Top 12 Marvel Cinematic Universe Movies: Part 2

The Top 6, now we are getting to Marvel's premiere films; the best of the best! In my eyes, Marvel has four distinct tiers of quality. First are the almost universally agreed upon weakest films, The Incredible Hulk and Iron Man 2. Second tier includes the Thors films and The First Avenger. Tier three is the very strong, albeit not quite perfect, films of Iron Man 3 and the numbers 5 and 6 on this list. Lastly is the "Core Four" as I like to call; the final four films on this list. These are the four films that stand above the rest of the MCU, as well as the rest of its respective genre. For the previous part of the list, click here.

6: Ant-Man

Showing a more lighthearted and fun side to the Marvel Universe, Ant-Man is the best origin film since Iron Man back in 2008. It introduced us to a character with numerous faults, and yet Paul Rudd manages to make him one of the most grounded and relatable characters in the MCU. He is even a father; relatively new territory for superhero flicks. Everything about Ant-Man should not have worked. Honestly, the fact that the film received so many positive reviews baffles me, but it is most definitely deserving of every positive thing about it. Read my full review here.

5: Avengers: Age of Ultron

My initial review of Avengers: Age of Ultron might have been a bit too positive. In retrospect, the film certainly had its narrative flaws. It should have been at least 30 minutes longer, and inclusion of a romance took away from necessary plot development. However, where it faltered a bit narratively, it more than made up for with some of Whedon's most effective characterization yet. He dives into each the character's psyche and shows us what makes them tick. And in terms of sheer geeky awesomeness, Age of Ultron most definitely delivers thanks to the addition of unforgettable new characters like Vision and the Scarlet Witch. For more thoughts on the film, read my review here.

4: Iron Man

Before The Avengers, Thor, and Captain America, Marvel studios made a film that would be the foundation for all other Marvel movies to build on in the future, and they could not have kicked off the franchise any better than with Iron Man.

Casting veteran actor Robert Downey Jr. in the role of Tony Stark remains the best casting decision ever for any comic book film. From his chemistry with Paltrow to the adlibbed dialogue, Iron Man elevated every aspect of the film. Even after re-watching at least eight times, the movie never gets old, and that’s largely thanks to Downey.

Words cannot even express what it felt like to see Nick Fury stepping forward to say, “I am here to talk to you about the Avengers initiative.” At the time, it was only something that I could have dreamed about, and as a geek, it was about as good as it gets. To this day, it remains one of the defining moments of my movie watching experience.

3: Guardians of the Galaxy

Guardians of the Galaxy defied all expectations. Not only did it become highest grossing film of the year domestically, it shocked both fan and critic alike with its complete disregard of the conventional.

James Gunn's writing and direction is bold. He did not care about what audiences expected or even wanted. He told us exactly we wanted, and we all loved every minute of it. His style is in-your-face and unforgivingly his own, and that is my type of filmmaking!

Thanks to the stellar chemistry between the cast and Chris Pratt's innate goofball charm, GotG assembles a team of misfits unlike any other. It is like a combination of Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Mass Effect, and Firefly, packed full of 80s references, action, and absurdly lovable characters. Even if you have never seen a Marvel film, there is so little connection to the main universe that it does not matter, yet there are still plenty of Easter Eggs for the fans.

Guardians of the Galaxy is bold and audacious filmmaking at its finest with James Gunn's complete disregard of typical genre conventions that care more about making a unique film than a generic crowd pleaser, yet it surely does please. GotG is like a cult classic with lovable quirky characters and endlessly quotable dialogue, except with box office success and a big budget; what more could you ask for?!

However, I feel as though I need to watch it yet another time before ranking it at number two, which could very well happen in the near future.

2: Captain America: The Winter Soldier

Captain America: The Winter Soldier truly took me by surprise. I expected a fun action packed adventure with my favorite comic book character; what I actually got was something far superior.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier is a thematically strong film loaded with meaningful social commentary on the various aspects of politics, freedom, and government control. It uses the fact that Captain America is an unwavering force of freedom to convey the themes without ever coming off as pretentious. Everything expressed in the film is a core aspect of Cap's character, and that is exactly why it works so well.

