And then this weeks #10MinMarvel is all about the TV shows. There were eight, not counting specials in Phase 4. How do we rank all of them, which ones stood out to us, and which ones were maybe missing a little bit of what we hoped we’d see from them.

And just a quick reminder, no episode next week. We record our episodes on Sunday night and next Sunday is Christmas Day, so we want to leave that time open for spending with family.

Thanks for Listening to 10 Minute Marvel

I hope that you are enjoying the podcast. If you are, there are a few ways that I always talk about that you can support 10 Minute Marvel. Firstly, please consider sharing it with your friends. Word of mouth really is a great way to help more people find the podcast and personal recommendations are always great. As well as then subscribing or leaving a rating and review. Both of those make the podcast easier to find on the podcast services. You can find the podcast on iTunes, Google Podcast, Stitcher, and Spotify.

We also run a Patreon and that is another way you can help support. The Patreon, found here, goes to help improve the quality of the 10 Minute Marvel Podcast, pay for advertising and more. It also helps improve the Malts and Meeples YouTube Channel and Nerdologists.com website. Thank you for considering supporting us financially.

Comments or Questions

Last week is was how you ranked the movies, this week it’s how do you rank the shows on Disney+? Which of the Phase 4 shows stood out to you? And which one is maybe a bit more of a miss than you were hoping it would be?

You can let us know all of those things down in the comment section below. Or tweet them to me @TheScando or by using #10MinMarvel.

Thank you again for listening, and I’ll see you next time.

Send an Email
Message me on Twitter at @TheScando
Visit us on Facebook here
Support us on Patreon here

Thanks For Listening

I hope that you are enjoying the podcast. If you are, there are a few ways that I always talk about that you can support 10 Minute Marvel. Firstly, please consider sharing it with your friends. Word of mouth really is a great way to help more people find the podcast and personal recommendations are always great. As well as then subscribing or leaving a rating and review. Both of those make the podcast easier to find on the podcast services. You can find the podcast on iTunes, Google Podcast, Stitcher, and Spotify.

We also run a Patreon and that is another way you can help support. The Patreon, found here, goes to help improve the quality of the 10 Minute Marvel Podcast, pay for advertising and more. It also helps improve the Malts and Meeples YouTube Channel and Nerdologists.com website. Thank you for considering supporting us financially.

Comments or Questions

What is your favorite thing coming out of D23? Are you excited for Werewolf by Night coming out so soon, and with the trailer dropping? Do you like the black and white look? And with Secret Invasion, who is going to be a skrull?

You can let me know all of those things down in the comment section below. Or tweet them to me @TheScando or by using #10MinMarvel.

Thank you again for listening, and I’ll see you next time.

Send an Email
Message me on Twitter at @TheScando
Visit us on Facebook here
Support us on Patreon here

Thank You For Listening

I hope that you are enjoying the podcast. If you are, please consider subscribing, sharing it with your friends, or leaving a rating and review. You can find the podcast over at iTunes, Google Podcast, Stitcher, and Spotify. Doing those things helps the 10 Minute Marvel Community grow.

There is also a way to help support the podcast financially. You can do that over https://patreon.com/nerdologists. The fundds raised there go to help improve the quality of the 10 Minute Marvel Podcast, the Malts and Meeples YouTube Channel as well as the Nerdologists.com website.

Comment/Questions?

Let me know what you thought of the first episode of What If? And of course, let me know what your 19-16 are for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Do you agree with my choices, or which ones do you disagree with?

You can do that down in the comments below. Or you can leave your thoughts over on Twitter. Tweet them to me @TheScando or with #10MinMarvel. Let me know if you like these talks about the MCU shows. Do you want me to do more of a recap of what happened on the show? Or is it good to just dive straight into it like I do? Also, what should I checkout in Marvel Unlimited? I’m working my way through the Secret Wars main story right now.

I’ll see you next time.

Email us at nerdologists@gmail.com
Message me directly on Twitter at @TheScando
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Support us on Patreon here.

