Straight Dope Message Board

[DigitalC]

"When I drift off I will dream about you. It is always you", words meant for Pepper but spoken directly to the Iron Man mask.

[Harrington]

Originally Posted by DigitalC

"When I drift off I will dream about you. It is always you", words meant for Pepper but spoken directly to the Iron Man mask.

I thought about that. He also toyingly poked the mask's nose twice when he said it, something Pepper would never see. I concluded that he felt Iron Man was over and he was genuinely speaking to her and the mask was just the only available recording device. Poking it in the nose was his attempt to touch her when he felt he would never get the chance to actually touch her again. I'm confident Tony's been humbled by recent events and doesn't believe that Iron Man is the only significant other in his life.

[Alessan]

Originally Posted by Jonathan Chance

Yeah, Feige has said they'll go in a different direction with Phase 4. So who knows what's going to happen. Maybe it'll be more cosmic with Captain Marvel, the Eternals and Adam Warlock interspersed with more personal, smaller things like Spider-Man and Black Widow.

All I really want is a She Hulk movie. Is that too much to ask?

Now that Disney owns the X-Men, all bets are off.

[HubZilla]

Originally Posted by Lightnin'

Yeah. Watching the trailer, I'd say that they're surprised to see Lang because everyone just assumed he was part of the snaptured 50%, since he basically disappeared at the same time...

Interesting thought recently, they are officially calling Thanos' snap The Decimation.

So, if only 10% perished instead of 50%, this might mean might mean some more heroes are out there.

[Snarky_Kong]

Originally Posted by DigitalC

Every single new character they've added has been just as popular as the originals if not more. The movies are getting more entertaining and more profitable. Besides, I don't think we are losing any of those except Evans. Hell, Black Widow is up for her stand alone film and Thor 3 was the best of the bunch, and Loki is getting his own show, I doubt they stop there.

Falcon, Vision, and Scarlett Witch all suck. However, they don't suck more than Hawkeye so I'm not sure if that makes them more or less popular than the originals.

Tony Stark is still the best character by miles.

[DigitalC]

Well I meant the characters that star in movies.

[Snarky_Kong]

Originally Posted by DigitalC

Well I meant the characters that star in movies.

Yeah, on average the stars have gotten better (except T'Challa, good movie, but stale character). Doubly so given that that Thor became much more interesting in Thor 3 and Infinity War.

[enalzi]

Originally Posted by HubZilla

Interesting thought recently, they are officially calling Thanos' snap The Decimation.

So, if only 10% perished instead of 50%, this might mean might mean some more heroes are out there.

I'm thinking they are using the generic definition of decimation rather the specific 10% meaning. They repeat in the trailer that he wiped out 50%.

[DigitalC]

Of all life too, not just humans.

[Ike Witt]

Originally Posted by DigitalC

Of all life too, not just humans.

What is the definition of life they are using? Did half of all dogs and cats disappear, and what about trees?

[DigitalC]

Originally Posted by Ike Witt

What is the definition of life they are using? Did half of all dogs and cats disappear, and what about trees?

No idea, but Groot certainly disappeared.

[Barkis is Willin']

I had read that it was sentient life. If it included plant and animal life it would be counterproductive to resetting the consumers/resources ratio.

[iiandyiiii]

I think the directors said it was all life, but that doesn't make any sense at all based on the goals of Thanos, so they probably weren't thinking when they said that.

[DigitalC]

Right, if you poof half the animals you are getting rid of the same resources you are trying to save for the unpoofed people. Even worse if you include plants.

[digs]

Originally Posted by Ike Witt

Now, considering the release date, when should I start my MCU viewfest if I wanted to watch one movie a week leading up to this?

Originally Posted by Jonathan Chance

Essentially right now. 147 days. 21 weeks.

20 movies. Plus Captain Marvel in March.

Get crackin'.

Originally Posted by iiandyiiii

You can skip the Hulk standalone -- that's the only one I've never had any desire to watch again. Even the other weak ones (Thor 1 and 2 and Iron Man 2, IMO) still had several very enjoyable scenes and moments.

I wouldn't skip any of them. Heck, if you didn't watch Ang Lee's HULK movie, you'd miss a key piece of Eric Bana's dialog that pretty much foreshadows how Marvel is reconstructing the MCU after Infinity War.

