Welcome back Marvel fans! We have been itching to talk Shang-Chi with all of you and now that the embargo has lifted we can do that! Don’t worry our Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings review will be spoiler-free. As a bonus, we had the opportunity to interview the cast of Shang-Chi and we are sharing some highlights from that as well.
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings has easily worked its way into our top 10 lists for MCU films, maybe even top 5 in some cases. With a unique story and incredible action and visuals, it is the best MCU origin film since phase 1. It also happens to be in our top 3 for that, nothing beats an Alan Menken song though, sorry Simu.
Not only is this an epic addition to the MCU lineup and arguably the best way to kick off Phase 4 excitement… no offense Black Widow, but it also introduces us to a whole new world of mythology and culture that many fans are unfamiliar with. If you thought the rhinos in Black Panther were amazing, you haven’t seen anything yet. So while yes this is a superhero movie it transcends that and tells a story that could stand on its own outside of the MCU. In fact, viewers might forget they are watching a comic book movie if it wasn’t for some cameos sprinkled in.
The entire film is visually stunning, from the lighting to the special effects and the costumes. Looking for action? The fight scenes are beyond anything that we have seen before, each better than the last and they all lead into a mind-blowing finale that will have you cheering.
Post-Credit Scenes: Yes! There are TWO post-credit scenes and both hint at future Phase 4/5 plans and we can’t say anything but you’re going to love them and we have A LOT to talk about.
Welcome back Marvel fans! The Spider-Man No Way Home trailer FINALLY, OFFICIALLY dropped, and like we chatted on the Shang-Chi Review, we had to talk about it because there was A LOT going on in this teaser. Not one, not two, but FIVE villain teases, Dr. Strange, and was that a Miles Morales reference?
This teaser revealed Doc Ock’s return (no surprise there) along with FOUR, yes four other Spider-Man villains like Sandman, Electro, and Green Goblin. Not only that but the fact that Dr. Strange seems so strange has fans talking. Including us. We have our theories and yes some involve the big M… MEPHISTO. Hear us out though, we have evidence to back it up.
There is also another M hinted at here, and that would be Miles Morales. We don’t know about you but seeing Miles in the MCU would have us way more excited than Andrew or Tobey. Just saying.
Okay, so what exactly went down in the No Way Home trailer? Well, basically it picks up right after the events of Far From Home. EVERYONE knows who Peter is and he is feeling the pressure. He is arrested by the same department that is meant to clean up superhero messes, the DODC. Interesting. Also interesting is that he manages to not stay locked up. Could that mean he has an awesome lawyer who is also a superhero named Matt Murdoch? We hope so.
Instead of going the Talos-poses-as-Peter/Spidey-to-clear-his-name, Peter takes the more complicated route of having a VERY suspicious Dr. Strange cast a dangerous spell. A spell that Wong warned him not to cast. He did it anyway, chaos ensues–BAM Multiverse.
Sinister Six
Let’s talk villains. This trailer features 5 of them, we only need one more to make the Sinister Six, and hey, Vulture is still out there, and is Mysterio dead? Maybe. We know that when it comes to comics no one stays dead dead.
In this trailer, we see or hear hints of: Sandman, Electro, Lizard, Green Goblin, with the big reveal of Doc Ock at the end. “Hello, Peter.” But which Peter is he talking to? He wouldn’t know our Tom Holland Peter…but Tobey’s Spidey he would…just putting it out there.
What did you think about the trailer? Let us know your Dr. Strange theories as well in the comments? Team Mephisto? Team Multiverse? Or team sweatpants?
Welcome back Marvel fans! Last week we shared our breakdown and thoughts on episode 2 of What If. This week we can finally talk about our favorite episode of all the ones we have seen, “What If… The World Lost Its Mightiest Heroes?” In this take on Fury’s Big Week, things go a lot differently for the would-be Avengers, and it is not a pretty sight.
So this is your spoiler warning if you haven’t seen episode 3 of What If…?
What If Episode 3 Breakdown
There was an idea…yeah yeah we know. Fury and Black Widow are on their way to help Tony Stark survive his palladium poisoning. They find him in the donut hole just like in Iron Man 2. Only this time instead of successfully giving him the antidote and recruiting him to the Avengers… he dies.
He is just the first of many Avengers Initiative recruits to meet their maker this week. Somehow, someone managed to kill Thor and frame Hawkeye and kill Hulk in the most gruesome way possible without being too gruesome for a Disney+ animated series.
Coulson is back and everyone cheered. Steve Rogers may have been still lost in the ice somewhere but that didn’t keep this fanboy down. Coulson is still a forever Steve stan despite getting sidetracked by Thor’s amazing locks and smell. That’s right our boy Coulson has the BEST password ever but easily guessed if you know the guy.