Upon my second viewing, I watched the film with the intent of finding something wrong with the film, and yet I could not find a single noteworthy flaw. Of course, no film is absolutely perfect, but it is one of the most well crafted films that I have ever. Each scene flows into the next effortlessly. It takes big risks, and yet never falters. The plot functions like a well oiled machine, and yet it has an emotional core. While I am sad to see Joss Whedon not directing Avengers: Infinity War, the film is left in good hands with the Russo Brothers.

1: The Avengers

Could there be any other? Joss Whedon accomplished the impossible with The Avengers and that makes him mighty (Firefly reference). Never before has a comic book film been so bold and unforgiving in the fact that it is based on a comic book. It perfectly captures the spirit of the comic, while still being easily accessible to the general public, an impressive feat in and of itself.

Somehow every character is given their moment to shine, and Whedon's expertly written banter is pure perfection. Among the previously established characters, Whedon even managed to build Black Widow into a far more fascinating character than anyone could have ever realized, and The Hulk, who, at the time, never received a proper film adaptation, nearly stole the show.

The Avengers could have easily been a disaster if left in less competent hands. Behind all of the spectacle and humor, ultimately, the film has heart; that's the real reason The Avengers is a classic that will go down in history as one of the defining films of the our generation. Will Age of Ultron be able to best it....

For a future continuation of this list, I have considered ranking Marvel's TV series like Daredevil and Agent Carter alongside the films. Please let me know what you think of that in the comments, because it is something that I have wanted to try. 

If you want to contact us or have any questions please send an e-mail to johnstarslayer@gmail.com.

Top 12 Marvel Cinematic Universe Movies: Part 1

The Marvel Cinematic Universe, or MCU for short, continues to expand with the addition of Age of Ultron and Ant-Man earlier this year, so it is time again to rank all of the MCU movies from worst to first!

Marvel has revolutionized the film industry with the concept of a shared universe with characters from one film appearing in another, to the point where supporting even received their own television series! Ever since The Avengers swept the planet with its success, every other studio rushed to make their own cinematic universe and no other franchise is even close to Marvel's financial and critical success. In fact, the idea of a shared universe is essentially bringing the idea of the comics to the film medium. One key factor in the MCU's success is that there has yet to be a truly bad film. Not all of them have been great, but with two exceptions, the MCU is consistently high quality. The films establish these characters and the various films allow the audience to watch them grow and change throughout the course of several films. Now, without further ado, let's get this started.

Note: If you read my previous list, my thoughts on the films released before Age of Ultron are essentially the same.

12: The Incredible Hulk

The black sheep of the MCU, The Incredible Hulk has faded into obscurity almost to the point where it is barely considered canon. Sure, it is occasionally referred, but many aspects of the film just do not fit with the rest of the MCU. Part of this is due to Edward Norton not returning in The Avengers, which led to Mark Ruffalo redefining the film version of the Hulk/Banner to astounding success.

As for the film itself, The Incredible Hulk is a fun film. Nothing about it is remarkable, but it tells a classic Hulk story of Banner running from them military. For the type of on-the-run Banner that the film required, Edward Norton did a fine job in the role. Unfortunately, the film starts to fall apart towards end with the introduction of Major Emil Blonsky, aka the Abomination. The final battle between the two is entertaining for some CGI Hulk smashing, but that is about it. The other issue is that the budget and technology at the time could not create a Hulk comparable to the one in the comics. Overall though, it is a solid comic book flick.

11: Iron Man 2

Receiving more hate that it ever deserved, Iron Man 2 is very much a mixed bag. Certain elements are fantastic, while other aspects disappoint. The film tries to use the palladium poisoning as a substitute for Stark's alcoholism arc from the comics. While a few parts of that story as Tony tries to discover what is truly important is effective, it is ultimately buried by uneven pacing and too many subplots. Thankfully, Robert Downey jr. being himself is always a pleasure to watch, and his ad libbed banter keeps things interesting. 

The most notable criticism is that Iron Man 2 tries to be the bridge that sets up for The Avengers, and at the time, the executives at Marvel still had yet to figure out exactly how everything would come together, which is apparent in the film. The building blocks are there, but it is not integrated with the any form of subtlety like later the films. However, it is a necessary evil of sorts for use to get us to the ultimate payoff that is The Avengers. Oddly enough, I basically agreed with the majority that it was a disappointment upon my first viewing of the film (before I became a critic). However, after multiple viewing, its importance in the overall road to The Avengers and Downey's innate charm made me like the movie so much more the second and third times around, despite the messy narrative and apparent flaws.

