Tag Archives: Avengers: Age of Ultron

Characters, Marvel, Movies, TV Shows

‘What If…?’ Reminds Us That Vision Was Always One of the Strongest Avengers

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One thing about the What If…? series that has been really interesting (and I’m sure a little controversial for some) is the use of the characters. Some characters have been utilized in ways very similar to their inclusions in the MCU from a power level while other characters have either been made much weaker for comic relief (like Thanos) or given overdue chances to shine (like Captain Marvel.)

But Ultron. Oh-ho, Ultron is on a whole other level of scary in this series. In this series, the writer A.C Bradley imagines a universe where Ultron had actually won. Ultron ends up easily obtaining the rest of the Infinity Stones by merely cutting Thanos in half with a nanosecond Mind Stone blast. It was shocking to many and more than a little bit unbelievable but it’s honestly not as far-fetched as it seems.

Think about Vision and the few instances where we actually got to see the potential of the heroic synthezoid.

When he first appears in Age of Ultron he’s so powerful he picks up Mjolnir as if it were nothing, shocking the Avengers as they suddenly realized just how incredible the Vision was.

Continue reading ‘What If…?’ Reminds Us That Vision Was Always One of the Strongest Avengers →
Characters, Marvel, Movie Heroines, Movies

My Personal Marvel Marathon Cast a New Light on Black Widow

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It’s three days until I will get the chance to see Black Widow, the first Marvel movie I will have seen in theaters since Endgame over two years ago, and I am ecstatic.

In preparation for the movie I did a Marvel movie marathon where I watched every film that featured Black Widow. It took two days to complete and it was pretty fun but what was most fascinating is watching the writers evolve Natasha Romanoff from this flirty eye-candy broad in a tight black suit to a bad*** leader and a true hero.

In Iron Man 2 she, of course, was sexualized the most as Tony ogled at her and she flirted with him in turn. In The Avengers while she thankfully wasn’t forced to have a romance with anyone, namely Hawkeye, she was still forced to be sexualized at the beginning of the movie. In Captain America: The Winter Soldier she’s practically flirting with Steve Rogers the whole movie, even kissing him when they have to evade HYDRA which is warranted but wasn’t totally necessary. And in Avengers: Age of Ultron Whedon came out of left field and bombarded Black Widow with this romance with Bruce Banner that nobody saw coming but kind of made sense? The movie gives us the best idea of her haunting past in the Red Room, including letting us know that she was sterilized. It’s a terrible piece of information that gives her character so much more depth but Whedon ruins the moment by comparing her sterilization to being a monster. Ugh.

And so, that’s her story in those four films. Then she returns in Captain America: Civil War and suddenly she’s a totally different person.

Continue reading My Personal Marvel Marathon Cast a New Light on Black Widow →
Marvel, Movie Trailers, Movies

Counting Down My 20 Favorite Trailers: #20-‘Avengers: Age of Ultron’

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The Avengers was a surprising masterpiece, bringing together a group of flawed but mighty heroes to stop a seemingly unstoppable force. With The Avengers doing so well, we were all expecting quite the sequel and Age of Ultron‘s teaser trailer delivered on all cylinders.

The trailer feels haunting as we see our heroes clipped together in ways that feel extra dire. The “I Have No Strings On Me” song from Pinnochio is given a dark twist, permeating this trailer with every word as a little boy sings in the background in an incessant disturbing pitch while our favorite heroes look like they’re in big trouble.

And Ultron, oh he looked the ultimate villain in an Avengers sequel. Instead, he would turn out to be not that intimidating but this trailer doesn’t paint that dismal picture. It’s one of those trailers that end up not replicating the exact tone of the movie but heck, I’ll give Marvel Studios kudos for trying. Continue reading Counting Down My 20 Favorite Trailers: #20-‘Avengers: Age of Ultron’ →

Actors, Entertainment, Marvel, Movie Posters, Movies

A Movie Ranking: Linda Cardellini

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Linda Cardellini is an actress that I’ve seen in a lot of movies recently so I decided to choose her for this week’s A Movie Ranking. Enjoy!

8. Daddy’s Home 2

Amazon.com : Daddy's Home 2 Movie Poster Limited Print Photo Will ...

I wish this movie had been as fun and funny as the first one. Unfortunately, it veers too far into the corny zone to be as lovable as Daddy’s Home, hence being last on this list.

7. Scooby-Doo

Scooby-Doo (2002) - IMDb

I had no freaking idea that Linda Cardellini played the greatest live-action version of Velma that there is until I recently revisited this film and saw her. I was like, “WHAAAAATTT?!!!” I have watched this movie several times as a child and I just had no idea. Such a cool surprise.

6. Green Book

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A good movie but not a great one, Green Book won Best Picture in 2019 for no reason other than it was the safe choice for The Academy to make. It’s basically Driving Miss Daisy except for the race of the driver and person being driven were switched! The only thing I can remember fondly about this film is how beautiful it was visually. That’s it.

