Marvelling at the MCU

It’s time for the much-maligned Marvels, where Dave and Oli fail to understand the hate the film got when it was first released, discuss it’s place in the wider Marvel Cinematic Universe including Wandavision and Ms Marvel, and speculate about it’s relation to X-Men, Doomsday and Secret Wars.

They also delve into some of the great lines and great performances, the less-than-great baddies, and Oli surprises Dave with a game of “Know Your Codenames.” PLUS: skipping rope playground games, terrible 90s songs and Dolph Lundgren. What’s not to love?!

Listen to the end for a twist when it comes to what’s coming up next time. Hint: It’s not Nicepool. 

Chapters

00:00:00 Introduction

00:05:49 Film nerdery

00:20:47 Comic geekery

00:39:50 The breakdown

01:15:35 Know Your Codenames!

01:46:42 Kinda post-credits

01:52:06 Summing up

01:56:29 Up next: a twist

If you like our show it would mean a lot to us if you rate and review us on Spotify or Apple Podcasts, it really does help us with the algorithm and reaching new audiences of people like you who might enjoy what we're doing.

You can follow us on @MarvellingPod on Instagram, Threads, Tiktok and YouTube or email us your thoughts on [email protected].

Dave and Oli take a look at the 32nd film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and dive deep into the pain of knowing what's coming, the joy of Will Poulter and the incredible ability for CGI characters to make you feel the feels.

All that plus Oli expands on his theory that none of the Guardians actually knows how to pilot a spaceship and Dave goes super deep on a character with less than five minutes of screen time (because what else is a long-form podcast for?).

CHAPTERS

00:00:00 Introduction

00:02:12 Film nerdery

00:16:42 Comic geekery

00:36:53  Breakdown

00:51:37 Disgusting Orgocorp

01:16:34 Guardians at the Arete

01:37:22 Guardians can’t fly

01:58:57 Closing thoughts

If you like our show it would mean a lot to us if you rate and review us on Spotify or Apple Podcasts, it really does help us with the algorithm and reaching new audiences of people like you who might enjoy what we're doing.

You can follow us on @MarvellingPod on Instagram, Threads, Tiktok and YouTube or email us your thoughts on [email protected].

It’s Quantumania this week, a film that neither of the boys find themselves getting excited about. Dave gets disappointed at the wasted potential of Kang, Oli laughs about Jaws comparisons, and both of them try to pinpoint the main issues that make it one of their least favourite films of the MCU so far.

Also listen out for: Dave making more Red Dwarf references, Oli making excuses for Kang’s future predictions, and both of them trying to decide which bits are going to get cut from the final ep (spoilers: not much - Ed)

00:00:00 Introduction

00:02:56 Film nerdery

00:04:46 Kang Dynasty Detour

00:08:43 More nerdery

00:13:59 Comic geekery

00:28:42 Loki & Homework

00:37:32 Breakdown

00:55:46 MODOC arrives

01:16:21 Fastball special

01:30:26 Should Scott be scared?

01:33:58 SPOILER ALERT: FF First Steps

01:34:29 END SPOILERS

01:38:00 Changing our minds?

01:41:32 Next time…

If you like our show it would mean a lot to us if you rate and review us on Spotify or Apple Podcasts, it really does help us with the algorithm and reaching new audiences of people like you who might enjoy what we're doing.

You can follow us on @MarvellingPod on Instagram, Threads, Tiktok and YouTube or email us your thoughts on [email protected].

It’s another Wakanda week as the boys look at the 30th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and manage to disagree on most of the good and bad bits. They dive into (sorry, not sorry) a very long film with some new characters, discussing the adaptation of Namor from speedo-wearing comic Atlanian to trunks-and-chest-piece Talokanil.

They also explore shooting underwater and dry-for-wet, breath holds, accidental puns, badly named ships, single-ship navies and a veritable deep-sea trench of other things.

Oh, and Dave gets lambasted by Oli for dropping the H off ‘herb.’ 

00:00:00 Introduction

00:04:12 Film Nerdery

00:14.03 Comic geekery

00:32:38 Breakdown

00:46:42 Namor’s arrival

01:11:08 Or we have suits

01:31:47 I’m clever

Fun fact: the episode contains the most extensive use of the Marvelling at the MCU bleep machine since the pod began! 

If you like our show it would mean a lot to us if you rate and review us on Spotify or Apple Podcasts, it really does help us with the algorithm and reaching new audiences of people like you who might enjoy what we're doing.

You can follow us on @MarvellingPod on Instagram, Threads, Tiktok and YouTube or email us your thoughts on [email protected].

The boys rattle through the 29th movie in the MCU, trying to find ways to be nice. They talk about the film’s comic origins as a major 616 storyline, the viability of early-stage rumours about the Mighty Thor, and flicking people’s clothes off. They also hit on God bombs, sentient weapons and full showman mode.