10: Thor

Of all the Phase 1 films, Thor had the most potential for disaster! In fact, before watching the film, I feared that there would be no way that a Thor film could work in live-action. Thankfully, to my surprise, Thor turned out to be one of the films in a long line of Marvel productions that defy expectations against all odds.

Kenneth Branagh's Shakespearean background lent itself well to the film's theatrical family drama and archaic dialogue, which were one of the film's strongest aspects. The "fish-out-of-water" comedy with Thor is full of unforgettable lines that I still quote today, and the Final Act brought Thor’s character arc full circle. Branagh did use a few too many dutch angles for some reason. But as a whole, he managed to capture Thor and the world of Asgard in a satisfying manor!

9: Captain America: The First Avenger

Captain America: The First Avenger is distinctly different than the other Marvel films in both tone and style. Director, Joe Johnston, gave the film a retro period look that is reminiscent of older serials, while still being serious. The blend of styles works for the most part. However, the standout is Chris Evans as Captain America himself. As a Captain America fan since childhood, there was no character that I wanted to see done right on the big screen more. However, when Evans was cast, I was confused. He was a decent funny guy in Fantastic Four, but could he play Cap? And the answer was an astounding yes! The First Avenger was far from his best work as the character, but he really nailed the physicality and heroic personality that the character required.

In retrospect, Hayley Atwell as Peggy Carter turned out to be pitch perfect casting with her spinoff series, Agent Carter, being one of Marvel's best works to date. Actually, if I were to rank Agent Carter versus the films, it would probably be number five (unless Daredevil counts).

8: Thor: The Dark World

Despite Thor being the titular character, we all know that The Dark World is the Tom Hiddleston show, as he steals every second of his screentime. Sure, his screentime may be limited to the first two Acts, but he eats it up.

However, of all the MCU movies, I have the least to say about The Dark World. There is nothing controversial or world shattering; it is a straightforward and entertaining adventure. The best aspect is the brotherly interaction between Thor and Loki, and visually interesting Asgardian world. I would say that it is about tied with Captain America and Thor on the list with Hiddleston's performance being the thing that barely edges the other two out, although could change upon later viewings. The Dark World place in the grand scheme of the Marvel universe has yet to be seen with the film's final twist setting up for Thor: Ragnarok in 2017.

7: Iron Man 3

Easily the most divisive of Marvel films, Iron Man 3 continues to leave the community split. Some continue to say that the film is a failure, while others, like myself, say that it is an excellent character study of Tony Stark, despite a few nagging issues.

However, the main point of contention is the big twist *Major Spoilers* that the Mandarin is a fake. Many viewers were sorely disappointed that Ben Kingsley's long anticipated role was all just a facade created by the trailers. For me, and a few others, the deception is one the best twists that I have seen in cinema. Right up until the release, the whole thing was kept underwraps; it is a real feat in today's world of trailers that spoil major plot points (*coughTerminatorcough*). For the first time, I was truly shocked by the turn of events, and for someone that often predicts what is going to happen next, it was a real pleasure to be genuinely surprised.

However, the Third Act suffers from a lack of a great antagonist. A better way to do the twist would have been to replace Guy Pearce with a Chinese actor, so that when he says "I am the Mandarin" the dragon tattoos and other things all make sense. However, considering the latest Marvel One-Shot about the Mandarin, there is a real one out there that we might see in the future. *End Spoilers*

As for the movie itself, Shane Black's witty script and Downey’s brilliant delivery make for an exceptional combination. Even if the plot is not as well crafted as the first film, the interaction, character development, and pure entertainment make it one of the most fun Marvel films to watch.

Thanks for reading this first part everyone! Check back soon for the second and final part.

If you want to contact us or have any questions please send an e-mail to johnstarslayer@gmail.com.

Top 10 Marvel Cinematic Universe Movies: Part 3

My list of the MCU movies continues with the final part of the list. 

At this point in the list, numbers two, three, and four could easily be interchangeable. These are the top tier of the Marvel films, and they fully deserving of the title "Earth's Mightiest Heroes." 