[Chronos]

Quoth Jonathan Chance:

All I really want is a She Hulk movie. Is that too much to ask?

I think that Deadpool has already proven that a snarky, self-aware, fourth-wall-breaking hero can work. So yes, bring in one who's Protected by the Comics Code Authority.

[Grestarian]

Originally Posted by DigitalC

Right, if you poof half the animals you are getting rid of the same resources you are trying to save for the unpoofed people. Even worse if you include plants.

Well, then that alone is a flawed paradigm on the presenter's (Marvel's, or the writers'?) part. Earth alone isn't split into consumers/resources; the rest of the multiverse probably isn't either. Lots of herbivores are prey to carnivores and omnivores so cutting half the sentient still cuts a huge percentage of food source for those who remain.

Maybe pointing out the stupid thinking is part of the key to getting Thanos to undo his completed plan?

Nah.

--G!
If you were handed seven wishes
Would you turn your back for more?
Would you hold on tight to what you had?
Would you try to change the score?

If you were given back a lifetime
Would you find some room for me?
I see you hangin' on to promises
that were meant for only me!
.....--Jack Blades (Nightranger)
.....Seven Wishes
.....Seven Wishes

[DigitalC]

Gotta admit this trailer did not get me as instantly pumped as any of the Infinity War trailers did.

[Ike Witt]

Originally Posted by DigitalC

Gotta admit this trailer did not get me as instantly pumped as any of the Infinity War trailers did.

I think it is supposed to be a downer. Wallowing in the sorrow of the loss - before a plucky training/ regrouping montage and the final showdown.

[AK84]

Could he not have.....doubled....resources with a snap?

[DigitalC]

Originally Posted by AK84

Could he not have.....doubled....resources with a snap?

I think the reality stone only works while he's around.

[Go_Arachnid_Laser]

Originally Posted by DigitalC

I think the reality stone only works while he's around.

The most common theory is that you can't alter reality forever with the gauntlet when creating new stuff... but you can destroy anything and it will stick.

[DSYoungEsq]

Uh, let's not start to assail the logic of the snap. I mean, cutting the population of sentient beings in half solves the problem of over-population for about, what, a couple generations or so?

As for the various recent Marvel movies:

I hate to say it, but I've not been a fan of the Ant Man movies (they are "meh"). Black Panther's movie was good. I, personally, am not a Guardians fan; I hate that kind of stupidly "comic" comic book tone (it took me a while to appreciate Thor 3 for that reason). And I thought the Spider Man: Homecoming movie was just about three Spider Man movies too far, and much too gimmicky, as a result. I'm sure that Marvel will continue to pump movies out, and I'm sure that they'll be "blockbusters". I'm just not sure that they won't get stale quickly, as the franchise attempts to find a mix of actors that have real staying power.

[DigitalC]

They might be stale with you but you gotta admit your opinions are far from the norm. Guardians specially have been extremely well received.

[RikWriter]

Originally Posted by DSYoungEsq

Uh, let's not start to assail the logic of the snap. I mean, cutting the population of sentient beings in half solves the problem of over-population for about, what, a couple generations or so?

As for the various recent Marvel movies:

I hate to say it, but I've not been a fan of the Ant Man movies (they are "meh"). Black Panther's movie was good. I, personally, am not a Guardians fan; I hate that kind of stupidly "comic" comic book tone (it took me a while to appreciate Thor 3 for that reason). And I thought the Spider Man: Homecoming movie was just about three Spider Man movies too far, and much too gimmicky, as a result. I'm sure that Marvel will continue to pump movies out, and I'm sure that they'll be "blockbusters". I'm just not sure that they won't get stale quickly, as the franchise attempts to find a mix of actors that have real staying power.

The franchise is ten years old and has a devoted following that rivals any other movie franchise in history. I doubt there's any danger they're going to get stale.

[Ike Witt]

Originally Posted by DSYoungEsq

Uh, let's not start to assail the logic of the snap. I mean, cutting the population of sentient beings in half solves the problem of over-population for about, what, a couple generations or so?

Actually, I heard a theory that says it depends on the technological level of the society. In the west birth rates are already plummeting. With enough technology you don't have to have 10 kids to work the fields. The notion has come up in the thread about the world population hitting 11 billion.

