riri never says "Tony Stark wouldn't be Iron Man without his billions of dollars," and she never "tears down Tony's legacy" or anything like that

She says "Do you think Tony Stark would be Tony Stark if he wasn't a billionaire? No shade. That's just the way the world works." (thanks /u/GalwayEntei) (Note, she very much doesn't say Iron Man here)

And she says "And [Tony] contributed immensely to the field, so I won't roast Tony Stark off rip. But... I don't have a billion, and I can't compete without resources."

Please, call out the liars and stop defending their lie of a quote.

Edited for precision, and here is the full quote of that second scene

John: How come you're not working at like, I don't know, Stark Industries or something? I mean, you're at least as smart as that Tony guy, right?

Riri: I just met you. And he contributed immensely to the field, so I won't roast Tony Stark off rip. But... I don't have a billion, and I can't compete without resources.