Marvel's Most Wanted are here to deliver some Justice like Lightning! Case and Jmike reflect on the latest MCU entry, Thunderbolts*, with friend of the show, Joe Mastropiero.
Overview
In the latest episode of the podcast, hosts Case Aiken and Jmike Folson, along with guest Joe Mastropiero, delve into Marvel's Thunderbolts movie, connecting its themes to the recently released Superman trailer. They discuss the film's characters, including Yelena, Bucky, and the controversial Sentry, addressing how the characters' darker backstories lend themselves to a redemption arc that deviates from their comic origins. The hosts explore the movie's structure, its exploration of trauma through the lens of the Void character, and the significance of the Superman archetype in modern storytelling, highlighting a potential cultural shift towards more hopeful narratives. The episode concludes with updates about the podcast, including upcoming episodes and ways for listeners to engage through Discord and Patreon, while emphasizing the importance of community interaction in discussing these themes.
Notes
Introduction and Superman Trailer Discussion (00:00 - 15:45)
Hosts Case Aiken and Jmike Folson welcome guest Joe Mastropiero to discuss Marvel's Thunderbolts movie
The hosts explained the Superman connection to Thunderbolts: the Sentry character is a Superman analog
The group discussed the recently released Superman trailer featuring David Corenswet
Logan Crowley provided audio commentary praising the trailer's rural American portrayal of the Kents
The trailer shows Lois Lane interviewing Clark Kent and Superman's moral conflict with authority figures
Group discussed potential Justice Society appearance and Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor
Thunderbolts Team History and Setup (15:46 - 29:34)
Original Thunderbolts comic (1996) featured villains disguised as heroes after mainstream heroes disappeared
The comic team was led by Baron Zemo with members including Moonstone, Atlas, Mach 1, and Songbird
The team evolved over time from redemption-seeking villains to government ops team (similar to Suicide Squad)
The movie roster differs significantly from comic versions, causing initial fan confusion
The Sentry character is a controversial Superman analog with bipolar disorder and a dark alter ego called 'The Void'
The Sentry has extreme power levels that create storytelling challenges in the Marvel universe
Movie Characters Review: Part 1 (29:35 - 49:41)
Yelena (Florence Pugh): Burned-out assassin who serves as the audience viewpoint character
Bucky (Sebastian Stan): Former Winter Soldier, moved away from his congressman storyline
Red Guardian (David Harbour): Soviet super-soldier who brings enthusiasm and comic relief
Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen): Character with phasing abilities who had plot elements removed
Taskmaster: Briefly appears in the film but is killed early to establish stakes
All characters are government-created weapons now without masters, seeking purpose
Movie Characters Review: Part 2 (49:42 - 01:00:08)
US Agent (Wyatt Russell): Portrayed as a physically powerful but unlikeable douchebag
Val (Julia Louis-Dreyfus): Manipulative politician/spymaster who brings the team together
Mel: Character who unexpectedly survives despite seeming setup for death
Bob/Sentry (Lewis Pullman): Mild-mannered man who transforms into the golden-costumed Sentry
The Void manifestation was effectively portrayed through shadow effects and 'Hiroshima-style shadows'
The film effectively handles Sentry's extreme power levels by keeping him sidelined for most of the story
️ Movie Structure and Themes (01:00:10 - 01:10:23)
Film has strong setup and payoff elements with well-structured action sequences
Team is brought together when 'they are the evidence' that needs to be eliminated
The movie differs from expectations of being a Suicide Squad-type government contract story
The Void serves as vehicle for showing characters' trauma and psychological issues
Despite differences from comics, film maintains core theme of redemption for characters with dark pasts
Characters take on 'New Avengers' name by the end, connecting to comic history
Superman Archetype Discussion (01:10:26 - 01:21:42)
Discussion about why both dark and hopeful Superman archetypes resonate with audiences
Joe highlighted importance of Superman's moral compass coming from supportive family/community
Dark Superman versions explore 'what if' scenarios without those support structures
The group noted a possible cultural shift toward desiring more hopeful superhero stories after a period of darker interpretations
Century briefly shows Superman-like qualities before reverting to darker nature
Film effectively portrays the burden of power on someone with mental health issues
Show Updates and Promotion (01:21:43 - 01:27:49)
Case announced upcoming Men of Steel episodes (#146-150) including Hulk vs Superman and Supergirl from Krypton
The hosts promoted their Discord community as the best way for listeners to interact with them
Men of Steel now has a Patreon at patreon.com/certainpovmedia with various support tiers
Case thanked their first ten executive producer-level supporters by name
Carter Hallett
Sean Muir
Lee Greger
Memento Young
Logan Crowley
Joe Mastropiero
Casey Aiken
Nancy Aiken
Adam Samtur
Keith Lehtinen
Case mentioned writing essays for Patreon subscribers (even at free tier)
Final promotion for 'We Have Issues' podcast reviewing weekly comic releases
Action items
Listeners
Join the Men of Steel Discord to interact with hosts and discuss the Superman trailer and Thunderbolts (01:21:42)
Check out and possibly support the show's new Patreon at patreon.com/certainpovmedia (01:23:07)
Case Aiken
Schedule essay releases more consistently on Patreon going forward (01:25:57)
Complete and release the Naomi episode that was previously mentioned