[Chronos]

But what will the technological level of a society be after half the population is snapped out of existence?

[DSYoungEsq]

Originally Posted by Ike Witt

Actually, I heard a theory that says it depends on the technological level of the society. In the west birth rates are already plummeting. With enough technology you don't have to have 10 kids to work the fields. The notion has come up in the thread about the world population hitting 11 billion.

Between 1940 and 2000, the population of the United States doubled.

But yeah, that's slower than doubling between 1900 and 1940. Still, 60 years is nothing. Thanos' snap was a waste of time. Population growth is geometric; we infect the world/galaxy at an outrageous rate.

I preferred the comic book rationale for his snap, that he wanted to impress Hela, or some such thing.

[Chronos]

No, not Hela. She's just the goddess of death, basically a peer of Thor (albeit a more powerful peer). The personage he was trying to impress was Death herself.

[Jonathan Chance]

But not the cute, alterna-chick Death. Wrong universe.

[cmkeller]

AK84:

Could he not have.....doubled....resources with a snap?

I think he was just stuck in his old mindset. He started out as someone with conventional power, so all he could do was kill, not create. When he found out about the Infinity Stones, he just saw them as a way to do all his killing quickly, not thinking that they might provide alternate answers to the underlying problem.

[Penfeather]

Originally Posted by Jonathan Chance

But not the cute, alterna-chick Death. Wrong universe.

Not this one, either.

[Harrington]

Originally Posted by DSYoungEsq

Uh, let's not start to assail the logic of the snap. I mean, cutting the population of sentient beings in half solves the problem of over-population for about, what, a couple generations or so?

That begs us to examine the algorithm of the Gauntlet and the Snap. How did anyone know that snapping one's fingers while wearing the Gauntlet with a full complement of Infinity Stones would kill half of life in the Universe? I don't believe it was adequately explained in the comic books and I know it wasn't adequately explained in the movies. Maybe Thanos believed he could snap his fingers unending. All characters in the movie had an infallible belief that Thanos snapping his fingers with all Infinity Stones would destroy half of life in the Universe, but how? Had it been done before? If it had, why had it never been revealed in the movies? If not, how the fuck did anyone know? If Thanos thought he could eliminate half of the life in the Universe with a snap, why would he not think he could continuously do it? There's too much unexplained for me to think that Thanos didn't think he could do the same thing repeatedly.

[Harrington]

I noticed in the final scene of the trailer, Scott was pointing to a closed, locked gate, asking to be buzzed in.

[Nava]

Originally Posted by AK84

Could he not have.....doubled....resources with a snap?

I liked Josh Brolin's take on it (Colbert interview, paraphrasing from memory): "doubling the resources would have worked as well, but he's a negative guy, he's the kind of guy who'd never think of a solution which involves creating things."

Originally Posted by Harrington

That begs us to examine the algorithm of the Gauntlet and the Snap. How did anyone know that snapping one's fingers while wearing the Gauntlet with a full complement of Infinity Stones would kill half of life in the Universe?

The Gauntlet's function is not "to kill half the life in the Universe" but to allow the wearer to grant Wishes to themselves. Thanos' Wish was to kill half the life in the Universe. If he'd wished for a rainbow-colored, cologne-peeing flying pony, he would have gotten a rainbow-colored, cologne-peeing flying pony.

Thanos hasn't realized that life has a way of coming back; humanity recovered from disasters such as the Black Plague just fine, and we can assume the same to have happened in many other worlds through the Multiverse. He doesn't want to do it again because he doesn't have the imagination to think he'll need to do it again.

[Nava]

OOT: Thanos hasn't realized that life has a way of coming back; humanity recovered from disasters such as the Black Plague just fine, and we can assume the same to have happened in many other worlds through the Multiverse. He doesn't want to do it again because he doesn't have the imagination to think he'll need to do it again: he truly and sincerely believes that by killing half the Universe he's solved the Universe's problems (talk about someone who needs to lay down the absinthe!).

[Lightnin']

Originally Posted by Nava

OOT: Thanos hasn't realized that life has a way of coming back; humanity recovered from disasters such as the Black Plague just fine, and we can assume the same to have happened in many other worlds through the Multiverse. He doesn't want to do it again because he doesn't have the imagination to think he'll need to do it again: he truly and sincerely believes that by killing half the Universe he's solved the Universe's problems (talk about someone who needs to lay down the absinthe!).

