The Marvel Cinematic Universe: The Avengers, etc.

[vb68]

 

Hopefully played by rugby player Ben Cohen.  Slurpily hot Ben Cohen.

 

 

Interest peaked. I'm off to to find a picture of this Ben Cohen.

[Bruinsfan]

Oh, you are about to fall down the world's best rabbit hole.

 

I'm not sure I can second the nomination for casting Ben, though. He has tons of charisma and is currently the most drool-worthy man on the planet, but he'd also be a blond blue-eyed WASP Hercules with no discernible acting talent, and we've already seen how that turns out.

 

I think I might lean toward Dwayne Johnson in the role, as he looks more the part and proved his chops in the recent Hercules movie that wasn't less entertaining than a root canal.

Edited May 13, 2015 by Bruinsfan

[Advance35]

Yikes.  They are bringing in that Revenge Actress again?1?!?!  The film is going to be swarmed with characters (most much more interesting than she or the character she portrays) will they have time to do anything with her?   In terms of the MCU I really would have preferred them doing a Steve/Natasha long term flirtation over a Bruce/Natasha.    Black Widow fits so seamlessly in CA's part of the MU and she made a wonderful co-star in CA:WS.   The only Carter I liked Steve with is well out of the game by this point.

 

I also hope to see Banner, not necessarily in CA:CW but in the MU again before the next Avengers.   They could put him in the next THOR movie for all I care, but he and Natasha (prefer them as friends not so much as a couple) are two of my favorite characters.

[Joe]

Just a thought I had the other day. Natasha introed in Iron Man. Later, she goes off with captain America. I'd like to see her team with Thor. That could be good fun. I imagine her sort of non-reaction to Asgard, because she has an air of seen it all. Plus, she worked pretty well with Loki once, twice could be good.

[vb68]

 

I think I might lean toward Dwayne Johnson in the role, as he looks more the part and proved his chops in the recent Hercules movie that wasn't less entertaining than a root canal.

I think he is tied to the DC Universe, though.

[dusang]

Interest peaked. I'm off to to find a picture of this Ben Cohen.

 

 

Oh, you are about to fall down the world's best rabbit hole.

 

God love the Google image search.

[VCRTracking]

Pics of filming Captain America: Civil War in Atlanta with Chris Evans, Anthony Mackie, and Emily VanCamp.

 

http://www.blastr.com/2015-5-14/new-captain-america-civil-war-set-pics-and-video-tease-black-panther-fight-scene-and

[Rick Kitchen]

Zack Stentz reacts to the Thor honest trailer:

 

[VCRTracking]

I saw that earlier today. It's interesting he and his co-writer needed an enemy for a de-powered Thor on Earth and decided to use SHIELD and they thought of Coulson because he made an impression to them on Iron Man. Also that Kenneth Branagh considered re-naming Mjolnir because it was hard to pronounce!

[bmoore4026]

I'm not sure I can second the nomination for casting Ben, though. He has tons of charisma and is currently the most drool-worthy man on the planet, but he'd also be a blond blue-eyed WASP Hercules with no discernible acting talent, and we've already seen how that turns out.

 

But Marvel's Hercules is a brunette.  I'm sure they can put a wig on him.  Also, he has to be a better actor than Kellan Lutz.

Edited May 16, 2015 by bmoore4026

[Bruinsfan]

Well, yeah, but who isn't? Dichen Lachmann? That figure of Crazy Horse they're still chipping out of the mountain in South Dakota?

[dusang]

Pics of filming Captain America: Civil War in Atlanta with Chris Evans, Anthony Mackie, and Emily VanCamp.

 

http://www.blastr.com/2015-5-14/new-captain-america-civil-war-set-pics-and-video-tease-black-panther-fight-scene-and

 

Oh, hello Chris Evans in a three-piece suit.  In the past I've complained about the overzealous wardrobe department (not ONE shirtless scene in all of A:AoU?!  he worked hard for that body now SHOW IT TO ME!!) but I will never complain about a man in a (well tailored) three-piece suit.

Edited May 16, 2015 by dusang

[Danny Franks]

Honestly, I'm more interested in Bucky's story than I am in the rest of them, now. I've seen enough of these Avengers characters, after eleven movies featuring at least one of them. I want something new and different. I think I'll just be annoyed by that movie, when again there are too many characters and I'm expected to be satisfied by a few minutes of screen time for each.

