MASSIVE SPOILERS AHEAD. SO MASSIVE
- Quicksilver
becomes the first big real casualty of the MCU. (Unless I’m forgetting
someone. Which I probably am.) I thought the Cradle of Plot would be
used to save him, but nooope. Poor ‘ol Quicksilver. I half wonder if he
wasn’t offed just because Fox’s version of him was more interesting.
- Hawkeye
is actually kinda the heart of this film, to my not unwelcome surprise.
He has a wife! And kids WHO CALL NATASHA ‘AUNT NAT’ HELP ME MY HEART IS
EXPLODING. I remember the wife and kids from the Ultimates, where they
were all shot in the head. On orders from Natasha. Don’t read the
Ultimates, kids.
- Black Widow herself was very good in this
movie, although I’m not really feeling the Bruce/Natasha thing. I prefer
them as friends. Also, the glimpses of Natasha’s past were EXCELLENT
and I really can’t put into words how MUCH there should be a solo Black
Widow movie. (I know…there have been rumours. Maybe this’ll be the
year they finally come to fruition.)
- Tony was Tony and Steve was
Steve? I dunno, I’m not quite as invested in those two as a lot of
fandom is. I like that their friendship is finally starting to take
shape, though.
- Tony and Thor listing Pepper and Jane’s
respective achievements and fighting over which woman was ‘better’ was
obviously a well-intended scene so I can’t quite bring myself to be mad about it, but I just know it’s going to be used by fandom and the mainstream media to pit the women in question against each other. Just like they do with real-life women. Yay.
- Rhodey! He had quite a big role, actually. Good!
- And FALCON! I was so pleased when I heard he was going to be in it, I love Falcon. He’s only in two scenes, but still, I bet Anthony Mackie exploded with excitement when told about the second one.
- Paul Bettany as Vision was WONDERFUL, I hope he has a big role in the next one
- Scarlet Witch was good, but not as good as her comic book counterpart, whom I keep meaning to read more about.
- Nick Fury’s Crowning Moment Of Awesome was very, very awesome and I loved it.
- There were…wait for it…FIVE WOMEN! in this film. Natasha, Wanda, Maria Hill, Laura Barton (wife of Clint), and Helen Cho. I thoroughly expected Helen to die in one scene (she is virtually the only woman of colour in the MCU after all) but she was actually alright, and I’m glad.
- Also, it just scraped by the Bechdel Test, because Natasha and Laura are friends and they talked! And I want there to be more female friendships in the MCU so I am so glad about that.
- There was a little bit of stuff about civilians casualties/protection/civilians not wanting to be protected by people they can’t trust. That’s the sort of stuff I like and I expect there will be more of it in Civil War, although I am greedy and want it now. (Is this what Daredevil is, because if so I am so there.)
- I am 99% sure a familiar face from The Winter Soldier shows up and, as a fan of the minor characters usually more than I am of the main ones, I was so pleased to see him.