Magic in the MCU

[lynnenne]

Hello, and welcome to your weekly Sunday discussion post! This week's topic is about magic in the MCU.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has a number of magic users: Loki, Frigga, Doctor Strange, Wanda Maximoff, the Ancient One, Wong, etc. But their powers seem inconsistent from one moment to the next. We've seen Wanda move cars with her mind. Why couldn't she use the same power to rip Thanos' head off? We've seen Strange open a portal beneath Loki's feet; why couldn't he have done the same to Thanos and sent him to the outer edge of the universe? Or into the vacuum of space?

How powerful is magic in the MCU? What exactly can it do? What can't it do? Do the inconsistencies bother you, or do you just hand-wave them away? 

Comments

[peoriapeoriawhereart]

Um, let me get some magic in here. Yeah, Okoye's "What was she doing up there if she could do this?" applies not just to Wanda. Sometimes, I get it, like Dr. Strange in Thor 3. But a lot of the time, it's Plot convenience and really, cannot they eschew such corner trimming?

The bracer/shield/claws Infinity War outfitted Steve Rogers with Just, no. People running at each other is not sound tactics with the sort of weapons in play. (Black Panther it worked because there plenty of the combatants looking to win but not necessarily to kill.) I was okay in the theater with the scrum because it was entertaining and there was some fan service that I'd slogged through the years to finally get.

I think there's an implication that Wanda's TK is stronger the angrier she gets. Which, yeah, that's really 21st century of everyone. Not.

[lynnenne]

a lot of the time, it's Plot convenience

Yes, I completely agree.

People running at each other is not sound tactics with the sort of weapons in play.

Right?? No wonder they lost! :D

[peoriapeoriawhereart]

Do these people read no history?

Even assuming that Steve hasn't thought about science-fiction fighting (like, it's marked right on the tin, strategist of a generation. You have to SHOW that.) Okoye is a General and she knows what Wakanda has and how to use it. With those shields Kill Box.

Hell, Steve may have drawn science-fiction fighting. Transposed Revolutionary War battles into Barsoom (I'm not sure how hard it would have been to get exposed to some of that. He may have bartered drawing for pulps 'for Bucky'.)

I'm really wondering if most of CA:TWS was actually only in my head.

[lynnenne]

Do these people read no history?

The characters - maybe? The screenwriters, no. :D

[peoriapeoriawhereart]

We've seen Steve with Big Books. Those probably are history books because that's where strategy and tactics were stored. Rhodey has got to have read some, even if his was called something else, like Combat Aviation.

Bruce, Tony, they may have needs for more advanced history than their last high school class (based on Age of Ultron).

Hell, Pepper probably has some knowledge given how big battles captured in art has been. Damn, there's a premise bunny, Ms Potts and Mr. Rogers giving an advanced seminar on pomp and propaganda versus sound battlefield choices.

"Get thee to a library, screenwriters!"

[peoriapeoriawhereart]

At the very least Steve should be Using Physics! That seems to be his thing, that, getting back up, and why not me, now.

I'd think the sensible option would be for T'Challa to gift him with some sort of solid light projectile weapon. Let him rack up total number of chain reactions and bank shots. Him as the gunner in a Wakandan flit-chariot? Let him dangle ridiculously while the pilot does something heroically insane.

(To inject More Cosmic, think about Steve and Yondu in some Appropriate Venue getting competitive. Some sort of racquetball with jousting targets, ultimate frisbee golf, parkour polo...)