 

Daredevil really whet my appetite for a more grounded, dirtier take on the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and it was such a nice contrast to the bright, quippy movies. I'd love them to do a Winter Soldier series on Netflix, giving Bucky his own espionage show, dealing with some of the issues from the Cap and Winter Soldier series that Ed Brubaker wrote.

[bmoore4026]

(not ONE shirtless scene in all of A:AoU?!  he worked hard for that body now SHOW IT TO ME!!)

 

Well, the movie is primarily marketed toward (straight) men, so women and us gay men are shit out of luck. 

 

Marvel doesn't seem to like women, do they?

[spaceytraci1208]

I saw that earlier today. It's interesting he and his co-writer needed an enemy for a de-powered Thor on Earth and decided to use SHIELD and they thought of Coulson because he made an impression to them on Iron Man. Also that Kenneth Branagh considered re-naming Mjolnir because it was hard to pronounce!

The part in bold bugged me because they decided against it concerned about the comic book "nerds" getting pissed about it, rather than because they'd be fucking with the much longer existing Norse mythology.

[Joe]

It's not that hard to pronounce. Mee ol neer. Practice until you get good with it. Now have a crack at Hliðskjálf. :)

[Danny Franks]

Well, the movie is primarily marketed toward (straight) men, so women and us gay men are shit out of luck. 

 

Marvel doesn't seem to like women, do they?

 

The comic book industry as a whole has trouble embracing women, to say the least. Whole websites have been set up, mocking the way women are written and treated in comic books. I suppose it's sad that in 2015, and in a company that is becoming an industry leader in entertainment media, they still have the same problems.

 

'Oh, boys won't want to watch a movie starring a girl'. Yes they will, just make the movie good and people will watch it. What's annoying is, plenty of the female character in their movies have been strong and well written, but they just seem to want to make sure that those strong, well written women stay in the background, behind the manly men.

[dusang]

Well, the movie is primarily marketed toward (straight) men, so women and us gay men are shit out of luck. 

 

Marvel doesn't seem to like women, do they?

 

 

The comic book industry as a whole has trouble embracing women, to say the least. Whole websites have been set up, mocking the way women are written and treated in comic books. I suppose it's sad that in 2015, and in a company that is becoming an industry leader in entertainment media, they still have the same problems.

 

'Oh, boys won't want to watch a movie starring a girl'. Yes they will, just make the movie good and people will watch it. What's annoying is, plenty of the female character in their movies have been strong and well written, but they just seem to want to make sure that those strong, well written women stay in the background, behind the manly men.

 

True, true.  Although it's sad to think that the creator of Buffy, the very embodiment of rebellion against the "helpless little woman" stereotype, wouldn't understand these issues.  Although maybe he does and just doesn't carry it all the way through to the logical conclusion of having the boys shirtless for a minimum of 50% of the movie.

 

I love that Anthony Mackie actually said in interviews promoting CA:TWS basically what I said -- he worked hard for that body and next time he'd get more naked to show it off.  Now if someone would given Evans and Hemsworth the memo....

[VCRTracking]

 

Although maybe he does and just doesn't carry it all the way through to the logical conclusion of having the boys shirtless for a minimum of 50% of the movie.

 

Hey, he was the one who suggested to the people making Thor: The Dark World to add that really pointless scene of Thor shirtless in the movie. Apparently Norse gods need to be naked from the waist up to wash their hands after a battle.

[Dandesun]

Branagh talks about the obvious fanservice scene in the first Thor and how he went to Chris and was all 'do you mind much if you have your shirt off for this scene?' Apparently Hemsworth responded 'do you know how hard I've worked on this? Yes I want to show it off!'

[vb68]

 

'Oh, boys won't want to watch a movie starring a girl'. Yes they will, just make the movie good and people will watch it. What's annoying is, plenty of the female character in their movies have been strong and well written, but they just seem to want to make sure that those strong, well written women stay in the background, behind the manly men.

 

 

it really is hella annoying.  And for how boneheaded it is, look no further than how people are reacting this weekend to Charlize Theron in the new Mad Max.   Case closed.

[Danny Franks]

Honestly, with the way comic book heroes are drawn, and the outfits many of them wear, for the characters to not get their shirts off several times per movie seems like a departure from the source material.