Click on the following links if you missed the first two parts of the list: Part 1 and Part 2.

4: Iron Man

Before The Avengers, Thor, and Captain America, Marvel studios made a film that would be the foundation for all other Marvel movies to build on in the future, and they could not have kicked off the franchise any better than with Iron Man.

Casting veteran actor Robert Downey Jr. in the role of Tony Stark remains the best casting decision ever for any comic book film. From his chemistry with Paltrow to the adlibbed dialogue, Iron Man elevated every aspect of the film. Even after re-watching at least eight times, the movie never gets old, and that’s largely thanks to Downey.

Words cannot even express what it felt like to see Nick Fury stepping forward to say, “I am here to talk to you about the Avengers initiative.” At the time, it was only something that I could have dreamed about, and as a geek, it was about as good as it gets. To this day, it remains one of the defining moments of my movie watching experience.

3: Guardians of the Galaxy

Guardians of the Galaxy defied all expectations. Not only did it become highest grossing film of the year domestically, it shocked both fan and critic alike with its complete disregard of the conventional.

James Gunn's writing and direction is bold. He did not care about what audiences expected or even wanted. He told us exactly we wanted, and we all loved every minute of it. His style is in-your-face and unforgivingly his own, and that is my type of filmmaking!

Thanks to the stellar chemistry between the cast and Chris Pratt's innate goofball charm, GotG assembles a team of misfits unlike any other. It is like a combination of Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Mass Effect, and Firefly, packed full of 80s references, action, and absurdly lovable characters. Even if you have never seen a Marvel film, there is so little connection to the main universe that it does not matter, yet there are still plenty of Easter Eggs for the fans.

Guardians of the Galaxy is bold and audacious filmmaking at its finest with James Gunn's complete disregard of typical genre conventions that care more about making a unique film than a generic crowd pleaser, yet it surely does please. GotG is like a cult classic with lovable quirky characters and endlessly quotable dialogue, except with box office success and a big budget; what more could you ask for?!

However, I feel as though I need to watch it yet another time before ranking it at number two, which could very well happen in the near future.

2: Captain America: The Winter Soldier

Captain America: The Winter Soldier truly took me by surprise. I expected a fun action packed adventure with my favorite comic book character; what I actually got was something far superior.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier is a thematically strong film loaded with meaningful social commentary on the various aspects of politics, freedom, and government control. It uses the fact that Captain America is an unwavering force of freedom to convey the themes without ever coming off as pretentious. Everything expressed in the film is a core aspect of Cap's character, and that is exactly why it works so well.

Upon my second viewing, I watched the film with the intent of finding something wrong with the film, and yet I could not find a single noteworthy flaw. Of course, no film is absolutely perfect, but it is one of the most well crafted films that I have ever. Each scene flows into the next effortlessly. It takes big risks, and yet never falters. The plot functions like a well oiled machine, and yet it has an emotional core. While I am sad to see Joss Whedon not directing Avengers: Infinity War, the film is left in good hands with the Russo Brothers.

1: The Avengers

Could there be any other? Joss Whedon accomplished the impossible with The Avengers and that makes him mighty (Firefly reference). Never before has a comic book film been so bold and unforgiving in the fact that it is based on a comic book. It perfectly captures the spirit of the comic, while still being easily accessible to the general public, an impressive feat in and of itself.

Somehow every character is given their moment to shine, and Whedon's expertly written banter is pure perfection. Among the previously established characters, Whedon even managed to build Black Widow into a far more fascinating character than anyone could have ever realized, and The Hulk, who, at the time, never received a proper film adaptation, nearly stole the show.

The Avengers could have easily been a disaster if left in less competent hands. Behind all of the spectacle and humor, ultimately, the film has heart; that's the real reason The Avengers is a classic that will go down in history as one of the defining films of the our generation. Will Age of Ultron be able to best it....

What do you think of choices? Please comment below and let me know!

P.S. As before, please do not post spoilers or even opinions about Age of Ultron, or at least use a *Spoiler* tag first. If you have not seen the film, do not read comments by "MarvelFan4Ever," he/she is the spoiling the film in the comments, and how the person seems to be using anonymous comments to spoil the film. 