The big reveal as to who was behind offing the Avengers- WOW. Michael Douglas returns as a Hank Pym that is actually closer to his comic book self than the MCU version. He has turned villain, killing the Avengers and crippling SHIELD in an act driven by the madness that comes with grief. Hope and Janet are both dead and he wants Fury and everyone else to pay.
Oh and Loki started off by attacking Fury, then decided to work with him, and after hanging out on Midgard he took over. But that’s okay, there are other Avengers to page and to thaw.
What did you think of episode 3 of What If? What was your favorite Easter egg? Any thoughts on what might happen as a result of this one in Season 2? Let us know!
Welcome back Marvel fans! Last week we shared our breakdown and thoughts on episode 1 of What If. This week we can finally talk about the bittersweet episode 2, “What If… T’Challa Became Star-Lord? Ironically this is the funniest of the first 3 episodes but knowing it was Chadwick’s last role and what he wanted people to get from it… well we can’t help but tear up just thinking about it.
So this is your spoiler warning if you haven’t seen episode 2 of What If…?
What If Episode 2 Breakdown
We begin on Morag at a familiar rundown temple that houses the Orb. However, that isn’t Peter Quill but T’Challa, Prince of Wakanda. And not only is he this universe’s Star-Lord but he is also well known and loved, just ask Korath who fanboys all over the place.
How did T’Challa end up being Star-Lord? Well, what if Yondu outsourced the pickup of Ego’s child to Taserface and Kraglin? The result would be that they would pick up T’Challa instead of Peter because all Terrans look the same. Don’t be too sad for him, T’Challa is making the most of his time in the galaxy. He has saved countless places from destruction and even reformed a MAD titan. In fact one of those exploits ties into the Skrulls.
Nebula is also changed and mostly whole. We like it. We also like the little flirtations that are occurring between her and Cha Cha. Sure we are all for Storm and T’Challa like in the comics but there is something very fun and intriguing about this pairing. Aside from them practically making heart-eye emojis at each other these two work together. They come up with plans even the others have no idea about.
Enter a job to rob the Collector. Yes, that guy, the eccentric, powerful brother of The Grandmaster. In the first Guardians of the Galaxy, his tower houses much interesting flora, fauna, and Marvel Easter eggs. This time is no exception. There are quite a few awesome ones to spot, including a certain horned God of Mischief. Oh yeah, and Howard the Duck serves as a tour guide. Love it.
Welcome to Season 3 of the Geek Girls Universe Podcast. We are kicking it off by breaking down the new Marvel Studios’ show What If. On the bugle, we shared our reactions to the first 3 episodes but now we can finally talk episode 1: “What If… Captain Carter Were The First Avenger?”
So this is your spoiler warning if you haven’t seen episode 1 of What If…?
What If Episode 1 Breakdown
The Watcher kicks off the episode recapping (pun not intended but it works) what happened when Steve Rogers became the First Avenger. However, that didn’t happen in this universe. One small decision changed everything.
Peggy Carter decided to watch Steve’s transformation from the floor and she was able to stop the HYDRA agent but not before he shot Steve. Someone needed to take the serum and she was the only woman for the job.
Steve, because his specialness DID NOT come from a bottle, continues to fight HYDRA with the use of the HYDRA Stomper, a pseudo-first-gen Iron Man suit created by Howard Stark and powered by the Tesseract. Together, he and Peggy kick butt and take names.
Bucky is alive and well with TWO arms. He also is still the snarky, confident 40s era Bucky we only got to see briefly. He has jokes for days.
A faux Iron Man suit and jokes about ripping Bucky’s arm off aren’t the only Easter eggs from the MCU and comics. That beastie at the end could be one of two otherworldly creatures. Who do you think it is?
Hello friends and welcome back to the Weekly Bugle Vol 28. It’s been a while since we recorded one of these but that is because the God of Mischief stole our TemPads and our hearts.
So this is your spoiler warning if you haven’t seen Jungle Cruise.
The Weekly Bugle Vol 28
Jungle Cruise is now in theaters and on Disney+ premiere access and so far it is cruising steadily with high scores and a nice box office turnout. That means a sequel may be happening and we hope it does! What If drops later this month. We’ve watched the first 3 episodes and we have some nonspoiler thoughts.
Jungle Cruise Review
The Jungle Cruise had a massive (for these times) box office debut, making $100+ million opening weekend worldwide. We both really enjoyed the film which given the talent involved wasn’t a surprise. The ride is iconic and this film hit all the right notes for longtime fans.
It is The Mummy meets Pirates meets Indiana Jones and we are here for all of it. Dwayne and Emily are the onscreen duo we didn’t know we needed and now can’t get enough of. Jack Whitehall is as hilarious as always as Emily’s snooty yet charming brother MacGregor.