 

I don't know why it would be an issue for any fans, or the filmmakers. I'm a straight guy, but I'm not going to be upset by seeing Chris Hemsworth or Chris Evans showing off their abs and pecs. Envious? Sure. But those guys worked far harder than I'm prepared to (and got paid for it, let's be fair), so good for them. Still, I'm living in a country that got into a massive strop about an ad campaign asking women if they were 'beach body ready', with a picture of a gorgeous model in a bikini, and I didn't get the fuss then either. Truth? Most people aren't in that kind of shape. You don't need to feel insecure or inferior about that.

 

I know that Chris Evans didn't even like being that muscle-bound, and felt pretty crappy, having to maintain that size for the movie. So yeah, he should get to show it off.

Edited May 16, 2015 by Danny Franks

[VCRTracking]

After Jim Lee redesigned the Huntress's costume to expose her belly, Birds of Prey writer Gail Simone had Huntress give this response when Black Canary commented on it: "700 sit ups a day."

[Bruinsfan]

I love that Anthony Mackie actually said in interviews promoting CA:TWS basically what I said -- he worked hard for that body and next time he'd get more naked to show it off.  Now if someone would given Evans and Hemsworth the memo....

It's not as if either of them are Kit Harrington-esque shrinking violets that shy away from showing off in their other work. Hell, Evans was naked for about half of London and What's Your Number? (basically the only justification for either movie to exist at all). It's the writers and director that have kept Cap covered up, and Thor did go shirtless in that infodump wading scene in Age of Ultron.

[bmoore4026]

True, true.  Although it's sad to think that the creator of Buffy, the very embodiment of rebellion against the "helpless little woman" stereotype, wouldn't understand these issues.  Although maybe he does and just doesn't carry it all the way through to the logical conclusion of having the boys shirtless for a minimum of 50% of the movie.

 

Probably why I like Sailor Moon so much.  It was actually created by a woman and, even if you don't care for the main character, there are other empowered girls and women in the series to been seen as role models and aren't helpless and will fight for each other.  Same thing goes with Wonder Woman, if you ignore that she was created by a man who had his....kinks, so to say, and some of her portrayals are iffy, at best.  Xena is even better.  The anime Revolutionary Girl Utena is a fucking masterpiece with great women characters and is one of my favorite television shows, let alone my favorite anime.

 

But, yeah.  As a comic book fan, the portrayals of women can be very problematic.  Even comic book women in the 40s had better character than some present day comic book women.

Edited May 17, 2015 by bmoore4026

[Shannon L.]

 

Apparently Norse gods need to be naked from the waist up to wash their hands after a battle.

It should be a rule of etiquette ;)

 

 

It's not as if either of them are Kit Harrington-esque shrinking violets that shy away from showing off in their other work. Hell, Evans was naked for about half of London and What's Your Number? (basically the only justification for either movie to exist at all).

 

IIRC, Hemsworth was naked and shown from behind in Rush (God, I must be tired if I can't remember exactly.), not to mention the most talked about scene in Vacation. 

 

 

But, yeah.  As a comic book fan, the portrayals of women can be very problematic.  Even comic book women in the 40s had better character than some present day comic book women.

With any luck, the tides will start turning with Agent Carter being renewed and DC's Supergirl coming out in the fall.....(but I wont' hold my breath)

 

Now, I'm off to find those two Evans movies...........

Edited May 17, 2015 by Shannon L.

[Bruinsfan]

Oh no Shannon, at least skip watching London and just look up the screencaps online instead. The other might be watchable if you have a high tolerance for humiliation comedy.

[lion10]

Well, the movie is primarily marketed toward (straight) men, so women and us gay men are shit out of luck.

Marvel doesn't seem to like women, do they?

Meh, some movies are made to primarily appeal to women (Twilight, romantic comedies) and some are made to primarily appeal to men and I think Marvel's done a good job of not having that much fan service in the movies for either gender. It's not a matter of not liking women, it's about growing the market you want. Disney has the female market locked down already and now they're trying to bring in the males.

[Jazzy24]

So who is funding the Avengers Academy? It wouldn't be the government would it because I would think what happened with SHIELD/HYDRA that the government wouldn't want to risk that again?

Is Stark funding them and is there still a SHIELD?

[JessePinkman]

There is still a SHIELD (which annoys me because WS ended with it out of commission, I don't care what crappy AoS did) and I believe Stark is funding the Avengers Academy. Although I didn't like how unclear the end of the movie was on what exactly the academy is.

[lion10]

There is still a SHIELD (which annoys me because WS ended with it out of commission, I don't care what crappy AoS did) and I believe Stark is funding the Avengers Academy. Although I didn't like how unclear the end of the movie was on what exactly the academy is.

