Avengers and MCU Future
After the news that Disney bought Fox dropped in 2019, the comic book fans got hyped up to eleven. Finally, beloved properties like the X-Men and Fantastic Four were coming to the billion-dollar blockbuster series, colloquially known as the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). While creator and architect of the eleven years shared universe story concept, Kevin Feige has said the inclusion of the X-men won’t happen until years later. The entirety of Phase 4 in the MCU is currently unknown. What fans do know is that Black Panther’s sequel, Doctor Strange 2 and Guardians of the Galaxy: Volume 3 are all on the pipeline for release within the next 5 years. The other projects, including the title of the next Avengers film, are purely speculation at this point.
Source Material vs. Adaptation
The MCU is a great introduction to characters that fans of the source material love so dearly. That being said, the cinematic universe has the same problem books have when adapted for the screen. Filmmakers have to take creative license and work within time constraints usually no less than 80 minutes and no longer than approximately three hours in runtime. This being the third Graphic Audio production based on Marvel Comic’s intellectual properties reviewed on the site, the attention.
The first 30 minutes of Avengers vs X-Men is a lot of backstories, direct from the comics. The most prevalent of these is the Scarlett Witch’s episode before mutant-kind became endangered. Those who’ve read the comics will know the event. It’s unclear how much time passed between it and the start of this battle between X-Men vs the Avengers.
The Dark Phoenix MacGuffin
Rather than coming up with a way of having the two Marvel teams fight that involves a bit of finesse, this story uses the Phoenix force. The same one that took over and killed Jean Grey in the comics and third X-men film. It’s unclear how much time has passed since her death and whether the extinction-level event came before or after it.
The MacGuffin used to make the Avengers fight starts out relatively simple. The Avengers want to kill the Phoenix’s next host—the daughter of Scott Summers (Cyclops) and Jean Grey, named Hope Summers. Once it arrives, during the initial brawl between X-Men and Avengers, the plot takes an unexpected turn and the Phoenix force becomes the MacGuffin nobody wants to the thing both sides want—either to destroy or use for their own goals. The twist comes near a little after the first quarter mark and things only ratchet up from there.
Graphic 3D Audio
Whether the cover design with the words “3D Audiobook” on it gives the listener a placebo effect. The sound designers David Zitney and Mackubin Owens work wonders with the various filters and sound effects they use to create both atmosphere and iconic audio moments.
Once the twist occurs relatively early on, there’s one scene that opens clunkily and involves a metaphorical camera and the narrator saying the words “If there was a camera …” and then describing the scene, mentioning the invisible camera once and a while. It’s uncertain why the adaptation team felt the need to include the narration. Perhaps an easter egg from the comics, but the geek factor certainly didn’t transfer over into audio.
Part of it could the different medium’s strengths and weaknesses. It’s interesting how Marvel Comics published this series around the same time as the first Avenger’s film in 2012. Fast forward eight years later and the MCU is burning brighter than the Phoenix.
4.5/5 Stars
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