If you want to do the rankings that I did, you can enter in the information on Pub Meeple. You need to enter in the movies and shows but there are good lists of all of the MCU properties out there. Let me know what yours looks like compared to mine.

Thanks For Listening

I hope that you are enjoying the podcast. If you are please consider subscribing, sharing it with your friends, or leave a rating and review. All of those help more people find the podcast and the podcast grow. You can find the podcast over on iTunes, Google Podcast, Stitcher, and Spotify.

I also have a patreon, Patreon.com/nerdologists. All the money goes back into improving the quality of the podcast, of Malts and Meeples YouTube channel, and Nerdologists.com. Thank you for considering supporting me with your funds.

Comments or Questions?

Let me know how things get ranked out for you with the Marvel properties. Where do you overlap with me, where might you be pretty different? I’m guessing I’ve already had some pretty different opinions on the four properties that I’ve talked about.

You can let me know over on Twitter. You can find me there @TheScando or with #10MinMarvel. Also down below you can leave your rankings in the comments. Keep up with more of these next week as I plan on doing my 23 through 20. And let me know more things to be reading on Marvel Unlimited.

Email us at nerdologists@gmail.com
Message me directly on Twitter at @TheScando
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Support us on Patreon here.

What Didn’t Work

I always start with the negative because I want to end with the positives of what has worked. I think that there are a few things that haven’t worked, and for me a lot of them have come from The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. That show was the roughest for me, though it did have the best action.

The big thing that didn’t work for me in Falcon and the Winter Soldier was that they removed a massive storyline and gave us some weird payoffs on things. The Flagsmasher storyline was supposed to have contained a story about a disease that was going to the GRC camps. Obviously when 2020 happened, they pulled that because they didn’t want to do a virus storyline. However, that removed the motivation of the Flagsmashers. And that left everything feeling bland in terms of a bad guy.

I also need to knock WandaVision a little bit, because it, along with Falcon and the Winter Soldier didn’t seemingly have much MCU payoff. Now, it might be that having watched the the shows we’ll find more Easter Eggs as the movies came out. But as someone who likes the speculation, I wanted more payoff on some of the things that the cast said and the comic nods thrown in there. Now, I will talk about what those shows were trying to do and did well in next section.

Finally, the Sharon Carter is the Power Broker in Madripoor. That was a twist that was kind of set-up, but then extremely poorly set-up that she was the Power Broker. It is something that makes no sense in what she was doing and how she first reacted when characters show up. So they really didn’t do her character anything that helped it make sense.

What Worked

Character development. Character development was huge throughout the three shows. Even Loki who is more developed as a character had some solid development. But really with Wanda and Vision we had amazing character development. We got to know them better than we had in the movies, and we got to see them grow together and then fall apart as, well, Wanda’s hex came undone. Even in Falcon and the Winter Soldier, we got to see some character development with them.

We also get a few interesting end credit scenes or big reveals. So, Loki is obviously the one that did this the best. Bringing in He Who Remains who is a version of Kang in the show in the final episode was amazing. That was the payoff that we were hoping for from WandaVision. But we also got the Skrull cameo in WandaVision, and the end credit scene where Wanda is going through the Darkhold. Both of those things are definitely setting up more. Falcon and the Winter Soldier had Val, but that was fun but felt lacking.

They got the look right for each of the shows. WandaVision obviously had the most to do with going through various decades and sitcoms, but they nailed it. Falcon and the Winter Soldier, that one was more standard Marvel. But those are more standard Marvel characters, and by that I mean no magic. I really feel like it would have made sense to be the first one to be released. And Loki gave us this weird bureaucracy vibe to it and a dated vibe. It set the tone for the TVA drones.

What Do I Expect For the Next Bunch

That’s an interesting question. We are getting a show with another character we know, after What If. Hawkeye is probably going to give Clint Barton a way to step away from being Hawkeye and set-up another Young Avenger. But I don’t expect it to have anything as big as Loki, probably more on par with The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.

