FW Presents – What If? The MCU

FIRE AND WATER PODCAST NETWORK SUMMER SPECIAL!! We play “What If?” for the next phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe! Shag, Rob, Chris, Ryan, Max, and (sort of) Nathaniel share predictions and their own personal wish-lists!

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17 responses to “FW Presents – What If? The MCU

  1. “Spider-Man: Home Alone!!!!!” I laughed so hard that I could not stand. I needed that. Thanks! And Ryan: Your description of the X-Men story with them being underground was already done on the Fox show “The Gifted”, which just got canceled. It was not a bad show and gave a lot of fan service.

    I loved this discussion. Thanks guys.
    Brian Hughes
    3rd Degree Byrne

  2. Still listening but wanted to comment.

    First off, I always feel dirty when I agree with Shag – but he’s right. There’s no need to re-introduce the world to the FF or to the X-Men, particularly Wolverine.

    Secondly, the idea of an Avengers team with the wave 2 or whatever leftover Marvel characters holds zero appeal for me. Without Iron Man and Cap it’s like someone assembled a bunch of substitute teachers. I.E. Who cares?

  3. More period pieces. Let’s have Namor and the original Human Torch in the forties in addition to the ones you proposed. For the Fantastic Four, put their original flight in the sixties, but move them to the present as part of the consequences, and play heavily into them being a family out of time. Trying to get back, they accidentally wind up in ancient Egypt, maybe with a few guest Avengers, and do Rama-Tut for the movie. (You can fit the origin in before the credits.)

    Meanwhile, use Iron Lad in the Young Avengers, and Immortus in Guardians four or Captain Marvel 3 or something. Then you’re set up for an Avengers Forever or Kang/Immortus War based phase capper.

    Or else just do whatever it takes to get to a Thunderbolts movie.

  4. Rob was complimenting Marvel for “Breaking The Rules” by having J. K. Simmons play J. Jonah Jameson in two movie continuities but actually Judi Dench did it first playing M in the original Bond movie series opposite Pierce Brosnan and in the Daniel Craig reboot.

    1. While I did forget that, it’s not exactly the same IMO. The Bond movies–even the Craig ones, AFAIK, never suggest this is not the same James Bond we have seen across all 24+ movies. But the Maguire Spidey movies are expressly *not* in the same world as the MCU Spidey films.

      Still, I take your point. It was a ballsy move for the Bond producers to keep the ancillary characters despite who was playing Bond (Moneypenny, Q, etc.).

      1. Yeah, I suppose you may be right. I can’t remember the Broccolis saying they are starting over. However I don’t know what else you can do to explain how Bond went from the veteran Secret Agent in the Brosnan films to the guy who literally just got his Double O at the start of Casino Royale other than saying it’s a reboot.

        1. So what Max and Ryan describe wanting from Marvel Phase 4 is Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Season 4, with the surveilled super-powered minority in a snitch-state and the use of the Darkhold for a more horror-flavored storyline.

          If I don’t want comic book Avengers without the icons, why the hell would I pay for it in live action? Feels like Marvel is setting their “diverse” slate to fail, either as a prelude to restoring the icons or by virtue of the probable diminishing returns of relying on leftover brands that were buoyed by Downey, Evans, and The Avengers that brought us here.

          I’d argue that the presence of the Judi Dench M means James Bond is an alias that passed from one agent to another. The question is whether it was true of the other Bonds. Moneypenny went through quite a few of them with the same relationship dynamics.

          Marvel has already burned through most of the characters that I have a great affection for from the comics, and my affection for the MCU itself is waning. Adam Warlock by the Wachowskis, Darren Aronofsky, or Nicolas Winding Refn. One of those fallen mind**** stylists who desperately need a road map but can still get lost enough along the way to suit the character.

  5. Great discussion, gentlemen. I found a lot of the ideas you threw out (or up) to be really intriguing.

    For my own 2 cents, I would love to see Squirrel Girl get the Into the Spider-Verse treatment. The animation and storytelling style of Spider-Verse seems, to my mind, to be a perfect fit to the feel of the Unbeatable Squirrel Girl comics.

    Also, I agree with the sentiment that, when the Fantastic Four are introduced in the MCU, they don’t have to spend an entire movie rehashing their origin story. Hopefully, they’ll just take a page from Spider-Man’s playbook.

  6. Thunderbolts!

    Have a movie about a new super team with similar heroes. Patriotic Citizen V leading Techno, Meteorite, Sonbird, Mach-1 and Atlas. End the movie like Issue 1 of Thunderbolts.

  7. As I was listening, I was carefully crafting my comment, and then Chris goes and ruins it! I was going to use Razorback as my punchline! Aw, nuts.