Wait, how bad is Agents of Shield? I've heard from a lot of places that it's pretty bad but the TV promos look decent.

[frenchtoast]

Depends on who you ask, I think. I enjoy it for what it is. It's not great or groundbreaking television. I let all of the completely unrealistic and nonsensical stuff go right past me.  It's just a bit of fun with the family. I liked Agent Carter, too, but that was lucky enough to have fewer episodes, so it was tighter storytelling.

[stealinghome]

Wait, how bad is Agents of Shield? I've heard from a lot of places that it's pretty bad but the TV promos look decent.

There's general agreement that the first 2/3rds of of S1 are pretty bad, but the people who kept watching swear that it's improved immensely since then. I wouldn't know, as the bad got to be too much for me in S1.

[Jazzy24]

Wait, how bad is Agents of Shield? I've heard from a lot of places that it's pretty bad but the TV promos look decent.

The characters are dull and so is the story but I have t watched since season 1 but people swear that it has gotten better.

[JessePinkman]

Wait, how bad is Agents of Shield? I've heard from a lot of places that it's pretty bad but the TV promos look decent.

I've described it to my friend as NCIS with (barely any) superheroes. I watched a few episodes of the first season and one of the second and it is so unbelievably dull. Every scene is full of talking heads against grey backgrounds, the action feels forced and everyone seems miserable. But it's not grimdark, it's just mind-numbingly boring.

[frenchtoast]

There's general agreement that the first 2/3rds of of S1 are pretty bad, but the people who kept watching swear that it's improved immensely since then. I wouldn't know, as the bad got to be too much for me in S1.

I would agree with this. What happened in Winter Soldier really shook things up. And now

we're getting some background on Inhumans.

. There was a little bit of background for AoU. It wasn't huge and you wouldn't miss it, but it added something. It explained a little of what Steve meant when he said, "Illegal human experimentation". It adds shading to the universe less than must see watching. I will say that after Winter Soldier, the AoS villains have become lot more entertaining than the movie villains. 

[KatWay]

AoS is pretty bland, repetitive and has the same black/white problem that the MCU has, meaning the only evil guys are crazy manic psychopaths. They are somewhat entertaining, but that's all the show has got going for it. The reason I stopped watching was that I found both main characters (Coulson and Skye) to be boring, annoying and just not worth watching. Since 80% of the show revolves around them, there's not enough reason to watch the rest of it.

 

 

I've described it to my friend as NCIS with (barely any) superheroes.

Pretty apt description.

[FurryFury]

AoS isn't like NCIS at all. Maybe the first 2/3 of season 1 could be compared, but season 2 is a huge improvement (and post-TWS s1 is as well). It's been mediocre for most of its run, but I think it's found it feet finally. I've really enjoyed season 2 overall, they've dropped weekly stuff completely, brought in a lot of new characters and expanded some of the old ones. Coulson still sucks (imho) but all others have improved.

Personally, I think right now it's better than Flash or Arrow if you're into comic book TV shows. (and definitely better than Gotham). 

[Raja]

I would agree with this. What happened in Winter Soldier really shook things up. And now

we're getting some background on Inhumans.

. There was a little bit of background for AoU. It wasn't huge and you wouldn't miss it, but it added something. It explained a little of what Steve meant when he said, "Illegal human experimentation". It adds shading to the universe less than must see watching. I will say that after Winter Soldier, the AoS villains have become lot more entertaining than the movie villains. 

Another example the complaints about Black Widow when viewers of Agent Carter got the story with Dottie being a surrogate for Natasha. Even though it seems as if Age of Ultron ignored Ironman III as much as it did Agents of Shield background on the hunt of Hydra assets and the key to finding the base which opens the movie starts on TV, Where as we will never see how we got from Tony Stark blowing up all his armor and Thor being at home to Team Avengers being in constant fights

[Llywela]

It's interesting to note that all the people so loudly dismissing AoS as rubbish and not worth watching haven't actually seen the show in about a season-and-a-half and therefore aren't actuallyqualified to comment on its current state of watchability. I perservered through the difficult early stages and have enjoyed the show thoroughly this second season. It may not be the greatest show ever made - they're all flawed in one way or another, mind - but it has found its feet and is entertaining to watch.

