Tuesday, September 06, 2022

Mike weighs in on the Hulk and other MARVEL issues

From MIKEY LIKES IT!


The Hulk, MARVEL and other issues

Didn't feel like writing last night.  Sorry.  Just wasn't up to covering the news.  Sometimes it's just too depressing.  Normally, I've got a day of the week that I cover/recap THE GOLDBERGS and one where I do SUPERMAN AND LOIS.  But with summer, there are no new episodes.  We did learn yesterday that the dad on THE GOLDBERGS is dead.  He will have died before the next season starts.  Anyway, this:


Mark Ruffalo has embodied the character of The Hulk for a decade. He had his debut on The Avengers in 2012 and went on to become an essential member of the superhero team. He has continued as Hulk in the new Disney+ show She-Hulk: Attorney at Law.

Mark Ruffalo was asked in an interview with Variety if he plans to stay with Marvel or retire as Phases 5 and 6 loom. He had this to say:

"I mean, I'll probably do it as long as they'll have me, if people are interested, and I can bring something that's interesting to me to it, and interesting to the fans. But I have no idea. I mean, you know, when you look at the comics, there's some pretty grizzled, old versions of him. I'm like, OK, the 67-year-old Hulk, that would be interesting - if all of us are still here making movies and there's a world that allows for us to do that anymore. With what we're living in and heading towards, the future feels more precarious than any other time. So I don't want to get too far ahead of myself. But I hope I'm still around to do it."




First off, Mark's 55 in November.  67 isn't that far off.  Second, Edward Norton was my favorite Hulk.  I wish he'd been brought back.

It's time to replace Mark.  I like him, I'm a fan.  But with Black Widow dead, he doesn't really work.  He and Scarlet had a chemistry that would have me arguing for him to continue in the role if Black Widow were still around.  But she's not.  And the writing of Hulk and Bruce is tired.  It's not Mark, it's the writing.  They aren't capable of making Hulk interesting and he gets weaker and weaker.  So it really is time for MARVEL to do the only thing they know to do when they run out of steam, recast the role and do an origin story.

I also believe that the MARVEL film brand is being destroyed by really awful DISNEY+ shows.  The only show truly worth watching so far was THE FALCON AND THE WINTER SOLDIER.  And if you don't grasp that, you live in a bubble.  When you have comic book fans turning on these programs, you've got a serious problem.  And don't whine when the box office starts to falter even more after you've abused the fans with these bad shows. 

MARVEL shows should have stayed on NETFLIX.  NETFLIX knew how to do them.  They were worth watching.  

These DISNEY+ shows are a nightmare.  And I just read about WONDER MAN and it's going to be a Hollywood parody.

I'm sorry, who has been asking for that?



Here's C.I.'s "Iraq snapshot:"