  8. impressive Podcast. Chris’s idea of how to bring in the FF was great. He Shagg Rob and Max had good ideas. Me if I was gonna race bend any characters it would be Ben Grimm and cast him as Terry Cruz. Since right now he’d make the most since to me. Sadly Nope Hulking can’t happen. Since Mar-vel is dead. And since she was just a Scientist I don’t think she dated any Skull men to become Hulkings Dad. And Since Carol was the only Captain Marvel there can’t be any Hulking with his current back story. He won’t exist nor his sister Phyla-Vell or brother Genis-Vell, Yep with Annette Carol Bening character never being Captain Marvel.

    All that is not posable. What else would I want to see? Well one idea I once mentioned on my U tube page. That’s Liz Anne Oswalt on U-tube. Oh Since DC seems to have Foolishly gotten rid of Cavil as Supes. Then make a Squadron supreme movie. Cast Cavil as Hyperion Ben Afilk as Night Hawk. Peter Dinklage as Tom Thumb. Evan Peters as Wizzer. (They killed of Quick silver so fine re use his version of Quick siler as the Wizzer. ) Michael Fassbender as American Eagle. Katherine Cassidy as Lady Lark. Stephen Amell as the Golden Archer…if he doesn’t want to play him then. David Ramsey as Golden Archer.

    If Amell will do it then Ramsey can play Dr. Spectrum. Angélica Celaya as Arcanna and Franz Drameh as Nuke. Oh for the Power Princess And they can appear in an Avangers movie or Gardens. The Grandmaster is already in play. Just bring back Jeff Goldbum. And have him set up a grand game with the heroes.

  9. Er For Power Princess Gina Carano or Bianca Brigitte van Damme (Yeah you know who her father is and she can kind of act. And kick like her dad.)

    Hmmm guess the Grand Master could play the cosmic game against The Scarlet Centurion. Maybe played by James McAvoy. And then they get their own movie and face Redeemers (The SS version not the Thunderbolts. ) And have them lead by Master Menace and have him played by Bryan Cranston . To she DC how it should have been done. Why yes I have been lesioning to pulp to pixel a lot how can you tell? 😀

    And then the 3rd SS movie can be the 2 parter ware they take over the world. with the second one ware Night Hawk leaves the group and creates a new team of Redeemers.

  10. Amazing show!, :/ sad there is no love for the netflix shows. Also, no mention of the Ultraverse! MCU is in such a good place that people would accept the return of those characters.

  11. Okay, that was a lot of fun. I endorse almost all your ideas AND the ideas in the comments. Feige should just start cutting checks now.

    Just don’t dismiss the television portions of the Marvel Cinematic Universe so quickly. The Darkhold and the Reyes Ghost Rider have both been done quite well on Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD (known as “the other MASh” in my house). They even mentioned Johnny Blaze on an early episode, so it’s established that he exists. And Netflix’s versions of many of the Marvel characters were as good or better than the comics — especially Punisher, and also Foggy Nelson, who was nearly star of the last season of Daredevil.

    Now the caveats: The Iron Fist portrayal was awful in the first season, although the supporting cast did a great job. In the second season, though, Finn Jones showed that with a different show-runner’s vision, he can get it right. That show actually set a record for improved reviews on Rotten Tomatoes. I can’t speak to Jessica Jones, because the Purple Man was too dark for me, but I may go back to watch the second and third seasons. Admittedly, Luke wasn’t the guy he was in the seventies, because that wouldn’t have made sense unless they had done Rob’s period piece, but he was pretty much the guy he is now. I still loved the characters and the portrayal of modern Harlem, with constant references to its history and culture. Defenders, alas, was four episodes worth of story “crammed” into an eight episode season. It was like reading some modern DC comics. I would get bored and start thinking about my task list for the next day while they repeated their exposition and character bits to pad the time.

    Anyway, I would love to see some of those characters on the big screen, or working with Bucky and Sam on Disney’s streaming app. We’ll see where it goes from here.

  12. It sounded like lots of fun coming up with these ideas and throwing them around. So many interesting suggestions. I’d like to second more kid-friendly/all-ages movies: Devil Dinosaur, Power Pack, Squirrel Girl, Pet Avengers, Ms Marvel, there’s plenty of characters that would work shine.

    For a “New Avengers” movie, in addition to Thing and Wolverine, I would like them to bring in Luke Cage. Mike Colter was amazing in the role, and he could hold his own with the movie cast.

    My thought: a buddy cop style movie starring Wonder Man and the Beast. (I’ve probably seen someone on the interwebs suggest it, but I love the idea.)

    Since the Beyonder’s human form was a copy of Steve Rogers, I fully expect Chris Evans to put on a jheri curl wig for the role. But he also needs to play Cap and the Human Torch when the Avengers and FF appear. Yes, 3 roles. He can do it.

    Only disappointment: during the brainstorm of Razorback, U.S. 1, Human Fly, Superpro, Kickers, Inc., etc, nobody mentioned Team America???? COME ON, PEOPLE!!

    Seriously, loads of fun! Thanks, gang!

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