[KatWay]

I've most definitely seen the second season and thought it was no better than the first. Different, but still bland, still no characters worth investing in (the ones I like most are the ones with the least screentime, which might be related), still no hint of interesting conflicts. I only half-watched the latest episodes, so maybe now you'll tell me that the back half of S2 is when the show really got good? I've got no interest in the Inhumans either. Seems to me Marvel is only introducing them as a lame copy of the X-Men because they don't have the movie rights to them. But seriously, Skye and her neverending parent issues are nowhere near as interesting as the Xavier/Magneto dynamic.

[Bruinsfan]

The second season has been marginally more compelling than the first, but the show is still Skye and Her Not-So Amazing Friends. The best improvement is repeated appearances by Kyle MacLachlan's Calvin Zabo.

[ChelseaNH]

I've watched AoS from the beginning and it no longer makes me want to stab the creators...  I don't find their version of SHIELD a credible spy organization, but they've been making things a lot more interesting (even if they don't follow through), and of course there's the whole thing with Skye being the center of their universe (which has been toned down somewhat).  The best parts have been some awesome fight work with Bobbi and May.

 

At this point, it in no way matches the quality of the movies, but it's a decent network TV show.

[Kel Varnsen]

I love Martin Freeman so this is nothing but good news to me.

 

(Please don't be a bad guy. Please don't be a bad guy. Please don't be a bad guy.)

According to what i have read he is playing Everett K Ross, who in the comics was the state department liason for the king of Wakanda Zaka the Black Panther. This has me super excited because Ross was created by Christopher Priest during his Panther run, which was probably one of my favourite comics of all time. If they are doing that panther it could be really good. Plus my comics claim to fame is that i came up with the title of the letters column for that comic. Of course they stopped doing letters columns a few issues later.

Freeman is a good choice i think for Ross unless marvel has the technology to de-age someone and cure Parkinsons i can't think of a better person (Ross was based on Spin City era Michael J Fox).

[Shannon L.]

After seeing AofU for a second time, I'm going to revisit the "get the guys shirtless" topic for a minute.  As a straight female who has a crush on pretty much all of them, I love to see the shirtless scenes, but it never registered that they weren't doing that very much at all. Why?  Chris Evans in those tight t-shirts and the blue button up with the top button undone and the sleeves rolled up, RDJ and Mark Ruffalo in the suits at the party in AofU (heck, even RDJ in the tight long sleeved t's with the tight short sleeved ones over the top), Chris Hemsworth....just being.....Thor.....They are all so good looking, in their own, unique ways, that all of that works for me really well. Like I said, though, I'm certainly not opposed to them going shirtless.....  ;)

 

 

I know that Chris Evans didn't even like being that muscle-bound, and felt pretty crappy, having to maintain that size for the movie. So yeah, he should get to show it off.

 

I can't even imagine.  I do an hour of weight lifting a week (it should be three hours minimum for optimum health benefits, but yeah....no.) and the weights aren't even that heavy and by the end I'm so ready to be done with it.  Just thinking about what it takes to be in that kind of shape exhausts me (actually, I saw a video of Stephen Amell (Arrow) working out and damn....it's a killer).

 

In regards to AoS:  I gave up after a few episodes, but my husband and son kept watching and convinced me to start watching again on Netflix because it got better.  By the last half of the season, I went from not liking it, to watching two in a row whenever I had time.  I have to wait for Season 2 to arrive on Netflix, so it will be a while before I know how I fell about that.

Edited May 19, 2015 by Shannon L.

[JessePinkman]

According to what i have read he is playing Everett K Ross, who in the comics was the state department liason for the king of Wakanda Zaka the Black Panther. This has me super excited because Ross was created by Christopher Priest during his Panther run, which was probably one of my favourite comics of all time. If they are doing that panther it could be really good. Plus my comics claim to fame is that i came up with the title of the letters column for that comic. Of course they stopped doing letters columns a few issues later.

Freeman is a good choice i think for Ross unless marvel has the technology to de-age someone and cure Parkinsons i can't think of a better person (Ross was based on Spin City era Michael J Fox).

Man, I see so much praise for this run and I have to say as a teen or pre-teen I just did not care for it at all. I went in wanting to read about the Black Panther, about T'Challa, but instead the whole story seemed centered on this scrawny white kid. It just offended me on some base level that this book that was ostensibly about a black man was monopolized by a white man. I didn't read much of it so maybe now that I'm older and slightly wiser I should give it another go.

