The series for the MCU’s newest title character, Wonder Man dropped earlier this year. It tells the story of Simon Williams as he navigates the Hollywood scene in an attempt to land his dream roll. His secret: that he has super powers in a world that mistrusts them. In this episode we discuss the first season of this new series. We talk about the portrayals of Simon and his friend, Trevor Slattery. We examine the plot and and get into our feelings of how the series is paced, its themes are developed, and whether it serves the characters. Along the way we also debate the merits of how the series depicted actors, daily life in the MCU, and the role of a super-powered individual in society. We also question the role of the Department of Damage Control and what its exact mandate is supposed to be.
Our five-minute controversy this time asks if selling the MST3K franchise to Shout Studios was the right move for the franchise.
This week Stephen, Daviorr, and Nate join the cast.
Like what you heard? Follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/42cast. You can also find us on X as @42cast, Instagram/Threads as 42cast, or Blue Sky as 42cast.bsky.social. We can also be found on Youtube or rss.com where you can find links to all of the various podcast providers where we can be found. Please, leave us a review. Have a question for the Ultimate Answer? E-mail us at [email protected]. Want to be part of the discussion, join our Discord Server where you can talk about any form of geekiness, opine on the episodes, or participate in our general silliness.
After the initial wave of Avengers film, people started wishing that Marvel had the Fantastic Four film rights, so that they could apply the same MCU formula to the first family in comics. Years later, Disney obtained those rights as part of their overall acquisition of 20th Century Fox. Fantastic Four: First Steps is the result. For this episode we dive deep into the story. We talk about the characters, the choices that were made in the depictions, and how we feel those resonate. We debate some of the story decisions and how well those worked for us. We discuss whether origin stories are necessary, the pros and cons of shorter films, and how we think that this movie will fit into the overall MCU storyline. Give it a listen and let us know what you think!
Star Trek: Discovery completed its course after a five-year mission spanning CBS All Access and Paramount Plus. It was the first of the “new” Trek series and spawned its share of controversies as well as accolades. In this episode we review the fifth and final season of the series. We talk about the quest plotline and how we feel about the payoff. We discuss the utilization of the characters and whether we felt that they were used fittingly. We also get into the coda scene and whether we felt that it was a fitting ending for the series. Along the way we talk about lore expansions, narrative payoffs, and Discovery’s main achievements and failures.
Phase Five of the MCU completed this year. The phase was unique in that it had more content than prior Marvel phases. In this episode we take a deep dive on Phase Five. We discuss our favorite parts of this portion of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. We debate the perceived drop in quality among fandom and whether we think that there’s any merit to those arguments. We also discuss where these arguments are coming from. We also give our opinions on what we know is coming in Phase Six as well as speculate on what we think is coming that hasn’t been announced yet. 
Ironheart was the final installment of Marvel’s Phase Five. Delayed and extended by Covid as well as the writer’s and actor’s strikes, Phase Five of Marvel felt like it took significantly longer to complete than the previous phases. In this episode we review the character of Ironheart. We talk about what we each knew about the character before this and how Black Panther: Wakanda Forever handled the introduction of her character. We examine her place in the world and how the series handles her race, gender, socio-economic status, and her potential. We discuss her motivations and how her background informs her decisions. We also talk about the series’ endpoint and whether or not we each feel that it’s fitting for the character and satisfying narratively. Along the way we get into street-level magic, villainous vibes, making iron suits overnight in a garage, and the culmination of something fans have been screaming for since 2021. 
Marvel’s Netflix series were extremely popular with the majority of the MCU fandom. Telling street level stories about characters more concerned with protecting everyday people they provided a window into a different angle of the MCU that other series were unable to provide. Due to the compound breakdown between Marvel and streamers due to the impending Disney+ service and Marvel Studios’ breakdown with Marvel TV those popular shows were canceled, and it seemed for a time that they would be swept under the table and never mentioned in the MCU again. Thankfully, that did not occur. Daredevil appeared in Spider-Man: No Way Home, She-Hulk, and Echo while the Kingpin appeared in Hawkeye and Echo. Once again, the street level side of the MCU was being shown. In this episode we talk about the fulfillment of that promise with the series, Daredevil: Born Again. Presented as if it were a fifth season of the Netflix series (allowing for a skipped fourth season) the series takes us back to familiar characters with a new scenario. Wilson Fisk becomes mayor of New York and the reality for Daredevil and other so-called vigilantes is forever changed. Our cast discusses the new scenario, the use of the characters and how they interact, pacing, the combat/special effects, and more. 
The What If..? series was a surprise hit from Marvel. Distinguishing Marvel Animation in a way that the company had not managed previously, the series boasted high quality animation and intriguing storylines that pushed the boundaries of the MCU. In this episode we explore the third season of the series. We discuss the individual episodes and what each meant to us. We talk about the characters and how the various alternate scenarios influenced them. We also get into our overall sense of the story, whether we thought that the final two episodes were a worthy resolution, and and whether we’d like to see the What If concept make a comeback.
Agatha Harkness took the MCU by storm with her debut in WandaVision. It wasn’t long before Marvel announced that there would be a series featuring the character in Marvel’s Phase Five. In this episode we talk about that series, Agatha All Along. We discuss the characters and themes and how well they are woven into the story. We opine on some of the creative choices in this series and how it connects to other parts of the MCU. We wrap up with our predictions for where Agatha may show up next. 
Echo was a surprising addition to the Phase Five lineup. While the other characters in the MCU were characters with significant followings, Echo was a relatively minor character from the comics. However, due to a strong showing in the Hawkeye series, Alaqua Cox’s character was allowed to star in her own series with ramifications for Daredevil: Born Again. In this episode we review the Echo series. We talk about the connections to Hawkeye, Daredevil, and the prior Netflix series of Defenders characters. We discuss the depiction of the characters, what we think of the performances, and whether we’d like to see Echo show up again in the MCU. 
Thunderbolts* was one of the risky ventures that Marvel puts out from time-to-time. Featuring a cast of supporting characters from previous films and series, the story catapults several characters to prominence while doing a fair amount of Marvel world-building and character development. In this episode we go over Thunderbolts*. We talk about the plot of the film and how well it works as a bridge between phases Five and Six. We discuss the characters and how they’re utilized within the story. We also give our opinions on whether this story feels like it has “homework”. We’ll also get into that asterix and whether we think that Marvel dropped the ball on the marketing.