If you want to contact us or have any questions please send an e-mail to johnstarslayer@gmail.com.

Top 10 Marvel Cinematic Universe Movies: Part 2

My Top 10 Marvel Cinematic Universe Movies list continues with Part 2. If you missed the first part, you can click here to read it.

8: Thor

Of all the Phase 1 films, Thor had the most potential for disaster! In fact, before watching the film, I feared that there would be no way that a Thor film could work in live-action. Thankfully, to my surprise, Thor turned out to be one of the films in a long line of Marvel productions that defy expectations against all odds.

Kenneth Branagh's Shakespearean background lent itself well to the film's theatrical family drama and archaic dialogue, which were one of the film's strongest aspects. The "fish-out-of-water" comedy with Thor is full of unforgettable lines that I still quote today, and the Final Act brought Thor’s character arc full circle. Branagh did use a few too many dutch angles for some reason. But as a whole, he managed to capture Thor and the world of Asgard in a satisfying manor!

7: Captain America: The First Avenger

Captain America: The First Avenger is distinctly different than the other Marvel films in both tone and style. Director, Joe Johnston, gave the film a retro period look that is reminiscent of older serials, while still being serious. The blend of styles works for the most part. However, the standout is Chris Evans as Captain America himself. As a Captain America fan since childhood, there was no character that I wanted to see done right on the big screen more. However, when Evans was cast, I was confused. He was a decent funny guy in Fantastic Four, but could he play Cap? And the answer was an astounding yes! The First Avenger was far from his best work as the character, but he really nailed the physicality and heroic personality that the character required.

In retrospect, Hayley Atwell as Peggy Carter turned out to be pitch perfect casting with her spinoff series, Agent Carter, being one of Marvel's best works to date. Actually, if I were to rank Agent Carter versus the films, it would probably be number five (unless Daredevil counts).

6: Thor: The Dark World

Despite Thor being the titular character, we all know that The Dark World is the Tom Hiddleston show, as he steals every second of his screentime. Sure, his screentime may be limited to the first two Acts, but he eats it up.

However, of all the MCU movies, I have the least to say about The Dark World. There is nothing controversial or world shattering; it is a straightforward and entertaining adventure. The best aspect is the brotherly interaction between Thor and Loki, and visually interesting Asgardian world. I would say that it is about tied with Captain America and Thor on the list with Hiddleston's performance being the thing that barely edges the other two out, although could change upon later viewings. The Dark World place in the grand scheme of the Marvel universe has yet to be seen with the film's final twist setting up for Thor: Ragnarok in 2017.

5: Iron Man 3

Easily the most divisive of Marvel films, Iron Man 3 continues to leave the community split. Some continue to say that the film is a failure, while others, like myself, say that it is an excellent character study of Tony Stark, despite a few nagging issues.

However, the main point of contention is the big twist *Major Spoilers* that the Mandarin is a fake. Many viewers were sorely disappointed that Ben Kingsley's long anticipated role was all just a facade created by the trailers. For me, and a few others, the deception is one the best twists that I have seen in cinema. Right up until the release, the whole thing was kept underwraps; it is a real feat in today's world of trailers that spoil major plot points (*coughTerminatorcough*). For the first time, I was truly shocked by the turn of events, and for someone that often predicts what is going to happen next, it was a real pleasure to be genuinely surprised.

However, the Third Act suffers from a lack of a great antagonist. A better way to do the twist would have been to replace Guy Pearce with a Chinese actor, so that when he says "I am the Mandarin" the dragon tattoos and other things all make sense. However, considering the latest Marvel One-Shot about the Mandarin, there is a real one out there that we might see in the future. *End Spoilers*

As for the movie itself, Shane Black's witty script and Downey’s brilliant delivery make for an exceptional combination. Even if the plot is not as well crafted as the first film, the interaction, character development, and pure entertainment make it one of the most fun Marvel films to watch.

What do you think of my choices? Please comment below, let me know, and check back tomorrow for the final part of the list.

As before, please do not post spoilers or even opinions about Age of Ultron, or at least use a *Spoiler* tag first. If you have not seen the film, do not read comments by "MarvelFan4Ever," he/she is the spoiling the film in the comments.