When I was watching the movie, I kept hoping someone would point that out to him. Maybe Stark, but it would've been awesome to see Peter Parker bring it up.

"Are you going to do this again in fifty years, or what?"

[simster]

Originally Posted by Harrington

That begs us to examine the algorithm of the Gauntlet and the Snap. How did anyone know that snapping one's fingers while wearing the Gauntlet with a full complement of Infinity Stones would kill half of life in the Universe? I don't believe it was adequately explained in the comic books and I know it wasn't adequately explained in the movies. Maybe Thanos believed he could snap his fingers unending. All characters in the movie had an infallible belief that Thanos snapping his fingers with all Infinity Stones would destroy half of life in the Universe, but how? Had it been done before? If it had, why had it never been revealed in the movies? If not, how the fuck did anyone know? If Thanos thought he could eliminate half of the life in the Universe with a snap, why would he not think he could continuously do it? There's too much unexplained for me to think that Thanos didn't think he could do the same thing repeatedly.

Seems that maybe the dude that created the Gauntlet should have created a failsafe.

"Dude - whatever you do, don't snap your fingers - its got a hell of a kick"

[enalzi]

The movie shows that for the Gauntlet to function, Thanos has to close his hand. The Snap is just a way of him closing his hand.

[simster]

Originally Posted by enalzi

The movie shows that for the Gauntlet to function, Thanos has to close his hand. The Snap is just a way of him closing his hand.

Everytime he punched someone with it - he closed his hand. The 'snap' (IMHO) was more than just closing his hand - it was an overt act that meant something (to the wearer and the magik in the glove)

[Sir T-Cups]

Is not-a-bow-but-now-with-a-sword Hawkeye an actual thing?

[silenus]

Originally Posted by Sir T-Cups

Is not-a-bow-but-now-with-a-sword Hawkeye an actual thing?

Ronin.

[enalzi]

Originally Posted by simster

Everytime he punched someone with it - he closed his hand. The 'snap' (IMHO) was more than just closing his hand - it was an overt act that meant something (to the wearer and the magik in the glove)

Not saying that the Gauntlet gets activated every time he closes his hand, but he must close his hand in order to activate it. It a combination of mental and physical control. Similar to Thor holding out his hand for Mjolnir.

[Chronos]

To put it in D&D terms, snapping the fingers is a somatic component for using the Gauntlet. But any individual component isn't all there is to a spell, as evidenced by the existence of componentless spells.

[Sir T-Cups]

Originally Posted by silenus

Ronin.

Ah, yes...thank you

[Stonebow]

I thought the 'snap' was fairly straightforward. It was not just a matter of adjusting the consume/produce ratio, it was a warning to the survivors to do better, simultaneously giving them time to do so. Doubling resources provides no incentive to wiser use of them.
I mean, if I'm Joe average on some planet and this happens, I don't know that he won't be back in 50 years to do it again. So maybe I should start recycling or something, yes?

[Chronos]

If you even had a clue what happened, or why. Which is just another stupidity in Thanos' plan: In order for it to work, there needs to be a marketing campaign to go along with it, and if you're going to need that anyway, why not do that first, and see if it works by itself?

[silenus]

Just my thought. The normal reaction to such a disaster is getting to fucking most sincerely. There will be a small new creature boom across the Universe because of the snap. Thanos is stupider than [fill in the blank with the group/individual of your choice].

[Miller]

Originally Posted by Chronos

If you even had a clue what happened, or why. Which is just another stupidity in Thanos' plan: In order for it to work, there needs to be a marketing campaign to go along with it, and if you're going to need that anyway, why not do that first, and see if it works by itself?

He’s got an entire army/cult following him. And the marketing plan has been going on for some time now - Gamora’s home world was an early market. Thanos is known and feared throughout the galaxy. We didn’t know about him on earth, because we’re a backwater. His plans and methods are pretty well known on the planets that matter, and he’s got the organization in place to let people know what just hrappened, and why.

[Chronos]

"An army" is awfully small, on the galactic or cosmic scale. Yes, the planets he's "helped" before know who he is, but that was a fairly small proportion, before the Gauntlet.