A few Black Panther links

[elisi]

First of all, a quick shout-out to Doctor Who's black, bald, female General:



Do I maybe have a type?

In short, the world might be going to hell, but our stories are getting SO MUCH MORE DIVERSE! Here's to having SO MANY black female generals for SO LONG that it becomes a dull trope. Say the next 100 years? :)

Black Panther Is More Than a Superhero Movie
The director Ryan Coogler's addition to the Marvel pantheon is a superb genre film—and quite a bit more.

Everyone loves Shuri: The history and importance of Marvel’s teenage tech genius
ANALYSIS | She has the kind of confidence that every little girl needs to see

The Provocation and Power of Black Panther
The biggest success of the new Marvel film isn’t representation, but its contemplation of identity, responsibility, and the future of a diaspora in an interconnected world.

Okoye’s Judgment Call

Director Ryan Coogler Talks ‘Black Panther’s Unbroken Casino Fight Shot, Obama’s Influence, and More

Why Shuri, Black Panther’s teen girl genius, is Marvel’s most promising character in ages

Twitter: WOOF WOOF WOOF



Sidebar: Thor was on telly last night. Watched a bit, and yet again wanted to punch something or someone. Like... it's all perfectly fine, but when you know something about ACTUAL Norse mythology, it's just an incredible mystery as to why they took something so amazing and just made it follow the same narrative as almost every other story ever...

Take Loki. He's a very appealing character, he's well acted etc etc. (even if he's saddled with dreary 'Oh noes I am adopted!' issues). But the 'real' Loki was a pan-sexual, gender-fluid shape-shifting Trickster god...

Which I guess is a bit too much for Hollywood. They can barely make more than very very coy allusions to Deadpool's bisexuality.

Comments

[lynnenne]

But the 'real' Loki was a pan-sexual, gender-fluid shape-shifting Trickster god

So is the Loki in the Marvel comics. The movies won't dare go there because they'll lose too much money in big markets like China and India, where homosexuality is frowned upon at best, illegal at worst.

[elisi]

So is the Loki in the Marvel comics.
I did wonder, what with knowing that they made Thor female... Boo to the movie makers for being chickens. :(

[yourlibrarian]

It's true that the comics depict him much more broadly than the movies. However the bigger problem is that even in Norse myth Loki is probably the most interesting character and certainly more so than Thor.

Nothing could make clearer how the movies have hamstrung Loki as a character than Thor 3. He has far, far more powers than have ever been shown and Loki just basically comes over as a whiner and not at all the intelligent plotter one sees in the comics. Thanks to shapinglight I read the whole "child Loki" arc in the comics a few months ago and even that Loki is far smarter than anyone in the films. But given that the movies are called "Thor" and not "Loki", and that even Chris Hemsworth was bored in portraying him, the last thing they could do is make Loki even more interesting.

[elisi]

It's true that the comics depict him much more broadly than the movies. However the bigger problem is that even in Norse myth Loki is probably the most interesting character and certainly more so than Thor.
Not difficult (Thor is cute, but a.. blunt instrument, shall we say).

But given that the movies are called "Thor" and not "Loki", and that even Chris Hemsworth was bored in portraying him, the last thing they could do is make Loki even more interesting.
Clearly the solution is to give Loki his own movie(s)! :)

[orangerful]

No link about the people of Wauconda, IL and how they are done with the prank phone calls https://io9.gizmodo.com/the-people-of-wauconda-illinois-would-like-you-to-sto-1823225437

[elisi]

Omg I hadn't seen that! :D

[sea_thoughts]

I loved that Okoye didn't just go with Nakia and the rest of the royal family, even though she clearly wanted to. And then when Killmonger's plan was "BURN EVERYTHING" and T'Challa turned up, she was like "okay then, in order for me to protect the throne, there actually needs to be a throne so I'm making my decision".

Re Thor: it's not Hollywood, it's Marvel. That's how Marvel adapted those myths into comic form, sad to say. I'd love to see an actual film version of Norse myths.

[liliaeth]

Up to a point yes, except that in the comics Loki is a pan-sexual, gender-fluid shape shifter as well.

[elisi]

yourlibrarian pointed this out on the Dreamwidth side also. Which makes me a little happier. :)

[sea_thoughts]

True but that's a recent development. He didn't start out that way in the comics. It would be nice if the movies didn't take as long to show that.

[elisi]

It could be very easily done by introducing Sleipnir (Odin's eight legged horse).

Loki: "Isn't he gorgeous?"

Random Avenger: "You seem very... invested."

Loki (offended): "Of course I'm invested! I'm his mother!"

Random Avenger (confused): "Say what now?"

Loki: "Well I was in the shape of a female horse at the time - wouldn't get this body pregnant, goodness no. What a thought! I'd look dreadful."

[sea_thoughts]

Sleipnir already featured in the first Thor movie (it was more of a cameo though). I'd love to see that scene but if Taika Waititi didn't manage to slip in a reference, not sure how anyone else could.

[elisi]

Sleipnir already featured in the first Thor movie (it was more of a cameo though).
Yeah, had zero recollection.

All of Valhalla being shiny art deco central just throws me every time. VIKINGS. THESE ARE VIKING GODS.

I have never read Marvel comics, but I have read the DANISH Valhalla comics, and they are amazing.

ETA: This is my Valhalla (incidentally full of fallen soldiers, collected by the valkyries. Where IS everyone in the Marvel movies?):



Srsly, the second one addresses women's equality, featuring such things as mansplaining (obviously not called that, but oh, it's exquisitely done), women's inability to be recognised for their worth in a male dominated world, and ends on a major argument about how just because the Norse gods don't treat their women like cattle doesn't mean that somehow they're paragons of virtue. It was published in 1980.

[elisi]

I loved that Okoye didn't just go with Nakia and the rest of the royal family, even though she clearly wanted to.
LOYALTY! It's so underrated. And I 100% credit her with winning the battle

I'd love to see an actual film version of Norse myths.
Here's Loki, he's the father of the Feeris wolf and the mother of Sleipnir, Odin's horse! :D

[ragnarok-08.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the links!!

[elisi]

You're welcome. :)

[hobbituk.livejournal.com]

Even if Loki was a pan-sexual, gender-fluid shape shifter, I bet Tom Hiddleston would still nail it...!

[elisi]

Oh totally. He's SO well cast. <333