But for What If, I’m not sure what they are going to do. It seems like something that they are just going to have fun with, and I’m cool with that. I wouldn’t be surprised if the movies will drop little nods to what the show does, but I doubt it shakes up Marvel too much.

After that we get new characters like Ms Marvel and She-Hulk. This is where things again get really interesting. We get new characters that are going to show up in the movies, eventually. Ms Marvel is definitely going to be in the Marvels movie with Captain Marvel and more. So are we going to get an origin story, are we going to get something that leads into the movies, I don’t know. I hope by the time Ms Marvel rolls around they’ll know that most people are watching the shows and continue to make them important like Loki was.

Favorite To Least

1. WandaVision
   That one just worked for me. I like the changing aesthetic of the show for each decade and I love the character development. Even without Mephisto, it did still manage to set-up a lot.
2. Loki
   So close between these top two. Loki gives us some Loki character development, but really drives forward Phase 4 more than any other show did. We got our Mephisto there with He Who Remains.
3. Falcon and the Winter Soldier
   This one is kind of a miss for me. It had some powerful moments, but in the end, it felt like it didn’t progress Sam and Bucky much. We knew Sam was going to become Captain America at the end of Endgame, so a show where he steps back and then steps back up isn’t that great to me, plus missing plot.

What order do you put them in?

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Spoilers Start Now

So, at this point in time, Marvel has put out two shows on Disney+. The first being WandaVision and now we’ve gotten The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Both of these shows focus on Avengers characters, but not the main four or so that we’ve seen a lot of. The Hulk had a movie, though it was Edward Norton, Captain America had three, Thor, three, and Iron Man had three movies. Plus they all played larger parts in the Avengers movies. We’ve only gotten to see bits and pieces of characters like Wanda Maximoff, Vison, Sam Wilson and to a less extent Bucky Barnes. So Marvel has taken an opportunity to tell us more about them.

What is the Story?

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier follows the exploits of Sam and Bucky as they both try and deal with the reality that Captain America is gone (whatever that means). For Sam it is about how he can pick up the shield that Cap gave him. And Bucky it is about making amends for his time as the Winter Soldier and growing beyond that past. Now, there is more to the story, but when you get down to it, that is the most important part of the story and the real focus. Both Sam and Bucky need to move past the shadow of Captain America and stand on their own.

What About Villains?

There are of course villains along the way. Three groups that stand out. Firstly there is the GRC and John Walker. John Walker is basically whom the US government picks to take over as Captain America when Sam gives the shield away. Needless to say that doesn’t go well and there are run ins with him. There are the Flagsmashers who like how things were before everyone came back. And there is the mysterious power broker working in the background.

The Flagsmashers are really the main villains but they are not the most interesting villain. In fact, I think that John Walker as a rival is the most interesting villianish part of the series. John Walker isn’t even truly a villain though. He is more of an anti-hero. That is who he generally is in the comics as well. He’s the person who will take things too far or lose control versus truly wanting to be bad. And I give mad props to Wyatt Russell, he played that role perfectly.

But the Flagsmashers?

So, this is starting to get out there more. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier primarily filmed in 2019. You might remember that time as being before a pandemic. And part of what was filmed was there was a virus going around the GRC camps for the people who had come back from the blip. In the current version of the show, that was completely removed. There were minor hints, the Flagsmashers had stolen a vaccine, but beyond that pretty limited.

This removal and adjustment of everything didn’t do the series any favors. The Flagsmashers kind of lost their teeth. They didn’t have a reason for doing things, and the GRC came across as a bureaucratic organization is bad just because they are a bureaucratic organization. Trying to adjust on the fly for the show really caused the main villains to be more of a mess and the GRC to feel kind of tired in what they are.

Who Is Isaiah Bradley?

