X-Men

[Colonel Angus]

Del: Psylocke wasn't there.

I thought the movie was okay, although I liked X3 so feel free to disregard. Watching these always makes me so wistful. Am I the only one who wants to know where was Wanda? And what happened to Emma?

I am looking forward to (SPOILER)Apocalypse, and hopefully more Bishop, and the inclusion of Cable, Domino, Rachael Summers, etc. etc.

My top ten wishlist would be pretty much Colonel Angus' lineup.

(SPOILER)Emma was one of the mutants killed by Trask. I believe when Mystique looks through the file, Emma's one of them.

Marvel & Fox had to make a special deal for both to use Quicksilver in their respective movies. I don't think Wanda was part of that deal, & Marvel is using her character in Avengers 2. (SPOILER)However, there was the scene of Quicksilver in his home w/ a little girl, who it can be argued is Scarlet Witch. (I know, the characters are supposed to be twins, but you know how it works w/ these movies). But then, the little girl could be Polaris or just some human sister.

I would like more Bishop, too. I'm not sure who's going to be in the next one. Supposedly it's based in the 80s, so we'll probably get JLaw, Fassbender & McAvoy in it.

[Calliope]

(SPOILER)So, it just occurred to me that in the "future" scenario, we have Blink, Bishop, Warpath, Storm, Colossus and Sunspot outside fighting Sentinels, and inside the little shelter thing we have Shadowcat, Magneto, Professor X, Iceman and Wolverine. Everyone's a mutant, but even so we have all the ethnic minority mutants dying to protect the white mutants. All of them.

It seems like the numbers were big enough to maybe mix those groups up a little more, especially in a franchise that is supposed to be all about diversity? I don't want to read too much into this, but thinking about it makes me feel a bit sick, to be honest.

PS - (SPOILER)I'm going to reiterate that I wish Bishop had a bigger role in this movie. Isn't the majority of his plot in comics connected to the fact that he is a time traveler? Given the overwhelming popularity of Wolverine/Hugh Jackman, it doesn't surprise me that they sent Wolverine back in time instead of Bishop, but still I wish they had done more with that character. Who am I kidding? I wish they did more with every character.

[Ayen]

I thought Scarlet Witch was part of the deal? Or at least, they tried to make her part of the deal? I'm curious to see how Marvel Studios handles Quicksilver's character in their movies and mutants in general since all the main X-Men characters belong to Fox.

[Perducci]

(SPOILER)According to Bryan Singer, Quicksilvers little sister isn't Scarlet Witch, though there is apparantly a deleted scene in which their mother tells her to 'go upstairs and bug your sister', hinting that there may indeed be an actual Wanda in this continuity.

I thought Scarlet Witch was part of the deal? Or at least, they tried to make her part of the deal? I'm curious to see how Marvel Studios handles Quicksilver's character in their movies and mutants in general since all the main X-Men characters belong to Fox.

Hopefully Marvel's Quicksilver will utilize the same special effects. I thought the super-slo-mo they did in DoFP was perfect, and hopefully Marvel aren't too afraid to just roll with it rather than trying to find something different. Was more interested in Kickass playing Quicksilver than the guy in DoFP, but now I'm thinking that Marvel have their work cut out or them.


Hoping that the next film will even out the roster a little bit. Having so many characters worked due to the time travel elements, but if we're going to have an Apocalypse movie then we're going to have four horesmen and likely Mr. Sinister will be making an appearance, so I'm hoping we get a smaller group of X-Men rather than filling the movie up with a whole bunch of underdeveloped bit-part characters.

Gambit is supposed to be in, but I don't think he'll be with the X-Men to begin with, and then we have the whole thing with Mystique and Wolverine, not to mention the mutants that were rescued from Vietnam.

I'd like to see Bishop again, and I've read a few rumours about them introducing a young Cyclops and Jean Grey.

Either way, it's nice that I can get excited for X-Men movies again...

[Ayen]

I did not know they got Aaron Taylor Johnson to play Quicksilver in Avengers 2. I'm interested in seeing that now.

I think for the Apocalypse movie just having Cyclops, Jean Grey, Storm, Wolverine, Beast, Rogue, and Iceman on the team to face the Four Horsemen with Xavier back at the school would be enough. Especially if Gambit ends up fighting with them by the end of it. Maybe throw Colossus in there just for the sake of having a powerhouse.

[Colonel Angus]

(SPOILER)So, it just occurred to me that in the "future" scenario, we have Blink, Bishop, Warpath, Storm, Colossus and Sunspot outside fighting Sentinels, and inside the little shelter thing we have Shadowcat, Magneto, Professor X, Iceman and Wolverine. Everyone's a mutant, but even so we have all the ethnic minority mutants dying to protect the white mutants. All of them.

It seems like the numbers were big enough to maybe mix those groups up a little more, especially in a franchise that is supposed to be all about diversity? I don't want to read too much into this, but thinking about it makes me feel a bit sick, to be honest.

PS - (SPOILER)I'm going to reiterate that I wish Bishop had a bigger role in this movie. Isn't the majority of his plot in comics connected to the fact that he is a time traveler? Given the overwhelming popularity of Wolverine/Hugh Jackman, it doesn't surprise me that they sent Wolverine back in time instead of Bishop, but still I wish they had done more with that character. Who am I kidding? I wish they did more with every character.