5. Daddy’s Home

Amazon.com: Daddy's Home - Movie Poster (2016), Size 24 x 36 ...

I watched this film with my father and sister for the first time a few years ago and we LOVED it! It was funny, it was sweet, and it really made me happy. This is your classic feelgood comedy that’s easy to watch and enjoy.

4. Avengers: Age of Ultron

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This movie may not be the best Avengers film but it does have a rather nice surprise in it as we meet Linda Cardellini’s Laura Barton, Hawkeye’s wife. I remember watching the film the first time and being so surprised…in a good way. It was a nice bit of story development for Hawkeye, a character that fans thought was kind of dull in The Avengers, and it added a sense of stakes to Clint’s journey that previously hadn’t been there.

Great idea, Marvel Studios!

3. Good Burger

Amazon.com: Good Burger POSTER Movie (27 x 40 Inches - 69cm x ...

This is an iconic comedy that is pure fun and it just so happens to be one of Linda Cardellini’s first movies. Here was another film that I had no idea she was in until I watched it again recently and recognized her.

If you’ve never seen Good Burger give it a look. It’s funny!

2. The Founder

The Founder (2016) - IMDb

Oh. My. Goodness this is a good movie! I watched this one day on Netflix and was blown away by how freaking entertaining it was. It tells the story of Ray Kroc (played by Michael Keaton), a ruthless businessman who practically takes the McDonald’s company from Dick and Mac McDonald and turns it into the wealthiest fast-food chain…at the time.

Linda Cardellini plays Joan Smith, the woman Ray Kroc ultimately has an affair with and leaves his wife, Ethel Kroc (played by Laura Dern) over. I’ll remember Linda in this role because she was a blond which was different and kind of took me by surprise.

1. Avengers: Endgame

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This is pretty much a no-brainer for 1st on this list. This movie isn’t perfect but it’s awesome and never fails to deliver fan service at its finest.

So, there’s my ranking. What’s your favorite Linda Cardellini role? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below.

I thank you for reading and I hope you have a beautiful day.

Marvel, Movies

My Top 20 Scenes in the Marvel Cinematic Universe: Part 2

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Yesterday I shared the first five scenes in my top 20 favorite-scenes-in-the-MCU countdown. Now, it’s time for the next five. Let the countdown commence.

15. Captain America’s Startling Reawakening

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Steve Rogers a.k.a Captain America was thought to be dead but instead, he was frozen in time and thawed out in the 21st century. Say what you will about Captain America: The First Avenger. This is one of my favorite movie endings for a superhero movie ever. It’s such a fun way to introduce Captain America to our futuristic world and, for a bonus, it features Nick Fury too. Love it!

14. “What the f–?!”

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Speaking about superhero movie endings, this is also one of my favorite. Part of Spider-Man’s story and the daily challenge is to keep his aunt, friends, and the world from knowing who he, Peter Parker, really is. Marvel Studios has thrown that scenario out of the window and it’s fitting, considering that Tony Stark broke that secret-hero narrative in Iron Man. This is a world where the heroes are known and that makes Spider-Man’s story a little more complex than before.

13. Who Can Lift Mjolnir?

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From the first time I watched this scene to the last time I watched this scene, it has always managed to make me laugh.

12. Gamora’s Death

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There isn’t much tragedy in the MCU. Avengers: Infinity War is full of it. This scene has always been haunting and even though Gamora was essentially revived in Endgame, it still hurts.

11. “And I am Iron Man.”

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Avengers: Endgame isn’t the best superhero movie that I’ve ever seen but it has moments that are downright unforgettable, this being one of them. I knew Iron Man was going to die but at least his death arrived via the most epic sacrifice ever conceived in a superhero film. I love this scene and yeah, I cry like a baby every time too.

Oh, snap, tomorrow arrives the next five scenes for this countdown.

I thank you for reading and I hope you have a beautiful day.

Characters, Marvel, Movie Heroines, Movies, Superhero

Is Scarlet Witch’s Turn to Villainy On the Horizon?

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Phase 4 is fast approaching and that means new stories will have to be told. One of the fascinating trends of the first three phases was seeing villainous characters end up becoming allies of the heroes. Loki, Nebula, and Ghost are examples of this trend. What if this time around, for the next three phases, we get another exciting plot twist; the heroes becoming villains.

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Wanda Maximoff started as a villain in Avengers: Age of Ultron but would become an ally of The Avengers. We saw her side with Captain America against Iron Man in Captain America: Civil War. We saw her fall in love with Vision and have to kill him just as quickly in order to save the universe from Thanos. And we saw her come back from the dead and fight Thanos in an epic one-on-one moment that left me pumping my fist in the air with joy.

But now what? Where will her story take her in the future?

Continue reading Is Scarlet Witch’s Turn to Villainy On the Horizon? →