Looking for puns? Hoping for the backside of water? Jungle Cruise has PLENTY. It might be one of our more BOULDER statements but this film brought everything we love about the attraction and plussed it, if we are talking Disney Parks terms.
Oh and that hilarious interview we talked about on the show. Here are the links to those.
Black Widow is now in theaters and on Disney+ Premier Access. It’s been a long wait for not only Black Widow but an MCU film. We had a few things we didn’t love about it but overall it is another solid Marvel film that continues to push forward Phase 4 despite being set in the past.
This is your spoiler warning if you haven’t seen Black Widow.
Despite the one reveal we weren’t totally excited about, Black Widow is the movie fans have been waiting for since Natasha was introduced in Iron Man 2. It is a spy-thriller with plenty of action and that classic Marvel humor. It also featured many callbacks to previous MCU films and Marvel comics. Which obviously made us super happy.
We know you want to know, what didn’t we love? Aren’t you two Marvel fangirls ’til the end of the line? Yes, we are but that doesn’t me we love every choice they made. *cough* Natalie Portman *cough*
Let’s rip the bandaid off. Taskmaster. This version of Taskmaster wasn’t what we were looking for. In fact, she could’ve been left out of the movie and things still would have made sense. However, after reading an interview with the writer for Black Widow, we understand why the choice was made.
Moving fast that, there was plenty to love about the film, especially getting more Natasha. That’s always a win. Black Widow introduces us to her complicated past and family. The bonus of course is Yelena, who will be the new Black Widow going forward in Phase 4. Love her even if she isn’t one for poses.
David Harbour’s Alexei was also a scene-stealer and hopefully will show up in the future. Kevin Feige seems on board to see him return so fingers crossed.
Loki Episode 5 was a game-changer for our Loki and opened a door of other Lokis that we hope to see more of in the future. Kid Loki is a Young Avenger after all and Alligator Loki is perfection. In the finale of season 1, Loki and Sylvie confront the man behind the curtain and we get some nice validation for a theory. But as the credits roll, the future of the MCU is absolute madness. Are you ready for this Loki episode 6 breakdown?
The opening Marvel Studios logo scroll was packed with audio from films spanning the entire MCU. This was a bit of foreshadowing. By the end of the episode what is real and what isn’t may be up for debate. Not only did we hear MCU quotes but also ones from our own world. Marvel is saying hey we are all part of this multiverse and things are about to get a bit mad.
Speaking of madness, Miss Minutes popping up like that with her crazy eyes = stuff of nightmares. For everyone who thought she was cute and sweet, good luck sleeping tonight.
Let’s get to the good stuff. KANG. The second Jonathan Majors appeared in that elevator we cheered. After the Mephisto business and Power Broker, there were some doubts they would actually reveal Kang. But holy Hela they brought him out, Immortus style, and Majors killed it. We cannot wait to see more of his variants down the road.
Despite him lying about some things, he actually wasn’t lying about the consequences of taking him out. Sylvie didn’t want to listen to him and decided attacking him was the best option. Loki tried to stop her and reason with her. But unfortunately, she doesn’t trust anyone and he isn’t trustworthy. The kiss heard round the multiverse happens and Sylvie betrays Loki, shoving him back through a time door to the TVA.
She kills Kang, but exactly what he said would happen happens. The timeline explodes and a war is coming. Kang The Conqueror has officially taken over. Heartbroken Loki runs into his friend Mobius who doesn’t recognize him.
Loki Episode 4 left us on a cliffhanger. Where and when did Loki get pruned to? We get those answers and more. Tom wasn’t kidding when he said 4 and 5 were game-changers. With how this one ended, we cannot wait to see what happens in episode 6. Are you ready for this Loki episode 5 breakdown?
“Journey Into Mystery” is titled after the comic series of the same name. In fact, it is where Loki made his more modern comic debut. Loki awakes finding himself trapped in the Void, the cosmic dumping ground for the TVA. He also learns quickly that the other Lokis’ plan is simply to survive, nothing more, nothing less. Specifically, he needs to survive being annihilated by Alioth.
Comic fans were excited to see Alioth in this form, as sort of a guard dog to whoever and whatever lies beyond the void. While Loki works on not dying, Sylvie interrogates Renslayer about what happened to Loki and what is going on at the TVA. She ends up pruning herself to get to Loki and figure out who is pulling the strings of the TVA.
In the Void, there are a ton of Easter eggs to spot, including the infamous Thanos-Copter. The Lokis have a bunker where they hide from Alioth and the rest of Void, including the marauding President Loki and his army.