One of the main storylines for Sam and Sam picking up the shield and why it was hard to pick up. It wasn’t because of the Flagsmashers. It was Isaiah Bradley. I will say, this part of the show with Sam worked the best out of anything. Isaiah Bradley, the black Captain America basically. And how his story was so much different than that of Captain America. How when he did the same thing that Cap did, he got thrown into prison. How the government tried to cover up the experiments and how his life was broken because of what had happened.

It makes the weight of the shield that much more for Sam to pick up. But it also is then more hopeful when Sam does pick up the shield. Sam is a character who wants to change what has been done wrong and help those who have been wronged or are struggling. And he is able to do that with Isaiah Bradley in a very meaningful way for the character but also just in general in the show.

Other Odds and Ends

Zemo, why was he in this show? Besides just him dancing, the main reason he should be in everything, there is another reason. Zemo, most likely, is going to be in a group called the Thunderbolts. They might also get called the Dark Avengers. Basically a group of villains or anti-heroes often headed up by the likes of Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross. You might know what name from The Edward Norton film, The Incredible Hulk, and then again in Winter Soldier and Civil War. I am guessing that Val is helping Ross to set-up a Thunderbolts like team with US Agent, John Walker’s new hero name, Zemo, and some more characters who might be on the Raft with Zemo.

Then there is the Powerbroker. Right now we believe that the Powerbroker is Sharon Carter. I think in the end that will be true. I don’t think they are going to do a misdirect after the characters lay it out so well. But what was that. That part of the storyline was hot garbage. It was a mystery who the Powerbroker was, except it was somewhat obvious who they were setting up to be the Powerbroker. But it was then more of a mystery didn’t make sense for Sharon to be the Powerbroker.

Basically Sharon Carter went on the run in Civil War, no one has reached out to her, she is maybe dusted in the snap, and now six months later, she’s running an criminal organization in Madripoor, what? Most likely they are trying to set her up as a villain for the Armor Wars show, possibly being brainwashed and a deep sleeper of Hydra? But they did it so poorly in the story that no, just get rid of the Powerbroker from the show. Or make Sharon Carter a Skrull.

How Does This Compare to WandaVision?

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier was what I expected it would be. It is more of a standard super hero fare. We saw more normal villains, there was less of a WTF is going on that happened with WandaVision, and more action throughout. However, because of the vaccine storyline being removed, and less of a clear vision on the show as a whole, I don’t think it is as good as WandaVision. I think there are some interesting parts to it, but for the most part, it is just average. The Sam Wilson/Isaiah Bradley stuff is amazing, John Walker is good. Bucky in general does a really good job. But the show lacked the tension and interest that WandaVision had.

So What’s Next?

Well, there are a number of interesting things that can come out of this. Like I said, I think Sharon Carter might be the main villain in the Armor Wars show. I hope that it turns out to be she was brainwashed by Hydra as a sleeper agent and just activated. But that’s one likely thing.

Then there is John Walker, US Agent, and Zemo, I think that both will end up being on a Thunderbolts team. I would like the Thunderbolts to get a Disney+ show, but they might be movie material. I could see that team being presented as a new Avengers type team and maybe cause the formation of the Young Avengers.

And we are getting a Captain America 4. That is going to be a movie with Sam Wilson Captain America taking the starring role. I am very interested in seeing what they’ll do with that movie.

Final Thoughts

This was not as good as show as WandaVision. And I am not sure it’s much watch Marvel content. Now, it is still really enjoyable, but if you are wanting to watch a show that matters for the movies, this one isn’t it. At the end of Endgame, everyone expects Sam to become Captain America, at the end of this Sam becomes Captain America. The main great thing you get from this is the Isaiah Bradley story and the introduction of his nephew Eli Bradley who is a Young Avenger. Otherwise, I don’t know what you’ll be missing too much. Now, if you are a Marvel fanatic like I am, there is a lot of good and a lot to be mined from the show. So if you love Marvel, watch it, if you go out of your way to see all the movies in theaters, watch it. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed, it just isn’t as good as WandaVision.