If you want to contact us or have any questions please send an e-mail to johnstarslayer@gmail.com.

Top 10 Marvel Cinematic Universe Movies: Part 1

With Avengers: Age of Ultron right around the corner and Marvel's Phase 2 coming to a close, it seemed like no better time than the present to rank the Best and Worst films from the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). 

Marvel has revolutionized the film industry with the concept of a shared universe with characters from one film appearing in another, to the point where supporting even received their own television series! Ever since The Avengers swept the planet with its success, every other studio rushed to make their own cinematic universe and no other franchise is even close to Marvel's financial and critical success. In fact, the idea of a shared universe is essentially bringing the idea of the comics to the visual media. One key factor in the MCU's success is that there has yet to be a bad film. Not all of them have been great, but with two exceptions (both are below), the MCU is consistently high quality. The films establish these characters and the various films allow the audience to watch them grow and change throughout the course of several films. Now, without further ado, let's get this started.

10: The Incredible Hulk

The black sheep of the MCU, The Incredible Hulk has faded into obscurity almost to the point where it is barely considered canon. Sure, it is occasionally referred, but many aspects of the film just do not fit with the rest of the MCU. Part of this is due to Edward Norton not returning in The Avengers, which led to Mark Ruffalo redefining the film version of the Hulk/Banner to astounding success.

As for the film itself, The Incredible Hulk is a fun film. Nothing about it is remarkable, but it tells a classic Hulk story of Banner running from them military. For the type of on-the-run Banner that the film required, Edward Norton did a fine job in the role. Unfortunately, the film starts to fall apart towards end with the introduction of Major Emil Blonsky, aka the Abomination. The final battle between the two is entertaining for some CGI Hulk smashing, but that is about it. The other issue is that the budget and technology at the time could not create a Hulk comparable to the one in the comics. Overall though, it is a solid comic book flick.

9: Iron Man 2

Receiving more hate that it ever deserved, Iron Man 2 is very much a mixed bag. Certain elements are fantastic, while other aspects disappoint. The film tries to use the palladium poisoning as a substitute for Stark's alcoholism arc from the comics. While a few parts of that story as Tony tries to discover what is truly important is effective, it is ultimately buried by uneven pacing and too many subplots. Thankfully, Robert Downey jr. being himself is always a pleasure to watch, and his ad libbed banter keeps things interesting. 

The most notable criticism is that Iron Man 2 tries to be the bridge that sets up for The Avengers, and at the time, the executives at Marvel still had yet to figure out exactly how everything would come together, which is apparent in the film. The building blocks are there, but it is not integrated with the any form of subtlety like later the films. However, it is a necessary evil of sorts for use to get us to the ultimate payoff that is The Avengers. Oddly enough, I basically agreed with the majority that it was a disappointment upon my first viewing of the film (before I became a critic). However, after multiple viewing, its importance in the overall road to The Avengers and Downey's innate charm made me like the movie so much more the second and third times around, despite the messy narrative and apparent flaws.

What do you think of my picks thus far? Please comment below and let me know. 

Also, please do not post spoilers or even opinions about Age of Ultron. Some guy has already spammed this website with spoilers that I had to remove, and while I managed to avoid most parts, what he revealed really made me angry. So, please no spoilers, or at least post a *Spoiler* tag first. If you have not seen the film, do not read comments by "MarvelFan4Ever," he/she is the spoiling the film in the comments.

If you want to contact us or have any questions please send an e-mail to johnstarslayer@gmail.com.

Captain America Watches Sherlock?

In the opening scene of Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Cap refers to his notebook of various things that we needs to catch-up on since being defrosted and, in the UK version, Sherlock is listed as the TV show that he wants to watch. However, each of the 10 regions actually have a different version of his list, most of which are listed below. In addition to Sherlock, the UK version has Sean Connery and the Beatles, which is cool. From what I understand, the UK got to vote for what would make the list and Sherlock and Sean Connery were two of the winners. The Australian version had Steve Irwin and AC/DC, which is interesting. Tony probably recommended AC/DC to Cap though, considering that "Shoot to Thrill" is entrance song (that was joke). On the American version at least, Cap appears to have already seen Star Wars, which is not surprising since he is owned by Disney. And I like his choice of music in the French version with Daft Punk. Also, Thai Food, Star Wars/Trek, Nirvana (Band), Rocky (Rocky II?), and Troubleman (Soundtrack) seem to be on every version of the list, so I will just list the top part that is different. I am interested to see what is on the Japanese version of the list; however, because the film has just been released there this week, I have not been able to find the Japanese version of the list. If anyone can find a picture, or happens to know what is on it, please let me know. To make it easier to read, I have what is on each list and what country it is from above each picture. Without further ado, here are the lists.