Sylvie wakes up and is almost eaten, but she is saved by Lightning McQueen. Okay, fine, it was Mobius who pulls up in a variant Pizza Planet truck. We won’t accept any other theories on why Mobius was driving a pizza car.
The Lokis and Mobius make a plan to enchant Alioth and discover what he is hiding. Mobius went back to the TVA while Classic Loki takes an impressive stand. The episode ends with a portal to the Quantum Realm? What’s going to happen next week? We can’t wait to find out. But also why does it have to be the last episode?
Loki Episode 3 was incredible, but it seems like Marvel pulled out all the stops with this episode. Our minds are officially blown. Once again, this is another episode of “I told you so,” with several confirmations of theories we had early on. However, we’re still, “WOW,” to use one of Owen Wilson’s favorite phrases. Are you ready for this Loki episode 4 breakdown?
Episode 4 of Loki begins with Sylvie as a child on Asgard, playing in the Throne Room, when the TVA shows up to arrest her for crimes against the sacred timeline.
Renslayer is the Hunter who brings her in. Sylvie escapes the TVA during her hearing by stealing Renslayer’s TemPad and disappearing to some other place on the timeline.
Renslayer reveals to Mobius that the hostage C-20 is dead and theTime-Keepers are upset at how close Sylvie got to them; she orders Mobius to find the variants ASAP.
Back on Lamentis-1, the world is ending. Sylvie tells Loki, “The universe wants to break free, so it manifests chaos. Like me being born the Goddess of Mischief.”
She tells him how the TVA took her as a child prisoner but she escaped. Everywhere she went, she created a Nexus Event that signaled the TVA.
Loki and Sylvie are comforting each other in the last moments before Lamentis is completely destroyed, and it creates a timeline branch so strong it not only shows up on the TVA monitor, but it practically shoots straight up. Mobius arrives on Lamentis and takes the duo into custody.
Just as Mobius is about to send Loki through a Time Cell, Loki tells him the TVA is lying.
The Time Cell sends Loki to Asgard, where he sees Lady Sif, and he’s stuck in a time loop at a moment where he has apparently cut part of Sif’s hair in a prank. Because it’s a time loop, when Loki tries to reason with Sif and get her to help him, she just kicks his butt…repeatedly.
This moment is based on a story in Norse Mythology, not based on a scene we have seen in the MCU. Lady Sif, the wife of Thor, has her hair cut off by Loki. Thor threatens him until he can fix it. However, in the MCU, Sif needs no help from Thor.
Mobius retrieves Loki out of the Time Cell to determine the cause of the Nexus Event on Lamentis. Loki denies everything before deciding to tell him an elaborate made-up story. Mobius casually mentions Sylvie is dead to see Loki’s reaction; he seems taken aback before he dons his uncaring Loki mask he wears so well.
That brief look was all it took for Mobius to figure out it was two variants falling for one another that caused the spike in the timeline. Sylvie and Loki have feelings for each other and that kind of thing can cause pure chaos that breaks reality.
Loki tries again to implore Mobius that the Time-Keepers kidnapped all the TVA peeps from the timeline, the entire TVA is comprised of Variants, and their memories have been erased–memories which Sylvie can access through enchantment.
In Renslayer’s office, she signs off on Mobius’ paperwork and he asks why she wouldn’t let him interrogate Sylvie. She claims to be protecting him. She then asks him if he could go anywhere and anytime where would it be? He never answers. He continues to ask about Hunter C-20 and you can tell he doesn’t believe a word out of her mouth.
TL;DR
Hunter B-15 took Sylvie back to Roxxcart to find out more about the memories she has after being enchanted. She’s ready to take down the TVA, too.
Mobius swapped TemPads with Renslayer when she wasn’t looking at knows C-20 remembers her whole life previous to the TVA–and Renslayer does, too.
Mobius tells Loki that he knows he was telling the truth about the TVA, and he wants to help Loki and Sylvie bring it down.
WOW moment 1: Renslayer stops Mobius in the hallway and PRUNES MOBIUS. She takes the variants up the elevator to stand before the Time-Keepers.
Hunter B-15 releases both variants from their collars.
Mother forking shirtballs.
A cosmic fight ensues. Sylvie vs Renslayer, Loki vs the Hunters. Sylvie throws her sword, lobs off the head of a Time-Keeper to find it’s a robot. So very Wizard of Oz-like.
Loki attempts to tells Sylvie about his feelings for her…it’s Loki, this is new territory.
WOW moment 2: Renslayer PRUNES LOKI from behind while he’s professing his love to Sylvie.
Sylvie isn’t playing and wants to know ALL ABOUT THE TVA from Renslayer.
Bruh, That Loki Post Credit Scene in Loki Episode 4