CHAPTERS:

00:00:00

00:05:00 Film nerdery

00:15:08 Comic geekery  

00:41:16 Breakdown

00:51:54 Involving the Guardians

01:01:36 Janky Bifrost

01:12:50 Yoink!

01:25:20 Eternity’s painting power

01:32:38 Summing up

If you like our show it would mean a lot to us if you rate and review us on Spotify or Apple Podcasts, it really does help us with the algorithm and reaching new audiences of people like you who might enjoy what we're doing.

You can follow us on @MarvellingPod on Instagram, Threads, Tiktok and YouTube or email us your thoughts on [email protected].

As the boys break down the 28th movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Oli and Dave swapping positions on terrible plot dumps, Oli going full grump on pointless backstory, and Dave dives into everything from the Wanda/Scarlet Witch contrast to the Young Avengers to the Illuminati. 

Plus, you can enjoy Oli's deep, gruff voice courtesy of a cold (which he maintains contributes to the grump, but we all know otherwise).

CHAPTERS

00:00:00 Introduction

00:02:14 Film nerdery

00:15:17 Comic Geekery

00:30:03 Consequences of the blip.

01:09:27 The Illuminati

01:34:34 Zombie Strange

01:40:51 America in control

01:54:33 Summing up

If you enjoy our show it would mean a lot to us if you rate and review us on Spotify or Apple Podcasts, it really does help us with the algorithm and reaching new audiences of people like you who might enjoy what we're doing.

You can follow us on @MarvellingPod on Instagram, Threads, Tiktok and YouTube or email us your thoughts on [email protected]

We’re up to film number 27 in the MCU and another exceptional instalment of Spider-Man with No Way Home. Dave and Oli discuss what was believed, leaked and known about the triple-threat Spider-Men, the closure this film give to Maguire and Garfield fans, and the sheer number of awesome moments and beautiful—often brutal (physically and emotionally)—sequences.

They also talk bad language, evil besties and terrible life choices while trying not to keep their expectations high so they’ll never be disappointed.

Timestamps:

00:00:00 Intro

00:02:29 Film nerdery

00:12:26 Combined geekery 

00:32:32 Breakdown

00:43:05 On the bridge

00:52:26 Inside out

01:07:01 Brilliantly brutal

01.26.24 Webshooters.

01:36:59 Oli’s favourite moment

01:53:43 Credits and post 

01:56:42 Wrap up

If you like our show it would mean a lot to us if you rate and review us on Spotify or Apple Podcasts, it really does help us with the algorithm and reaching new audiences of people like you who might enjoy what we're doing.

You can follow us on @MarvellingPod on Instagram, Threads, Tiktok and YouTube or email us your thoughts on [email protected].

Oli gets wound up over rainforests, finger guns, opening crawls and (more reasonably) disabled representation, while Dave ploughs his way through the comic canon of the Eternals and what they (and the Celestials) mean to the comic and cinematic universes.

No spoilers for what comes next following Areshem’s emergence, just lots of discussion about how good this film could have been.

Chapters:

00:00:00 Intro

00:03:56 Film nerdery

00:14:35 Epic comic geekery

00:34:33 Breakdown

00:49:46 The problem with Makkari

00:59:44 The Breakup

01:16:40 Back to the Domo

01:46:54 Credits & mid-credits

01:48:51 In-depth on the post-credit scene

01:54:06 Summary & wrap up

Dave and Oli dive into the 25th film of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, talking awkward history, ret-conned character adjustments and, naturally, they use their vast martial arts knowledge to rate the fights as they go along.

They talk about the impact of the pandemic on production, the film's individual storytelling approach—particularly flashbacks and subtitles—and what the post-blip world looks like for the “normal” people of the Marvel universe.

If you like our show it would mean a lot to us if you rate and review us on Spotify or Apple Podcasts, and you can follow us on @MarvellingPod on Instagram, Threads, Tiktok and YouTube or email us your thoughts on [email protected].

This week, Dave and Oli dive into the 24th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and admit that their minds have been changed by re-watching a film neither of them were looking forward to. Dave explains the history of mind control, Oli waxes lyrical about Scarlett Johansson and Florence Pugh and they both attempt to curb their disappointment with the final half hour of the film.

Chapters

00:00:00 Intro

00:02:29 Film nerdery

00:10:13 Comic geekery

01:34:30 Summing up

Let us know what you think by hopping over to our social channels: you can find us @MarvellingPod just about anywhere you care to look: ⁠Instagram⁠, ⁠TikTok⁠, ⁠YouTube⁠ and ⁠Facebook⁠.

If you enjoyed the show and you’d be willing to leave us a review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts, that would mean a huge amount to us both. It really does help us reach more people who love the MCU as much as we do.