Note: Due to the massive amount of spam comments, comments on this post have been disabled.

UK:

TV Show - Sherlock

Moon Landing

The Beatles

World Cup Final (1966)

Sean Connery

US:

I Love Lucy

Moon Landing

Berlin Wall (Up + Down)

Steve Jobs (Apple)

Disco

Australia:

AC/DC

Space Travel

Steve Irwin

Skippy the Bush Kangaroo

Tim Tams

Brazil:

Ayrton Senna

Wagner Moura

Xuxa

Mamonas Assassinas

Chaves

Korea:

Dance Dance Revolution

Ji-Sung Park

Oldboy

2002 World Cup

Disco

Spain:

Rafa Nadal

Chupa Chups

Héroes del Silencio

1978 Constitution

Camilo José Cela

Latin America:

Chilean Miners

Maradona's Hand of God

Shakira

Neri Vela (1st Mexican Astronaut)

Octavio Pax (Nobel Winner)

Italy:

World Cup Championship

Vasco Rossi

Berlin Wall up + down

Roberto Benigni

Ferrari's victories at F1 Grand Prix

Russia:

Yuri Gagarin

Vladamir Vystoskiy

Soviet Union Dissolution - 1991

Moscow doesn't believe in tears

Disco

Germany:

Currywurst (a food dish)

Moon Landing

Berlin Wall up + down

Oktoberfest

Disco

There is no screencap for this one.

What do you think of Cap's various To-Do Lists? What pop-culture things would recommend for someone that has been on ice for the last 80+ years? Please comment below and let me know.

 Credit for these pictures goes to someone on a forum that collected everything.

If you want to contact us or have any questions please send an e-mail to johnstarslayer@gmail.com.

Captain America: Winter Soldier After-Credits Explained

If you watched Captain America: The Winter Soldier, you might not have understood the after-credits, and I am going to explain it. *Warning spoilers are ahead. If you have not seen the movie, go watch the movie first.*

The After Credits scene opens with Baron Von Strucker with the Tesseract Staff. In the comics, Strucker is the head of HYRDA when the Red Skull dies. He plays a larger role in many Captain America and HYRDA storylines, and I believe he is going to be in the Avengers, which would make sense because of the next big reveal in the After-Credits scene.

Strucker from the comics

The ultimate reveal in the After-Credits scene are the twins. The twins are Pietro and Wanda Maximoff, aka Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch. They are going to be in The Avengers: Age of Ultron, and in fact, Joss Whedon actually directed the After-Credits scene. In the comics, they are villains and what makes things complicated for Disney Marvel is that they are also Magneto's children. Long story short, the twins are mutants in the comics, and since Disney does not own the X-Men, the Disney Marvel movies can never reference mutants. From this short scene, we can see from what Strucker refers to as the "Age of Miracles" that the twins were experimented on as "volunteers" by HYRDA. Apparently, the twins' powers are derive from the Tesseract Staff or some other similarly powerful cosmic energy. As for my first impression of the characters, I have to say that I am sold. Quicksilver's super-speed powers look fantastic, and Aaron Taylor-Johnson looks cool in the role. Speed is a very difficult thing to pull well and I have to say that from the short clip, it looks great. But I love Elizabeth Olsen's Scarlet Witch! Crazy female characters are always something I like seeing and she looks insane and I can't wait to see her in Age of Ultron.

Johnson and Olsen on Age of Ultron set

Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch

The final after-credits scene briefly shows the Winter Soldier (aka Bucky), going to the museum exhibit and seeing a picture of himself. It was not particularly crucial to the overall plot, but it is a nice ending that somewhat sets up for Captain America 3.

What did you think of the After-Credits scene? Please comment below and let me know. Also, please do not forget to check out and comment on my review, which you can read here.

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