[Sakura12]

I think AoS has gotten immensely better. I was one that stopped watching after a few eps of season 1, heard it got better after The Winter Solider and just picked up watching those eps (I've never seen the rest of the first half of the show). I watched the all of second half in about a week. Then watched season 2 live. It isn't the greatest show on television but it entertains me and doesn't make me want to scream at the tv like other shows have this year.  I dropped Arrow and The Flash is just too stupid for me continue watching. The only reason I'm checking out Legends of Tomorrow is because one my favorite characters is coming back from the dead for it. For me Agent Carter, Daredevil and AoS are the comic books shows I'm looking forward to the next season.

[dusang]

I can't even imagine.  I do an hour of weight lifting a week (it should be three hours minimum for optimum health benefits, but yeah....no.) and the weights aren't even that heavy and by the end I'm so ready to be done with it.  Just thinking about what it takes to be in that kind of shape exhausts me (actually, I saw a video of Stephen Amell (Arrow) working out and damn....it's a killer).

 

Not to get too far OT but have you ever seen the GYM JONES vids of Henry Cavill getting into Superman shape??  It's REDONK.  I haven't seen Stephen Amell's current work out routine, but rumour has it that before he hit it big he was one of the most popular Spin instructors in Toronto so he must take some joy in ridiculous workouts -- I did one Spin class and that shit is torture.

 

I did listen to a Pop Culture Happy Hour episode where they talked about AofU and mentioned the lack of shirtlessness (hilariously).  The guy who's most into comic books on the episode notes that, traditionally the drawn form of superheroes is basically a naked body coloured in because there is no fabric on Earth that clings to the human form like that.  Except now they have discovered/engineered such a fabric and that's what Evans is wearing in the wood-chopping scene, so it's almost like he's shirtless.

[Kel Varnsen]

I can't even imagine.  I do an hour of weight lifting a week (it should be three hours minimum for optimum health benefits, but yeah....no.) and the weights aren't even that heavy and by the end I'm so ready to be done with it.  Just thinking about what it takes to be in that kind of shape exhausts me (actually, I saw a video of Stephen Amell (Arrow) working out and damn....it's a killer).

 

To me the training would just be part of it. The crazy diet would also be too much for me to imagine. I mean I can't even comprehend someone saying you have to eat basically nothing but eggs, fish and brown rice for 8 months (and a ton of it) and then we will pay you millions of dollars.

Man, I see so much praise for this run and I have to say as a teen or pre-teen I just did not care for it at all. I went in wanting to read about the Black Panther, about T'Challa, but instead the whole story seemed centered on this scrawny white kid. It just offended me on some base level that this book that was ostensibly about a black man was monopolized by a white man. I didn't read much of it so maybe now that I'm older and slightly wiser I should give it another go.

I read it when I was in my 20's and really liked it. I like how it was more a political, government thing with a super technologically advanced society and not just another super hero running around NYC. There was one storyline I remember where it was basically a diplomatic/international incident between T'challa, Namor and Magneto and the respective countries they rule. I am curious to see how the movies will do Wakanda, since it is supposed to be the most technologically advanced nation on earth. But every country in the MCU already has a crazy level of tech.

 

I think AoS has gotten immensely better. I was one that stopped watching after a few eps of season 1, heard it got better after The Winter Solider and just picked up watching those eps (I've never seen the rest of the first half of the show). I watched the all of second half in about a week. Then watched season 2 live. It isn't the greatest show on television but it entertains me and doesn't make me want to scream at the tv like other shows have this year.  I dropped Arrow and The Flash is just too stupid for me continue watching. The only reason I'm checking out Legends of Tomorrow is because one my favorite characters is coming back from the dead for it. For me Agent Carter, Daredevil and AoS are the comic books shows I'm looking forward to the next season.

I am sort of in the middle. To me I recognize that it has gotten better, and while it was a big quality jump it just moved from being a pretty bad show to a slightly above average show. There is still some pretty bad writing, and some overall bad episodes, but generally the plot is better. The only thing that bugs me is that after seeing Age of Ultron, is that Hawkeye and Mockingbird are probably not going to get together.

[VCRTracking]

I was surprised at first when they introduced Mockingbird in AOS and that she and Hunter was her ex. Then seeing Age of Ultron and how Hawkeye was happily married and had with kids with someone else it makes sense. Jed and Maurissa couldn't do the fun "Mr. and Mrs Smith" stuff that Bobbi had with Clint Barton in the 616 comics so they used Hunter as a substitute.