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Thank You All For Listening

I hope that you are enjoying the podcast. If you are, please consider leaving a rating and review, subscribing, or sharing it with your friends. All of those things help the podcast grow and get more people into the 10 Minute Marvel Community. The podcast is available over on iTunes, YouTube Music, Spotify, and Stitcher.

You can also help support the podcast as well as Malts and Meeples YouTube Channel and Nerdologists.com over on Patreon.com/Nerdologists. All the proceeds from that go to help improve the podcast, channel and website.

Questions and Comments

Let me know your thoughts on The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. What worked for you, what didn’t work for you, what did you want to see more of? I liked the show, but it was way more uneven than WandaVision and felt like it was missing chunks of the story it was trying to tell at times. Then other parts were amazing, but you know what I thought about it, I want to know what you think about it.

Also, we now are between shows. What should I talk about, I’ve been going through The Secret Invasion comic run again on Marvel Unlimited. Plus we have some characters that we could talk about such as Sharon Carter, or maybe the comic book history of Baron Zemo and how that differs from what we saw in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Let me know what you want to see.

You can do all that in the comments below. Or I am on twitter and you can tweet your thoughts to me, @TheScando, or with #10MinMarvel.

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Shang-Chi Trailer

Thank You For Listening!

I hope that you are enjoying the podcast. If you are, please consider subscribing and leaving a rating and review for the podcast. Also share the podcast with your friends. All of those things help more people find the 10 Minute Marvel Podcast and grow the community and listenership. And thank you to everyone who has already done that,

You can also help the podcast by supporting us over on Patreon. You can find the different reward tiers over there at https://patreon.com/nerdologists. All the money made off of there goes into helping improve the podcast, Malts and Meeples, and Nerdologists.com.

Comments or Questions?

Let me know your thoughts on Falcon and the Winter Soldier. What do you want to happen in the finale, what do you think will happen in the finale? How will things turn out for John Walker and Baron Zemo? What did you think of the Shang-Chi trailer?

Let me know your thoughts in the comments below. Or you can tweet them to me over on Twitter where you can find me me @TheScando or use #10MinMarvel.

Email us at nerdologists@gmail.com
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Thank You All For Listening

I hope that you are enjoying the podcast. If you are, please consider sharing it with your friends. You can also subscribe or leave a rating and review. You can find the podcast over on iTunes, YouTube Music, Spotify, or Stitcher. All of those help the community and listenership grow.

You can also support the podcast over at Patreon. All the money goes to help Nerdologists website, Malts and Meeples YouTube Channel, and 10 Minute Marvel. The money helps create more content, improve the content that I am making, and get more games to talk about. Thank you for considering supporting the podcast financially.

Comments or Questions

Let me know who you think the episode 5 cameo is going to be. If you were to add a new character who is grounded but the show runner wants to see with Thor, who would that be? And let me know, yay or nay, if you listened to the spoiler and if you like it.

You can do that in the comments below or over on Twitter. On Twitter you can find me @TheScando or with #10MinMarvel.

Email us at nerdologists@gmail.com
Message me directly on Twitter at @TheScando
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Support us on Patreon here.

Thanks For Listening

I hope that you are enjoying the podcast. If you are, please consider subscribing, leaving a rating and review, or sharing it with your friends. The podcast is available on iTunes, YouTube Music, Spotify and Stitcher. All of those things help the podcast grow and help the community grow.

If you want to help the podcast financially, you can do so over on http://patreon.com/nerdologists. We have a number of different levels there, and all the money helps improve the quality of the podcast, the Malts and Meeples YouTube Channel and this website.

Questions or Comments

There are a lot of questions left to be answered in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Let me know who you think the Power Broker is going to be. And who this mystery cameo that the show runner wanted to see with Thor and is going to be emotional. There are a number of options, but I’d love to hear what you all think. You can let me know in the comments below. Or you can tweet your ideas to me over @TheScando or with #10MinMarvel.

Email us at nerdologists@gmail.com
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