(SPOILER)That is a great observation, but really only Iceman & Magneto would've been able to join the fight, which they eventually did.

(SPOILER)In the original comic, Shadowcat was the one who went back in time, so if they weren't going to make it Logan, then it probably was going to be her. They also made the convenient excuse that only Logan would be able to physically withstand the travel to such a distant time, due to his healing powers.

[Calliope]

(SPOILER)I understand on both points, but it still just makes me really uncomfortable, especially when Charles and the other mutants inside are just sitting quietly (intensely, but quietly) while the others die outside in the snow trying to hold the sentinels off. I think this feeling could have been minimized if they just switched Iceman for Bishop - it seems like a fluke that they know they'd "need" Bobby's freezing power for something. The whole storyline is oppressive by design, but this just adds an extra layer to it and it's really unsettling to me on a very basic level.

I know that Storm's role was cut down due to Halle Berry being pregnant, but she could have done more, surely. Then (as has been mentioned already), when Wolverine goes back in time, the only mutants we encounter are Charles, Erik, Hank, Peter and Raven/Mystique. There are no other mutants, but also no other mutants of colour (other than blue) - not even any people of colour other than the one general who tries to seduce Raven, really. Pietro becomes Peter for the purposes of the movie - was this anglicizing really necessary? I just wish there was more PoC involvement other than "mutants who die" or "Apache warrior gazing into the distance". Perhaps I'm simply tiring of white superhero movies, but then again, is there another kind?

(Don't say Catwoman).

[Colonel Angus]

(SPOILER)I understand on both points, but it still just makes me really uncomfortable, especially when Charles and the other mutants inside are just sitting quietly (intensely, but quietly) while the others die outside in the snow trying to hold the sentinels off. I think this feeling could have been minimized if they just switched Iceman for Bishop - it seems like a fluke that they know they'd "need" Bobby's freezing power for something. The whole storyline is oppressive by design, but this just adds an extra layer to it and it's really unsettling to me on a very basic level.

I know that Storm's role was cut down due to Halle Berry being pregnant, but she could have done more, surely. Then (as has been mentioned already), when Wolverine goes back in time, the only mutants we encounter are Charles, Erik, Hank, Peter and Raven/Mystique. There are no other mutants, but also no other mutants of colour (other than blue) - not even any people of colour other than the one general who tries to seduce Raven, really. Pietro becomes Peter for the purposes of the movie - was this anglicizing really necessary? I just wish there was more PoC involvement other than "mutants who die" or "Apache warrior gazing into the distance". Perhaps I'm simply tiring of white superhero movies, but then again, is there another kind?

(Don't say Catwoman).

(SPOILER)You do have to remember that it took a long time before there were even ANY non-white superheroes. I too hope they take advantage of the "minority" superheroes they have (not just changing races a la Nick Fury & Human Torch). While I patiently wait for Black Panther to become a movie Avenger, the X-Men seems ripe for having a few more non-white mutants, & not just as cameos/minor characters. Well see what goes in Apocalypse. The MCU has already added Falcon to the mix in the last Captain America movie, so they are taking steps to be more inclusive.

[Calliope]

(SPOILER)I do remember that, but it's also not 1960 anymore

I'll cross my fingers, but I won't hold my breath. I guess it's just disheartening for me to see so little representation, even in a comic universe that is all about equal rights and diversity. Even in a movie where we have to suspend our disbelief and believe in killer robots and time travel and magical mutations, the production team can't suspend their traditions and put PoC front and centre in the spotlight.

[Ayen]

Perhaps I'm simply tiring of white superhero movies, but then again, is there another kind?

Blade.
Hancock.

Blade may be more vampire hunter and not your traditional superhero, but he still exists (in the comic books at least) in a universe that has Spider-Man, X-Men, Fantastic Four, and the Avengers and the guy got three movies in the past. Hancock was a pretty interesting spin on a modern day Superman even if it was kind of meh.

[Del Murder]

They should have made Spiderman black in the reboot.

[Pant Leg Eater from the Bad World]

Wow.

I think you are way over reading into the situation.

[Ayen]

They should have made Spiderman black in the reboot.

Black_Suit_Spider-Man.jpg

[Calliope]

Wow.

I think you are way over reading into the situation.

That doesn't surprise me, and I don't expect people to agree with me, especially this audience. The movie had plenty of funny, cute, dramatic moments, and I will go see the sequel - but I think my observations are valid. I don't think that having a more prominent role for ethnic minorities should be that much of a stretch for such an imaginative and detailed universe that is continually expanding. It's a missed opportunity, and that makes me sad.

I'm pretty sure the only reason Hancock is black is that they cast Will Smith in the role, although I could be wrong - I can't find anything that indicates he exists outside of the screenplay. I'm also not saying there aren't any minority superheroes at all (Hi Jubilee, Green Lantern, etc) - only that I struggle to find any major superhero franchises or movies that aren't white. Sometimes I want to see "truth, justice, and The American Way" portrayed differently.

[Depression Moon]

I understand, but I wouldn't expect it in a comic book franchise that is predominantly white to begin with.